Information Research static repository http://oaiscotland.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/gateway/cgi-bin/gateway.cgi/hairst.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/repositories/infres1.xml 2.0 oaiscotland@cdlr.strath.ac.uk 2006-05-30 no YYYY-MM-DD oai_dc http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc.xsd http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/ oai:infres001 2006-05-30 Non-hierarchic document clustering Gareth Jones, Alexander M. Robertson, Chawchat Santimetvirul, Peter Willett Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1995 Cluster analysis, or automatic classification, is a multivariate statistical technique that seeks to identify groups, or clusters, of similar objects in a multi-dimensional space. There have been many attempts over the years to use such procedures for the organisation of document databases, so that documents with large numbers of index terms in common are grouped together. In this paper, we consider the use of a genetic algorithm, henceforth a GA, for document clustering. GAs are a class of non-deterministic algorithms that derive from Darwinian theories of evolution. They provide good, though not necessarily optimal solutions to combinatorial optimisation problems, where the number of possible solutions is far too great for all of the possibilities to be explored in a reasonable time by a deterministic algorithm. One such problem is that of non-hierarchic clustering, where the clustering method seeks to partition a set of objects into a set of non-overlapping groups so as to maximise some external criterion of 'goodness of clustering', typically the extent to which the within-cluster inter-object similarities are maximised and the between-cluster similarities minimised. http://informationr.net/ir/1-1/paper1.html Published in Information Research Volume 1 Number 1 information retrieval, document clustering, clustering, algorithms, cluster analysis, automatic classification, genetic algorithms oai:infres002 2006-05-30 An action research approach to curriculum development Phil Riding, Sue Fowell, Phil Levy Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1995 Action research has been used in many areas where an understanding of complex social situations has been sought in order to improve the quality of life. Among these are industrial, health and community work settings. Kurt Lewin, often cited as the originator of action research, used the methodology in his work with people affected by post- war social problems. Action research approaches to educational research were adopted in the late 60s and early 70s by the 'teacher- researcher' movement in the secondary education sector. This sought to bring the practising classroom teacher into the research process as the most effective person to identify problems and to find solutions. We believe that an action research approach can contribute very positively to activity within the tertiary sector concerned with teaching quality issues, and with national Teaching Quality Assessment initiatives. As 'reflective practitioners', we can achieve greater ownership of the evaluative process by becoming systematically self-assessing, alongside, and feeding into, external assessment processes. http://informationr.net/ir/1-1/paper2.html Published in Information Research Volume 1 Number 1 action research, educational research, teaching quality, Teaching Quality Assessment, reflective practitioners, evaluation, self-assessment, assessment oai:infres003 2006-05-30 Information systems strategy formation in Higher Education Institutions D.K. Allen Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1995 This paper describes a research project in the Department of Information Studies at Sheffield University, focusing on Information Systems Strategy (ISS) Formation in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEI's) with specific reference to information strategies. Information strategies, for the purpose of this research are seen as a sub-set of an Information systems strategy. This research holds interest on two levels, first the topic of research, and secondly the methodological approach which will be tested. Most HEI's in the United Kingdom are currently developing information strategies. The impetus for this development coming both from internal pressures, but also significantly from the HEFCE's. Unfortunately there is very little information available on information systems strategies in HEI's or on information strategies. The research, it is hoped, will in some way address this imbalance. http://informationr.net/ir/1-1/paper3.html Published in Information Research Volume 1 Number 1 information systems, strategy, United Kingdom, UK, higher education, information strategies, strategic planning, universities oai:infres004 2006-05-30 A selective review of knowledge-based approaches to database design Shahrul Azman Noah, Michael Lloyd-Williams Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1995 The inclusion of real world knowledge or specialised knowledge has not been addressed by the majority of the systems reviewed. ODA has real world knowledge provided by using a thesaurus-type structure to represent generic models. Only NITDT includes the specialised knowledge in its knowledge base. NITDT classified its knowledge into application specific, domain specific and general knowledge. However the literature does not discuss in detail how this knowledge is applied during the design session. One of the key factors that distinguish computer-based expert systems from human experts is that the latter apply not only their specialised expertise to a problem but also their general knowledge of the world. NITDT is the only system reviewed here that holds any form of internal domain specific knowledge, which can be easily augmented, enriched and updated, as required. This knowledge allows the designer to be an active participant along with the user in the design process and significantly eases the user task. The inclusion of real world knowledge and specialised knowledge is an area that must be further addressed before intelligent tools are able to offer a realistic level of assistance to the human designers. http://informationr.net/ir/1-2/paper4.html Published in Information Research Volume 1 Number 2 specialised knowledge, ODA, real-world knowledge, thesaurus, NITDT, knowledge base, .domain specific knowledge, design, database, expert systems, human experts, design process, user, intelligent tools oai:infres005 2006-05-30 Information and business performance: a study of information systems and services in high-performing companies T.D. Wilson, I. Owen, A. Abell Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1995 This report focuses on the relationship between information and business performance. Previous work has investigated the relationship between the 'information culture' of a company and its business performance. The 'Abo Consortium' - a loose affiliation of researchers in the U.K. and the Nordic countries has met from