Showing papers in "Information Research in 2004"

Open Access to Scientific Publications – An Analysis of the Barriers to Change?

Abstract: One of the effects of the Internet is that the dissemination of scientific publications in a few years has migrated to electronic formats. The basic business practices between libraries and publishers for selling and buying the content, however, have not changed much. In protest against the high subscription prices of mainstream publishers, scientists have started Open Access (OA) journals and e-print repositories, which distribute scientific information freely. Despite widespread agreement among academics that OA would be the optimal distribution mode for publicly financed research results, such channels still constitute only a marginal phenomenon in the global scholarly communication system. This paper discusses, in view of the experiences of the last ten years, the many barriers hindering a rapid proliferation of Open Access. The discussion is structured according to the main OA channels; peer-reviewed journals for primary publishing, subjectspecific and institutional repositories for secondary parallel publishing. It also discusses the types of barriers, which can be classified as consisting of the legal framework, the information technology infrastructure, business models, indexing services and standards, the academic reward system, marketing, and critical mass.

Information Seeking and Students Studying for Professional Careers: The Cases of Engineering and Law Students in Ireland.

Abstract: This paper reports the results of two empirical studies which explored the information seeking behaviour of engineering and law students in Ireland. Findings reveal similar patterns in the information seeking behaviour between students studying to become professionals and information seeking patterns of these groups identified in the Leckie et al. model. Students learned their information seeking strategies, including effective and less effective approaches, from educators. Mis-perceptions of the role and value of libraries and information professionals in their studies were common, and as a result, students often adopted information seeking strategies that excluded libraries and library staff. The two studies suggest that engineering and law students in Ireland could benefit from greater information literacy training and awareness, enabling them to acquire the information skills they need to function effectively and efficiently in their future professional work lives.

From information behaviour research to the design of information systems: The Cognitive Work Analysis framework

Abstract: Cognitive Work Analysis is a conceptual framework that makes it possible to analyse the forces that shape human-information interaction. This analysis can then be directly transformed to design requirements for information systems. Its approach is work-centred, rather than user-centred, as it analyses the constraints and goals that shape information behaviour in the work place, regardless of the specific individuals who are involved. Being a holistic approach, it examines simultaneously several dimensions: the environmental, organizational, social, activity, and individual. As a result, applying the framework requires a multi-disciplinary approach. It provides concepts and templates to facilitate an analysis of complex phenomena, without reducing their complexity. As a framework, it is a structure that accommodates any relevant theory, model, or method. Cognitive Work Analysis has proved to be an effective approach to the study of human information behaviour for the purpose of designing information systems.

Information behaviour that keeps found things found

Abstract: This paper reports on a study that the researchers call: ‘Keeping found things found on the Web’ or ‘KFTF’. The research focuses on the classic problem of ensuring that once a useful information source or channel has been located, it can be found again when it is needed. To achieve this goal, individuals engage in information behaviour that the research team refers to as keeping and re-finding. The research study observed both types of information behaviour. To study keeping, the researchers designed an observational study to record what people do in their offices when they are searching or browsing the Web and they find information they want to keep for re-use. This behaviour was observed and then analysed for its underlying purpose in the first phase of the KFTF study (the keeping study). In the second phase of the study (the re-finding study), the researchers designed a delayed recall observation which required participants to re-find information on the Web that they had located during the observations of phase 1. This delayed recall study focused upon observations of re-finding information. Finally, the researchers conducted a survey to validate and augment the data from the keeping study. Two hundred and fourteen individuals participated in the survey.

The applicability of constructivist user studies: How can constructivist inquiry inform service providers and systems designers?

Abstract: This paper has attempted to clarify the ways in which individual, holistic case studies, produced through constructivist inquiry, can be tested for trustworthiness and applied to other, similar situations. Service providers and systems designers need contextual information concerning their users in order to design and provide systems and services that will function effectively and efficiently within those contexts. Abstract models can only provide abstract insight into human behaviour and this is rarely sufficient detail upon which to base the planning and delivery of a service. The methodological issues which surround the applicability of individual, holistic case studies are discussed, explaining the concept of 'contextual applicability.' The relevance and usefulness of in-depth case study research to systems designers and service providers is highlighted.

Using participant or non-participant observation to explain information behaviour

Abstract: Cooper, J., Lewis, R. & Urquhart, C. (2004). Using participant or non-participant observation to explain information behaviour. Information Research, 9(4). Retrieved August 3, 2006 from http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper184.html Sponsorship: AHRC (Cooper).

Evaluation of three German search engines: Altavista.de, Google.de and Lycos.de

Abstract: The goal of this study was to investigate the retrieval effectiveness of three popular German Web search services. For this purpose the engines Altavista.de, Google.de and Lycos.de were compared with each other in terms of the precision of their top twenty results. The test panelists were based on a collection of fifty randomly selected queries, and relevance assessments were made by independent jurors. Relevance assessments were acquired separately a) for the search results themselves and b) for the result descriptions on the search engine results pages. The basic findings were: 1.) Google reached the best result values. Statistical validation showed that Google performed significantly better than Altavista, but there was no significant difference between Google and Lycos. Lycos also attained better values than Altavista, but again the differences reached no significant value. In terms of top twenty precision, the experiment showed similar outcomes to the preceding retrieval test in 2002. Google, followed by Lycos and then Altavista, still performs best, but the gaps between the engines are closer now. 2.) There are big deviations between the relevance assignments based on the judgement of the results themselves and those based on the judgements of the result descriptions on the search engine results pages.

