Information Retrieval Skills Research Articles

Information Retrieval and Awareness about Evidence-Based Dentistry among Dental Undergraduate Students-A Comparative Study between Students from Malaysia and Finland.

Background: A fundamental skill in education includes the ability to search for, evaluate, and synthesize information, and this cannot be underestimated in dental education. The aim of this study was to assess how dental students from Malaysia and Finland acquire scientific information and to compare their information retrieval skills. Methods: Fourth and fifth-year dental students from Malaysia and Finland were invited to participate. A self-administered structured questionnaire including items about the use of information sources, subjective assessment of literature retrieval skills and knowledge was used. Results: A total of 226 dental students participated in the survey: 131 from Malaysia and 95 from Finland. In both countries, the highest interest for data retrieval among students was found in the oral surgery specialty. The three most used sources of information among Malaysian students were personal lecture notes, dental textbooks, and colleagues; while Finnish students used colleagues, lecture notes, and current clinical guidelines. Students’ knowledge of evidence-based practice was inadequate in both student groups. Though the majority of participants reported that they had good or passable skills in literature retrieval, more students from Finland judged themselves to have at least good skills compared to those from Malaysia. Conclusion: Dental education in both countries includes information retrieval studies and mandatory research projects. However, students did not often use those sources that are considered essential in evidence-based dentistry. Universities should further develop educational and training interventions that guide students to use knowledge resources more effectively for critically appraising scientific evidence.

Information Needs and Seeking Behaviour of Nurses at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Port-Harcourt

The study investigated information needs and seeking behaviour of nurses at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Port Harcourt. It adopted a descriptive research survey. The population of the study was 352 nurses at RSUTH from which a sample 100 was drawn. Self-structured questionnaire was used. The questionnaire included a four point likert scale (4-1). Out of 100 copies of the questionnaire administered, 94 were found valid for analysis. Data was analysed using simple percentages and mean score. The findings of the study showed that nurses needed information on drugs therapy, diagnostic, patients’ management and personal development. The factors that motivated their information seeking include working environment, patients’ care, professionalism and personal development. To satisfy their curiosity, they consulted different sources of information including colleagues, internet and textbook. It also showed that nurses had a negative perception about library and information services in meeting their information needs. Inadequate information resources in the library, inadequate information retrieval skills and closed access were some of the challenges they faced when seeking for their information needs. However, they suggested training of nurses and provision of standard library for the nurses. It was recommended among other things that the library should be well equipped to meet the information needs of the nurses also the nurses should acquire information retrieval skills to enable them access information resources on the internet and databases.
 Keywords: Information needs, Information seeking behaviour, Nurses, Rivers, Health information

Teaching library and information retrieval skills to academic administrators and support staff

Teaching library and information retrieval skills to academic administrators and support staff

Pre-requisites, barriers and advantages of clinical informationist participation in grand round: a qualitative study.

Clinical specialists require access to the most recent and up to date professional information. However, barriers such as insufficient time and lack of necessary information retrieval skills necessitate the presence of clinical informationist (CI) in medical teams. This study sought to determine the pre-requisite for CI participation in the grand round. This was a qualitative study carried out using content analysis approach. Study involved all fellowship students and attending physicians in the department of gastroenterology at Al-Zahra hospital in Isfahan (Iran), who were selected using purposive sampling. Gathered reports were analysed using qualitative content analysis and concept mapping approaches. To improve the process of CI collaboration with clinical specialists during the educational rounds, it is necessary for CI to have certain pre-requisite skills. By identifying the pre-requisites for CI participation in the grand round and explaining advantages of this participation for clinical specialists, this study proposes a suitable process for implantation of CI participation in grand rounds.

Information retrieval as a part of evidence-based practice: Retrieval skills, behavior and needs among nurses at a large university hospital

Nurses are required to apply research-based knowledge in order to perform evidence-based practice. A survey was conducted to identify nurses’ information-retrieval skills, behavior and needs and replies were received from 1301 nurses. The most used electronic resources for retrieval of healthcare information were the local intra-net and Google, while bibliographic databases were used to a lesser extent. Half of the respondents indicated that they were accustomed to search databases and an equal number indicated lack of time and that information retrieval was not requested by their colleagues. The majority assessed their own information-retrieval skills as good while one third lacked knowledge and described information retrieval as difficult. Significant differences in competences and use of bibliographic databases were found between nurses who had graduated before and after an educational reform in 2011. Further measures, including collaborations between librarians and nurse management, must be developed to support information literacy and evidence-based practice among nurses.

