What does informatics mean?
Informatics is the study and practice of representing, processing, storing, transmitting, and managing information, especially through computers and communication networks. It combines ideas from computer science with information science and has important applications in medicine, biology, education, public health, business, and research. Terms such as medical informatics, bioinformatics, and health informatics refer to specialized areas concerned with particular kinds of information. In everyday technical settings, the word can overlap with computer science, although informatics generally stresses the use of computational methods to organize and interpret information rather than computing systems alone. The word is especially common in universities, government, healthcare, and research organizations, where it identifies both an academic discipline and a body of professional practice. It is also used when describing the design and management of systems for collecting, analyzing, sharing, and protecting data.
nounThe branch of computer science concerned with the representation, processing, storage, and transmission of information. The term may also refer more broadly to the study of information and its use in science, technology, and society.
- The branch of computer science concerned with the representation, processing, storage, and transmission of information.
- The study of information and its use in science, technology, and society, especially in relation to computing and communication systems.
"She studies informatics at university, focusing on medical data and artificial intelligence."
"The course combines informatics with practical work in statistical analysis."
"Public-health informatics helps researchers track disease patterns and evaluate interventions."
Informatics is where information meets computing: the discipline behind everything from secure medical records to genomic research.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does informatics come from?
Informatics was formed in the 20th century from the English word information and the suffix -ics, a combining form associated with scientific disciplines. The development of digital computing and formal information theory helped establish the word as the name of a distinct field. It belongs to a family of terms including information, inform, informative, and informant, all of which share the Latin root informare, meaning to inform or shape.
Related word forms
How informatics is actually used
Informatics is usually an academic or professional term. In many contexts it overlaps with information science, computer science, and information technology, but it commonly places particular emphasis on the organization and application of information through digital systems.
Easily confused with informatics
Information is the data or knowledge being represented and processed, whereas informatics is the field that studies how information is handled by computing and communication systems.
Computer science covers computing systems, algorithms, software, and hardware more broadly, while informatics specifically emphasizes the processing, management, and application of information.