Knowledge Organization and the Technological Challenges of the Big Data Era

Amid ongoing technological advances and their effects on the information cycle, this research examines how Knowledge Organization engages with Big Data technologies and analyzes the metatheoretical perspectives within this scientific domain. A bibliographic review of books and e-books, along with scientific articles from databases such as LISA, Scopus, Web of Science, and BRAPCI formed the theoretical framework. The empirical analysis focused on thematic content, theoretical influences (citations), and metatheoretical perspectives in the selected literature. The results show that technological developments significantly influence scientific practice in Information Science and Knowledge Organization. Nonetheless, their inherently social orientation fosters research that addresses both technological and societal concerns, providing insights into the Big Data context. The study concludes that managing large volumes of data today requires not only technological and semantic innovation but also a democratic approach—one best led by Information Science and Knowledge Organization in collaboration with disciplines such as Computer Science, Mathematics, and Statistics, underpinned by human and social guidelines.