Informatics is the science of information, including information processing and information systems.
This can include creating, storing, finding, manipulating and sharing information, as well as studying and constructing computer systems to handle information.
The University of Edinburgh defines informatics as “the study of the structure, the behaviour, and the interactions of natural and engineered computational systems.”
Informatics is a relatively common degree programme, preparing graduates to handle information in a practical way and convert it into a form that can be used.
What fields can informatics be applied to?
Informatics is a highly valued discipline within the healthcare field, for example, a field which generates large amounts of information, where it is used to get the required information to the right person at any given time.
The field encompasses disciplines such as Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Science and Computer Science.
It is also informed by disciplines such as mathematics, electronics, biology, linguistics and psychology.
However, it has implications across a far wider range of disciplines than this.