Computer self-efficacy as a predictor of undergraduates’ use of electronic library resources in federal universities in South-west Nigeria

Purpose Undergraduates use electronic library resources for academic activities. However, literature has revealed that undergraduates’ use of electronic library resources is low in Nigeria owing to attitude, computer literacy and information retrieval skills, while little attention was given to computer self-efficacy. This paper aims to examine computer self-efficacy as a predictor of undergraduates’ use of electronic library resources in federal universities in south-west Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach The descriptive survey research design was adopted. Multi-stage sampling method was used to select 1,526 undergraduates from the population size of 30,516 from six federal universities in south-west Nigeria in four faculties (Arts, Engineering/ Technology, Science and Social sciences) and three departments from each of the faculties (English, History and Philosophy; Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering: Economics, Sociology and Psychology). Data were collected using a questionnaire and were analysed using descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, hierarchical and regression analyses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings There was a significant relationship between computer self-efficacy and use of electronic library resources (r = 0.13, p < 0.05). The result of the analysis showed that computer self-efficacy influenced undergraduates’ use of electronic library resources in federal universities in south-west Nigeria. Research limitations/implications The data for the research were obtained from undergraduates in the selected faculties in the six federal universities except for two faculties which did not have some departments that were common to the selected faculties. Practical implications The findings indicated that computer self-efficacy improves the use of electronic library resources for academic purposes. It therefore encourages the library management to provide the necessary support and training for the undergraduates to acquire the technical skills required for the acquisition of computer self-efficacy. This has greater influence on undergraduates’ ability to use the computer maximally to access electronic library resources for academic purposes. Social implications It will improve the undergraduates’ use of electronic library resources for academic purposes. This implies that the undergraduates will have access to information around the world that could be useful for development in and around their locality which will become easily accessible. Also, in this era of computer, it will encourage reading culture among undergraduates. This could inform policymakers on the need to provide more electronic library resources for libraries. Originality/value The study provides original data on computer self-efficacy as a predictor of undergraduates’ use of electronic library resources in federal universities in south-west Nigeria. This can provide valuable indicator for library managements considering enhanced utilisation of electronic library resources.

Self-Perception of Information Literacy Skills and Confidence Level in Use of Information by Women Faculty Members: An Analysis

This article is an attempt to present and publish different aspects of doctoral Thesis awarded by Anna University in the year 2018. The concept of this article is self perception of women faculty member’s information literacy skills and their confidence level in using information for their teaching and research practices. Data and analysis have been compiled as per the aspect of taken topic. Sample size 364 based on primary data collected through well structured questionnaire from 41 Engineering colleges affiliated to Anna University in Coimbatore region. Data have been tabulated and applied suitable statistical tools. Women faculty members self perceived that they do have the confident in evaluating the quality, Interpretation, use of e-format and information retrieval skills. Their confidence level on skills to handle the information is positively significantly correlates with information literacy skills towards information seeking attitudes and the same on internet sources. It is concluded that the faculty member’s information seeking attitude and the same attitude on the internet sources influences to increase effectively confidence level of their skills to handle the information. It has been proved qualitatively and quantitatively. The author suggested to requiring more course integrated information literacy program, motivation and appreciation for research, presentation and publication among women faculty members.

A STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF STUDENTS INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SKILLS ON SCHOLARLY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AMONG POST GRADUATE STUDENTS IN KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA

