GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC, AND OFFICIAL INFORMATION: A PROPOSAL FOR CONCEPTUAL SYSTEMATIZATION

UMA PROPOSTA DE SISTEMATIZAÇÃO CONCEITUAL

Abstract

This article analyzes the concepts of “government information,” “public information,” and “official information” within the field of Information Science, aiming to understand and systematize their definitions, relationships, and conceptual characteristics. The research is theoretical and qualitative in nature, with a conceptual focus, and was conducted through a bibliographic review of national and international databases in the field, as well as an analysis of institutional documents from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). The study is based on the hypothesis that these concepts are not equivalent, although they exhibit relationships of proximity, intersection, and overlap in their definitions and uses. The results demonstrate, in light of the literature reviewed and critically examined, that government information constitutes the broadest concept, encompassing the production and management of information by the State; public information is associated with access regimes, transparency, and the right to information; and official information is linked to institutional legitimacy, epistemic authority, and the methodological validation of information produced by governmental bodies. As a final outcome, the study proposes a conceptual ecosystem of government information structured around the dimensions of access, authority/provenance, and informational materiality.