Information Holon

Polyscopy envisions an atomic information unit called information holon which is suitable for knowledge federation. An information holon is both a whole in itself, and a building block in other information holons.

The ideographic representation of an information holon is a circle on top of a square. An information holon consists of two parts, the high-level part or the circle, and the low-level part or the square.

The circle may represent the shared identity, the common knowledge, the big picture or insight that is ‘exported’ for use outside the community of interest. The square represents the contributing sources. The circle can provide the gestalt. The square can provide the clear and correct perspective of the relevant contributing factors. The circle can specify a claim. The square can provide the justification or proof. The creation of knowledge is envisioned as creation of information holons. One proposes a claim, a point, a gestalt, and places it into the circle. Then one organizes the supporting holons within the square. This supports knowledge federation.