time to time to discuss the development of a collaborative approach to business information research and this project was intended to serve as a model for parallel investigations to be carried out in other countries. The report also builds upon previous work in the business information sector, including a number of studies carried out at the University of Sheffield - particularly the investigation of information needs in business by White and Wilson, which used a case-study approach as does the study reported here. http://informationr.net/ir/1-2/paper5.html Published in Information Research Volume 1 Number 2 information, business performance, information culture, business information, information needs, case-study oai:infres006 2006-05-30 Business use of the World Wide Web C. Cockburn, T.D. Wilson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1995 Two methods were employed in this study of the use of the World Wide Web by business: first, a sample of 300 businesses with Web sites, across a wide range of industry types, was examined, by selecting (rather than sampling) companies from the Yahoo! directory. The sites were investigated in relation to several areas - the purpose of the Web site, the use being made of electronic mail and the extent to which multi-media was being utilised. In addition, any other aspects of the site which were designed to make it more interesting to potential customers were also noted. Secondly, an electronic-mail questionnaire was sent to 222 of the 300 companies surveyed: that is, those that provided an e-mail address for contact. 14 were returned immediately due to unknown addresses or technical problems. Of the remaining 208, 102 replies were received, five of which were of no relevance, leaving 97 completed questionnaires to examine; a response rate of 47%, which is surprisingly good for a survey of this kind. http://informationr.net/ir/1-2/paper6.html Published in Information Research Volume 1 Number 2 World Wide Web, business, Web sites, electronic mail, e-mail, email, multi-media, questionnaire oai:infres007 2006-05-30 Training information service specialists in the less favoured regions of the European Union (TRAIN-ISS) I. Owens, F. Wood, T.D. Wilson, A.M.R. Correia Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1966 The expanding information infrastructure in Europe will increase the demand for high-quality, easily accessible and usable information services. At the same time, in the Information Society, there will be an increasing demand for professionals with skills, able to improve their potential through life long learning, accessing and using information sources available world-wide. Highly qualified information professionals are a crucial asset in any society to enable it to reap all the benefits and opportunities created by the Information Market. In the Less Favoured Regions (LFRs) of the European Union there is a shortage of education and training opportunities for information professionals to enable them to cope with the rapidly changing environment. It was to address this need for well qualified and trained information professionals that the TRAIN-ISS project was funded under the IMPACT 2 programme of the Commission of the European Communities http://informationr.net/ir/1-3/paper7.html Published in Information Research Volume 1 Number 3 information infrastructure, Europe, information services, Information Society, professionals, life long learning, information professionals, Information Market, Less Favoured Regions, LFRs, European Union, education, training, TRAIN-ISS, IMPACT 2, Commiss oai:infres008 2006-05-30 Investigating the management information needs of academic Heads of Department: a Critical Success Factors approach Francis Green, Brendan Loughridge Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 This paper describes a research project in the Department of Information Studies at the University of Sheffield. With funding from the British Library Research and Development Department a critical success factors-based investigation of the management information needs of academic Heads of Department in an number of English universities was undertaken in 1994/1995, following publication of the results of a pilot study byPellow and Wilson (1993). Senior academic staff, university administrators and librarians in sixteen universities were interviewed between December, 1994 and March, 1995. Collation of data and analysis of results have been completed http://informationr.net/ir/1-3/paper8.html Published in Information Research Volume 1 Number 3 critical success factors, management information needs, Heads of Department, universities, interviews oai:infres009 2006-05-30 Total Quality Management, British Standard accreditation, Investors In People and academic libraries V. Mistry, R.C. Usherwood Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 Organisations, be they public or private, have been touched by a rhetoric which promises a new order of things; quality management systems (QMS) like Total Quality Management (TQM) and BS EN ISO 9000 (formerly BS 5750 and hereafter referred to as ISO 9000) are imbued with this rhetoric. There has been much in the library and information services (LIS) literature on the merits or otherwise of such systems; for quality is accepted generally, or as Chase (1988) declares, 'quality is no longer an option - it is a positive requirement for the 1990s. However, there is much conjecture over the means to this end. With regard to academic LIS, the debate has rubbed shoulders with the, separate, quality debate in higher education over quality assessment. Thus, are initiatives in the academic LIS influenced by their parent organisation? Alternatively, are academic LIS more likely to adopt QMS in the light of the Follett (1993) report, which called for a more integrated view of customer service and quality amidst the rapid change in universities and technology? http://informationr.net/ir/1-3/paper9.html Published in Information Research Volume 1 Number 3 quality management systems, Total Quality Management, TQM, BS EN ISO 9000, BS 5750, ISO 9000, libraries, information services, higher education, quality assessment, academic libraries, university libraries, universities, customer service oai:infres009a 2006-05-30 Electronic journals and scholarly communication: a citation and reference study Stephen P. Harter, Hak Joon Kim Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 The journal is fundamental to formal scholarly communication. This research reports highlights and preliminary findings from an empirical study of scholarly electronic journals. The purpose of the research is to assess the impact of electronic journals (e-journals) on scholarly communication, by measuring the extent to which they are being cited in the literature, both print and electronic. The intent is to provide a snapshot of the impact e-journals were having on scholarly communication at a given point in time, roughly the end of 1995. This study provides one measure of that impact, specifically on the formal, as opposed to informal, communication process. The study also examines the forms in which scholars cite e-journals, the accuracy and completeness of citations to e-journals, and practical difficulties faced by scholars and researchers who wish to retrieve e-journals through the networks. http://informationr.net/ir/2-1/paper9a.