Information Science Research Articles

Scientometric analysis of library & information science research: An international journal: 2015-2022

This study examines articles published in the "Journal Library & Information Science Research: An International Journal." A scientometric analysis was conducted on 298 contributions from 32 issues over an eight-year period (2015–2022). It was found that the highest number of contributions, 47 (15.77%), were published in 2022. The majority of contributions (100 out of 298) were authored by two individuals. The degree of collaboration varied between 0.56 and 0.82, with an average degree of collaboration of 0.71 during the selected period. Standard statistical tools were used to ensure credible outcomes. This study highlights trends and collaboration patterns in research published in the journal, providing insights into the evolving dynamics of authorship and research productivity in the field of library and information science. The analysis demonstrates how collaborative efforts have become more prominent over the years, indicating a shift towards more cooperative research endeavors. These findings are crucial for understanding the development and dissemination of knowledge within the field.

Quoting Nothing

This paper argues that the practice of employing bare pairs of quotation marks to represent the empty string in formal linguistics and computer science is well-founded in the implicit conventions governing the use of quotation marks in natural language. In the framework of the Inscriptional Theory of Quotation (ITQ), it is argued that sentences containing empty quotation (i.e., empty quotational sentences) are grammatical and meaningful. Furthermore, the notion of an empty string is employed in the analysis of reported speech to provide a unified account that identifies mixed quotation as the primary form of reported speech.

From Turns to Networks: Multiplicity in Rhetorical Agency

This article examines rhetorical agency by using advanced bibliometric methods, arguing for a refined approach that recognizes multiple forms of rhetorical agency. By employing methodologies from information science, this study also illuminates often-overlooked infrastructural dynamics among scholars, specifically in how scholarship has materialized and enforced through textual citations. The analysis supplements traditional historical narratives of theory, introducing a dynamic conceptualization of rhetorical agency as an interconnected network. This paper forwards a multifaceted understanding of rhetorical agency, envisioned as comprising at least five intertwined networks. This article consequently provides a novel approach for analyzing disciplinary history by considering how citationality carries material traces of the past.

GESTÃO DE BANCO DE DADOS

It is known that nowadays, with large amounts of information, organizations have felt the need to manage and share this information quickly and efficiently. However, information is only strategic and becomes knowledge when it is managed effectively. By providing effective mechanisms for managing large groups of information, the so-called Data Management Systems fulfill the function of making the task of maintaining and retrieving large amounts of data easier. This research, based on theoretical contributions from Information Science and on frameworks of Information Technology tools, aims to analyze and optimize the process of controlling subcontractor contracts and equipment rental of a heavy construction company. This work aims to conduct a comparative study, based on general aspects of performance, between relational databases on disk and in memory. To this end, a system was used to load data into the chosen databases, as well as queries were performed to analyze the performance of read and write operations in the chosen databases.

Students' situational engagement profiles in formal and informal science learning environments

AbstractStudent engagement is widely considered to be a multidimensional construct consisting of behavioral, cognitive, and affective components. Recent research has examined student engagement in science learning contexts using holistic approaches that account for multidimensionality through the identification of engagement profiles. However, it is not yet clear whether identified science engagement profiles are consistent across different samples, different learning environments, or different modes of measurement. Using data from three extant datasets involving middle‐ and high‐school aged youth, we explored the consistency of students' situational engagement profiles across science learning environments (formal and informal) and modes of measurement (experience sampling and end‐of‐class reports). Results from latent profile analyses of students' behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement identified four common profiles across the three datasets, though each dataset had its own unique profile solution (ranging from five to seven profiles). Consistent profiles across the three datasets included universally low, moderate, recreational, and full engagement. Three additional engagement profiles were identified (rational, purposeful, and busy engagement), though they emerged inconsistently across the samples. Findings speak to the applicability of conceptual frameworks of engagement to science learning contexts. Results are discussed considering environmental (formal vs. informal learning environments) and methodological considerations (experience sampling vs. end of class report).

