This study examines the scientific landscape of research on biological maturation in youth sport through a comprehensive bibliometric and network analysis. A total of 457 publications indexed in Web of Science were analyzed to identify production trends, thematic evolution, authorship structures, institutional collaboration patterns, and citation dynamics. Network structure was assessed using Total Link Strength (TLS). Results reveal sustained growth in publications since 2012, with maturation emerging as a central thematic axis linked to talent identification and performance research. The field exhibits moderate collaborative density, characterized by hub-oriented structures in which a limited number of authors and institutions concentrate structural influence. Institutional analysis indicates productivity concentration consistent with cumulative advantage dynamics, alongside asymmetrical participation across regions. These findings suggest that research on biological maturation in youth sport is undergoing conceptual consolidation while remaining structurally centralized. Greater cross-regional and interdisciplinary integration may enhance scientific equity and knowledge diversification within the field.

Purpose: This study examines artificial intelligence (AI) literacy and its influence on the adoption of human-centered AI among Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) in Pakistan pursuing education and career in Library and Information Science (LIS). Drawing on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and UNESCO’s AI Competency Framework, the study examines how AI literacy and awareness of human agency shape students’ behavioral intention and actual use of AI in academic research. Methodology: A quantitative survey design was employed, with convenience sampling. Data were collected from 680 MPhil and PhD LIS research students enrolled in seven universities. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, including correlation analysis, multiple regression, and moderation analysis, were used to test the proposed research model. Findings: The results indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and AI literacy have significant positive effects on students’ behavioral intention and academic performance with AI. In this study, AI literacy was conceptualized as a competency-based antecedent and was found to be the most effective predictor of AI adoption; it was not examined as an outcome of prior adoption. Social influence showed mixed effects: it sometimes discouraged adoption when ethical or academic concerns were present, while facilitating conditions had a limited impact. Human agency awareness negatively influenced adoption, reflecting students’ concerns about academic integrity, autonomy, and over-reliance on AI. Behavioral intention was the strongest determinant of actual AI usage. Age and gender moderated selected relationships, whereas qualification level and university type did not. Implications: The findings demonstrate that AI adoption among Gen Z LIS students is primarily literacy-driven and human-centered rather than infrastructure-driven. Universities and academic libraries must prioritize AI literacy education, ethical guidance, and human-centered AI training within LIS curricula to support responsible, effective, and sustainable AI integration in higher education.

As African universities increasingly adopt AI technologies for teaching, research, learning, and administration, concerns arise about safeguarding the personal data and privacy of faculty, staff, and students. The adequacy of existing legal frameworks to protect personal information amidst these immersive technologies remains uncertain. This study examines how African universities can balance leveraging AI-enhanced educational opportunities while protecting data privacy rights. Using the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, the study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach across universities in South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana. Quantitative data from 90 participants were analysed using SPSS (t-tests, regression, ANOVA, chi-square, correlation), while qualitative data from key informants were thematically analysed using NVivo. Findings indicate moderate AI adoption in African universities, with Kenya showing the highest rate, followed by South Africa and Ghana. Technological context and organisational readiness significantly influenced positive perceptions of data protection. However, weak enforcement of Ghana's Data Protection Act, South Africa's POPIA, and Kenya's Data Protection Act negatively impacted trust. Qualitative insights revealed poor policy communication, insufficient staff training, and widespread distrust in regulatory institutions. The study proposes a three-pillar framework to guide African universities towards robust data protection and ethical AI integration, focussing on institutional accountability, privacy by design, and effective legal enforcement as crucial for fostering trust in AI-driven educational systems. The research recommends strengthening institutional policies and capacity, urging universities to develop and implement comprehensive data protection policies aligned with both national and international standards.

This study investigates how work–family conflict (WFC) and family–work conflict (FWC) relates to organizational commitment in Vietnamese museums, with job burnout and organizational justice examined as potential mediating mechanisms. Using a quantitative design, the study analyzes survey data from 285 employees across twelve museums in Vietnam. The hypotheses were tested using linear regression analyses. The findings show that FWC significantly impact on continuance commitment. In addition, high workload partially mediates the association between FWC and continuance commitment. By situating these relationships in Vietnam, an emerging economy, the study extends the work–family interface literature with evidence from a non-Western context. Two managerial implications are highlighted in here. First, museum leaders should implement targeted strategies and workplace policies to mitigate the adverse consequences of FWC. Second, training programs that help employees recognize and manage FWC and burnout may reduce their negative effects and strengthen organizational engagement. The study also contributes theoretically by integrating four constructs—work–family conflicts, organizational justice, job burnout, and organizational commitment—within a single analytical framework. To the authors’ knowledge, no previous studies have challenged these issues in Vietnam, making this research a meaningful step toward extending work–family conflict theory beyond Western settings.

This study examines the importance of Internet of Things (IoT) as perceived by Indian library professionals working in Institutes of National Importance (INIs). It aims to assess their current awareness, perceived importance of IoT in various library activities and services along with limitations and initiatives required to integrate new technologies. A quantitative survey was conducted with library professionals from 18 INIs located in South India, from where 146 valid responses were received out of 153 questionnaires distributed. The survey achieved a response rate of 95.42% with data collected via physical questionnaires and Google Forms. Descriptive and non-parametric statistical tests were used to draw the inferences. IoT awareness was high (92.5%), with 78.5% reporting implementation. Essential services such as self-transactions, surveillance, and shelf management showed strong perceptions to adopt IoT (M ≥4.55), while advanced tools like drones and robotics remained limited (M ≤2.20). Benefits, including accuracy, service quality and time efficiency, were widely endorsed. Major barriers included high cost and technical skill gaps. Statistically significant differences were not observed ( p > .05) majorly across gender, institutional types, and management levels. High support was noted for training, collaboration, and incentive systems with ns = ≥0.85. This is the first attempt to focus on perceptions of library professionals on IoT adoption in Indian elite academic institutions as a pilot study, providing empirical insights that inform policy, planning, and future comprehensive research on smart library transformation.

