Online Research Skills Research Articles

An Assessment of Librarians ICT Skills in Federal University of Technology Library, Minna, Nigeria

31 https://doi.org/10.70118/ijkd.0202405010.4 © 2024 The Authors, Samuel Ogbemudia Library. ISSN: Print 2714-4356 / Online 2714-4364 Published by Samuel Ogbemudia Library, University of Abuja, Nigeria An Assessment of Librarians ICT Skills in Federal University of Technology Library, Minna, Nigeria Mohammed Saba Adamu1* and Ladan Dogara1 1University Library, Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. *mohd.adamu@futminna.edu.ng Abstract This study examined ICT skills of librarians in Federal University of Technology Library, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. Two research questions guided the study. The study population comprised twenty-six (26) librarians working in Federal University of Technology Library, Minna, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. Data were analysed using frequency counts, percentage and mean as a measure of central tendency with criterion mean of 3.0 benchmark. Findings revealed that the level of possession of ICT skills of the librarians is high in the areas of basic operation of ICT hardware skills, Internet usage skills, online research skills, online communication, and collaboration. and social/academic networking sites management and email skills and low in the area of document creation and retrieval skills. Conferences, workshops, self-learning, peer coaching, mentoring and among others were the avenues of ICT skills acquisition of the librarians. Based on the findings, the study concluded that librarians need to improve on the aspects of low possession of ICT skills. The study recommended that librarians should sustain and improve upon their possession of ICT skills through periodic training and re-training.

Predictors of Online Research Skills to Reduce Copy-paste: An Intervention in Middle Schools

Predictors of Online Research Skills to Reduce Copy-paste: An Intervention in Middle Schools

Pedagogical Strategies for Fostering Digital Literacy and Online Research Skills in Higher Education

For higher education students to successfully traverse the modern digital landscape and the world's growing interconnectedness, they must be proficient in digital literacy and online research techniques. The current state of these talents among college students is investigated quantitatively in this study. An examination into undergraduate and graduate students' perceived skills, demographic differences, and the congruence between self-assessment and real competences was conducted with the use of an online survey that included a broad cohort of students from different academic fields. The results highlight a disconnect between students' confidence in their ability to conduct internet research and their actual skills. The need for focused therapies that improve self-awareness and metacognition is highlighted by this incongruity. The survey finds fascinating demographic trends that show that there aren't many differences in digital literacy skills between men and women. On the other hand, differences in skill levels between academic majors imply that settings unique to a certain subject have an impact on digital aptitude. Both continuities and variations are shown by comparing these findings to earlier studies. Contrary to previous trends, there aren't any obvious gender-based discrepancies, which suggests that these divisions may become less evident in the area of digital literacy. Additionally, the gap in abilities between academic majors confirms previous research, emphasizing the importance of disciplinary specifics in defining digital competences. The findings of this study have significant ramifications for the higher education system. In order to effectively teach these abilities, institutions are encouraged to seamlessly integrate digital literacy education into their curricula by utilizing cutting-edge pedagogies and technology.

Book review: Development of online research skills among lower secondary school students

Book review of Tuulikki Alamettälä (2022) Development of online research skills among lower secondary school students: The roles of formal instruction and personal factors, Tampere University Dissertations; No. 537, Tampere University, Tampere

Policy on Strengthening the Role of Libraries in Supporting Scholarly Communication at IAIN Curup

Background of the study: Libraries occupy a very strategic position in supporting scientific communication in universities. Purpose: This study aims to analyze the policy of strengthening the role of libraries in supporting scientific communication at IAIN Curup. Method: This type of research is descriptive qualitative. Data collection was carried out by means of interviews and documentation. Findings: The results of this study indicate that there are several policies that have been and will be carried out by the IAIN Curup and the IAIN Curup Library in supporting scientific communication at IAIN Curup, namely 1) regulations and development strategies in the institutional strategic plan; 2) carry out routine user education activities; 3) online research skills training for academicians; 4) providing e-resources; 5) information literacy class program for students and lecturers; and 6) book review activities. The lecturers hope that the means of scientific communication can be improved so that the role of libraries can be maximized in scientific communication activities. The concept that can be offered in order to strengthen the role and function of libraries in the development of scientific communication at IAIN Curup is the revitalization of user education by adding facilities and facilities for user education activities. Then the increase in the promotion of services and facilities at the IAIN Curup Library. Conclusion: The position of libraries in supporting scientific communication in tertiary institutions must be strengthened through policies in favor of libraries.

