Showing papers in "College & Research Libraries in 2004"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors of four disciplines at varying stages of adoption of open access were examined to see whether they have a greater impact as measured by citations in the ISI Web of Science database when their authors make them freely available on the Internet.
Abstract: Although many authors believe that their work has a greater research impact if it is freely available, studies to demonstrate that impact are few. This study looks at articles in four disciplines at varying stages of adoption of open access—philosophy, political science, electrical and electronic engineering and mathematics—to see whether they have a greater impact as measured by citations in the ISI Web of Science database when their authors make them freely available on the Internet. The finding is that, across all four disciplines, freely available articles do have a greater research impact. Shedding light on this category of open access reveals that scholars in diverse disciplines are adopting open-access practices and being rewarded for it.
676 citations
TL;DR: A review of the literature on plagiarism in the context of the digital era from the perspective of a broader educational spectrum can be found in this paper, where the authors identify research questions that have not been addressed sufficiently in the literature and suggest specific research areas for further investigation.
Abstract: The reviewed literature reported on plagiarism in the context of the digital era from the perspective of a broader educational spectrum. The authors of this review ask questions with regard to what constitutes plagiarism, how prevalent plagiarism is in our schools, colleges, and society, what is done to prevent and reduce plagiarism, the attitudes of faculty toward academic dishonesty in general, and individual differences as predictors of academic dishonesty. This article identifies research questions that have not been addressed sufficiently in the literature and suggests specific research areas for further investigation.
184 citations
TL;DR: A survey of historians and a citation analysis undertaken to revisit the questions treated in Margaret F. Stieg's 1981 article published in College & Research Libraries as mentioned in this paper examines which materials historians consider to be the most important and how they discover them.
Abstract: This article reports on a survey of historians and a citation analysis undertaken to revisit the questions treated in Margaret F. Stieg’s 1981 article published in College & Research Libraries. It examines which materials historians consider to be the most important and how they discover them. Their attitudes toward and use of electronic materials were also studied. Many characteristics of historians’ information needs and use have not changed in a generation: informal means of discovery like book reviews and browsing remain important, as does the need for comprehensive searches. Print continues to be the principal format. What has changed is that the advent of electronic resources has increased historians’ use of catalogs and indexes in their efforts to identify appropriate primary and secondary sources of information.
151 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the impact of building improvements on usage of the physical facility and made recommendations for facility planning. But they did not consider the implications for the library as place debate.
Abstract: Since the mid-1990s, more than 390 academic institutions have constructed new libraries or have expanded, renovated, or reconfigured an existing library. Given current concern about the future of libraries and the nature of space needs, it is important to know what impact these improvements have had on use of the physical library. Using responses from a 68-item Web survey conducted in early 2003, this article examines the impact of building improvements on usage of the physical facility. Recommendations for facility planning are offered, and implications for the “library as place” debate are explored. This report is a companion piece to an article published in the November 2003 issue.
112 citations
TL;DR: A protocol analysis study was undertaken to explore how a Web-savvy generation of library users searches the online catalog and reveals where bottlenecks occur and provides insights into how libraries can design systems that help users around trouble spots.
Abstract: A protocol analysis study was undertaken to explore how a Web-savvy generation of library users searches the online catalog. Eighteen users, including experienced and novice searchers, were recruited. Participants agreed to be recorded and to express their thoughts aloud while searching. Analysis of these data has revealed several distinct trends. Most notable among these trends has been the impact of Internet search engines on user expectations. Given the influence of the Web, these assumptions are likely common throughout higher education. This research reveals where bottlenecks occur and provides insights into how libraries can design systems that help users around trouble spots.
92 citations
TL;DR: The Multidimensional Library Anxiety Scale (MLAS) as discussed by the authors was designed to assess six dimensions of an individual's perception of an academic library and the information search process (ISP) and evaluated levels of library anxiety experienced by students enrolled in a doctoral degree-granting program at an urban southeastern university.
