Information Science Specialists Research Articles

DEA-based Performance Evaluation of Libraries: A Systematic Mapping study

Este estudio emplea un estudio de mapeo sistemático para analizar publicaciones sobre evaluación del desempeño de la biblioteca con análisis por envoltura de datos (DEA, por sus siglas en inglés). La revisión se basa en una búsqueda exhaustiva en la literatura académica que incluye bases de datos científicas de Scopus y Web of Science. Se seleccionaron 44 artículos publicados entre 1997 y 2018 como el núcleo del estudio. Los resultados muestran que los estudios publicados son realizados principalmente por especialistas en economía, administración, ingeniería y apenas por especialistas en bibliotecología y ciencias de la información. Curiosamente, una gran cantidad de los estudios se llevan a cabo en Taiwán y los Estados Unidos con un enfoque específico en la evaluación del desempeño de las bibliotecas universitarias. Los resultados de este estudio identifican lagunas en términos de técnicas, métodos y procesos utilizados para evaluar el rendimiento de las bibliotecas. Identificar estas brechas puede ayudar a los investigadores de las Ciencias de la Información y Bibliotecología a prestar más atención a la investigación sobre la evaluación del desempeño de las bibliotecas. Además, el estudio identifica las variables clave de entrada y salida en la evaluación del desempeño de las bibliotecas.

An overview of literature on COVID-19, MERS and SARS: Using text mining and latent Dirichlet allocation.

The unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 is one of the most serious global threats to public health in this century. During this crisis, specialists in information science could play key roles to support the efforts of scientists in the health and medical community for combatting COVID-19. In this article, we demonstrate that information specialists can support health and medical community by applying text mining technique with latent Dirichlet allocation procedure to perform an overview of a mass of coronavirus literature. This overview presents the generic research themes of the coronavirus diseases: COVID-19, MERS and SARS, reveals the representative literature per main research theme and displays a network visualisation to explore the overlapping, similarity and difference among these themes. The overview can help the health and medical communities to extract useful information and interrelationships from coronavirus-related studies.

Data Librarian, the Steward

Background. By the 2020 mark, The European Union should have a functional Digital Single Market. One of the policies sustaining the efforts in such endeavour is building a European Data Economy (European Commission 2017a). The aim is to build a common European data space a transformative space even for the information science specialists. Objectives. The study is investigative in nature aiming to extract the traits out of the trends leading to a possible specialisation having a broad scope in searching possible career paths for librarians in data science. Results. A graphical explanatory framework indicating requirements, skills and competencies needed by the librarians to achieve new cross-disciplinary engagements with patrons and the research environment. Methods. Because this study is put in the context of Open Science, and particularly addressing the European Union space, the late developments reflected in the policies and initiatives were taken under scrutiny coupled with relevant European Commission project deliverables. Other studies concentrating on the new roles of the librarians pertaining to data librarian were consulted, and also the body of information gathered around the Open Science Cloud. To couple existing studies’ conclusions with the demand in the librarianship, a body of job listings were investigated to find common traits data librarian job descriptions are exposing. To complete a picture, some training facilities were taken into the mix. Debate. Out of many possible roles envisaged for the librarians, there are a few which trigger some focus on the future skills needed to be acquired. These possible scenarios involve data management planning guidance, data stewardship and curation, and data visualisation. Some or all of them might lead to a deep transformation of the librarianship as a craft we were used to up to the Open Science rising tide. The article invites all the information specialists to look into what are the needs to shape up or even to rehash the careers of library and information science specialists.

Web-based questionnaires: Lessons learned from practical implementation of a pharmacoepidemiological study

Web-based questionnaires may offer advantages over traditional methods of data collection, including a less administrative workload and reduced respondent burden. However, the implementation of this mode of data collection carries other challenges and may demand more technical expertise to be designed and delivered. Here, we use the preliminary data from a survey developed to estimate the prevalence of methylphenidate use for cognitive enhancement among undergraduate and graduate students, to share the lessons we learned while implementing this online mode of data collection. We show that surveys using a web-based questionnaire should be carried out by a multidisciplinary team with support from Information Science specialists. Limitations to access these resources or budget constraints may demand a considerable effort to assure the success of the survey. Web-questionnaires are usually described as easy to use and economically encouraging. Therefore, we believe our experience, and the lessons we learned, may be a relevant resource for researchers from general backgrounds intending to undertake their first web-questionnaire.

