Kathleen Burnett

A comparison of the two traditions of metadata development

Metadata has taken on a more significant role than ever before in the emerging digital library context because the effective organization of networked information clearly depends on the effective management and organization of metadata. The issue of metadata has been approached variously by different intellectual communities. The two main approaches may be characterized as: (1) the bibliographic control approach (origins and major proponents in library science); and (2) data management approach (origins and major proponents in computer science). This article examines the different conceptual foundations and orientations of the two major approaches contributing to the metadata discussion. An examination of the on-going efforts to establish metadata standards, and comparison of different metadata formats, supports a proposal for an integrated concept of metadata to facilitate the merging of the two approaches.

Composition of scientific teams and publication productivity at a national science lab

The production of scientific knowledge has evolved from a process of inquiry largely based on the activities of individual scientists to one grounded in the collaborative efforts of specialized research teams. This shift brings to light a new question: how the composition of scientific teams affects their production of knowledge. This study employs data from 1,415 experiments conducted at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) between 2005 and 2008 to identify and select a sample of 89 teams and examine whether team diversity and network characteristics affect productivity. The study examines how the diversity of science teams along several variables affects overall team productivity. Results indicate several diversity measures associated with network position and team productivity. Teams with mixed institutional associations were more central to the overall network compared with teams that primarily comprised NHMFLs own scientists. Team cohesion was positively related to productivity. The study indicates that high productivity in teams is associated with high disciplinary diversity and low seniority diversity of team membership. Finally, an increase in the share of senior members negatively affects productivity, and teams with members in central structural positions perform better than other teams.

Modelling information seeking

Abstract This article proposes three inter-related models to aid in the understanding of the complex and constructive process of contemporary information seeking: (1) postmodern model of identity; (2) rhizomorphic model of information contexts; and (3) hypertextual model of technology interaction. The nature of the information seeking problem is redefined as an individuals negotiation of identity through the exploration of the interaction of private ignorance and public knowledge. The three models are introduced, and their association with the information seeking problem clarified. The incorporation of foci on interactive processes, borrowed from communication studies, into the current proposed approach to modelling information seeking is justified. Finally, suggestions are offered for further research based on this approach.

Research project tasks, data, and perceptions of data quality in a condensed matter physics community

To be effective and at the same time sustainable, a community data curation model needs to be aligned with the communitys current data practices, including research project activities, data types, and perceptions of data quality. Based on a survey of members of the condensed matter physics (CMP) community gathered around the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, a large national laboratory, this article defines a model of CMP research project tasks consisting of 10 task constructs. In addition, the study develops a model of data quality perceptions by CMP scientists consisting of four data quality constructs. The paper also discusses relationships among the data quality perceptions, project roles, and demographic characteristics of CMP scientists. The findings of the study can inform the design of a CMP data curation model that is aligned and harmonized with the communitys research work structure and data practices.

CONTESTED TERRAIN: ACCREDITATION AND THE FUTURE OF THE PROFESSION OF LIBRARIANSHIP

This article explores the future trajectory of librarianship and its status as a profession in the context of the contested terrain of the information professions and particularly the development of a differentiated information technology workforce. Andrew Abbott’s theory of the system of professions informs the historical comparison and future forecasting of the relative power of librarianship and the emerging information technology professions to persist into the twenty‐first century. How might value differences manifest themselves in the development of a legitimatizing process for information technology education? What effect might these have on the future development of information technology degree programs offered within schools of information studies? Is it likely that the stability that ALA has enjoyed as a mediator between librarianship and the discipline of information studies will be challenged? Finally, what are the likely consequences for the status of the profession of librarianship?