Understanding Risk Communication Through a Postcolonial Theory Perspective: Lessons from Three Studies on COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

AbstractThis article uses postcolonial theory to examine optimal risk communication practices of new risks and scientific information to non-indigenous communities. The article calls on risk communication scholars and health practitioners to embrace postcolonial theory as it provides a critical and reflective framework to examine ontological beliefs and methodological and structural aspects in the communication of public health messages. The article draws on insight from three studies on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy within Scotland’s African, Caribbean, and Black communities between March 2021 and April 2022. The article offers new insight into why some communities hesitate to respond to public health messages such as vaccine uptake advice. Therefore, risk communication scholars should use the postcolonial lens to examine their assumptions, thinking, and perspectives on communicating new science and risk information in emergencies. Postcolonial theory enables risk communication scholars to address power imbalances, representation, and inclusion challenges in public health communication and trust-building efforts.

Artificial Intelligence Integration in Academic Libraries: Perspectives of LIS Professionals in India

ABSTRACT This study explores the perspectives of library and information science (LIS) professionals in India regarding the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into library services. Utilizing a quantitative research methodology, the study gathers data through structured surveys to assess the perceived benefits, required AI competencies, and awareness levels among these professionals. The findings reveal a strong inclination towards AI adoption, highlighting its potential to enhance data analysis, automate routine tasks, and improve information retrieval. Additionally, the study identifies crucial AI-related skills necessary for LIS professionals, emphasizing the importance of technical, analytical, and ethical competencies in successfully navigating AI’s integration. The results also underscore the need for targeted training and infrastructural investments to overcome resource limitations and ethical concerns. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on AI’s transformative role in library services, particularly within the context of developing countries like India. It offers insights that can inform future strategies for AI adoption in libraries.

The Response of the Annual Rotation Width of Tea Trees to Climate Change in the Brown Mountains of Yunnan Province

Yunnan is located in the southwestern part of China, with rich tea tree germplasm resources and diversified geomorphological and climatic features, which help us to carry out research related to tea tree chronology and provide scientific and effective support information for enriching the database of tree rings in western Yunnan. This study took the Brown Mountain tea tree in Xishuangbanna as the research object, collected tea tree sample cores through tree growth cone sampling, measured the width of the annual rings, cross-dated them, and established a chronology of the width of the annual rings of the tea tree. The R language was used to analyze the response function of the tea tree’s annual ring chronology with the climatic factors of the study site, discussed the relationship between the radial growth of the tea tree in subtropical regions and climatic factors, and determined the main factors that affected the radial growth of the tea tree. The results of the study showed that the chronology of the tea tree’s whorl width spanned 70 years (1954–2023), with an average annual growth rate of 1.283 mm/year; the average sensitivity was 0.514, which indicated that the chronology contained richer climatic information. The representativeness of the sample group of the whorl width index (EPS) was 0.716, indicating that the consistency of the growth inter-annual variations was better among the different trees. The radial growth was correlated with climatic factors such as temperature and moisture; the radial growth of the tea tree was usually more sensitive to moisture availability, limited by hydrological and climatic factors throughout the rainy season of the year, and positively correlated with the temperature in summer and autumn. In terms of the stability of the radial growth of the tea tree in relation to the climatic response, the growth of the tea tree in the study area may have benefited from future warming of the climate and reduction in precipitation.

ANALYSIS OF MANGROVE FOREST VEGETATION ON MOLAS BEACH, BUNAKEN DISTRICT, MANADO CITY

The lack of scientific information about the current condition of the mangrove ecosystem on the Molas beach in the Bunaken District of Manado City is an important reason to conduct a study related to the analysis of mangrove forest vegetation. The purpose of this research is to identify the types of mangroves and to find the Important Value Index (INP) of mangroves on the Molas beach in the Bunaken District of Manado City. Data collection was conducted using the line transect method with plots at only one observation station, which was then analyzed to determine the Importance Value Index (INP). Based on the observations, it was found that four types of mangroves were present at the research location. The dominant mangrove species are Bruguiera Cylindrica, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Aegiceras cosniculatum, and Ceriops tagal. The substrate condition, which is dominated by muddy sand, and the water quality parameters that affect mangrove growth generally still meet the standards for mangrove growth. The species Ceriops tagal has the highest values of Relative Density, Relative Frequency, and Relative Dominance, resulting in the highest INP. Meanwhile, the lowest INP was found in the species Bruguiera gymnorrhiza in the tree category