The study aimed to identify the e-learning prospects for librarians’ sustainable competence and smart library service delivery in academic settings. A systematic literature review methodology was employed to address the study’s objectives. 20 peer-reviewed articles published in the world’s reputed digital databases were selected to conduct the study. The study identified six key prospects of e-learning on librarians’ sustainable competence development that included enhancement of digital pedagogy and instructional competence, advancement of technological adaptability and digital integration, promotion of lifelong learning and self-paced professional growth, strengthening of collaborative and global engagement skills, expansion of specialized information and content curation skills, and empowerment in user-centered service innovation. The study also revealed four key positive effects of e-learning on smart library services in academic settings that included service realignment and digital continuity, integration of intelligent systems and user analytics, expansion of digital learning ecosystems, the personalized and inclusive learning support. The study has provided the best practices to incorporate e-learning in academic settings for building sustainable competence development of librarians and innovative library services.

Defining Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) is a central requirement of outcome-based education (OBE) and quality assurance (QA) in higher education, yet it remains a persistent challenge for curriculum developers. Although national qualification frameworks and QA standards such as the Thai Higher Education Qualifications Framework and the ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance framework specify domains and descriptors for learning outcomes, they provide limited procedural guidance on how PLOs should be systematically derived from stakeholder needs, competency frameworks, and institutional missions. As a result, curriculum teams often rely on ad hoc or experience-based practices, leading to weak alignment between intended outcomes, curriculum design, and workforce expectations. This paper introduces the FISO framework, a structured four-stage process comprising Find, Identify, Select, and Obtain, designed to support the rigorous and transparent derivation of PLOs. Drawing on literature in OBE, competency-based curriculum design, global digital and professional competency frameworks, and conceptual models in Information Science, particularly the IFLA Library Reference Model, the study positions FISO as a conceptual–methodological contribution to curriculum design research. The framework is illustrated through an empirical mini case involving the redesign of undergraduate Information Science program at a Thai university, demonstrating how stakeholder evidence is systematically translated into validated learning outcomes. The paper concludes by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of FISO for curriculum developers, policymakers, and quality assurance practitioners, highlighting its potential to enhance transparency, coherence, and auditability in learning outcome formulation across higher education contexts.

This study provides a detailed comparative evaluation of freely available AI-powered tools designed to support the preparation of scientific literature reviews, a core competency in researcher education and training. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, seven prominent AI tools were assessed against a predefined set of weighted criteria. The findings reveal significant variations in tool performance, highlighting the need for educators and practitioners to provide targeted guidance on tool selection. While Scispace demonstrated superior comprehensive functionality (overall score: 91.5%), other tools offered notable strengths in specific niches relevant to different learning and research stages. This study contributes valuable, evidence-based insights for information science educators, trainers, and librarians on integrating these emerging technologies into research methods curricula. The aim is to enhance the efficiency, quality, and critical skills of students and researchers in their scholarly work.

This study examined the evolution of teaching innovation in Information Studies through a systematic patent analytics approach. Using 3,379 granted patent records published between 1980 and 2024, the research mapped technological and pedagogical trends by analyzing annual growth patterns, jurisdictional distribution, ownership structures, inventor activity, citation impact, patent families, and Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) codes. The findings revealed a clear transition from foundational information processing technologies in the 1980s to multimedia and network-based learning systems in the 1990s, followed by the consolidation of digital libraries and instructional platforms in the 2000s. From the 2010s onward, pedagogical innovation increasingly reflected data-driven, platform oriented, and analytics-supported teaching systems, while the 2020s demonstrated the growing dominance of artificial intelligence enabled pedagogical technologies, including intelligent information retrieval and natural language processing. Jurisdictional and ownership analyses showed strong geographical concentration, with technologically advanced economies and multinational corporations leading innovation activity. Citation and patent family analyses indicated substantial technological diffusion and academic relevance, highlighting the cumulative nature of pedagogical innovation. Overall, the study demonstrated that patents serve as valuable indicators for tracing the evolution of teaching innovation and provided empirical insights into how pedagogical practices in Information Studies have been shaped by technological advancement and intellectual property dynamics.

The purpose of this paper wants to investigate the role of librarians in post-Virtual Reference Services to support collaborative student education. Particularly in higher education contexts where collaborative learning is becoming more and more important, the shift to the post-Virtual Reference Services (post-VRS) era has reshaped the professional duties of librarians. Through post-VRS practices, this study explores the responsibilities that librarians play in fostering collaborative learning among Indonesian university students. This study uses a qualitative approach with digital ethnography methods to understand the interactions between librarians and students in post-VRS. Interviews were conducted with reference librarians regarding their role in providing group-based consultations on virtual platforms. There were 10 librarians interviewed in this study, and the interviews were conducted online via teleconference/online meeting apps. The results of the study show that librarians not only act as information providers, but also as facilitators, mediators, and academic mentors who encourage a collaborative learning environment. The implementation of group-based consultation services in post-VRS is carried out through strategies of compiling topics according to needs, utilising digital information resources, and managing more participatory group discussions. Supporting factors for this service include librarian competence, institutional support, and access to information resources, while the constraints are limited digital collections, technological infrastructure, and variations in user information literacy. These findings confirm that the post-VRS service is a strategic innovation that strengthens the role of university libraries as centres of collaborative learning in the digital age.