Abstract: This article reports on the development and validation of the Multidimensional Library Anxiety Scale, which was designed to assess six dimensions of an individual’s perception of an academic library and the information search process (ISP). A two-part study was undertaken for the development of the instrument. In part one, twenty-one participants completed a pilot questionnaire that assisted the researcher in developing the instrument. In part two, 278 participants completed a revised questionnaire consisting of a 54-item Likert-type scale that assessed levels of library anxiety experienced by students enrolled in a doctoral degree–granting program at an urban southeastern university.
80 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored the motivational aspects of information literacy skills instruction delivered by librarians in community college libraries and found that the majority of strategies used were to gain and maintain students' attention.
Abstract: This study explored the motivational aspects of information literacy skills instruction delivered by librarians in community college libraries. Librarians and students at seven community colleges were interviewed and observed. Involvement of faculty, use of technology, and students’ on- and off-task behaviors also were investigated. Data analyses used Keller’s ARCS Model, ACRL standards, and Small and Arnone’s Motivation Overlay for Information Skills Instruction. The majority of strategies used were to gain and maintain students’ attention. The range of strategies, rather than the number of strategies, appeared to positively affect student motivation.
79 citations
TL;DR: A case study investigating the coverage completeness of the Institute for Scientific Information’s citation data for specific authors, based on analysis of this author's lifetime citation record, which was compiled through the ISI database, searching the literature for nearly fifteen years, and through various Web search engines.
Abstract: This article presents a case study investigating the coverage completeness of the Institute for Scientific Information’s citation data for specific authors, based on analysis of this author’s lifetime citation record, which was compiled through the ISI database, searching the literature for nearly fifteen years, and through various Web search engines It was found that (with self-citations disregarded) the ISI captured 288 percent of the total citations, 422 percent of print citations, 203 percent of citations from outside the United States, and 23 percent of non-English citations The definition and classification of Web citations are discussed It is suggested that librarians and faculty should not rely solely on ISI author citation counts, especially when demonstration of international impact is important
66 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the residual impact of the Web-based tutorial known as the Texas Information Literacy Tutorial (TILT) on first-year college students and their ability to perform tasks related to information research.
Abstract: The study discussed in this paper investigated the residual impact of the Web-based tutorial known as the Texas Information Literacy Tutorial (TILT) on first-year college students and their ability to perform tasks related to information research. Unique to this study is the investigation of ability beyond the semester in which instruction was provided. The study examined four groups of students, each of which received a different type of information skills instruction. Results and implications are discussed at the end of the article.
50 citations
TL;DR: The results of a study that used a pair of fifteen-item multiple-choice surveys to measure first- and second-year university student recognition of a select group of commonly used library terms indicate that commonly used terms have high levels of recognition whereas library or computer-specific terms do not.
Abstract: This article reports the results of a study that used a pair of fifteen-item multiple-choice surveys to measure first- and second-year university student recognition of a select group of commonly used library terms. A total of 297 students responded. The results from the surveys indicate that commonly used terms such as plagiarism, reference services, research, copyright, and synonyms have high levels of recognition whereas library or computer-specific terms such as Boolean logic, bibliography, truncation, precision, and descriptor do not. The article includes a number of suggestions for overcoming this potential impediment to classroom communication.
46 citations
TL;DR: In 2003, an evaluation of journal use statistics at Washington State University was undertaken to determine if the selection of electronic journals in the Owen Science and Engineering Library was changing student and researchers' choice of journals as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: In 2003, an evaluation of journal use statistics at Washington State University was undertaken to determine if the selection of electronic journals in the Owen Science and Engineering Library was changing student and researchers’ choice of journals. Use statistics showed that most print journals were being used more than they were prior to the advent of electronic journals. Generally, electronic journals were used heavily and the availability of electronic format greatly enhanced the total use of most titles. However, some electronic journals were used little or not at all, and there was a substantial increase in the use of some print titles.
TL;DR: This paper found 16,138 citations within 468 articles found in four journals from history, classics, linguistics, and philosophy in the years 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992, and 2002 in order to identify trends in foreign-language citation behavior of humanities scholars over time.