With the rapid growth of information, the ability of students to be information literate has become critically important. However students information retrieval skills required for scholarly information management are still wanting as most papers written by postgraduate learners contain irrelevant information that are not related to their study topics. This study investigated the effects of students’ information retrieval skills on scholarly information management among post graduate students in Kiambu County Kenya. The study adopted information management theory as it showed that information literacy practices influence scholarly information management. A mixed methodology with concurrent triangulation design was used to conduct the research as it allowed the researcher to collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data concurrently. Generalization was made based on findings generated from the collected data. The study had a target of 2451 which included 40 librarians, 40 supervisors, and 249 postgraduate students. The study participants were selected through purposive and simple random procedures. The sample population included 245 postgraduate students from 4 selected Universities and 4 library staff from each of the selected universities. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires for students and interview schedule for librarians. Pilot testing ensured certainty of instruments, the retest method helped estimate reliability (r=0.70) to ensure that data gathered were accurate and reliable and the instruments were validated by seeking constant guidance of the supervisor. To achieve all the study objectives, both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered and analyzed to generate descriptive, inferential as well as qualitatively. Quantitative data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing quantitative data while thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The analyzed quantitative data were presented using Tables. The study findings indicated that postgraduate students’ information retrieval skills normally had positive effects on the students’ scholarly information management. The results further revealed that there exists a statistical significant relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable investigated. Article visualizations:

Hakulausekkeen muodostamisen vaikeus – nuorten ja opettajien taidot testissä

The research objective was to find out Finnish 12–22-year-old students' (N=3222) and primary, secondary and high school teachers' (N=573) information retrieval skills in forming a search phrase and using search operators. The results indicate that the skills for defining search queries among youths and teachers are insufficient. Teachers performed better in forming a search phrase than the students, even though high school students succeeded better than over 45-year-old teachers. Male teachers performed significantly better in forming a search phrase than female teachers. Half of the teachers and a fifth of the students used search operators in their search phrases. Overall, the search phrases created by the students and teachers were too simple and did not cover the entire assignment. Every tenth of the students tried to create a web address instead of a search phrase and some students wrote requests or questions to the search engine.&#x0D; On the basis of these students' mistakes in the search phrase task, one can state that students need more training especially on forming comprehensive search phrases, using typical search operators, and understanding the functions of search engines.

Information Literacy: How do Librarians and Academics Work in Partnership to Deliver Effective Learning Programmes in Higher Education

In recent times, it has been very much essential for the institutions of higher learning to facilitate the users ’community to develop necessary information retrieval skills through some fundamental programs like user orientation, information literacy and computer literacy through some modular courses. This paper discusses a brief account of emerging technologies, information literacy, changes in higher education and its impact upon library. It also highlights how faculty-librarian collaboration and the proactive role of librarians in ensuring right information to the right user in the right time and blending information literacy and technologies in higher education.

Are all students 'hard to reach' in a digital higher education (H.E.) context?

Students entering Higher Education (HE) have high levels of digital capability built on the need to be socially-connected; they should be 'easy to reach’ if thinking about connectivity underpinning the digital age. Yet findings based on commissioned work exploring digital capability and teaching excellence (Austen et al, 2016) indicate that student appraisals of this relationship relate to the logistical benefits of technology rather than to the development of capabilities for professional practice, i.e. the multi-faceted set of academic and information-retrieval skills. Our study highlights a pedagogical challenge in needing to re-frame digital capability for all learners new to HE as this 'hard to reach' phenomenon is maintained by a student focus on technological hygiene factors rather than supported risk-taking.

Utilization Status of Electronic Information Sources (EIS) for HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment in Specialized Teaching Hospitals of Ethiopia, 2016.

According to the World Health Organization, the use of Electronic Information Sources (EIS) in healthcare is not merely about application of technology, but it is also a foundation to provide higher quality clinical care. This study was aimed to assess Utilization Status of EIS for HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment in specialized teaching hospitals of Ethiopia, 2016. A facility based cross-sectional study design was used. The study populations were 352 healthcare professionals selected by using simple random sampling technique from three randomly selected specialized teaching hospitals of Ethiopia. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed by fitting multivariate logistic regression model and thematically by bringing similar themes together respectively. This study revealed that only 33.2% of the health professionals used EIS as supporting tool in their clinical practice including HIV/AIDS care and treatment. The main reasons for not using EIS were having no training 285(89.9%), followed by preferring print resources 20(6.3 %). Furthermore, there was statistically significant association between use of EIS and perceived electronic information retrieval skills AOR = 3.271, CI (1.942, 4.051), perceived quality of electronic information content retrieved AOR= 2.069, CI (1.051, 3.925) and limited access to computer and internet connection AOR = 5.072, CI (1.834, 5.931). In this study, only one-third of health professionals used EIS as supporting tool in their clinical practice. Hence, hospital boards should devise strategies to improve utilization of EIS.