Developing and validating a content quality evaluation tool for cancer mobile applications

IntroductionCancer remains a leading cause of death, underscoring the importance of reliable health apps. This study aims to design and validate a content quality evaluation tool for cancer mobile applications ensuring they provide standard services and features to users.MethodThis descriptive-analytical study was conducted in steps including identifying mobile application contents, designing and validating evaluation tool. Studies published until February 19, 2023, in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Scientific Information Database (SID) databases, as well as mobile applications in Myket, Bazaar, and Google Play, were searched. Data extraction and expert panel validation followed, leading to four expert sessions to design the tool. Nineteen oncologists, health information management and medical informatics specialties were included in the study as a research community. The tool’s face validity, content validity and reliability were assessed using CVR (Content Validity Ratio), CVI (Content Validity Index), and Cronbach’s alpha respectively.ResultsOut of 242 initial search results in databases and 125 mobile applications in app stores, 25 articles and 20 mobile applications included based on the search limits. The designed tools consist of 8 main themes (prevention, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, education, communication, requests/order and other) with 43 question items. All items received scores above 0.79 in CVI and 0.42 in CVR, leading to their approval and the reliability of the tool was accepted with a score of 0.967.ConclusionEvaluating cancer mobile applications can be very helpful in developing useful and supportive mobile apps, and assist health policymakers in identifying and recommending high-quality cancer-related apps. This will enable patients to choose the most suitable apps, enhancing the quality of cancer care.

Systems of knowledge organizing in philological information resources

The concept of knowledge organization system (Knowledge Organization System, KOS) is introduced and discussed in this article. Approaches to the typology of KOS are considered. The BARTOC database is analyzed, containing the most complete list of KOS, including more than 130 philological KOS. Philological KOS related to the following types are described: authority lists, terminologies and glossaries, hierarchical classifications, metadata systems, thesauri, ontologies, as well as some unique KOS. Russian philological KOS are considered separately. It is proposed to create a database of Russian philological KOS, as a component of the infrastructure of the Russian scientific and scholarly information space.

Toward a New Approach to Creating Population-Representative Data for Demographic Research.

The evaluation of innovative web-based data collection methods that are convenient for the general public and that yield high-quality scientific information for demographic researchers has become critical. Web-based methods are crucial for researchers with nationally representative research objectives but without the resources of larger organizations. The web mode is appealing because it is inexpensive relative to in-person and telephone modes, and it affords a high level of privacy. We evaluate a sequential mixed-mode web/mail data collection, conducted with a national probability sample of U.S. adults from 2020 to 2022. The survey topics focus on reproductive health and family formation. We compare estimates from this survey to those obtained from a face-to-face national survey of population reproductive health: the 2017-2019 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). This comparison allows for maximum design complexity, including a complex household screening operation (to identify households with persons aged 18-49). We evaluate the ability of this national web/mail data collection approach to (1) recruit a representative sample of U.S. persons aged 18-49; (2) replicate key survey estimates based on the NSFG, considering expected effects of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and the alternative modes on the estimates; (3) reduce complex sample design effects relative to the NSFG; and (4) reduce the costs per completed survey.