Abstract: The authors counted 16,138 citations within 468 articles found in four journals from history, classics, linguistics, and philosophy in the years 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992, and 2002 in order to identify trends in foreign-language citation behavior of humanities scholars over time. The number of foreign-language sources cited in the four subjects has not declined over time. Consistent levels of foreign-language citation from humanities scholars indicate a need for U.S. research libraries to continue to purchase foreign-language materials and to recruit catalogers and collection development specialists with foreign-language knowledge.
TL;DR: The project validated the need for highly individualized content, the importance of individual faculty collections, theneed for editorial intervention to supplement and modify contributed metadata, and the importance for addressing discipline-specific vocabularies and taxonomies.
Abstract: To be successful in the university environment, a digital library must be able to integrate content from faculty and students, as well as traditional library sources. It must have a robust metadata structure that can accommodate and preserve a variety of discipline-specific metadata while supporting consistent access across collections. As part of the Mellon-funded project, the Visual Image User Study at Penn State, a prototype centralized digital image delivery service was created and explored. In creating a metadata schema for the project, the authors anticipated both a wide variety of content and users across many disciplines. This schema employed three very different standards (VRA Core Categories, Dublin Core, IMS Learning Objects Meta-data).The project validated the need for highly individualized content, the importance of individual faculty collections, the need for editorial intervention to supplement and modify contributed metadata, and the importance of addressing discipline-specific vocabularies and taxonomies.
TL;DR: This article conducted interviews with faculty space holders at the University of Oklahoma and a survey of ARL libraries to explore the reasons for the continuing value of faculty spaces in the age of electronic information.
Abstract: The value of the academic library as “place” in the university community has recently been debated in the popular and scholarly library literature, but the debate centers on student use of library space rather than faculty use. This study addresses the issue of faculty use of library space by investigating the use of “faculty spaces”—individual, enclosed, lock-able carrels or studies—through a series of interviews with faculty space holders at the University of Oklahoma and a survey of ARL libraries. Both elements of the investigation show that faculty spaces are heavily used and highly valued by faculty members, especially those in the social sciences and humanities. The researchers present the results of the interviews and the survey, and explore the reasons for the continuing value of faculty spaces in the age of electronic information.
TL;DR: This article conducted a two-part survey that looked at the gender of chief administrators at Carnegie doctoral/research extensive university libraries, these institutions' geographical location and funding mechanism, and the libraries' mission/vision statements and organizational hierarchies.
Abstract: This article examines recent statistics provided by the government and the library profession concerning gender, professional, and economic parity among academic library directors. The results revealed that women now hold the majority of library directorships and that women’s economic compensation in some cases exceeds that of their male counterparts. The author conducted a two-part survey that looked at the gender of chief administrators at Carnegie doctoral/research extensive university libraries, these institutions’ geographical location and funding mechanism, and the libraries’ mission/vision statements and organizational hierarchies. Little difference was found between men and women in almost all areas examined. The findings of Hernon, Powell, and Young, which were published in the January 2002 issue of College & Research Libraries, also were examined. The author asks whether the revolution is indeed over and what it might signify for the profession.
TL;DR: In this article, a detailed breakdown of citations by Library of Congress (LC) classification can help librarians manage the information scatter that is typically associated with interdisciplinary fields, which can be used to improve both collection development decisions and reference services.
Abstract: Analyzing the citation characteristics of the scholarly production of an interdisciplinary field according to the kind of research methodology employed can provide much valuable information that can be used to improve both collection development decisions and reference services. Focusing on tourism studies, this article shows how a detailed breakdown of citations by Library of Congress (LC) classification can help librarians manage the information scatter that is typically associated with interdisciplinary fields. Data about the percentage of cited material from particular LC classes and subclasses that are used in the collective research output of an interdisciplinary field can be helpful in identifying types of material for purchase that otherwise may be overlooked. In addition, by identifying LC classes and subclasses that generate many citations, librarians can closely examine individual citations from these classes to get a detailed sense of how interdisciplinary scholars do their intellectual work, thus allowing them to better understand and anticipate the future information needs of these scholars.
