Access To Information Research Articles

The potential of GPTs for enhanced information access and user services at academic libraries

Generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs) hold the promise of revolutionizing information access and user services. The purpose of this study is to examine the possible uses and applications of GPTs in academic libraries. One important objective is to investigate how GPTs can improve information access and user services within academic library environments. In this research, 10 information specialists from academic libraries in Oman were interviewed using a semi-structured interview design. The results highlighted an in-depth understanding of the underlying potential of GPTs in academic libraries and their challenges. GPTs can enhance users’ experience by facilitating an interactive user-based language information retrieval model. They can also support library technical operations. However, there are also challenges related to information quality and reliability, as well as ethical considerations mainly related to user data privacy and security. These insights, coming from information specialists, can contribute to advancing future integration frameworks that enforce the regulation, integration, and use of information.

Knowledge management and provision of academic library services in the University of Sierra Leone: A mixed-methods approach

This study examined knowledge management practices in the academic libraries of Fourah Bay College (FBC), the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) and the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) at the University of Sierra Leone. Data from 33 participants via questionnaires, interviews and observations revealed significant gaps, including the absence of knowledge categorisation into explicit, implicit and tacit forms. Additionally, knowledge management policies are not well-publicised, resulting in staff's lack of understanding of their importance. The research underscores the potential benefits of categorising library knowledge, which could enhance the organisation and accessibility of information. Such improvements would be valuable for governments, university authorities, librarians, policymakers, researchers, students and the public, facilitating better knowledge management and access within these academic institutions.

Beyond Connectivity: Exploring the Influence of Digital Access on the Social Determinants of Health for Youth in Out-of-Home Care.

This study explores digital inclusion for youth in out-of-home placement within the child welfare system, a group impacted by significant social determinants affecting health. Recognized as a "super social determinant of health," digital inclusion holds promise in addressing key health factors, such as social relationships, support systems, and information access. The study surveyed 131 foster parents and 152 kinship providers across varied U.S. regions about access and use of technology among the youth in their care. Findings reveal that most of the youth in our study possess personal technological devices, and their caregivers facilitate access. Although the majority have access to technology, the rate is significantly lower than the general population of youth. Despite constraints contributing to a digital divide, caregivers note positive impacts, underscoring technology's role in sustaining social connections and fostering relationships. Closing the digital gap assumes critical importance in advancing health equity for this vulnerable demographic, underscoring the imperative for comprehensive digital inclusion strategies within the child welfare system.

Digital Rural Construction and the Welfare of Disadvantaged Children: Exploring the Roles of Government and NGOs

As global sustainable development goals progress, improving the welfare of vulnerable rural populations has become a critical issue for many countries. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2014 to 2022, this paper examines the impact of Digital Rural Construction (DRC) on the welfare of disadvantaged rural children. Specifically, it explores the mechanisms through which DRC enhances child welfare, focusing on information access, educational resource availability, and medical service accessibility. Additionally, the roles of government and non-governmental organizations in moderating this process are analyzed. The findings show that DRC significantly improves children’s health, education, and psychological well-being. Furthermore, interventions by governments and non-governmental organizations amplify these positive effects, with non-governmental interventions proving particularly effective. This study not only addresses a gap in the literature on the mechanisms linking DRC and child welfare but also offers valuable insights for policymakers from a sustainability perspective.

Flow‐Based Electromagnetic Information Recovery for Inaccessible Area and Low‐Resolution Detection

AbstractMetasurfaces are widely applied in various applications, such as none‐line‐of‐sight detection, radar imaging enhancement, and non‐invasive monitoring. However, electromagnetic (EM) information recovery in inaccessible and occluded areas is of great importance to obtain complete EM picture, albeit challenging. Conventional methods to this end typically necessitate specific prior knowledge and suffer from performance degradation due to implicit computation mechanism. Here a flow‐based framework is proposed to facilitate the explicit computation of conditional distribution between the partially accessible EM field and complete EM field. The adjacent distributions in a hierarchical architecture exhibit similarity and seamless convertibility between each other, facilitating a smooth transition without performance degradation. The method is benchmarked through two typical scenarios, i.e., resolution enhancement and field recovery in randomly occluded areas. Even in an entirely unseen scene, the EM information recovery maintains consistence with the ground truth, with maximum error below 10%. The work provides a key advance for EM information recovery in complex real‐world environment, offering fresh insights on information access and detection even in extreme cases.

