Informatics/computer science

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Newguest

#393677 Wed, 18 Jul 07 08:06 PM

Hello

Should I say that I study informatics or computer science? Are both correct?

thanks

Newguest

Joined on Sun, Feb 25 2007

Contributing Member (1,229)

CalifJim

#393681 Wed, 18 Jul 07 08:10 PM

I'd say computer science.

CJ

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (17,747)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Newguest

#393714 Wed, 18 Jul 07 09:27 PM

so when can I use the word informatics?

Newguest

Clive

#393730 Wed, 18 Jul 07 10:49 PM

Hi,

Never? Smile [:)]

It's not a common term at all. I never read or hear it. I even had to look in my dictionary to confirm that it is a real word. What I read and hear is computer science, as pointed out above.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

Veteran Member (22,515)

El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

Kooyeen

#393732 Wed, 18 Jul 07 11:04 PM

Hmmmmmm
In Italy, there is "Ingegneria Informatica", and that's "Computer Science" in English I guess.
But there is also "Informatica", which is not part of engineering. I guess that would be translated as "Informatics". --> [link]

Informatics exist in English, it's just that I don't know exactly what it is. The contents of the courses vary from university to university, so... Smile [:)]

Kooyeen

Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005

Italy

Senior Member (4,069)

If you don't have a sense of humor already, it's about time you buy one.

Universities

Anonymous

#393735 Wed, 18 Jul 07 11:18 PM

Newguest wrote:
so when can I use the word informatics?

Informatics includes the science of information, the practice of information processing, and the engineering of information systems. Back home in Philippines, we have a school name Informatics..

Hope it helps.

Anonymous

CalifJim

#393738 Wed, 18 Jul 07 11:19 PM

The only use of informatics in AmE that I know of is in the compound bioinformatics, the application of computer science to the study of biological phenomena, especially DNA sequencing.

CJ

CalifJim

Kooyeen

#393756 Thu, 19 Jul 07 12:16 AM

Well, I don't know how much it is used, but I think it is used by the people who want to distinguish computer science and other fields that are similar but... are not the same. The University of California, Irvine, has a Department of Informatics, for example ([link]). No one knows what they do there... they probably deal with Computer Science, LOL. Smile [:)]

Kooyeen

Universities

CalifJim

#393757 Thu, 19 Jul 07 12:20 AM

Terminology may be undergoing changes. These things sweep through like fads. Now it appears that the parts of computer science more related to software than to hardware are being labeled informatics by some institutions. Nevertheless, until the new terminology is solidly established, it's probably better to stick to the term computer science.

CJ

CalifJim

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