Models, Metaphor and Meaning

The purpose of this book is to develop a philosophy of data & information. The book builds on some of the themes of William Kent's, Data and Reality (Kent 2012). The book examines some traditional and contemporary theories of meaning from philosophy and borrows from some contemporary linguistic research regarding the importance of metaphor in human cognition. By examining the philosophy of data and information the reader will come away with a new appreciation of how data models are used to communicate the intent of the designers of information systems.