Влияние проблемы мухаджирства на историческую память российского общества

Currently, against the background of the desire of individual political actors to falsify history, the study of the phenomenon of historical memory in the political dimension is of particular importance. The article analyzes muhajirism as a factor of historical memory influencing the current state of Russian society. The features of the reflection of the problem of muhajirism in the scientific literature of various historical periods are considered. A content analysis of social network materials (platforms) was conducted, aimed at identifying the attitude of Russian-speaking users to the problem of muhajirism. The main categories of comments reflecting user reactions to the topic of the resettlement of the highlanders are identified. The content analysis showed that the problem of muhajirism fuels nationalistic sentiments of certain categories of citizens, therefore, it can be used as an instrument of pressure on Russian society in order to disunite it. It is noted that there is a demand in society for reliable and accessible information on the topic of muhajirism, in connection with which such studies are of particular relevance.

Digital technologies as enablers of universal design for learning: higher education students' perceptions in the context of SDG4

Digital technologies are essential for transforming educational environments, particularly in higher education. These tools have revolutionized information access and enable flexible approaches within Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This educational model integrates findings from educational practice, research, learning theories, technological advances, and neuroscience to provide concrete proposals for implementing diverse teaching practice that accommodates different learning needs. Building on universal design concepts, UDL is structured around three neurological learning systems (affective, recognition, and strategic) and advocates three corresponding principles: multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression. Aligning with current parameters of quality education for all, UDL incorporates diversity as a fundamental premise in instructional planning to ensure equitable learning opportunities for all students. This framework enables teachers to create flexible curriculum designs that enrich learning, reduce barriers, and provide accessible educational opportunities. This research examined how digital technologies can enable UDL implementation by analyzing higher education students' perceptions. Using a quantitative methodology with a descriptive scope, data was collected through a specially designed Likert-scale questionnaire. The instrument demonstrated high reliability (Cronbachʹs α = 0.97). The sample included students from the Mexican public university system (n = 235) studying pedagogy and education. Results showed favorable perceptions of technology use in UDL across all three principles: representation (what to learn), action and expression (how to learn), and engagement (why to learn). They suggest that digital technologies can expand learning capacity and enhance skill development among university students in the UDL context. However, it should be noted that they need to be carefully integrated into educational frameworks designed and tested for their effectiveness; without such integration, their application may be ineffective or even counterproductive to learning processes. The findings demonstrate the potential of this design as a practical and theoretical model to, in line with current trends, contribute to the achievement of SDG4, promoting quality in education and learning opportunities for all. This will be helpful for institutions seeking to implement technology-enhanced UDL strategies while having broader implications for the body of research for improving higher education.

Usability of a smartphone application for patients with interstitial lung disease: Results from the Registry for Better Understanding of ILD (RE-BUILD) pilot study.

Digital technologies offer opportunities for remote monitoring, increased patient engagement and incorporation of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) into interstitial lung disease (ILD) care and research. This study evaluated the usability and patient experience of the RE-BUILD (Registry for Better Understanding of ILD) application, an ILD-specific smartphone app. Patients with ILD aged ≥18 years were recruited from three tertiary ILD centres to use the RE-BUILD app for 6 months. The mHealth App Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ) was evaluated at 1, 3 and 6 months and patients received monthly prompts to enter clinical and PROM data. Qualitative interviews regarding patient experience were performed in a subset of 10. Fifty patients, with mean age 66.9 ± 10.3 years, 25 (50%) female were included. Participants used the app for a median of 48 (IQR 21-178.3) sessions, equivalent to 8 sessions (IQR 3.5-29.71) per month. Median number of days that the app was accessed was 37 (IQR 14-96.8), with 13 (26%) patients using the app >30 times per month. The most accessed app feature was physical activity, followed by 'air quality'. Participants agreed or strongly agreed that the app was easy to use (76.0%) easy to learn to use (79.8%) and well-organized with accessible information (74.8%). The median overall MAUQ score for usability was 5.69 (IQR 5.03-6.19). There was also a high rate of engagement with app functionalities. RE-BUILD is a usable and intuitive platform for self-monitoring and data collection in ILD. Patients report a high degree of satisfaction and have provided valuable feedback for its further development.