TL;DR: A study of the home pages of 114 academic libraries that belong to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to determine their paths to Internet search engines and makes recommendations for improvement.
Abstract: Academic libraries have the opportunity through their Web pages to present to the university community recommended sites and appropriate techniques for searching the Internet. But in the design and organization of home pages, academic libraries often provide inadequate navigational paths to sites that provide search engine selection and evaluation criteria. The author conducted a study of the home pages of 114 academic libraries that belong to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to determine their paths to Internet search engines. This paper presents the study results and makes recommendations for improvement.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the extent of collaboration between librarians and faculty at the University of Manitoba and identified the current and future roles of librarian at the university.
Abstract: In spring 2000, the authors undertook a study to examine the extent of collaboration between librarians and faculty at the University of Manitoba and to identify the current and future roles of librarians. Two surveys were designed—one directed at faculty, the other at librarians. The current article reports the results of the librarian survey and presents some comparative data between the two surveys. This study demonstrates the extent to which their opinions intersect and examines the quality of the partnership. It measures the impact of the collaboration and describes areas where it could be enhanced and expanded. In addition, the study identifies new roles for librarians that would further enhance the partnership between faculty and librarians.
TL;DR: In this article, eleven library directors recorded their work-related activities for twelve days, and the activities depicted show them as both managers and leaders, and reflect contact with various individuals within and beyond the institution as the directors deal with local, regional, and national issues.
Abstract: Eleven library directors recorded their work-related activities for twelve days. The activities depicted show them as both managers and leaders, and reflect contact with various individuals within and beyond the institution as the directors deal with local, regional, and national issues. This paper also highlights how previously identified attributes compare with their everyday work.
TL;DR: This paper describes a study that explored ways in which users’ subject-searching problems in a local online catalog might be reduced through the use of authority record cross-references and “pathfinder” records providing brief instructions on search refinement.
Abstract: This paper describes a study that explored ways in which users’ subject-searching problems in a local online catalog might be reduced. On a weekly basis, the author reviewed catalog transaction logs to identify topics of subject searches retrieving no records for which appropriate information resources may actually be represented in the catalog. For topics thus identified, the author explored two potential ameliorations of the no-hits search results through the use of authority record cross-references and “pathfinder” records providing brief instructions on search refinement. This paper describes the study findings, discusses possible concerns regarding the amelioration methods used, outlines additional steps needed to determine whether the potential ameliorations make a difference to users’ searching experiences, and suggests related areas for further research.
TL;DR: The authors describe the library’s practice environment and review recent research on the information needs of biomedical researchers and clinicians, and explore potential roles for librarians and information professionals in the context of bioinformatics services.
Abstract: This article describes a planning process for the development of bioinformatics education and information services in an academic health sciences library. The project’s five goals were to:(1) understand the changing environment for information related to bioinformatics;(2) understand the information needs of faculty whose work involves bioinformatics; (3) explore potential service offerings; (4) anticipate factors influencing the implementation of new services; and (5) envision strategies for recruiting and training information professionals to fill these roles. The authors describe the library’s practice environment and review recent research on the information needs of biomedical researchers and clinicians. A variety of potential library-based services in relation to bioinformatics are enumerated, and the institutional, environmental, and personnel factors affecting the deployment of services are examined. Finally, the authors describe the educational and training context of the library, and explore potential roles for librarians and information professionals in the context of bioinformatics services.
TL;DR: The authors analyzed the assigned readings from the syllabi of doctoral marketing seminars from forty institutions to identify the format, age, and subjects of the materials assigned to and read by graduate students in the field.
Abstract: The researchers analyzed the assigned readings from the syllabi of doctoral marketing seminars from forty institutions to identify the format, age, and subjects of the materials assigned to and read by graduate students in the field. The overwhelming majority of the assigned readings were journal articles, but monographic material was still frequently used. A relatively small number of journal titles were used consistently across all the programs. There was a distinct lack of agreement on individual article or book selection among the programs. Current resources were favored, but seminal articles in both monographic and serial format were still included. Implications of the findings for libraries and for doctoral education are discussed.