Defining the information technology workforce from the educational perspectives: a pilot study

This paper reports the results of a pilot for a study that will investigate the scope of work practices performed by the information technology workforce (ITWF) and utilize the understanding developed from this investigation to inform the implementation of educational curricula that meet the needs of industry and society in general. To accurately define information technology (IT) and ITWF, it is vital to investigate the meaning of IT for the two major stakeholders: educational or training institutions that educate future IT workers, and organizations that employ the graduates of these programs to accomplish IT-related work. As a part of larger study, this pilot study addresses some of the research questions that are included in the investigation of the meaning of IT from the educational perspective. The pilot study was conducted at Florida State University in late spring 2004. The objectives of this study were to identify the schools and departments that provide programs and degrees that educate the majority of IT workers; identify the technical and non-technical skills taught in these programs; and identify mathematics and science courses required for students enrolled in these programs; and to highlight differences in skills being taught in each of these programs and degrees. The study identified schools and departments that represented the characteristic of IT specific and IT intensive disciplines based on Dennings categorization [6], then analyzed content of syllabi for undergraduate courses offered by the qualifying units. The general direction of the study was supported, although some methodological changes were indicated: (I) develop a less problematic method for identifying schools and departments educating individuals for careers in the IT workforce; (II) conduct interviews with faculty to verify interpretations of the skills being taught; and (III) establish standards for measuring intensity of skill and knowledge requirements.

Early Literacy in Library Storytimes: A Study of Measures of Effectiveness

Across the nation, librarians work with caregivers and children to encourage engagement in their early literacy programs. However, these early literacy programs that libraries provide have been left mostly undocumented by research, especially through quantitative methods. Valuable Initiatives in Early Learning that Work Successfully (VIEWS2) was designed to test new ways to measure the effectiveness of these early literacy programs for young children (birth to kindergarten), leveraging a mixed methods, quasi-experimental design. Using two innovative tools, researchers collected data at 120 public library storytimes in the first year of research, observing approximately 1,440 children ranging from birth to 60 months of age. Analysis of year-one data showed a correlation between the early literacy content of the storytime program and children’s outcomes in terms of early literacy behaviors. These findings demonstrate that young children who attend public library storytimes are responding to the early literacy content in the storytime programs.

Data curation in scientific teams: an exploratory study of condensed matter physics at a national science lab

The advent of big science has brought a dramatic increase in the amount of data generated as part of scientific investigation. The ability to capture and prepare such data for reuse has brought about an increased interest in data curation practices within scientific fields and venues such as national laboratories. This study employs semi-structured interviews with key scientists at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory to explore data management, curation, and sharing practices within a condensed matter physics community. Findings indicate that condensed matter physics is a highly varied field. The fields work practices and reward structures may impede the development and implementation of highly formalized curation policies focused on sharing data within the broader community. This study is an extension of a larger mixed-methods study to examine the life-cycles of virtual teams and will serve as a foundation for a larger survey of the labs user community.

Studying the data practices of a scientific community

To be effective and at the same time sustainable, a community data curation model has to be aligned with the communitys current work organization: practices and activities; divisions of labor; data and collaborative relationships; and the communitys value structure, norms, and conventions for data, quality assessment, and data sharing. This poster discusses a framework for developing a community data curation model, using a case of the scientific community gathered around the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, a large national lab. The poster also reports findings of preliminary research based on semi-structured interviews with a sample of the main stakeholder groups of the community.

The globalization of the iSchools movement

In 2005 a relatively small interdisciplinary group of LIS schools, all based in the U.S., announced its intention to form a new “iField.” The explicitly stated goal behind the formation and formalization of this group was the coming to grips with the “elusive identity [that] poses a challenge for the I-School movement” (King, 2006). Today 40% of the iSchools Caucus is non-U.S. based. This research examines the impact of the international member schools on what was once an exclusively American group. The internationalization phenomenon is examined from the perspective of the Information Outcome Space (Gross & Latham, 2011). Content analysis of school websites addressing vision and mission statements, “about the school” statements, and messages from the Deans/Directors were conducted to discern the philosophical approaches of iSchool as they relate to the concept of information. This research addresses whether information conception is the uniting, identifying, and defining identity for the iCaucus.