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 1 electronic journals, scholarly communication, citation studies oai:infres010 2006-05-30 Processing morphological variants in searches of Latin text Mark Greengrass, Alexander M. Robertson, Robyn Schinke, Peter Willett Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 A characteristic of natural-language text databases is that a user must be able to specify all of the variant forms of each query word if high recall is to be achieved. The most common type of word variants are those arising from morphology and thus most retrieval systems provide facilities for user-controlled right-hand (and occasionally left-hand) truncation to allow the retrieval of all words with the same root. A stemming algorithm, or stemmer, is a computational procedure that reduces all words with the same root to a single form by stripping the root of its derivational and inflectional affixes. In most cases, only suffixes are stripped so that a stemmer provides an automatic equivalent of manual, right-hand truncation. Thus far, most work on stemmers has focused on present-day languages, but the increasing user of computers in the humanities has resulted in a need for comparable tools to facilitate searching in historical text databases. This paper summarises some of the initial results of a project here in Sheffield to develop such tools for databases of Latin text. http://informationr.net/ir/2-1/paper10.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 1 natural language, text databases, query words, recall, word variants, morphology, retrieval systems, truncation, information retrieval, IR, stemming algorithms, stemmers, suffixes, humanities, Latin oai:infres011 2006-05-30 The impact of information on clinical decision making by General Medical Practitioners Frances Wood and Pamela Wright Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 Summarises some of the principal findings of a recent study investigation of information usage by general medical practitioners (GPs). The work was based on previous studies of the value and impact of information, these studies being undertaken in the corporate sector in Canada, the USA and the UK. The study used a critical incident technique similar to that employed in the Canadian and USA studies. Twenty seven in-depth interviews were conducted with general practitioners (GPs) in the Trent Health Region (only one from each practice). The sample, selected from two health districts, included large, medium and small practices, fund-holding and non-fund-holding practices, and training and non-training practices, with some representation of those located in deprived and non-deprived (socio-economic) areas. http://informationr.net/ir/2-1/paper11.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 1 information use, general medical practitioners, GPs, critical incident technique, in-depth interviews, interviews, general practitioners, Trent Health Region, fund-holding oai:infres012 2006-05-30 Hypermedia as an experiential learning tool: a theoretical model Jose Miguel Baptista Nunes, Susan P. Fowell Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 The process of methodical design and development is of extreme importance in the production of educational software. However, this process will only be effective, if it is based on a theoretical model that explicitly defines what educational approach is being used and how specific features of the technology can best support it. This paper proposes a theoretical model of how hypermedia can be used as an experiential learning tool. The development of the model was based on a experiential learning approach and simultaneously aims at minimising the inherent problems of hypermedia as the underlying support technology. http://informationr.net/ir/2-1/paper12.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 1 educational software, theoretical model, hypermedia, experiential learning oai:infres013 2006-05-30 Stemming and N-gram matching for term conflation in Turkish texts F. Çuna Ekmekçioglu, Michael F. Lynch, and Peter Willett Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 One of the main problems involved in the use of free text for indexing and retrieval is the variation in word forms that is likely to be encountered. The most common type of variations are spelling errors, alternative spellings, multi-word concepts, transliteration, affixes and abbreviations. One way to alleviate this problem is to use a conflation algorithm, a computational procedure that is designed to bring together words that are semantically related, and to reduce them to a single form for retrieval purposes. In this paper, we discuss the use of conflation techniques for Turkish text databases. http://informationr.net/ir/2-2/paper13.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 2 free text, indexing, retrieval, information retrieval, word forms, spelling errors, alternative spellings, multi-word concepts, transliteration, affixes, abbreviations, conflation algorithm, Turkish oai:infres014 2006-05-30 The management information needs of academic Heads Of Department in universities in the United Kingdom Brendan Loughridge Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 A study of the management information needs of academic Heads of Department in universities, using a Critical Success Factors approach, was conducted in 1994/1995. A sample of sixteen English universities was developed, based principally on age, history, size and the nature and range of academic disciplines represented within them. In each of the selected institutions, the University Librarian (or, in one case, Deputy Librarian) and two or, in some cases, three academic Heads of Department were interviewed, as were a number of senior administrative staff such as Registrars, Secretaries and Finance Officers and the Heads or Directors of more specialised units such as Industrial Development Units. http://informationr.net/ir/2-2/paper14.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 2 management information, information needs, Heads of Department, universities, Critical Success Factors oai:infres015 2006-05-30 Developing educational hypermedia applications: a methodological approach Jose Miguel Nunes, Susan P. Fowell Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 This paper proposes an hypermedia development methodology with the aim of integrating the work of both educators, who will be primarily responsible for the instructional design, with that of software experts, responsible for the software design and development. Hence, it is proposed that the educators and programmers should interact in an integrated and systematic manner following a methodological approach. http://informationr.net/ir/2-2/paper15.