Role of public libraries in the dissemination of information to rural dwellers in Kogi State, Nigeria

PurposePublic libraries serve as critical institutions for disseminating information, particularly in rural areas where access to educational and economic resources is limited. The study examined the role of public libraries in the dissemination of information to rural dwellers in Kogi State, Nigeria. It aims to identify services offered, user satisfaction levels, contributions to information access, methods of dissemination and challenges faced by public libraries in fulfilling their mandate.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a descriptive survey research method. The questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument. The population of the study comprised 2,620 registered members of public libraries of Kogi State, Nigeria. Proportionate stratified sample random sampling was used to select 262 members of the library for questionnaire administration.FindingsThe study found that public libraries are only providing effective services in the areas of agricultural information, health and political information while leaving aside other germane services that have the wherewithal to facilitate sustainable development in all facets of life. Challenges such as epileptic power supply, unstable internet access and subscription to illiteracy on the part of community members, inadequate materials in local languages and poor funding, among others, are still depriving effective dissemination of information to rural dwellers in Kogi State.Originality/valueThe study recommended, among others things that public library boards should broaden their service portfolios to include more career information, bookmobile services and current awareness programs. These services are essential for empowering rural dwellers with the knowledge required to navigate modern socioeconomic landscapes. More so, the findings of this study have profound implications for public librarianship in Nigeria, particularly in the context of practice, policy and future research. In addition, the study contributes to literature, policy and practice and provides fresh data on the role of public libraries in the dissemination of information to rural dwellers in Nigeria.

Non-IID Medical Imaging Data on COVID-19 in the Federated Learning Framework: Impact and Directions

After first appearing in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread rapidly, leading to global effects and significant risks to health systems. The virus’s high replication competence in the human lung accelerated the severity of lung pneumonia cases, resulting in a catastrophic death rate. Variable observations in the clinical testing of virus-related and patient-related cases across different populations led to ambiguous results. Medical and epidemiological studies on the virus effectively use imaging and scanning devices to help explain the virus’s behavior and its impact on the lungs. Varying equipment resources and a lack of uniformity in medical imaging acquisition led to disorganized and widely dispersed data collection worldwide, while high heterogeneity in datasets caused a poor understanding of the virus and related strains, consequently leading to unstable results that could not be generalized. Hospitals and medical institutions, therefore, urgently need to collaborate to share and extract useful knowledge from these COVID-19 datasets while preserving the privacy of medical records. Researchers are turning to an emerging technology that enhances the reliability and accessibility of information without sharing actual patient data. Federated learning (FL) is a technique that learns distributed data locally, sharing only the weights of each local model to compute a global model, and has the potential to improve the generalization of diagnosis and treatment decisions. This study investigates the applicability of FL for COVID-19 under the impact of data heterogeneity, defining the lung imaging characteristics and identifying the practical constraints of FL in medical fields. It describes the challenges of implementation from a technical perspective, with reference to valuable research directions, and highlights the research challenges that present opportunities for further efforts to overcome the pitfalls of distributed learning performance. The primary objective of this literature review is to provide valuable insights that will aid in the formulation of effective technical strategies to mitigate the impact of data heterogeneity on the generalization of FL results, particularly in light of the ongoing and evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

Journalist\'s information needs and information seeking - behaviors in the digital age

