<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ducheyne, Steffen</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">To treat of the world: Paul Otlet's ontology and epistemology and the circle of knowledge</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Journal of Documentation</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2009</style></year></dates><number><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2</style></number><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">65</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">223–244</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">&lt;p&gt;Purpose  The purpose of this paper is to document how Paul Otlet, founding-father of what is termed at present as information science, attempted to provide a complete image of the world (and reality in general) by establishing the scientific discipline he dubbed documentation. The paper also aims to focus on how Otlet represented human knowledge and reality in a systematic and unified way. Design/methodology/approach  A close reading of Otlet's primary works and some of his personal archives was undertaken. Findings  Most importantly, it is shown that Otlet's views on documentation were immersed in a cosmological, objectivist, humanitarian and ontological framework that is alien to contemporary information science. Correspondingly, his alleged affinity with positivism is reassessed. Originality/value  The philosophical foundations of the origins of information science are highlighted. Indirectly, this paper is relevant to the ongoing debate on realism and anti-realism in information science.&lt;/p&gt;</style></abstract></record></records></xml>