The meme as an informative document

Abstract

This research investigates the documentary nature of digital memes, based on the problematization of their informative function. Grounded in the concept of memes as units of cultural transmission proposed by Richard Dawkins (1976), the study's general objective is to analyze the role of memes in the context of information, and its specific objectives are to discuss their documentary aspects and examine the informational content present in their messages. The theoretical framework addresses the multiple conceptions of memes as socio-historically situated language games capable of transmitting cultural knowledge, in addition to highlighting their replicative, metamorphic, and mimetic functions. Conceptions of documents according to Meyriat and Buckland are also discussed, emphasizing the material and conceptual dimension of recorded information. Methodologically, the research is exploratory, qualitative, and basic in nature, based on bibliographic survey and content analysis. The corpus consisted of 39 documents, including scientific articles, theses, and dissertations, highlighting the emerging nature of the topic in academic literature. The results indicate that, although initially associated with entertainment, memes incorporate relevant informational content, becoming documents that can be controlled and cataloged by Information Science. It is concluded that memes act as cultural artifacts that reflect social, political, and historical contexts, challenging traditional models of documentary representation. Their hybrid nature between text and image demands interdisciplinary approaches, broadening the scope of information analysis in the digital environment.