Information management according to Professor Wilson

Abstract

Introduction. This paper reports the outcomes from a review of literature written by Professor Wilson on information management to identify the source of interest in the subject, main topics emerging from the publications and relation to other research subjects.

Method. A thematic literature review was done on selected publications produced by Wilson between 1961 and 2025. The selection of articles and analysis were guided by the model of information management process.

Results. Wilson's research in information management emerges during his working career as a special librarian in the Nuclear Research Centre. His long-term career brought opportunities to investigate all elements from the information management cycle, but studies of information needs, information strategies, innovative information technologies and services in organisations dominate. Exploration of information needs in organisations opened the path to information seeking and information behaviour studies and later projects related to information behaviour in working organisations.

Conclusion. Wilson's ability to bridge theoretical frameworks with practical applications ensures his research has tangible impact on both academic understanding and professional practice. His contributions to understanding organisational information ecology demonstrate remarkable foresight, with many of his early observations about networked organisations and digital transformation proving prescient decades later. The consistent thread throughout his work—recognising the centrality of human factors in technological adoption and information use—represents a significant contribution to information science that continues to be relevant in today's rapidly evolving digital landscape.