This study delves into the evolving information-seeking practices of newspaper journalists in Karnataka, highlighting how digitalization has impacted their approach to gathering, verifying, and delivering news. With a sample of 610 journalists from 39 newspapers across national, state, and regional levels, the research identifies key patterns and challenges journalists face in the digital age, including the need for diverse information sources and the persistent obstacles within newsroom libraries. The information-seeking behavior of journalists in Karnataka has significantly evolved to accommodate the fast-paced, digital-driven demands of modern journalism. Young journalists, with over 60% of respondents under the age of 35, heavily rely on digital tools like news apps, social networks, and digital newspaper archives to access and cross-verify information quickly. However, despite advancements, challenges remain—particularly around access to adequately organized information and the necessary skills for effective digital information retrieval. More than half of the journalists reported needing information at a moderately significant level across various topics, indicating a broad requirement rather than specialized information needs. The study also highlights key barriers: limited availability of necessary information, insufficient search skills, language barriers, and a lack of qualified library staff. Addressing these issues through continuous digital literacy and library resource improvements will be essential for supporting journalists in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Digital Health Equity and Patient Education: A New Paradigm in Patient Empowerment

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global healthcare, heightening vigilance among individuals with chronic disease and increasing levels of fear and depression. As a response, digital technologies, especially telehealth, have emerged as promising tools to address these challenges, facilitating health information access and supporting patient education and decision-making. The digital health landscape now includes electronic health records, remote monitoring, digital therapeutics, AI, and machine learning, which together enhance patient care, improve diagnosis accuracy, and streamline healthcare operations. Digital health tools, by presenting information interactively, engage patients cognitively and foster autonomy in health management. Additionally, social media and mobile health platforms contribute to health equity by promoting healthy behaviours and reducing barriers to access. However, disparities in digital health access, termed "digital health equity," remain a challenge. Digital health equity involves addressing “digital determinants of health," including technology access, digital literacy, and infrastructure, which interact with traditional social determinants of health. In this context, e-health literacy has become a critical factor in enabling individuals to retrieve and appraise electronic health information effectively, ultimately enhancing health literacy. Health literacy, therefore, serves as a foundation for reducing health inequalities and fostering population health.

V. Hrinkov, G. Hrinkova, S. Hrinkov. Analysis of modern optical character recognition tools for character recognition and text from the image

Optical character recognition is a powerful technology that converts images with text into an editable and searchable format. This ensures efficiency in working with documents, increases the accessibility of information, and helps automate many processes. This technology was first used in the early 90s, when digitizing historical newspapers to create an electronic archive. In recent years, the optical character recognition system has been refined to the "ideal": current optical character recognition systems show almost perfect text recognition accuracy. But this requires the following requirements to be met: equality and contrast of symbols; uniformity of the text background; contrast between the background and letters. The process of recognizing symbols and text from images is much more complicated when the above requirements are not met, and solving such problems is the current requirement for solving practical tasks in the military sphere. Text recognition from images has many important applications, which makes it relevant and necessary. The article analyzes several of the most well-known and popular artificial intelligence models for text recognition from images, such as Tesseract OCR, PyTorch, EasyOCR, Keras OCR5, OpenCV, using specific types of images, and obtains results for recognizing text and symbols from images of varying complexity. To assess the accuracy of character and text recognition, a recognition accuracy assessment method has been developed based on special evaluation metrics, which are based on comparing the recognized text with the reference (correct) text. The most common metrics include the character recognition accuracy (CAR) and the word recognition accuracy (WAR). Using the developed recognition accuracy assessment method, an analysis of the recognition accuracy of the most popular tools of optical text and symbol recognition technology from images of varying complexity has been conducted. The analysis showed that the EasyOcr model demonstrates the greatest efficiency and accuracy of recognition, which, even in conditions of strong "noise" and poor image contrast, demonstrated a stable result and, subject to further customization for the user's needs, can be used to solve a specific task.