Difficulties and opportunities of implementing total quality management in academic libraries of Ghana

Background of the study: Academic libraries are collapsing due to the related challenges of implementing TQM practices and integrating them. Purpose: The primary objective of this study is to ascertain the challenges and prospects of implementing total quality management in Ghanaian university libraries. Method: An explanatory mixed method design was employed in the study. Top management, librarians, faculty members, and administrators took part in the discussion. The information and data were gathered using an interview guide and a questionnaire. Out of the 239 participants, 205 persons provided a valid response. This indicated an 85.7% response rate. Out of the twenty-five individuals who were anticipated, twenty were questioned. For the investigation, a straightforward random and purposive sampling strategy was used. Both quantitative and thematic analysis of the data was done. Findings: The investigation demonstrated that there are difficulties in implementing TQM. Adopting total quality management (TQM) can be difficult due to factors such as staff resistance to change, a lack of facilities and resources, and a lack of commitment from upper management. The study also concluded that implementing TQM has several benefits such as boosting the library system's continual improvement and guaranteeing best practices and standard compliance. Conclusion: The study's conclusions may increase information scientists' and librarians' comprehension of how TQM methods are implemented in Ghanaian academic libraries and experiment with the suggested adoption model.

Chaos creator

Combating the spread of misinformation is a struggle that has inspired considerable research in the fields of psychology, education, political science, and information science, among others. Such research has found that “prebunking” or “inoculation” techniques—strategies that reduce the acceptance of misinformation before one has encountered it—have had marked success. However, there is little evidence that librarians are deliberately employing inoculation techniques in their information literacy (IL) instruction. Via a quasi-experimental study, this research explores the effect of prebunking techniques in an IL instruction session on undergraduate students’ ability to recognise misinformation. The prebunking techniques are delivered through a competitive game called Chaos Creator, based on the Bad News game developed by researchers at Cambridge University. Results of the study show that misinformation inoculation techniques are more effective than the popular source evaluation tool, the CRAP test, in helping students identify misinformation. However, misinformation inoculation techniques can backfire, causing students to become overly sceptical of trustworthy messages.

The key lines of research in open science, 2019–2023

The expanding studies in transformation of scientific communication and practical aspects of open scientific content and scientific process dictate to identify the subject scope of open science studies. For the purpose of the study, 561 journal publications in the Library and Information Science category included in the Web of Science database were analyzed. As a result, 27 topics are specified, their contents are described, and the differences in subject orientation between “the classical” WoS, and the newer ESCI, are revealed. The transforming infrastructure of scientific communication, researchers’ adaptation to open science, and science serials’ publishing practice are in the focus of the selected publications. Most of them are based on global experience, though the national experience and EC and BRICS projects and initiatives are not overlooked.

Enhancing the Statistical Evaluation of Earthquake Forecasts—An Application to Italy

Abstract Testing earthquake forecasts is essential to obtain scientific information on forecasting models and sufficient credibility for societal usage. We aim to enhance the testing phase proposed by the Collaboratory for the Study of Earthquake Predictability (CSEP, Schorlemmer et al., 2018) with new statistical methods supported by mathematical theory. To demonstrate their applicability, we evaluate three short-term forecasting models that were submitted to the CSEP-Italy experiment, and two ensemble models thereof. The models produce weekly overlapping forecasts for the expected number of M4+ earthquakes in a collection of grid cells. We compare the models’ forecasts using consistent scoring functions for means or expectations, which are widely used and theoretically principled tools for forecast evaluation. We further discuss and demonstrate their connection to CSEP-style earthquake likelihood model testing, and specifically suggest an improvement of the T-test. Then, using tools from isotonic regression, we investigate forecast reliability and apply score decompositions in terms of calibration and discrimination. Our results show where and how models outperform their competitors and reveal a substantial lack of calibration for various models. The proposed methods also apply to full-distribution (e.g., catalog-based) forecasts, without requiring Poisson distributions or making any other type of parametric assumption.

Artificial intelligence in libraries: Theoretical approaches and practical solutions (on the conclusions of the scientific and practical conference “Artificial Intelligence in Library and Information Services”)

The author reviews the scientific and practical conference on artificial intelligence (AI) in libraries held by RAS Institute for Scientific Information for Social Sciences. He summarizes the presented papers exploring theoretical and practical aspects of using AI tools in library services in Russia and neighbor states.In particular, the author focuses on using artificial neural networks for information retrieval, e-library concept processing (classification, abstracting and annotating), full text recognition, uniform cataloguing, textbook conversion into online courses, and design of reading lists systems. At the conference, the speakers argued that the neural networks were slowly implemented in Russian libraries due to the lack of tagged “library” data sets in open access. They also emphasized the role of libraries in teaching users to work with AI applications.The conference participants consented on the fact of rapid development of this vector in the libraries. The librarians should be more persistent in using available universal applications, partner with Russian large IT-companies, and undertake to design specialized AI-tools for deep content processing of digitized information arrays.