Learning online research skills in lower secondary school: long-term intervention effects, skill profiles and background factors

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the long-term development of online research skills among lower secondary school students and how various factors such as teaching interventions and students’ self-efficacy, attitudes, information and communication technology (ICT) activity and gender are associated with development.Design/methodology/approachTwo intervention courses were implemented to improve online research skills among 7th-grade students. In the follow-up test in the 8th grade, students’ skills were measured in Web searching, critical evaluation of sources and argumentative use of Web information. Students’ self-efficacy beliefs in online research, their attitudes toward learning, behavioral intentions in online research and ICT activity were surveyed by questionnaires.FindingsThe main finding was that the effect observed immediately after the intervention in 7th grade did not last until the following year. A cluster analysis revealed six skill profiles characterizing strengths and weaknesses in students’ performance in the subtasks of online research and indicated that many students suffer from poor evaluation skills. Self-efficacy beliefs stood out as a student-related factor associated with the development of online research skills.Originality/valueThis study contributed to the pedagogy of online research skills. It indicates that small-scale interventions are not enough to enhance 7th-graders’ online research skills. Students need continuous practice in different contexts during their school years. It is important to support students’ self-efficacy to motivate them to develop their skills in all the subtasks of online research. This study also demonstrated the importance of follow-up studies in online research skills, as they have been rare thus far.

Investigating the Effects of Online Research Skills Instructions: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Grade 8

This article reports on a part of a larger mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study which investigated the effect of a comprehensive model of online source- use on developing online research skills and lessening copy-paste trend in the writing pieces of Grade 8 ESL students ( n = 172) in three private schools in Saida, Lebanon. Eight teachers were randomly assigned into experimental and control conditions along with their respective classes. Five of these teachers implemented a ten–session intervention. The main researcher collected pre and post data on online research and comprehension assessment tool (revised-ORCA). Supported with current research and informed by the principles of the social- cognitive, socio-cultural, and the new literacies theories, statistical analyses revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group, showing higher score gains from pre-test to post-test on an overall score of revised ORCA as well as on its subskills. It was also noted that the contribution of the intervention on the scores of communicate ideas responsibly was almost twice the effect on the rest of subskills. Theoretical and pedagogical implications generated from this study were discussed. Recommendations for school policies and further research were also provided. Keywords : online research skills, copy-paste, middle school, ESL/EFL DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-33-11 Publication date: November 30 th 2020

Web-Based Professional Development Model to Enhance Teaching of Strategies for Online Academic Research in Middle School

High-quality professional development is needed to prepare teachers to help students learn how to conduct online academic research and meet Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. This study created and evaluated a Web-based professional development program with five instructional modules designed to prepare middle-school teachers to teach their students nine strategies for conducting academic research online. The online professional development program was specifically created to help teachers implement the previously developed online SOAR Student Toolkit curriculum with all students in inclusive classrooms. Results of a 2015–2016 pilot study conducted with 13 teachers and 477 students in sixth to eighth grades indicated that most teachers perceived the professional development program to be of high quality and relevant in helping them teach online research skills to their students. Students significantly improved online research skills after learning from trained teachers (27 percentage points improvement, from 18% at pretest to 45% at posttest).

