Thanks, Prof. Rayward, for Explaining . . .

Information history is moving beyond listing the “what” and to answering how-and-why systems emerged, prospered, or died. This paper explores the nature of (and debates over) explanation in historical studies. The conclusion is that the history of information has to rely upon complex explanations that are a mixture of social science and humanities approaches. There are no formulas for such historical work, as shown by Boyd Rayward’s sensitive efforts on the history of Paul Otlet’s career and personal life.