Rowena Cullen

Addressing the digital divide

The phrase “digital divide” has been applied to the gap that exists in most countries between those with ready access to the tools of information and communication technologies, and the knowledge that they provide access to, and those without such access or skills. This may be because of socio‐economic factors, geographical factors, educational, attitudinal and generational factors, or it may be through physical disabilities. A further gap between the developed and underdeveloped world in the uptake of technology is evident within the global community, and may be of even greater significance. The paper examines a number of these issues at the national level in the USA, UK, Canada and New Zealand, looking for evidence of the “digital divide”, assessing factors that contribute to it, and evaluating strategies that can help reduce it. The relevance of these strategies to developing countries, and strategies for reducing the international digital divide are also explored.

The digital divide: a global and national call to action

The phrase “digital divide” has been applied to the gap that exists in most countries between those with ready access to the tools of information and communication technologies (ICTs), and those without such access or skills. This may be because of socio‐economic or geographical factors, educational, attitudinal and generational factors, or because of physical disabilities. The paper reviews recent research concerning the digital divide in New Zealand, and the factors that alienate people from enjoying the benefits of information technology and participation in the knowledge economy. While socio‐economic factors affect use of ICTs by urban Maori and Pacific Island communities, and rural communities are affected by inadequate telecommunications infrastructure, rural Maori are even more disadvantaged. The paper examines strategies used in the USA and the UK at national and regional levels to address similar issues, including the use of libraries to reduce the digital divide, and compares these with New Zealand initiatives, to identify positive means of increasing participation in the knowledge economy.

Evidence-based information-seeking skills of junior doctors entering the workforce: an evaluation of the impact of information literacy training during pre-clinical years.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the extent to which junior doctors in their first clinical positions retained information literacy skills taught as part of their undergraduate education. METHOD Participants drawn from different training cohorts were interviewed about their recall of the instruction they had received, and their confidence in retrieving and evaluating information for clinical decision making. They completed a search based on a scenario related to their specialty. Their self-assessment of their competency in conducting and evaluating a search was compared with an evaluation of their skills by an experienced observer. RESULTS Most participants recalled the training they received but had not retained high-level search skills, and lacked skills in identifying and applying best evidence. There was no apparent link between the type of training given and subsequent skill level. Those whose postgraduate education required these skills were more successful in retrieving and appraising information. CONCLUSION Commitment to evidence-based medicine from clinicians at all levels in the profession is needed to increase the information seeking skills of clinicians entering the work force.

Democracy online: an assessment of New Zealand government web sites☆

Abstract This study assesses the effectiveness of New Zealand government Web sites in providing equitable and appropriate access to government information to all citizens. A range of government Web sites was evaluated, and visitors to approximately half of these sites were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the effectiveness of the sites. Results show that there are several key issues for the government to address in formulating effective policy for government Web sites. These include the need for: a clear statement of purpose; good meta-data; good contacts for feedback and update of information; clear statements and adequate provision for confidentiality and privacy of personal data, liability, and copyright; access for disabled users; availability of publications in both electronic and print formats. Key issues to emerge from the user survey focus on the need for better search engines, indexes, and site maps to help people find out quickly if the information they are wanting is likely to be there, and to locate it. Users also need to be assured that the information on government Web sites is accurate and up-to-date. The authors concluded that there is a major gap in government policy emerging from this research that needs urgently to be addressed.

Institutional repositories: assessing their value to the academic community

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the development of institutional repositories in New Zealand, exploring factors affecting the adoption and success of institutional repositories from the perspective of the library managers who established them, and from the perspective of the academic community.Design/methodology/approach – Data from a series of interviews with library managers are compared with the findings from a randomised national survey of academics.Findings – The responses of the library managers suggest that they are positive about the value of their institutional repository, and the progress made towards recruiting content for it. Data from the survey of academics indicate that academics have been slow to embrace the concept of institutional repositories, and show little interest in using repositories for increasing the accessibility of their own work, or to access the work of others. The number of deposits remains low, mirroring patterns throughout the world, and subject or d...

Evaluating digital libraries in the health sector. Part 1: measuring inputs and outputs

This is the first part of a two-part paper which explores methods that can be used to evaluate digital libraries in the health sector. In this first part, some approaches to evaluation that have been proposed for mainstream digital information services are examined for their suitability to provide models for the health sector. The paper summarizes some major national and collaborative initiatives to develop measures for digital libraries, and analyses these approaches in terms of their relationship to traditional measures of library performance, which are focused on inputs and outputs, and their relevance to current debates among health information specialists. The second part* looks more specifically at evaluative models based on outcomes, and models being developed in the health sector.

Who's Contributing: Do Personality Traits Influence the Level and Type of Participation in Online Communities

This paper reports on a study that investigated the question of whether the personality traits of individuals participating in online communities affect the nature and level of their involvement. An online survey gathered data on the level and type of each participants engagement in their online community forum, as well as data from a 44 item instrument for measuring personality type, based on the Big-Five Inventory. The findings showed that no one personality type was predominant amongst participants, but that motivations for participating varied according to personality type, and that individuals high in certain personality traits (such as neuroticism) are less likely to actively participate in much of the online activity of the community. This has implications for online consultation by governments if they wish to use online community discussions for assessing public opinion of matters of policy.

Participatory democracy and the value of online community networks: An exploration of online and offline communities engaged in civil society and political activity☆

Abstract This article addresses the widely debated question of whether online communication through the Internet will fulfill its potential to enhance democratic processes in society. The paper reports the findings of a survey of groups engaged in some form of civic activity, in both online and offline groups. Comparisons are drawn between the responses of those engaged in both types of group to determine whether the motivations, behavior, and satisfaction of participants differ because of the medium of communication. Contrary to some expectations in the literature, the findings suggest that participants in online groups are marginally less satisfied with their participation in their group. The findings have implications for politicians, policy makers, and groups engaged in civil society when using online channels of communication for democratic discourse.

Stakeholder Perceptions of University Library Effectiveness.

Abstract This research in New Zealand, based on the multiple constituencies model, identified key performance indicators in university libraries as perceived by six separate stakeholder groups. Ranked lists and correlations between the lists show similarities, but also confirm that stakeholder groups have different perspectives on library effectiveness.

Information Privacy and Trust in Government: a citizen-based perspective from New Zealand

Increasing use of e-government has raised issues about the privacy of information provided by citizens to government. This paper explores the experiences and concerns of New Zealanders in relation to information privacy, and the impact of these concerns on the trust they place in government. A series of focus groups were conducted among a range of community groups. The findings reflect a range of attitudes about information privacy and the trustworthiness of government, and centre around two major themes: the use of technology and concerns about the competency of and practices of government employees. Most respondents were unaware of their existing protections; preferred face to face communication; had low levels of confidence in the privacy of online communication but made use of it for convenience sake; had greater confidence in government than in commercial organizations but made distinctions between individual agencies. Breaches of privacy were shown to have a negative impact on trust in government