Systematic reviews: significance of search strategy

Systematic reviews are yet to evolve in Sri Lanka despite its widespread use in developed countries. A systematic review (SR) is a literature review which aims to address a specific research question and follow scientific methodology with a pre-defined protocol. It is conducted by a team of reviewers. In most of the developed countries where evidence-based practice is desired, findings of SRs have been used as an aid for developing policy and guidelines in social sciences and healthcare. The procedure of SRs is a set of scientific methods; systematic, comprehensive and rigorous. Searching for ALL relevant literature for inclusion in a SR is an integral part of the procedure which requires expertise and skills in information retrieval. With recent advances in standards, guidelines and methodology of SRs, the construction of search strategy to locate all relevant literature/studies has become a challenging task for review authors. Need for support from information specialist has been recognized in this exercise, thus creating a significant role for library professionals to play in the search process of systematic reviews. The aim of this article is to provide the local LIS community with an introduction to SRs and to discuss briefly the significance of the search strategy in locating the studies in a SR process.

Evaluating Willingness to Pay as a Measure of the Impact of Dyslexia in Adults

While much is known about dyslexia in school-age children and adolescents, less is known about its effects on quality of life in adults. Using data from the Connecticut Longitudinal Study, we provide the first estimates of the monetary value of improving reading, speaking, and cognitive skills to dyslexic and nondyslexic adults. Using a stated-preference survey, we find that dyslexic and nondyslexic individuals value improvements in their skills in reading speed, reading aloud, pronunciation, memory, and information retrieval at about the same rate. Because dyslexics have lower self-reported levels on these skills, their total willingness to pay to achieve a high level of skill is substantially greater than for nondyslexics. However, dyslexic individuals’ willingness to pay (averaging $3000 for an improvement in all skills simultaneously) is small compared with the difference in earnings between dyslexic and nondyslexic adults. We estimate that dyslexic individuals earn 15% less per year (about $8000) than nondyslexic individuals. Although improvements in reading, speaking, and cognitive skills in adulthood are unlikely to eliminate the earnings difference that reflects differences in educational attainment and other factors, stated-preference estimates of the value of cognitive skills may substantially underestimate the value derived from effects on lifetime earnings and health.

Factors Predicting Information Retrieval Skills among Undergraduates of Nigerian Universities

A major problem identified among university students is lack of information retrieval skills for exploiting electronic resources, thus making the level of usage of resources by students very low. Hence, this study investigated factors predicting information retrieval skills among undergraduate students in Nigerian universities. The study examined information retrieval skills in terms of informational, operational and strategic retrieval skills. Multistage sampling technique was adopted. Six related departments/courses were purposively selected from private and public universities to ensure uniformity. Convenience sampling was used in selecting the total of 235 respondents. Questionnaire was used to collect data on respondents’ socio-background characteristics, information literacy knowledge and information literacy skills, cognitive skills and information retrieval skills. Data were analyzed using frequencies and binary logistic regression. Cognitive abilities predicted informational, operational and strategic retrieval skills. Gender was also a significant predictor of both informational and operational retrieval skills. Information literacy knowledge and information literacy skills did not show any significant influence on any of informational, operational and strategic retrieval skills. The study recommends embedment of information retrieval skills training programmes in universities’ curricula.

간호대학생에서 근거기반실무 태도에 영향을 미치는 요인

Purpose This study is aimed at identifying factors influencing attitudes of Evidence-Based Practice among nursing students. Methods 202 nursing students were recruited from B city and G district. The questionnaires included critical thinking dispositions, information retrieval skills, knowledge and attitudes of Evidence-Based Practice, and characteristics. Data were analyzed by SPSS/Win 21.0 using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and stepwise multiple regressions. Results The average score of undergraduate nursing students for Evidence-Based Practice attitudes was 32.92±4.57. Evidence-Based Practice attitudes had positive correlation with critical thinking disposition (r=.53, p<.001), information retrieval skills (r=.45, p<.001) and Evidence-Based Practice knowledge (r=.42, p<.001). Factors influencing Evidence-Based Practice attitudes were critical thinking dispositions (β=.45) and Evidence-Based Practice knowledge (β=.30). Total variance was explained about 35.3% (F=55.80, p<.001). Conclusion These results show that teaching strategies that enhance critical thinking dispositions are recommended to improve Evidence-Based Practice attitudes among nursing students. Also, nursing education should include a regular Evidence-Based Practice curriculum to improve Evidence-Based Practice knowledge as is necessary for students to improve information retrieval skill. Reading nursing articles can help nursing students comprehend the up-to-data evidence of clinical practice. Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Attitude, Knowledge, Critical thinking, Students, Nursing 주요어: 근거기반실무, 태도, 지식, ë¹„íŒì  ì‚¬ê³ , 간호대학생