On identifying name equivalences in digital libraries.

Abstract: The services provided by digital libraries can be much improved by correctly identifying variants of the same name For example, this will allow for better retrieval of all the works by a certain author We focus on variants caused by abbreviations of first names, and show that significant achievements are possible by simple lexical analysis and comparison of names This is done in two steps: first a pairwise matching of names is performed, and then these are used to find cliques of equivalent names However, these steps can each be performed in a variety of ways We therefore conduct an experimental analysis using two real datasets to find which approaches actually work well in practice Interestingly, this depends on the size of the repository, as larger repositories may have many more similar names

The information needs of female Police Officers involved in undercover prostitution work

Abstract: Few studies on information behaviour have focused on professions such as police officers. The purpose of this study was to examine the information behaviour of female police officers involved in undercover work in controlling prostitution. Seven Vice Officers were interviewed during the summer of 2003 and two were observed during one decoy operation. The model, Information Seeking of Professionals, provided the framework for understanding their needs within the context of their role as decoys. The results revealed that the officers need a variety of information and start seeking it before they transfer to the Vice Unit. Their work demands the use several methods of informal communication, including signals and dress code. Information sources include the men who solicit their services, the female sex workers with whom they share space, members of the community, and their fellow officers who are responsible for protecting their lives. The Information Seeking of Professionals model does not completely explain the information needs of police officers. More research needs to be done on police and similar professions in order to develop a model of information behaviour that is more applicable to their everyday work lives.

Education and training for records management in the electronic environment - The (re)search for an appropriate model

Abstract: Managing records in the e-environment constitutes a complex and challenging strategic issue for all organizations because IT systems shape business operations and the nature and management of the records they generate. IT personnel, administrators, archivists, records creators and users, as well as records managers, must work in partnership to ensure the authenticity, reliability, integrity, and ongoing usability of records. Education and training provision must evolve to fulfil the needs of all of these players in this complex environment. Everyone needs a macro-level understanding, combined with micro-level knowledge and practical skills, determined by their role, responsibility and level of systems interface. This matrix of horizontal and vertical mappings defines a pathway tailored to the individual's recordkeeping role. The requirement is holistic not atomistic, because it is integrated with the business processes. This study critically evaluates existing initiatives and initial results of a doctoral study searching for a best practice model.

Supporting Undergraduate Learning Through the Collaborative Promotion of E-Journals by Library and Academic Departments

Abstract: The introduction of electronic journals into Higher Education institutions in the United Kingdom has been relatively well documented, in terms of their purchase, management and uptake. However, the impact on learning, other than trends in usage and some indications of students' and researchers' attitudes, has not been quantified. This paper evaluates a project designed with the primary aim of testing a hypothesis that learning can be enhanced by promoting the use of e-journals. It was run jointly by a member of the library staff and an academic within the Business School. A Research quotient was developed to measure a student's ability to carry out appropriate research to support their learning. Research quotients scores were analysed along with journal bibliographic citations in students' assignments. Analysis of the results indicated that effective collaboration between academic and library staff, the timely embedding of e-journal induction into the learning process and associating it with the assessment process, can significantly enhance the learning of students. It was also recognised that students need be encouraged to see beyond assignments and adopt an holistic approach to learning.

Three looks at users: a comparison of methods for studying digital library use

Abstract: Compares three user research methods of studying real-world digital library usage within the context of the Variations and Variations2 digital music libraries at Indiana University. After a brief description of both digital libraries, each method is described and illustrated with findings from the studies. User satisfaction questionnaires were used in two studies, one of Variations (n=30) and the other of Variations2 (n=12). Second, session activity log files were examined for 175 Variations2 sessions using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The third method, contextual inquiry, is illustrated with results from field observations of four voice students' information usage patterns. The three methods are compared in terms of expertise required; time required to set up, conduct, and analyse resulting data; and the benefits derived. Further benefits are achieved with a mixed-methods approach, combining the strengths of the methods to answer questions lingering as a result of other methods.

Beyond usage: understanding the use of electronic journals on the basis of information activity analysis.

Abstract: A television ghost signal detector system is provided which includes a variable delay line for delaying training signal components of the main video signal. The training signal includes burst signals and may comprise, for example, the horizontal sync pulse and burst signals of the lines of the vertical blanking interval which follow the last equalizing pulse interval. The delay of the delay line is first varied until the delayed horizontal sync pulse of the main signal is in substantial time coincidence with its ghost horizontal sync pulse at the input of the delay line, and the delayed main burst signal and its ghost are in substantial time coincidence. Thereafter, the two burst signals are compared by a phase detector, the output of which is used as a control signal to control the delay of the variable delay line so as to maintain the delayed and undelayed signal in virtually complete coincidence.