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 2 hypermedia, development methodology, instructional design, software experts, programmers oai:infres016 2006-05-30 A study of the development of the digital ranch Amanda Spink, Jane Hicks Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 A lack of research investigating the role of information and information needs currently hampers improvement in information services to rural industries. This paper provides preliminary findings from the first phase of a project investigating the role of information, including the use of networked information services by the cattle ranching community -- a major information user group in rural environments. Selected findings are reported from a national survey of 1600 cattle ranchers and members of the Red Angus Association of America. Results show the 'electronic' or 'digital' ranching community is in the early stages of development as 'early adopters' begin to use networked information services. Implications are derived for the development of digital libraries for cattle ranchers. http://informationr.net/ir/2-3/paper16.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 3 information services, rural industries, networked information services, cattle ranching, information user, rural environments, national survey, Red Angus Association of America, digital ranching community, early adopters, digital libraries, cattle rancher oai:infres017 2006-05-30 Cataloguing In Special Libraries In The 1990s Elizabeth Makin, Nigel Ford and Alexander M. Robertson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 Cataloguing in special libraries has been virtually ignored in the literature since the turn of the century, although there are many books and papers on cataloguing in general. It is not clear why this should be so, since it can be argued that the needs of special libraries are different from those of public, academic and national libraries. Special libraries are primarily interested in the information content of documents in the sense that they have little or no interest in documents except as 'packages' in which information may be encapsulated. It is therefore reasonable to assume, a priori, that special libraries would undertake detailed indexing and light cataloguing, perhaps reducing the catalogue to the status of a finding list. This paper reports the results of a survey of current cataloguing practice in special libraries. http://informationr.net/ir/2-3/paper17.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 3 Cataloguing, cataloging, special libraries, information content, documents, indexing, finding list, survey, cataloguing practice, cataloging practice oai:infres018 2006-05-30 An Investigation Into The Impact Of The Sheffield Libraries Richard Proctor, Gill Sobczyk and Bob Usherwood Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 This paper summarises the principal findings of the work undertaken to investigate the impact on user attitudes and behaviour of the temporary closure of Sheffield Libraries and Information Services in 1995. Strike action by library staff following a breakdown in negotiations with Sheffield City Council over the Council's proposal to withdraw enhanced pay for Saturday working, resulted in an eight-week closure of 32 out of 34 library service points. The service disruption provided an unprecedented opportunity to investigate aspects of user behaviour and attitudes not covered by previous research. http://informationr.net/ir/2-3/paper18.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 3 user attitudes, behaviour, behavior, closure, Sheffield Libraries and Information Services, 1995, strike action, Sheffield City Council, service disruption, user behaviour, user behavior oai:infres019 2006-05-30 Molecular diversity techniques for chemical databases Peter Willett Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1996 There is much current interest in computer-based methods for selecting structurally diverse subsets of chemical databases, e.g. for inclusion in biological screening programme or for the construction of combinatorial libraries. This paper summarises recent work in Sheffield on dissimilarity-based compound selection, which seeks to identify a maximally-dissimilar subset of the molecules in the database. More realistically, this approach seeks to identify a near maximally dissimilar subset, since the identification of the most dissimilar subset requires the use of a combinatorial algorithm that considers all possible subsets of a given dataset. http://informationr.net/ir/2-3/paper19.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 3 computer-based methods, chemical databases, biological screening, combinatorial libraries, dissimilarity-based compound selection, molecules, near-maximally dissimilar, combinatorial algorithm, dataset oai:infres020 2006-05-30 Distance Education as a New Possibility for Librarians in Estonia Sirje Virkus Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 Since Estonia regained its independence in 1991, essential technical, economic, political and social changes have taken place here. All sectors of our economy require greater access to information than ever before. Complex changes are also facing libraries, librarians and education in Estonia. The systematic transition to modern information technology in Estonian libraries started in 1992 when a plan for establishing information system for libraries was worked out. According to the Plan, basic technology will be converted to modern information technology during the period 1996-2005. As a result of that plan 1500 workplaces with modern information technology will be established in 591 libraries in Estonia. At present there are 1284 libraries in Estonia, among them 604 public libraries, 745 school libraries, 141 special and research libraries. There are 3135 librarians working in Estonian libraries, of whom 48% are professionally educated. To define continuing education needs, a special questionnaire was used by the Estonian Librarians Association (ELA) among the members of ELA in February 1996. Almost 300 librarians answered the questionnaire. The analysis of the results showed that education and training is needed mostly in the fields based on modern information technology. According to the results of the questionnaire and the development plan for Estonian libraries mentioned above, the demand for continuing professional education for library and information professionals with the knowledge and skills of modern information technology exists and will increase significantly. In order to help information professionals to keep abreast of the rapidly changing environment and to cope with growing continuing education needs, the Centre for Information Work was established within the Department of Information Studies at the Tallinn Pedagogical University (TPU)in June 1995. In addition to traditional face-to-face courses, distance education as a new form and method of education has been implemented in the Centre. http://informationr.net/ir/2-4/paper20.