Tradisi Baru Perpustakaan dalam Perannya sebagai Institusi Pengetahuan

Library is not only a place to display books, but there are many important values within. The Library paradigm of book oriented has shifted into user oriented. It means that library becomes a centre of information. On the top of that, library is also transforms into a knowledge institution to serve, illuminate, and make knowledge as a culture. In this technological era, this article presents interesting phenomena in The Libraries of State Institute for Islamic Studies (PTKIN) under The Ministry of Religious Affairs Indonesia about the emergence and the development of new traditions including Online Research Skills (ORS) and Writing Skills (WS)

Dinamika dan Tantangan Pustakawan di Era Globalisasi

Abstract In the various of librarian forums are still intense and interesting to discuss about the competence and professionalism of librarians, its because of the profession of librarians in this era of globalization is a very strategic profession and received a very wide attention among libraries, especially in the library of universities in terms of Information management. Competence and professionalism for those who hold this profession are a challenge and discussed in the various of librarian forums in the global era. Librarian readiness to face the digital era in meeting the needs of users who are very diverse information by the user cannot be considered normal, As information managers, librarians in the era of information flooding in cyberspace today requires competence and professionalism as the librarian definitions contained in Law no. 43 of 2007 on libraries, that librarian is someone who has competence obtained through education and/or training librarianship and has the duty and responsibility to implement library management and services. Librarians are currently dealing with users who are called “native engine” users who are not separated daily with information technology tools that all want fast, easy and efficient in terms of information accessibility. Information packs that will slowly shift from paper to soft sources into librarian bets to understand and be able to manage and distribute various of information in the data base. The third millennium is an information age that forces librarians to begin switching paradigms and repositioning their roles over the years. The independence and productivity of librarians to change and become agents of change for themselves and society, and being able to position themselves as information managers for the community is imperative. The competence of librarians in terms of online research skills should also be held to anticipate the needs of users, especially researchers who are in dire need of various sources that have been packaged in digital form, as the researcher consumption must be obtained from E’Journal and publication also through open journal system or scopus is a challenge for librarians as information manager. One of the aims of this paper is to publicize and reveal what librarians need to anticipate in the era of information flooding in the face of technological developments and the current changing phenomenon, so librarians must be able to uncover what is changing and what should to do. The Demands of the needs of library users increasingly diverse in this information technology era, the library needs to prepare a professional librarian and competent in their fields which, according to some librarian research results have not been encouraging.

Using Qualitative Data to Identify Student Learning Barriers and Alleviate Instructor Burnout in an Online Information Literacy Course

ABSTRACTFor-credit, online information literacy instruction is gaining momentum in academic libraries. It provides library outreach to a broader spectrum of students, and reinforces information literacy skills and concepts more than once. In this article, librarians from a small, private, rural, four-year university will provide an overview of their library's for-credit online research skills course for nontraditional students in the university's degree completion program. The article will identify student learning barriers, share factors that contribute to and prevent instructor burnout, and describe how data-informed decision making is used to make improvements to the curricular and course design.

Nutrition, Food Science, and Dietetics Faculty Have Information Needs Similar to Basic and Medical Sciences Faculty – Online Access to Electronic Journals, PubMed/Medline, and Google

Objective – To determine the information needs of nutrition, food science, and dietetics faculty members by specifically examining how they locate and access information sources and which scholarly journals are consulted for teaching, research, and current awareness; and identifying any perceived information service needs (e.g., training). 
 
 Design – Online survey questionnaire.
 
 Setting – Four senior colleges within the City University of New York (CUNY) system. 
 
 Subjects – Nutrition, food science, and dietetics faculty members.
 Methods – Using institutional websites and the assistance of relevant affiliated librarians, 29 full-time and adjunct nutrition, food science, and dietetics faculty members were identified at Queens College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, and Lehman College (all part of the CUNY system). A survey was emailed in June and July 2007 and had 14 (48.4%) responses. The study was temporarily halted in late 2007. When resumed in January 2009, the survey was re-sent to the initial non-respondents; five additional responses were received for a final 65.5% (n=19) response rate. 
 
 Main Results – The majority of respondents held a PhD in their field of study (63.1%), were full-time faculty (no percentage given), and female (89.5%). Information sources were ranked for usage by respondents, with scholarly journals unsurprisingly ranked highly (100%), followed by conference and seminar proceedings (78.9%), search engines (73.6%), government sources (68.4%), and information from professional organizations (68.4%). Respondents ranked the top ten journals they used for current awareness and for research and teaching purposes. Perhaps due to a lack of distinction by faculty in terms of what they use journals for, the two journal lists differ by only two titles. 
 
