{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,7]],"date-time":"2026-02-07T02:41:04Z","timestamp":1770432064285,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2005,2,1]],"date-time":"2005-02-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1107216000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2005,2,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>To show that the neo\u2010pragmatist position of Richard Rorty, when combined with a sociocultural perspective, provides library and information science (LIS) with a forceful epistemological tool.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>Literature\u2010based conceptual analysis of: historical development of pragmatism in relation to other epistemological positions; neo\u2010pragmatism as a non\u2010dualist, both purpose and communication oriented, epistemology; and a sociocultural perspective within pedagogy, originated from the Russian researcher Lev Vygotsky.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>Brought together, a neo\u2010pragmatist, sociocultural perspective contributes to a focus on people's actions through the use of linguistic and physical tools. As a tangible example of how neo\u2010pragmatism can be applied as an epistemological tool within LIS, information seeking seen as communicative participation is discussed. This article unites a perspective on information seeking as communicative participation with the neo\u2010pragmatist concepts of \u201ctools\u201d and \u201ccommunities of justification\u201d. The article is concluded by an assessment of neo\u2010pragmatism as an epistemological position within LIS, including those research issues that arise from this position and that are introduced along the way.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>In its focus on usability, the neo\u2010pragmatist position provides a possible bridge between academic and other professional practices in the field of LIS.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>Provides, through the means of neo\u2010pragmatism, an argument for the necessity of epistemological argumentation within LIS.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/00220410510577998","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2005,2,9]],"date-time":"2005-02-09T11:07:23Z","timestamp":1107947243000},"page":"23-43","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":46,"title":["Pragmatism, neo\u2010pragmatism and sociocultural theory"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"61","author":[{"given":"Olof","family":"Sundin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Jenny","family":"Johannisson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022012919500951100_b1","unstructured":"Blair, D.C. 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