Educational Needs Assessment Highlights Several Areas of Emphasis in Teaching Evidence-Based Medicine Skills to Physician Assistant Students.

An assessment of educational needs is essential for curricular reform in medical education. Using the conceptual framework of needs assessment, this study aimed to determine which content should be emphasized in teaching evidence-based medicine (EBM) skills to physician assistant (PA) students. Key content areas were identified from the published literature and objectives for previous courses. A questionnaire-type needs assessment instrument was created and given to a graduating class of PA students (n = 21) at the University of North Dakota. The response format had two 5-option scales, one to assess current skill levels and the other to assess ideal skill levels. Means for each category were calculated, and a mean difference analysis was performed. An average mean difference of 0.5 was noted in 3 domains (information retrieval skills, writing skills, and overall gains), and a mean difference of 0.7 was noted in one domain (statistical skills). Items with a mean difference of ≥ 0.7 were identified for prioritization for curricular reform. Open-ended input from respondents substantiated the need for greater emphasis on these content areas. Several content areas related to EBM skills can be identified and prioritized through a systematically conducted educational needs assessment. This method can be used to identify discrepancies between the existing and ideal states of affairs in PA education.

Study on the Application of Web Information Retrieval in the Teaching of Language Translation

The development of information technology at the end of the 20th century fundamentally transformed people’s daily lives and greatly influenced education as well, actually not all the undergraduate students of translation have the skills to access, utilize, and benefit from the continually updating online information. This poses a challenge to traditional orthodox translation teaching which is still dominant. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce Web Information Retrieval (WIR) skills to the translation learners. This research focuses on the translation curriculum reform and the effects of incorporating WIR in translation teaching. From data tests, questionnaires, and curriculum experiment prove that WIR incorporating significantly improves translation quality, translators and translation instructors both request that WIR skills should be incorporated in the teaching of language Translation.

An assessment of library instruction:

This article presents the results of a follow-up study conducted at Østfold University College in 2015 which set out to examine information resource use among students of nursing and teacher education. The first study was presented in an article published in the Journal of Information Literacy Vol. 9 No. 1 (Boger et al. 2015). The two qualitative studies were carried out by interviewing the students about their skills in information retrieval, and observing them. The results show differences in search behaviour between first-year and third-year students, a decrease in the use of Google, and a difference between the students from the nursing faculty and the teacher education faculty.

E-resources: use and search strategies adopted by users of Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the most popular places, gadgets, searching tools and techniques adopted by users of Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (DYSPUH &amp; F), Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, while searching electronic information resources (EIRs). Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted with the help of a structured questionnaire used as a data collection tool. Findings – It is found that department/office chamber (42 per cent), hostel (29 per cent) and home (26 per cent) prove to be the most popular places of access. Majority of users use laptops to access and read EIRs. Among all popular platforms, users of DYSPUH &amp; F library prefer to use “search engines”, and “Google” proves to be the number one search engine. Majority of users search the information through “title” followed by “keywords/subject terms”. The users are not yet well-versed with most of the advanced search techniques, as less than half of them are able to use only Boolean operators, and less than 10 per cent of them claim to know other search techniques. Majority of users have learnt to use information search and retrieval skills through self-study. Research limitations/implications – Only one agricultural university of northern India was surveyed; hence, the results cannot be generalised for the entire northern region of the country. Practical implications – The findings will help the library authorities to see what are the prime areas of concern so far as the search discourse and accessibility of e-resources is concerned. Originality/value – No such survey has been conducted in the University till date.