 The majority browse e-journals (55.6%) rather than print, obtain access to e-journals through home or work computers (23.6%), and obtain access to print through personal collections (42.1%). Databases were cited as the most effective way to locate relevant information (63.1%); PubMed was the most heavily used database (73.7%), although Medline (via EBSCO), Science Direct, and Academic Search Premier were also used. 
 
 Respondents were asked how they preferred to obtain online research skills (e.g., on their own, via a colleague, via a librarian, or in some other way). The linked data does not answer this question, however, and instead supplies figures on what types of sessions respondents had attended in the past (44.4% attended library instruction sessions, while others were self-taught, consulted colleagues, attended seminars, or obtained skills through their PhD research). 
 
 Conclusion – Strong public interest in nutritional issues is a growing trend in the Western world. For those faculty members and scholars researching and teaching on nutrition and related areas, more work on their information needs is required. This study begins to address that gap and found that nutrition, food science, and dietetics faculty share strong similarities with researchers in medicine and the other basic sciences with regard to information needs and behaviours. The focus is on electronic journals, PubMed/Medline, and online access to resources. Important insights include the fact that print journals are still in modest use, researchers use grey literature (e.g., government sources) and other non-traditional formats (e.g., conference proceedings and electronic mail lists) as information sources, and training sessions need to be offered in a variety of formats in order to address individual preferences.

Disability History Online

Students studies of eugenics, or the independent living movement, or disabled Civil War veterans, and still miss the real story of disability history, its cultural extent, its language, its emotional power. This is frustrating for the instructor with a passion for the subject. However, with a little creativity, such readings can be supplemented with primary sources to convey more of the variety and richness that researchers know firsthand. Teachers can use these sources to improve student understanding of (and interest in) the historical subject matter. This article explores some teaching strategies for using the vast and growing online treasury of primary documents in disability history. There are some standard arguments for the use of primary sources in the classroom, which apply across specific historical topics (i). Students gain appreciation for the nature of historical work, the difficulty of interpretation and the craft of assembling an eclectic range of materials into a coherent whole. While an historian's narrative of events can be a bit dry, an unfiltered on-the-scene account by a participant or journalist may hold more fascination. Personalizing the story of a complex movement, or a whole era, can have its own pitfalls. But if the goal is to spark an initial interest, having a name and a face to follow through the broader story can be very effective. Accessing historical primary sources online has many practical advantages (2). Online repositories are available day and night, even when brick-and-mortar archives are closed. New researchers may find a hushed, security-conscious special collections library intimidating, but the online environment is already familiar and comfortable to most students. It requires neither silence nor supervision. Delicate, rare, or expensive materials can be examined in their virtual state without any risk of damage or theft, and faraway materials become available at the click of a button. Such explorations not only expose students to the content itself, they also encourage good online research skills: careful selection of search terms and date ranges, source evaluation, and other thought processes with wide application (3). The following is a discussion of three typical disability history subjects disabled veterans, eugenics, and the disability rights movement and suggestions for incorporating online primary sources as part of the study materials. The idea is to present a variety of formats and voices for each topic, including firsthand accounts, images, sound and video files, journalism, and artistic expressions, to introduce students to the basic materials of historical research, to evoke thoughtful analysis and to develop personal interest in the subject.

Training in online search skills at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania: the use of TEEAL and AGORA databases

TEEAL and AGORA databases form an important part of the electronic resources at Sokoine National Agricultural Library in Tanzania (SNAL). This paper presents strategies that SNAL has used to ensure that students, academic staff and researchers at SNAL develop effective online search strategies that help them make effective use of various electronic resources including TEEAL, AGORA databases and other electronic resources. Major training methods are the use of formal and informal Information Literacy (IL) programmes, seminars and workshops and other innovative strategies like developing online tutorials. Some of these strategies have not only been essential in imparting online research skills to library users but also they have been important as a marketing strategy for these resources. The paper also discusses challenges and opportunities that are presented with the use of these databases, particularly in the context of university libraries in developing countries. Recommendations on how to improve the situation are made.

