Evaluation Of Electronic Resources Research Articles

Developing an electronic resources evaluation framework for evidence-based education in medical sciences

Developing an electronic resources evaluation framework for evidence-based education in medical sciences

Usage evaluation of electronic resources in academic and research libraries in Ghana

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the usage of electronic resources within the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana (CARLIGH) in order to support subscription and budget decisions. This has become necessary because of the difficulty faced by institutions in paying subscription fee as a result of the continuous increase in subscription fee, financial constraints and high exchange rates.Design/methodology/approachThe study is a quantitative research of electronic resource use covering six years. Full-text download statistics of ten most used electronic resources accessed by an average of 33 institutions were sampled from 27 databases and analysed to investigate level of usage. Six out of the ten electronic resources were analysed to evaluate cost per use over four years. Sampling was purposive. Data analysis and presentation were conducted using a descriptive method of analysis of simple frequency count, mean and percentages, while Microsoft Excel was used to organise data into tables and graphs.FindingsFindings revealed an improved usage of CARLIGH-facilitated electronic resources. However, the rate of improvement declined by the year. Also, October and November recorded high usage, while January and May-August recorded low patronage. Finally, using a mean as a benchmark, it was ascertained that costs per use/article was less than $0.98.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of limited data evaluated, the research results may lack generalisation; hence, there is a need for further research.Originality/valueThis study will be useful in supporting librarians’ decisions on continuous subscription, budget justification and promotion.

Aplicativos móveis para praticar a leitura social: análise e avaliação de recursos úteis

Este artigo tem como objetivo compreender como os aplicativos móveis podem ser utilizados para auxiliar os leitores durante a prática da leitura social, a partir da análise dos diferentes recursos disponíveis, dos seus benefícios e limitações. Foi selecionada uma metodologia com abordagem qualitativa de caráter descritivo e analítico, baseada em diferentes estudos enfocados na avaliação de recursos eletrônicos. Neste caso, foram avaliados dez aplicativos de leitura disponíveis nos sistemas operativos Android e iOS, desenvolvidos tanto para a leitura em tablet como para smartphone. Concluiu-se que aplicativos móveis são softwares eficientes para incentivar o leitor a realizar atividades previstas dentro da modalidade da leitura social, principalmente no que corresponde à prática da leitura ativa. Por outro lado, verificou-se que, com relação ao compartilhamento da leitura, até o momento, a maior parte dos aplicativos avaliados apresentam debilidades, principalmente, para incentivar o leitor a interagir com outros leitores, limitando-se ao compartilhamento em espaços externos ao aplicativo e, na sua maioria, plataformas não especializadas no âmbito do livro.

Electronic Resources Evaluation Central: Using Off-the-Shelf Software, Web 2.0 Tools, and Libguides to Manage an Electronic Resources Evaluation Process

A critical part of electronic resources management, the electronic resources evaluation process is multi-faceted and includes a seemingly endless range of resources and tools involving numerous library staff. A solution is to build a Web site to bring all of the components together that can be implemented quickly and result in a organizational site that is flexible, economical, and simple to maintain. A home-grown electronic resources management system and the use of an alternative Web 2.0 tool to organize and manage the disparate evaluation process in one efficient central location was determined by the University of Maryland University College library to be through the use of Springshare LibGuides.

Taking the Pulse of Health Information Seeking

When planning the purchase, management, delivery, and evaluation of electronic resources in a health sciences setting, it is useful to consider the broader landscape of how users seek and understand health information. To that end, the author examined reports that provide useful insights related to information-seeking behavior and health literacy. This column summarizes salient points of some Pew Research Center and Institute of Medicine publications and makes suggestions for incorporating some of these ideas into academic health center and hospital library operations and outreach efforts.

Bibliotecas virtuais e desenvolvimento de coleções: o caso dos repertórios de sites web

A avaliação de sites Web e dos diferentes recursos eletrônicos constitui um campo de trabalho cada vez mais importante para o bibliotecário realizar a gestão e o desenvolvimento de coleções em bibliotecas. Este artigo pretende mostrar como o bibliotecário pode intervir em todas as etapas do processo de criação de uma biblioteca virtual, a partir da elaboração de uma política de desenvolvimento de coleções eletrônicas até a organização ergonômica dos recursos, passando pela determinação, seleção e avaliação dos sites Web.

Grey Statistic Study on the Impact Factors of the Electronic Resources Evaluation

Grey Statistic Study on the Impact Factors of the Electronic Resources Evaluation

Evaluation in the Arts and Humanities Data Service

Purpose. There are a large number of free electronic resources available on the web, from various sources, including the outputs of funded research projects. As yet, there are not well‐established procedures for the evaluation of the quality and usefulness of these electronic resources. This article examines two preliminary approaches to the problem. Approach. An investigation into free e‐books was carried out for the JISC to examine the potential for the use of free e‐books in teaching and learning in further and higher education in the UK. Questionnaires, a dissemination workshop and focus groups were used to obtain the research results. Three possible approaches to evaluation are discussed, involving the collection of high‐quality resources in a trusted repository, large‐scale evaluation of available resources, and evaluation by end‐users. The practical problems of each approach are discussed. The prospect of future large‐scale digitisation projects and their possible impact in this field is also considered. In a separate section, the question of evaluation of electronic resources is briefly considered in the context of collections development in the Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS). Findings. The conclusion is drawn that it is more cost‐effective to intervene early in the lifecycle of a digital resource and to help ensure good practice in the creation of the resource than to attempt to evaluate and enhance a resource at the end of the creation process. Originality. This paper draws on the unique experience of the AHDS as a central, national service for researchers in the arts and humanities creating and using electronic resources.

Qualitative Analysis of Association of Research Libraries' E‐Metrics Participant Feedback about the Evolution of Measures for Networked Electronic Resources

The Association of Research Libraries’ (ARL) E‐Metrics Project is an ongoing effort to develop new measures that describe and measure networked electronic resources and also to underscore the need for measuring the value of such resources. This article presents results from an ongoing iterative qualitative study with the following goals: (a) to understand ARL libraries’ needs for evaluating electronic resources; (b) to refine proposed definitions for describing and measuring electronic resources; (c) to institutionalize data collection for ongoing, annual reporting purposes; and (d) to develop reliable indicators for summative evaluation of electronic resources. Qualitative data collected from participants attending the initial meeting to develop the E‐Metrics Project in 2000 are analyzed and compared with an ongoing analysis of interview data collected from the 2003–4 E‐metrics participants. The evolving nature of the formats, methods of access, and acquisition plans for electronic resources present challenges in describing and measuring them. New methodologies that use a mixed‐methods approach should also evolve to support creative and innovative ways for evaluating an increasingly complex information environment.

Looking for guidelines for the production of electronic textbooks

This paper starts by reporting the results of two studies into electronic book production, the Visual Book and the WEB Book. The Visual Book study (Landoni, 1997) explored the importance of the visual component of the book metaphor for the production of more effective electronic books, while the WEB Book study (Wilson, 1999) took the findings of the Visual Book and applied them to the production of books for publication on the WWW. It was possible to extract from the two experiences a set of recommendations for producing electronic books. These are the starting point for a new project, EBONI (Electronic Books ON‐screen Interface). EBONI focuses on the evaluation of electronic resources for teaching and learning in academia and it is going to expand our previous findings with the aim of producing a set of guidelines for publishing educational material on the Web.

Usage statistics for the evaluation of electronic resources

Usage statistics for the evaluation of electronic resources