Problems of the Advanced and Continuous Training for Librarians and Information Workers in the Republic of Cameroon

The actual problems of the advanced training, retraining and continuous education for staff of Library and Information Science specialists in the Republic of Cameroon have been examined. Some suggestions for future improvements coming from advanced foreign experience have been proposed. The author exposes a series of contradictions characterizing the system for re-education and re-qualification of librarians in the Republic of Cameroon. The absence of an integral vocational training system with basic standards in defining the functions and significance of librarianship has been indicated. This current analysis solicits senior librarians in the Republic of Cameroon to specialize in different branches of their training. Considering the current situation, the author designates the future directorate of strategic development and continuous training in the country to undertake cardinal systematic transformations in this domain. Having made an analysis of foreign experience, the author indicates the need for training library staff with several levels of specialization, using progressive training teaching models, an opportunity that will create a specialized research centre in the domain of librarianship in the Republic of Cameroon. Priority tasks with guaranteed judicial standards in librarianship in the country have been defined. The author indicates the need for the creation of a practical and scientific professional publishing house that will publish documents focused on development of the various branches/orientations of information, library scientific and practical books, as well as documents that are conceptual and methodical in nature. Furthermore, the author suggests the creation of a unique network for continuous education at the national level.

Czy "Wikipedia" jest książką sieciową?

In the twenty first century in the library – science and information science discourse new terms were introduced. Among them appeared those that indicate a new (digital) forms of books. One of them is networked book. The term and at the same time the idea of networked book appeared in early 2005. Then, a lecturer in creative writing at Columbia University, Kim White has published entry on her blog, in which she wondered about the possibility of creating book as network/networked book. Soon after, researchers, media experts, information science specialists etc. began to speak out about the networked books suggesting what they think the networked book is. More over, in the first decade of the twenty-first century, a number of projects (called networked books) have been completed. As a result, there has been a dichotomy. On the one hand theoretical and scientific works were written, on the other hand networked books have been developed. Analysis of theoretical statements justify considering Wikipedia to be a networked book. While the analysis of already completed projects does not allow for it and therefore Wikipedia can not be considered for the networked book. Therefore, the article attempts to answer the question: whether the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia meets the demands placed before this new type of book. In other words, if Wikipedia can be considered as an example of networked book?

The use of marketing concepts in library services: a literature review

PurposeMarketing supports the reaching of organizational goals by focusing on the identification and satisfaction of customer needs, thus it can also contribute considerably in achieving the objectives of non‐profit organizations such as libraries. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature on the incorporation of marketing notions and the implementation of marketing techniques in library management. It reviews definitions, present different opposing views, marketing issues, social media and Web 2.0 and opinions on the adoption of marketing in a non‐profit organization environment, and examines different successful examples of marketing implementation, concentrating on the gains resulting from such a move.Design/methodology/approachA thorough literature search on various databases and on various aspects of this topic was reviewed. The literature review is organised on emerging themes directly drawn from the literature, thematically and chronologically within each section. It aims to identify the changing perspectives, the current challenges, and the benefits offered by examining information science specialists' views. The main marketing concepts are identified throughout a strategic planning approach, which has been recommended as the most successful by the majority of researchers.FindingsThis paper examines and clarifies the existing misunderstandings and difficulties in library and information services marketing, and stresses the importance of its adoption in this contemporary competitive environment. It examines library marketing in six sections: misconceptions regarding library marketing, main challenges and reasons as to why the adoption of marketing concepts is an integral part of the strategic planning, reports on the international library organizations, provides a description of the implementation of strategic marketing and planning processes, presents some library marketing approaches and examines the contemporary technological opportunities for library marketing in the digital era, such as the use of Web 2.0 tools.Originality/valueThe paper broadens the library marketing literature by gathering researchers' scientific views and advice and identifies the main implementation concerns derived from the earlier and more recent relevant literature. Moreover, for the first time, IT records issues concerning library marketing, social media and Web 2.0.