Digital Access to Asia: An Analysis of the Coverage of Digital Asia Collections in Australian University Libraries

ABSTRACT Asia collections in Australian university libraries play a crucial role in supporting the teaching and research of Asian Studies and languages, as well as fostering a deeper understanding of Asia. Given Australia’s strategic location in the Asia-Pacific region, the study of Asia is of significant practical and national importance; however, it has faced a decline marked by the closure of Asian studies programs and reductions in resources. Initially developed in response to increased university investment in Asian area studies and language teaching, these collections have transitioned from print to digital formats, incorporating diverse materials related to Asia’s history, culture, languages, and societies. The article builds on the seminal appraisal by Bishop and Weller (1970), which highlighted the challenges of developing Asia collections due to limited access to print resources from regions with underdeveloped publishing industries. This paper analyses the current status of Asia-related collections in digital format, complementing existing literature focused primarily on print collections. It highlights innovations in information access through vendor subscription-based databases, which have transformed academic libraries’ ability to acquire materials. The study reveals trends in the growth of digital resources and examines the strengths and gaps in the coverage of Asia materials within contemporary academic libraries.

Evolución histórica de la catalogación a través del tiempo

The article examines the evolution of cataloging from ancient Sumerian tablets to current standards in the contemporary digital age. The relevance of structuring and classifying knowledge is highlighted in order to expide access and retrieval of information optimally. The milestones and key figures that have shaped the organization of knowledge over the centuries are analyzed, as well as the theoretical and practical currents that have influenced the development of cataloging regulations. The continuous evolution of cataloging procedures is highlighted, from the first book inventories to the adoption of contemporary standards such as RDA and conceptual models such as FRBR and FRAD. Likewise, the incorporation of technological advances such as the MARC 21 format and the implementation of linked data are mentioned, which have expanded search and discovery capabilities. The article emphasizes the importance of standardization and the processing of information in today's digital world.

Optimizing Healthcare Performance Through Electronic Medical Records: An Efficiency Analysis

Burnout among healthcare workers has become a significant issue in the medical field, partially due to the adaptation process to Electronic Medical Records (EMR). While EMR technology is designed to enhance efficiency and accuracy in patient care, it often poses challenges during implementation. This study aims to examine the impact of medical record digitalization on healthcare worker performance, mediated by high-quality data access and data-driven decision-making at Wangaya Regional Hospital. Using the SEM-PLS method and involving 244 healthcare workers, the research reveals that medical record digitalization significantly improves data access and data-driven decision-making. The findings indicate that EMR plays a crucial role in enhancing healthcare worker performance by facilitating quicker, more accurate, and up-to-date information access, ultimately improving service efficiency and effectiveness. These results support the implementation of digital transformation in medical record management to improve healthcare worker performance and, consequently, the overall quality of healthcare services

Blockchain Interoperability Frameworks: A Comparative Analysis of Cross-Chain Solutions for DLT Innovation

This article comprehensively analyzes blockchain interoperability as a crucial frontier in distributed ledger technology (DLT) innovation. Through systematic examination of current interoperability solutions, technical challenges, and implementation frameworks, the study provides insights into the evolving landscape of cross-chain communication and its implications for industry adoption. The article evaluates prominent interoperability frameworks, including the Interledger Protocol, Cosmos Network, Polkadot, and Canton Network, analyzing their architectural approaches, security mechanisms, and practical applications. Key findings reveal significant progress in addressing fundamental challenges such as protocol standardization, consensus mechanism compatibility, and scalability constraints while highlighting remaining cross-chain security and governance obstacles. The article demonstrates substantial benefits of blockchain interoperability across various sectors, with notable implementations in supply chain management reducing documentation errors by 65%, cross-border financial services decreasing settlement times from days to minutes, and healthcare data exchange improving information accessibility by 75%. Through examination of technical requirements, governance models, and risk mitigation strategies, this research establishes a comprehensive framework for implementing interoperable blockchain solutions while maintaining security and regulatory compliance. The article contributes to the growing knowledge in DLT innovation and provides practical insights for stakeholders working towards achieving seamless blockchain interoperability.