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 4 Estonia, access to information, libraries, librarians, education, information technology, information systems, questionnaire, Estonian Librarians Association, ELA, training, continuing professional education, Centre for Information Work, Tallinn Pedagogic oai:infres021 2006-05-30 Scanning The Business Environment For Information: A Grounded Theory Approach Zita Correia and T.D. Wilson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 This paper summarizes the principal findings of research that sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of the environmental scanning process. The methodology used was of major importance in obtaining data that are grounded largely in the personal experience of managers, but also in documentary evidence and in direct observation by the researcher. The purpose of the study was to investigate how managers in the Portuguese chemical industry scan their environment for information, what are the contextual factors that affect this activity, and also how managers' perceptions of environmental change affect the strategic change they implement. http://informationr.net/ir/2-4/paper21.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 4 environmental scanning, documentary evidence, observation, managers, Portugal, chemical industry, environmental change, strategic change oai:infres022 2006-05-30 Word Variant Identification in Old French Peter Willett Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 Increasing numbers of historical texts are available in machine-readable form, which retain the original spelling, which can be very different from the modern-day equivalents due to the natural evolution of a language, and because the concept of standardisation in spelling is comparatively modern. Among medieval vernacular writers, the same word could be spelled in different ways and the same author (or scribe) might even use several alternative spellings in the same passage. Thus, we do not know,a priori, how many variant forms of a particular word there are in such texts, let alone what these variants might be. Searching on the modern equivalent, or even the commonest historical variant, of a particular word may thus fail to retrieve an appreciable number of occurrences unless the searcher already has an extensive knowledge of the language of the documents. Moreover, even specialist scholars may be unaware of some idiosyncratic variants. Here, we consider the use of computer methods to retrieve variant historical spellings. http://informationr.net/ir/2-4/paper22.html Published in Information Research Volume 2 Number 4 historical texts, machine-readable, spelling, language, standardisation, medieval, vernacular, writers, alternative spellings, variant forms, searching, computer methods, variant historical spellings oai:infres023 2006-05-30 The second International Symposium on Networked Learner Support Sarah Ashton Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 The theme of this year's event was 'New services, roles and partnerships for the on-line learning environment'. The Symposium focused on the potential of computer-mediated communications (CMC) and the Web in the provision of information support, and on the organisational and professional development issues associated with the NLS role. It aimed to offer an opportunity for those involved in creating networked learning resources and developing on-line information support strategies to share experience and ideas, and to contribute to developing good practice in this new area of activity http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper23.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 networked learner support, on-line learning, online, distance education, telematics oai:infres024 2006-05-30 Redefining roles: librarians as partners in information literacy education Helene Williams, Anne Zald Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 UWired is a collaborative effort at the University of Washington to bring electronic communications and information technology into the service of teaching and learning. This paper addresses the role that librarians have played in transforming undergraduate courses, pedagogy, facilities design, and faculty development to bring information literacy into departmental curricula. http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper24.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 networked learner support, on-line learning, online, distance education, telematics, university, academic, library, information literacy oai:infres025 2006-05-30 Practising the paradigm shift: real world experience of on-line support Madeleine McPherson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 Development of an externally funded groundbreaking course for the Internet environment at the University of Southern Queensland has provided valuable experience. The course was designed by a multidisciplinary team, including librarians. The paper will describe the provision of library services for students and discuss issues for the future. http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper25.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 Redefining roles: librarians as partners in information literacy education oai:infres026 2006-05-30 Using a NLSI to deliver the Effective Learning Programme: problems and practicalities Bob Hunter Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 In 1996 the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside implemented its Effective Learning programme (ELP). This is delivered by a Networked Learning Support Intranet (NLSI). This paper discusses some of the issues raised in linking NLSI to centralised databases and the changing staff roles within Learning Support required to develop, deliver and support ELP and the NLSI. http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper26.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 networked learner support, on-line learning, online, distance education, telematics, university, academic, library, information literacy oai:infres027 2006-05-30 Beyond the on-line library - the Learning Environment Bob Banks Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 This paper describes a collaborative project which has defined requirements and a model for holistic networked learner support. Based on these requirements, a working prototype for a Learning Environment has been developed. Technical, organisational and business issues which have arisen are discussed. http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper27.