78th IFLA General Conference and Assembly (IFLA‐2012)

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a brief overview of the proceedings of IFLA's 78th General Conference and Assembly, held in Helsinki, Finland from August 11‐17, 2012. It highlights the major themes addressed at the conference, taking note of the growing prestige of the meeting as internationally acknowledged fora, not only for librarians and information science specialists but also for publishers, journalists and media professionals.Design/methodology/approachThe author had the good fortune of attending IFLA‐2012 and took advantage of the opportunity to purposefully take down extensive notes, collect copies of the presentations and papers rendered and gather information from colleagues on issues dealt with at simultaneously held sessions which he could not attend, with a view to grasping the overall theme of the specific presentations. The conference website has also been consulted to obtain factual information in support of this article.FindingsThis year's IFLA General Conference and Assembly, as usual, attracted thousands of library and information science professionals, an irrefutable proof that IFLA has proved itself as a prestigious international institution dedicated to the promotion and development of the discipline. In addition, the conference also served as a venue for professionals and businesses in publishing, journalism, the film industry and public media to participate in and showcase their novel products and services.Practical implicationsEmerging themes in librarianship and information services, including open access, Linked Data, inclusiveness, the future of library design, outreaching to local communities, and contemporary library challenges in view of changing times were raised and extensively deliberated upon. It is expected that delegates would apply the lessons thus learnt and apply best practices in their day‐to‐day activities in their specific areas of expertise. It is also hoped that the networking of professionals at such an international event would foster viable future collaborations.Originality/valueThe theme chosen for IFLA‐2012 “libraries: inspiring, surprising and empowering” reflects the importance, for library and information professionals, of envisioning a more dynamic, interactive, attuned and even enjoyable role for libraries of the twenty‐first century and beyond.

Gender Terminology and Indexing Systems: The Case of Woman's Body, Image and Visualization

Representation and organization of knowledge in interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary domains have attracted little attention among specialists in Information Science. The lack of attention has affected the management of this kind of information in a negative way because models used for handling interdisciplinary information are based on or inspired by disciplinarity, causing problems in information retrieval. This study is part of broader research aiming to analyze an interdisciplinary domain, in this case Gender Studies, in order to identify its terminological behaviour and its conceptual dynamics for information retrieval. On the basis of a selected lexicon of 333 terms taken from a total of 5,200 terms coming from different sources, this study aims to bring to light the model followed in the representation of concepts related to the health, image and body of women, and their visualization in texts specialized in gender and in information retrieval systems, particularly in Gender thesauri. Secondary objectives are to determine if these sources suffer from gender bias and other types of prejudices of social constructions, here in regards to the body and the health of women, and to identify the research interest that these topics awaken, as reflected in the selected collection of specialized documents. To this end, a quantitative analysis of the selected terminology was done, comparing the results obtained with the selected lexicon from the indexing systems with the lexicon obtained from the primary sources, to detect coinciding terms and possible differences between the two, and so to appraise the documental warrant of the systems. Finally, the terms were grouped into categories in order to reveal the most relevant aspects for representation in the overall context of women's health, the female body and the image of women.

Scholarly Productivity in Adapted Physical Activity Pedagogy: A Bibliometric Analysis

The purpose was to determine whether publications pertaining to adapted physical activity (APA) pedagogy in the core serials from 1988 to 1998 adhere to library science laws. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 770 articles in 259 serials selected from 4,130 serials initially identified in four databases (Article First, ERIC, Medline, Sport Discus). Results indicated that 1,720 authors have constructed the early APA pedagogy literature. Of these, only 11 contributed four or more articles. The scatter of APA pedagogy literature over four zones, with 4, 15, 64, and 176 journals in the zones, respectively, supports Bradford’s law of scattering. Price’s law was not supported because most authors contributed only one article. Most pedagogy articles (n = 184) were published in Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, Physician and Sports Medicine, and Palaestra. Graduate education should include exposure to bibliometrics and collaboration with library and information science specialists.