Dynamic purposeful learning in information literacy

AbstractFaculty and librarians have been developing newer and better ways of imparting information literacy, recognizing that it is an important aspect of developing crucial critical skills in their students. We discuss how student learning is enhanced as the result of ongoing collaboration. Through what we call Dynamic Purposeful Learning (DPL) and the collaborative process, students learn dynamic information literacy and online research skills.

Pathways to nursing: a guide to library and online research in nursing and allied health

The Association of College and Research Libraries, professional accrediting bodies, and regional accreditors place a premium on the development of library and online research skills for students in nursing and the allied health disciplines. Today's health care professionals must be information literate, having the necessary skills to effectively locate, retrieve, evaluate, and use information. Librarians and other faculty must partner to ensure students learn these skills while building a desire for lifelong learning. Pathways to Nursing: A Guide to Library and Online Research in Nursing and Allied Health attempts to “provide instruction for doing research in the area [sic] of nursing and allied health sciences” (p. vii) for nursing students and working professionals. The authors provide direction for the research process focusing on the library as a physical space, the catalog, reference works, periodicals and indexes, electronic resources, and the Internet and finally providing guidance on writing research papers. The “Electronic Resources and the Internet” chapter lays out essential issues for any researcher attempting to use the open Web. It provides sound guidelines for evaluating the quality of information, explains the different types of search engines, and provides strategies for identifying useful Websites. It contains useful information for any person attempting to use the Internet to do serious research yet makes unfortunately few connections to nursing and allied health research. Although a careful reader can glean useful insights, on balance, the book is not relevant to researchers in nursing and virtually ignores research issues in the allied health sciences. Much of the text seems out of touch with the current state of libraries and information technology. For example, its ninety pages include four pages devoted to the card catalog. Although the authors attempt to demystify the Library of Congress system and the Dewey Decimal System, they make only a passing reference to the National Library of Medicine classification system. Because nursing and allied health research relies heavily on the journal literature, the “Periodicals and Indexes” chapter is among the most important. It includes descriptions of relevant resources such as CINAHL, MEDLINE/ PubMed, and the Annual Review of Nursing Research. The brief description of CINAHL fails to mention many of the indexed allied health disciplines and other useful features in the database such as the full-text state nursing journals, citation indexing, and quality filters. A number of the recommended indexes are of limited value to the intended audience, including Biography Index, Current Book Review Citations (covering 1976–1982), Essay and General Literature Index, Humanities Index, and the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. The guidelines for writing research papers explain topic formulation, information retrieval, and the writing process. The authors present a tried-and-true method for creating, cataloging, and organizing index cards, which might seem dated to many of today's computer savvy students. The appendix provides an extensive list of print and electronic resources related to nursing and other non–health sciences topics. Many of the nursing resources are worthwhile, including suggested indexes, periodicals, style guides, Websites, dictionaries, and other reference works; however, the list includes no allied health resources. The eclectic mix of recommended Websites ranges from the highly relevant National League for Nursing and Hardin Meta Directory to others of lesser importance for health sciences researchers such as the Internet Movie Database and the Semantic Rhyming Dictionary. The extensive list of document delivery providers would be useful to librarians attempting to identify highly specialized research support services. Overall, a number of the uniform resource locators (URLs) for listed Websites are no longer current, and two of the books are out of date. Rather than purchase this book, most libraries would be better served buying a more general nursing research guide, such as Notter's Essentials of Nursing Research [1], and supplement it by partnering with faculty to create instruction sessions, pathfinders, and other tools to support student research efforts.

Journalists' Perceptions of Online Information-Gathering Problems

This paper reports findings of a longitudinal study of the leading problems identified by journalists using the World Wide Web for newsgathering. Respondents to 1997 and 1998 national surveys listed their perceptions of flaws in the Web as a newsgathering source. Data from additional national surveys conducted in 1994, 1995, and 1996 are also reported. The analysis found growing use of the Web and commercial online services for newsgathering during each of the five years, but use increased the most in 1996 and 1997. Among the leading problems journalists identified in using online sources were verification of facts, sites containing unreliable information, badly sourced information, and lack of source credibility. Web-related problems, based on the technology itself, were not perceived to be as severe. The study found a growing need for ongoing newsroom training and development of online research skills among reporters and their editors.