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 networked learner support, on-line learning, online, distance education, telematics, university, academic, library, information literacy oai:infres028 2006-05-30 The TAPin electronic libraries project and the experience at the Tracy K. Mulvaney Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 The TAPin Project and its implementation at the University of Birmingham is described. Local issues and key features of a hybrid approach to Networked Learner Support are addressed. The methods of NLS adopted included electronic mail and the Internet. The key role in NLS played by subject librarians is stressed. Transfer of skills to learners by means of targeted individual training and a web guide is discussed. http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper28.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 networked learner support, on-line learning, online, distance education, telematics, university, academic, library, information literacy oai:infres029 2006-05-30 The communicative and organisational competencies of the librarian in networked learning support: a comparative analysis of the roles of the facilitator and the librarian. Trine Schreiber, Camilla Moring Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 The aim of the paper is to compare the role of the facilitator with the role of the librarian. Firstly, a list of the role dimensions of the facilitation is described. Secondly, a case study of a facilitation proces is presented. Thirdly, the intermediary functions of the librarian is considered. The comparison shows that the similarities between the two roles concerns the communication, the identification of information needs and the translation of the user formulations into a systematized terminology. Moreover, we cannot exclude that two elements of the librarian's information seeking process; i.e., the searching activity and the evaluation of the results, may exist in the work of the facilitator. Still, the important difference is, that the information seeking process, carried out of the facilitator, may be based not on the information needs of the user but on the predetermined outcome of the communication process. However, a more explicit work with the functions of the librarian; i.e.. both the searching activity and the evaluation of the results, during a networked communication process, may strengthen the group understanding development. In this way, the role of the librarian could develop the role of the facilitator. At the same time, the attention of the facilitator to the needs of the group could bring an important aspect into the role of the librarian. http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper29.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 networked learner support, on-line learning, online, distance education, telematics, university, academic, library, information literacy oai:infres030 2006-05-30 Academic partnership in NLS resource design: a European case study. Jo Pye Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 This paper describes the library work package of the European Union's Telematics for Teacher Training project, which links the Libraries and Education and Training sectors. Its two major deliverables, a user needs analysis report addressing networked learner support in European partner institutions and development of an online course for librarians, are discussed in terms of professional development opportunities for partnership between academic and information staff. http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper30.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 networked learner support, on-line learning, online, distance education, telematics, university, academic, library, information literacy oai:infres031 2006-05-30 Learner support in a distributed learning environment: the use of WWW-based teachware packages Christian Langenbach, Freimut Bodendorf Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 Various forms of education and training, based on the classical Computer Based Training (CBT), have become well established within companies and in higher education. With regard to the flexibility in terms of time and location, as well as in terms of incurred cost, they are far superior to traditional forms of instruction. A relatively recent development which has not yet gained widespread acceptance is the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) as a basis and platform for distributed computer assisted teaching and learning. In addition to the advantages outlined with regard to classical CBT, the WWW offers the two advantages of world wide availablity as well as ease of promptly updating courses, but also adds many possibilities of collaborative learning. Using the Java programming language and the ever improving means of online presentation it has become possible to realize sophisticated WWW-based teachware packages which are comparable in terms of appearance and functionality to classical CBT applications created with dedicated authoring systems. http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper31.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 Learner support in a distributed learning environment:the use of WWW-based teachware packages oai:infres032 2006-05-30 Large-scale computer-mediated training for management teachers Gilly Salmon, Ken Giles, John Allen Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 In 1995/6 the Open University Business School (OUBS) trained 187 tutors in the UK and Continental Western Europe in Computer Mediated Conferencing (CMC) for management education. The medium chosen for the training was FirstClass (TM). In 1996/7 the OUBS trained a further 106 tutors in FirstClass using an improved version of the previous years training. The on line training was based on a previously developed model of learning on line. The model was tested both by means of the structure of the training programme and the improvements made. The training programme was evaluated and revised for the second cohort. Comparison was made between the two training programmes. http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper32.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 networked learner support, on-line learning, online, distance education, telematics, university, academic, library, information literacy, WWW, World Wide Web oai:infres033 2006-05-30 Facilitation of on-line learning environments: what works when teaching distance learning computer science students Tina Wilson, Denise Whitelock Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 Educationalists worldwide are seeking to adopt on-line systems to improve their course presentations. This raises a number of issues, about how these on-line systems can best be integrated and also what structures and resources need to be put in place to support such an approach. This paper will discuss how the M205 - STILE project was supported at the Open University in 1995 and discuss the tutors responses about the advantages and disadvantages of the on-line presentation of the course as compared to face to face tutorials. http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper33.