Radiation-epidemiological analysis of data from the russian state medical-dosimetric register (RSMDR) on participants in the liquidation of the consequences of the chernobyl accident

Organization of the RSMDR System. The Russian State Medical-Dosimetric Register of individuals subjected to radiation as a result of the Chernobyl accident (RSMDR) was created in 1986. The head organization the state level of RSMDR is located in the Medical Radiological Scientific Center in Obninsk. The main objective of RSMDR is to maintain an automated long-time list of individuals subjected to radiation as a result of the Chernobyl accident, their children and subsequent generations, the irradiation doses, and assessment of the state of health and its changes for the purpose of making optimal decisions so as to minimize the medical consequences. The RSMDR is a multilevel information system which encompasses the Russian Federation [1]. Interregional centers for collection of medical-dosimetric information, acquired from regions and provinces, and subsequent transfer of this information to the state level have been created in all eleven economic regions. Besides the interprovince regional centers, created on the territorial principle, the RSMDR has centers in the Ministries of Defense, Internal Affairs, Communication, Atomic Energy, and FSK. Branches which have the status of regional centers have also been created in Bryansk, Kaluga, Tul, and Orl, i.e. in provinces whose population experienced the greatest irradiation. All centers of RSMDR are equipped with modern personal computers and are staffed with qualified specialists in information science, medicine, radiation epidemiology, and dosimetry. A unique bank of medical-dosimetric information and an analytical system for predicting radiation effects have been created at the state level of the RSMDR. These systems have no analogs in worldwide practice in the investigations of the consequences of radiation catastrophes. General Information. According to Fig. 1, the data bank for the state level of the RSMDR is filled continuously with medical-dosimetric information and now includes 324,146 people. All individuals registered in the RSMDR system are divided into four groups: participants in the liquidation of the consequences, evacuated individuals, individuals who lived in the observed territories, and children born to the participants in the liquidation of the consequences in 1986-1987. Many registered individuals are from central and northern Caucasus regions of Russia. In the central region most individuals lived in the observed territories of the Bryansk, Kaluga, Tul, and Orlov regions and in the northern Caucasus region they were participants in the liquidation of the consequences. Dosimetrie Data on the Cohorts of the Participants in the Liquidation of the Consequences of the Accident. The most accurate and verified medical-dosimetric data in the RSMDR pertains to the individuals who participated in the liquidation of the consequences. Data on the irradiation loads come from official documents, released to participants in the liquidation of the consequences after performing work in zones of radioactive contamination. The irradiation dose indicated in the documents is recorded by an individual or group dosimeter or estimated according to the time spent doing the work taking into account the radiation conditions in this zone and along the path to it. We established the geographic coordinates of the populated points, where the participants in the liquidation of the consequences lived or worked. Analysis of the data showed that most individuals worked in a 100-kin zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. A large fraction of the participants in the liquidation of the consequences of the accident in 1987-1989 worked outside the 30-krn zone. For statistical analysis of data on the absorbed dose of external irradiation by T emitting nuclides, 119,416 records were selected from the RSMDR database for which the populated points where work was performed were determined and for which the dose did not exceed 50 cGy (if the dose was indicated in roentgens in the RSMDR document, then before the data were verified, which is now being done, the dose was not converted to absorbed-dose units). Data on the doses exceeding 50 cGy (approximately 300 records) are now being verified.

The Use of Knowledge as a Test for Theory: The Case of Public Administration

One reason for the increasing prominence of organizational learning is the increasing sophistication of management models and techniques in all the administrative disciplines. These models have been developed largely through the increased sophistication of information-science technology. This technology depends upon generating valid knowledge to be used for managing. Truth is a good idea because, as information-science specialists are fond of saying, in, garbage out.