TL;DR: In this paper, a comparative analysis of the current copyright laws of the twelve nations comprising the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), highlighting the range of limitations and exceptions found in the CIS statutes and the differences among the laws of those nations.
Abstract: Fair-use and other free-use limitations and exceptions in national copyright laws maintain a balance between the individual interests of creators of works and other copyright holders, and the public interest in fostering a culturally productive exchange of information and ideas. The status of fair use and free use has come into question in recent years, in part by the rapid pace of technological change, which has led to laws favoring new modes of information management. This article discusses fair-use and other copyright limitations and exceptions in an international context and their origins in international conventions, treaties, and agreements. It then offers a comparative analysis of the limitations and exceptions found in the current copyright laws of the twelve nations comprising the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), highlighting the range of limitations and exceptions found in the CIS statutes and the differences among the laws of those nations. In the current climate of change in global copyright legislation, this article provides broad perspective in an area that is of increasing relevance to the aims of academic and research libraries internationally.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined data on prizewinners of the American Anthropological Association, the American Educational Research Association, Association of American Geographers, American Political Science Association, American Psychological Association, and the American Sociological Association and reported the distribution of winners among publishers and universities, the extent of cross-disciplinary publishing, degree of coauthorship, trends in library acquisitions of print versions; and accessibility of electronic versions.
Abstract: The study of prizes awarded to books in the 1990s by leading social sciences scholarly associations helps us understand the disciplines, publishing, and libraries during that decade. This article examines data on prizewinners of the American Anthropological Association, the American Educational Research Association, the Association of American Geographers, the American Political Science Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Sociological Association. For the prizewinners, it reports the distribution of winners among publishers and universities; the extent of cross-disciplinary publishing; the degree of coauthorship; trends in library acquisitions of print versions; and accessibility of electronic versions. The University of Chicago Press ranked first among publishers, and the faculty at Harvard won more prizes than did faculty at any other institution. Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal classifications assigned to the winners show substantial cross-disciplinary interest. Sixteen percent of the books were coauthored. Library print holdings appeared to decline over the decade by approximately 20 percent; and in April 2004, 19 percent of prizewinners were available electronically.
TL;DR: The retention, promotion, and continued appointment policy in the Virginia Tech Libraries was revised by a committee of librarians as mentioned in this paper, who took a broad view of its task in articulating its goal, gathering information from internal and external sources, allocating drafting responsibilities, and winning support.
Abstract: The committee revising the retention, promotion, and continued appointment policy in the Virginia Tech libraries took a broad view of its task in articulating its goal, gathering information from internal and external sources, allocating drafting responsibilities, and winning support. The committee’s work revealed an unexpected need and led to an explicit affirmation of professional obligations of librarians to one another. Thus, adoption of the new policy and the principles it embodied became a lever for changes in the organizational culture.
TL;DR: Counterpoise claims that it reviews books that are reviewed by other publications either infrequently or not at all, almost three-quarters of the books (74.7%) reviewed by Counterpoise were reviewed by a wide variety of other publications, including popular magazines and newspapers as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Although Counterpoise claims that it reviews books that are reviewed by other publications either infrequently or not at all, almost three-quarters of the books (74.7%) reviewed by Counterpoise are reviewed by a wide variety of other publications, including popular magazines and newspapers. Four core library review tools ( Booklist , Choice , Library Journal , and Publishers Weekly ) review 48.2 percent of all book titles reviewed by Counterpoise , and their reviews are favorable 74.4 percent of the time. Of the books not reviewed anywhere else except Counterpoise , more than half fall into six Library of Congress classification categories, including E (History: America), HQ (The family. Marriage. Women), HV (Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology), and HD (Industries. Land use. Labor). In addition, there is a subset of titles that are frequently and positively reviewed by popular and academic publications, but not by reviewing journals commonly used by librarians.