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 networked learner support, on-line learning, online, distance education, telematics, university, academic, library, information literacy, WWW, World Wide Web oai:infres034 2006-05-30 Professional learning and the on-line discussion Michael Hammond Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 This paper explores the growing interest in professional development through asynchronous electronic discussion. It presents an excerpt from within a recent forum on telematic learning and analyses ways of initiating discussion; styles of messages and learning through on line discussion.The paper suggests that electronic forums have huge potential for developing professional knowledge but points out some of the complexities and paradoxes involved. http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper34.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 networked learner support, on-line learning, online, distance education, telematics, university, academic, library, information literacy, WWW, World Wide Web oai:infres035 2006-05-30 Continuing professional development for networked learner support: progress review of research and curriculum design Philippa Levy Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 This paper focuses on what has been learnt through the NetLinkS project about professional development and training needs for NLS, and describes the underpinning rationale and curriculum model for the new on-line course. The research on which the paper draws, which aimed to assess the validity of the CPD concepts initially proposed and to feed into further refinement of the curriculum model, was carried out by means of focus group discussions in nineteen UK institutions of higher education during 1995-6, and is currently being followed up by one-to-one interviews with a range of staff with interests and involvement in NLS. http://informationr.net/ir/3-1/paper35.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 1 networked learner support, on-line learning, online, distance education, telematics, university, academic, library, information literacy, WWW, World Wide Web oai:infres036 2006-05-30 Discovering the Hidden Secrets in Your Data - the Data Mining Approach to Information Michael Lloyd-Williams Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 Nowadays, digital information is relatively easy to capture and fairly inexpensive to store. The digital revolution has seen collections of data grow in size, and the complexity of the data therein increase. Advances in technology have resulted in our ability to meaningfully analyse and understand the data we gather lagging far behind our ability to capture and store these data . It is often the case that large collections of data, however well structured, conceal implicit patterns of information that cannot be readily detected by conventional analysis techniques . Such information may often be usefully analysed using a set of techniques referred to as knowledge discovery or data mining. These techniques essentially seek to build a better understanding of data, and in building characterisations of data that can be used as a basis for further analysis, extract value from volume. This paper describes a number of empirical studies of the use of the data mining approach to the analysis of health information. http://informationr.net/ir/3-2/paper36.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 2 knowledge discovery through data mining using neural networks oai:infres037 2006-05-30 Towards Adaptive Information Systems: Individual Differences and Hypermedia Sherry Yu-Hua Chen and Nigel J. Ford Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 The use of hypermedia in teaching and learning has a number of problems, such as getting lost in "cyberspace". http://informationr.net/ir/3-2/paper37.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 2 hypermedia and individual differences in learning oai:infres038 2006-05-30 Towards an information provision strategy for university libraries in Ghana Edwin Ellis Badu and Brendan Loughridge Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 This article describes on-going research on the development of a library strategy for universities in Ghana. The research focuses on the factors affecting the development of a strategic planning process aimed at improving the libraries' capacity to deliver information services effectively and efficiently. Since the structure of universities in Ghana is, to a great extent, derived from or modelled on that of universities in the United Kingdom the project of necessity also includes some consideration of current attitudes to the strategic planning process in a number of university libraries in the United Kingdom. It is hoped that the study and evaluation of this aspect of the management of United Kingdom university libraries may provide pertinent guidelines for university library management in Ghana. http://informationr.net/ir/3-2/paper38.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 2 information strategy, Ghana, university libraries, universities, finance, planning oai:infres039 2006-05-30 Electronic publishing and the future of the book T.D. Wilson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 A paper delivered at the International Conference on Book Science to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the first Lithuanian book, Vilnius University, Lithuania, 24-28 September, 1997. http://informationr.net/ir/3-2/paper39.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 2 electronic publishing oai:infres040 2006-05-30 Academic libraries embrace Web access Kay Flatten document Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1997 Represents the lessons learned when six universities in the West Midlands, UK worked collaboratively within the eLib1 (Electronic Libraries Programme). These libraries and learning resource centres spent two years focused on a culture change in the support provided to education, law, and life sciences subject departments. Their efforts resulted in a mediation Model for networked information. The project manager for TAPin3 reflects upon the importance of attitudes, infrastructure, staff skills, appearances and service practices in the process of change. http://informationr.net/ir/3-2/paper40.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 2 academic libraries, World Wide Web, organizational change, training oai:infres041 2006-05-30 Recent trends in user studies: action research and qualitative methods T.D. Wilson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 This paper was commissioned by Professor Gernot Wersig of the Freie Universität, Berlin in 1980, as part of his Project, Methodeninstrumentarium zur Benutzforschung in Information und Dokumentation. It attempted to set out what was, for the time, a novel perspective on appropriate methodologies for the study of human information seeking behaviour, focusing on qualitative methods and action research, arguing that the application of information research depended up its adoption into the managerial processes of organizations, rather than its self-evident relationship to any body of theory. http://informationr.net/ir/3-3/paper41.