Roughness of Fuzzy Sets by Binary Relations Induced from Soft Relations with Application in Decision Making

Abstract Binary relations are significant in mathematics and information sciences. Meanwhile, fuzzy set (FS), rough set (RSs) and soft set (SS) are efficient mathematical schemes for dealing with uncertain and vague information in real-world circumstances. This article explores rough approximations of a FS based on induced binary relations from a soft relation that are given in terms of foresets and aftersets. Initially, two pairs of rough approximations founded on induced binary relations are analyzed, and their distinctive features are reviewed. In addition, two variants of fuzzy topologies are constructed by induced reflexive relations. Meanwhile, several similarity relations associated with induced reflexive relations are also discussed. Also, we outline a method to decision-making (DM) within the invented approach. The decision steps and the algorithms of the decision method are also specified. The legitimacy of the decision method is verified by a practical illustration. A detailed comparative analysis further authenticates the viability and efficacy of the projected method over existing decision-making techniques.

Robotics at the University of Pennsylvania from Birth to Maturity: A Review of 30 Years of Research

This article is an attempt to reexamine the evolution of robotics research at the University of Pennsylvania and all that it entailed, covering the successes and struggles of PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and a few dedicated faculty between 1972 and 2000. In 1945, Penn's Moore School of Electrical Engineering was famous for developing the first electronic digital computer, ENIAC, but after a few years, the research had diminished. In 1972, a new Department of Computer and Information Science was formed. I came to Penn from Stanford University's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory full of energy, enthusiasm, and the goal of establishing a similar lab at Penn. This article demonstrates the creativity and ingenuity of young professionals at the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing, and Perception (GRASP) Laboratory. We built hardware. We built software. We collaborated with psychologists and electrical and mechanical engineers and tried to build a community of roboticists. Our curiosity led us to build new vision and tactile systems and to investigate cooperative robotics systems on the ground and in the air. We used computational models supported and verified by experiments. Today, I am proud to say that almost all of the students who cycled through the GRASP Lab are successful in academia or industry.

Factors Influencing Physiotherapists' Use of Non-Academic Sources for Technical Information in Brazil.

The integration of evidence-based practice (EBP) into clinical decision-making is crucial for ensuring optimal patient care. However, there are various factors influencing the utilization of academic sources among physiotherapists, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of these dynamics. The present study aimed to investigate the association between personal factors (age, time since graduation, number of patients, and education level), barriers to EBP implementation and perceptions about EBP, and physiotherapists' preference for using non-academic sources when seeking technical information about physiotherapy. This was a cross-sectional study involving 610 physiotherapists. Participants completed an online questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, sources of information, barriers to EBP implementation, and perceptions regarding the importance of scientific information in clinical practice. Logistic regression was used to investigate the factors associated with the preference for non-academic sources of information. Nearly a quarter of the sample exhibited a preference for non-academic sources, with age over 34years, perceived lack of abilities to apply scientific findings, and understanding issues related to EBP being significant associated with the preference of this types of sources of information. Physiotherapists with these characteristics were twice as likely to prefer non-academic sources when compared to physiotherapists who do not have these characteristics. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing professional competencies in EBP and fostering confidence in utilizing academic sources. While efforts have been made to incorporate EBP promotion in academic curricula, further initiatives are needed to bridge the gap between established knowledge and the competencies required for daily practice. Future studies should continue to explore the role of age in EBP applicability and the adoption of scientific knowledge, aiming to inform targeted interventions and educational programs tailored to the evolving needs of physiotherapy professionals.