Waseem Afzal

Bibliometrics and Research Data Management Services: Emerging Trends in Library Support for Research

Developments in network technologies, scholarly communication, and national policy are challenging academic libraries to find new ways to engage with research communities in the economic downturn. Librarians are responding with service innovations in areas such as bibliometrics and research data management. Previous surveys have investigated research data support within North America and other research services globally with small samples. An online multiple-choice questionnaire was used to survey bibliometric and data support activities of 140 libraries in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, including current and planned services, target audiences, service constraints, and staff training needs. A majority of respondents offered or planned bibliometrics training, citation reports, and impact calculations but with significant differences between countries. Current levels of engagement in data management were lower than for bibliometrics, but a majority anticipated future involvement, especially in technology assistance, data deposit, and policy development. Initiatives were aimed at multiple constituencies, with university administrators being important clients and partners for bibliometric services. Gaps in knowledge, skills, and confidence were significant constraints, with near-universal support for including bibliometrics and particularly data management in professional education and continuing development programs. The study also found that librarians need a multilayered understanding of the research environment.

Making space in practice and education: Research support services in academic libraries

Purpose – How academic libraries support the research of their parent institutions has changed as a result of forces such as changing scholarly communication practices, technological developments, reduced purchasing power and changes in academic culture. The purpose of this paper is to examine the professional and educational implications of current and emerging research support environments for academic libraries, particularly with regard to research data management and bibliometrics and discuss how do professionals and educators “make space” as new service demands arise? Design/methodology/approach – The present paper uses data from a recent survey of research support provision by academic libraries in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland, (authors 2013), and provides additional in depth analysis of the textual responses to extend the analysis in the light of forces for change in higher education. The original online questionnaire surveyed current and planned research support in academic libraries...

Commonwealth of uncertainty: How British and American professional models of library practice have shaped LIS Education in selected former British Colonies and Dominions

Worldwide the library and information profession has been the focus of competing social and political agendas that have contributed to the shape of the profession. From the late 19th century to the present in countries aligned to the former British Dominions and Colonies (today part of the Commonwealth of Nations) these external influences were predominantly from two cultural arenas, that of the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US). The result in many Commonwealth countries been two competing and at times contradictory models for LIS pedagogy which have been labelled the British and American ‘models or patterns’ of education. The convergence of these two influences has had a role in shaping LIS education and has left a complex legacy. This paper will examine how the legacy of this convergence continues to shape the aspirational agenda of local professional communities and will discuss how this has influenced the delivery and the educational model for librarianship. This paper will examine as a series of case studies how the legacy of this convergence has shaped the aspirations of the LIS profession and influenced the delivery and the educational model of librarianship in a number of Commonwealth countries.

Disruption be my guide: A study into future directions for academic programs for information management

Purpose The skill set required to be a professional in any profession is inherent in the qualifications required for entrance to that profession. The ability to demonstrate leadership in the middle to upper echelons of that profession is demonstrably different. The School of Information Studies at the Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga Australia sought to explore what a postgraduate qualification in the leadership of the profession might look like and what the demand for such a qualification might be. The purpose of this paper is to detail that research effort and the outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The study undertook a number of different approaches including engaging in networks of professional colleagues globally and a series of focus groups in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The outcomes were analyzed in terms of the expectations of what a new degree might contain as well as the enrollment prospects for such a degree. Findings There was a strong ground-swell of support for a new degree of Masters of Information Leadership. The combination of subjects from the LIS environment together with subjects from a MBA environment was strongly endorsed. These areas of interest were documented in the paper along with recommendations. Research limitations/implications There is a fertile ground for research here in two ways. First, there is much scope for the examination of the course requirements and how they sit in a future work environment. This is especially the case where there is a convergence of the interests of the galleries, libraries, archives and museums sectors. Second, there is much to be done as the authors look at leadership skills sets for future information environments which are highly speculative. Practical implications This study has produced a set of requirements for a new Masters of Information Leadership. It is a very useful set of requirements to base future studies. There was also a very strong requirement for real life aspects to such a course rather than theoretical exercises as has been the current academic practice. Originality/value This study is quite original as it sought to engage practitioners in different areas and sectors in Australia aiming to ensure that the resulting academic program was closely aligned with practitioner need.

Conceptualisation and Measurement of Information Needs: A Literature Review

Abstract Information need is one of the core concepts in library and information science, yet the concept is still not well understood. Nor is there clear agreement on how information needs should be measured. Understanding this concept is crucial for a discipline like library and information science, which is highly focused on meeting users’ information needs. This review of the literature highlights the lack of clarity in conceptualising information need. It also explores the measurement of information need. Literature pertaining to terminological debates, contextualisation of information needs, theoretical frameworks, research methods, survey instruments and longitudinal reviews of the research on information needs informs this review. The evaluation of selected literature shows that there are terminological issues associated with defining information need; lack of theoretical foundations underpinning empirical research; and use of weak proxies, such as information seeking behaviour and information use, in the measurement of information need.

A study of the informational properties of the ISIS's content

Use of information networks by extremist groups to advance their totalitarian objectives is becoming a serious concern for global peace. The use of information networks is just one dimension; the other dimension and potentially more concerning is the production of sophisticated information content to influence public perception. One such group—the Islamic State of Iraq and al‐Sham (ISIS)—utilizing the affordances of information networks coupled with the sophisticated information content has been able to recruit a large number of foreign fighters from Western countries and hence is posing a threat to the national security of various nations. This research study analyses the content produced by the ISIS with an objective to identify (1) informational properties of and (2) information strategies used in their content. Initial findings suggest that ISISs content is rich in information with affective, theological, political, and historical connotations. Furthermore, their content is designed with an objective to give highly positively and/or negatively skewed information.

Rethinking information privacy-security: does it really matter?

This paper reports some of the findings of a bigger study that examined the role of technological, individual, cultural, and informational traits in shaping the intention to buy and sell online. The focus of this paper is on information privacy-security and its role in online buying and selling. The research problem in this study was examined using the statistical method of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Students at a Midwestern university in the U.S. served as the sample population. It was interesting to find that information privacy-security was perceived differently by the participants in online buying to those involved in online selling. Examination of different demographic traits also shed light on the relationship between these traits and information privacy-security; for instance, females are found to be more concerned about information privacy-security; more international students regarded information privacy as an impediment in their potential use of the Web for selling. In addition, the role of culture in moderating the relationship between information privacy-security and the intention to buy and sell online was also examined. Despite the importance of information privacy-security, as also demonstrated in literature, its impact on intention in this study remained inconclusive. This finding along with findings in relation to demographics and culture raises important questions for future research on information privacy-security.

Management of information organizations

Information Organizations Management Information organizations Role of information managers and information professionals in organizations.