Page 96 - Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.47, 2021

AN Lu, CHEN Miaomiao, SHEN Yan & LI Gang / The basic categories and core propositions of information science with Chinese characteristics 095

1.2 Intelligence research

Intelligence research, also known as information analysis, is an activity of collecting, processing,
analyzing and mining a large amount of original information to provide information decision
support for specific users. At the beginning of its birth, the main task of information science with
Chinese characteristics was to process scientific and technological information and to establish
scientific intelligence agencies. Meanwhile, it was also responsible for the translating, compiling,
abstracting and indexing of foreign innovative scientific and technological literature, so as to
provide reference for scientific researchers, help scientific and technological decision-making
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and strategic planning, all the tasks of which belonged to the classic intelligence research field .
Scientists made use of these scientific and technological information to assist their communication,
discussion and innovation activities. At that time, intelligence and scientific research with Chinese
characteristics was based on the strategy of catching up with other countries on all fronts. It was
just from the translating and summarizing of literature that China had gradually established an
emerging field of “intelligence research” beyond document collection and processing. Since then,
intelligence research had often been mentioned as a basic category, but its connotation, denotation,
research objects and so forth were quite ambiguous and controversial. After discussing the concept
of intelligence research, researchers summarized many new theories, such as reorganization theory,
analytic-synthetic theory, alternate use theory, regenerative intelligence theory, and competitive
intelligence theory. Their focus was on whether the research object should be limited to pure
scientific and technological information or extended to comprehensive intelligence analysis in
economic and social fields. Because of the influence of USSR scientist Mikhainov’s intelligence
theory and domestic environment, the object of intelligence research was limited to scientific
and technological literature at the beginning. According to first 12-Year Long-term Science
and Technology Development Plan, the intelligence research mainly focused on scientific and
technological information and national technological Innovation: to break the international
science and technology barrier and domestic information block dilemma, intelligence research
mainly established scientific and technological information institutions and trained information
professionals to continuously collect, study and report the latest scientific research literature
at home and abroad, by which relevant researchers could follow up the forefront of science
and technology and the latest trends, helping promote the development of national science and
technology innovation.
After the adjustment of the national economic system, market competition has become more
and more fierce. In the face of great social changes, the traditional science and technology
information research has shown insufficient participation, not to mention adapting to the situation
of globalization. Classical intelligence research, being consistent with the national circumstances
and concept of document resource sharing, is suitable for the “original innovation” activities of
developed countries with advanced economic and technological level. However, for developing