Digital divide: a phenomenon of unequal adoption of technology by SMMEs in the agribusiness sector in South Africa

The digital evolution and the adoption of technology have made it possible for information access and management to improve the social and economic impacts of the tourism sector globally. Technology has undoubtedly become the prime driver of modern e-commerce. This article examines the digital divide as a barrier to the adoption of technology by small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the agribusiness sector in the city of Tshwane, South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative approach and data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The data were subsequently analysed by using descriptive statistics. The relationships between variables were compared and interpretations were made. The results showed that a digital divide is hampering the adoption of technology by SMMEs in the agribusiness sector. The results further revealed that the high cost of technology/online platforms, limited funds and a lack of technical know-how are some of the obstacles faced by SMMEs in the adoption of information and communication technologies. However, the study also established that if these obstacles could be addressed, the benefits would be substantial. It is concluded that empirical work is required to investigate the extent to which SMMEs in South Africa are adapting to the challenges posed by the digital divide.

Librarians’ perceptions and use of open access resources for economic sustainability in selected university libraries in Kwara State, Nigeria

Purpose Open access (OA) resources are free to access and help in research and teaching/learning, allowing libraries to manage resources more sustainably and effectively. Hence, this study aims to examine use of OA resources for economic sustainability among librarians in selected university libraries in Kwara State, Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts descriptive survey research design. Using total enumeration sampling technique, a sample of 46 professional librarians were drawn from the selected universities. Questionnaire was used for data collection, and descriptive statistics was used for data analysis. Findings The findings show that most of the librarians had high level of awareness about OA resources. Results demonstrate that majority of the librarians used PubMed Central bi-weekly. Findings show that the librarians used OA resources to support academic research, enhance library’s collection without additional cost and facilitate information access for users with limited financial resources. Results indicate that most of the librarians perceived that OA resources impact library’s operational cost and goal of economic sustainability. Practical implications This study highlights the need for targeted training and resource development to enhance the effective use of OA resources. Meanwhile, the consistent usage of OA resources suggests the importance of the resources to librarians, aligning with previous studies on frequent use of established OA repositories. Originality/value This study provides evidence on the relevance and impact of OA resources use on economic sustainability, demonstrating the importance of OA resources in knowledge dissemination and fostering innovation.

Information access and COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among foreign-born persons in Sweden – a focus group interview-study

BackgroundIn most countries, lower rates of COVID-19 vaccination have been observed in foreign-born individuals, yet little is known about the underlying reasons, especially as reported by these individuals themselves. This exploratory interview study investigated lack of information access and hesitancy towards taking the COVID-19 vaccine among foreign-born individuals in Sweden.MethodsWe used purposive sampling to recruit foreign-born adults who expressed being hesitant towards getting vaccinated, as well as health guides and doulas who were assigned to spread COVID-19 related information in immigrant-dense urban areas. Data were collected using semi-structured focus group interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and analysed according to systematic text condensation.ResultsThree focus group interviews were conducted with altogether eleven participants. One group consisted of health guides/doulas, while the participants in the other groups were gainfully employed in other jobs, or full-time students, or housewives. Four main themes emerged: (1) Language barriers and sociocultural differences, (2) Consequences of not using official Swedish information, (3) Decision-making on COVID-19 vaccination, and (4) Suggestions to improve information dissemination. The lack of information in other languages than Swedish and lack of effective information channels resulted in that most participants barely used information from official Swedish health care and public health institutions. Instead, they relied on social media, social contacts and international media, through which contradictive and negative information about the vaccine was spread. The decision to get vaccinated or not became a process fraught with insecurities about the effectiveness and side effects of the vaccine, which was balanced against wishing to be protected and to contribute to the battle against COVID-19. The participants suggested that information dissemination could be improved by producing a multilingual information outreach and to increase the use of transmission through social interaction with trusted persons and platforms.ConclusionsAn inadequately adapted information strategy prevented some members of the society from making fact-based decisions about getting vaccinated. Several suggestions for improving dissemination were brought forth that can be tested in future communication strategies.