Trends in analyzing access to information. Part II. Unique and integrating conceptualizations

摘要

Part II summarizes and extends the review of fundamental conceptualizations of access to information across six relevant research literatures developed in part I. It identifies unique underlying assumptions of the concept `access to information' within each of the different disciplines. We discuss implications of the conceptualizations of access, and of influences and constraints on access. We then integrate the common and unique conceptualizations and the implications to propose a general model of access to information. The goal of the two articles is to identify common and unique, as well as hidden and overlooked, aspects of how access is conceptualized in a selected set of relevant literature, and to suggest a comprehensive perspective that may be applied to future studies and policies related to information access.