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 3 information seeking behaviour, information behaviour, information behavior, information seeking behavior, user needs, qualitative research, action research oai:infres042 2006-05-30 Health information for the teenage years: what do they want to know? J. Rolinson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 What are the health Information needs of adolescents? What do they want to know? Sex 'n drugs 'n rock and roll? Reviewed are the information needs of adolescents within the educational setting, analyses of previous use and sources of Health Information and also the anticipated needs and preferred sources for the future. The changing need for Health Information from medical information to information relating to image and sexuality is reported. The restrictions of the educational system and the National Curriculum in teaching Health Information are identified, as are the differences in roles and responsibilities of the teachers who have a designated interest teaching Health Information. http://informationr.net/ir/3-3/paper42.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 3 health information, adolescents, teenagers, medical information, sexuality, education, teachers oai:infres043 2006-05-30 Assessment of information needs in public health in Germany: results of a nationwide survey. A. Scheiber, R. Schneemann, R. Wischer Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 Since Public Health in Germany is a new multidisciplinary area, there is no well established informational infrastructure to offer researchers, as well as other experts, an overview of current research activities and recently published literature. Therefore, a preliminary study is assessing the informational needs in public health research and practice. A survey about the experience with online databases and demands for specific information resources was conducted in order to analyse the extent of problems experienced with information retrieval. The main conclusions of the survey findings are: (a) there is a serious demand for information filtering and information supply in Public Health in Germany, (b) some of the ‘’missed’’ databases do already exist, but are obviously not well known or accessible, thus indicating a need of promoting information resources and (c) although some of the respondents have had access to the Internet, only very few of them are using email or the world wide web to find and exchange information. http://informationr.net/ir/3-3/paper43.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 3 Public Health, Germany, research, practice, online databases, information resources, information retrieval, Internet, e-mail, world wide web oai:infres044 2006-05-30 Survey of the labour market for information specialists in Lithuania Elena Maceviciute Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 This paper reports on the results of surveys carried out in Lithuania and Estonia in 1995 and 1996, the main aim of which was to provide a basis for planning the development of information management courses in the Baltic States. In the course of the project it was necessary to resolve certain methodological difficulties in the identification of the concept 'information specialist' and in the process of data collection. The results show the recruitment rates needed over the next three years and the qualities and skills needed by information specialists. http://informationr.net/ir/3-4/paper44.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 4 surveys, Lithuania, Estonia, information management, Baltic States, information specialist, data collection, recruitment, qualities, skills oai:infres045 2006-05-30 The public reception of the Research Assessment Exercise 1996 Julian Warner Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 This paper reviews the public reception of the Research Assessment Exercise 1996 (RAE) from its announcement in December 1996 to the decline of discussion at end May 1997. A model for diffusion of the RAE is established which distinguishes extra-communal (or exoteric) from intra-communal (or esoteric) media. The different characteristics of each medium and the changing nature of the discussion over time are considered. Different themes are distinguished in the public reception of the RAE: the spatial distribution of research; the organisation of universities; disciplinary differences in understanding; a perceived conflict between research and teaching; the development of a culture of accountability; and analogies with the organisation of professional football. In conclusion, it is suggested that the RAE and its effects can be more fully considered from the perspective of scholarly communication and understandings of the development of knowledge than it has been by previous contributions in information science, which have concentrated on the possibility of more efficient implementation of existing processes. A fundamental responsibility for funding councils is also identified: to promote the overall health of university education and research, while establishing meaningful differentiations between units. http://informationr.net/ir/3-4/paper45.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 4 public reception, Research Assessment Exercise, RAE, universities, accountability, scholarly communication, funding councils oai:infres046 2006-05-30 Business use of the World Wide Web: a report on further investigations Hooi-Im Ng, Ying Jie Pan, T.D. Wilson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 As a continuation of a previous study this paper reports on a series of studies into business use of the World Wide Web and, more generally the Internet. The use of the World Wide Web as a business tool has increased rapidly for the past three years, and the benefits of the World Wide Web to business and customers are discussed, together with the barriers that hold back future development of electronic commerce. As with the previous study we report on a desk survey of 300 randomly selected business Web sites and on the results of an electronic mail questionnaire sent to the sample companies. An extended version of this paper has been submitted to the International Journal of Information Management http://informationr.net/ir/3-4/paper46.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 4 business, use, World Wide Web, Internet, electronic commerce, Web sites, questionnaire oai:infres047 2006-05-30 Human creation of abstracts with selected computer assistance tools Timothy C. Craven Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 After introductory training, a research assistant used the TEXNET abstracting assistance software to create abstracts to articles available via the World Wide Web. The assistant also compiled introductory documentation, including a guide to abstracting using computer assistance tools. This article discusses problems encountered, tools selected for preferred use, and implications for future software development. http://informationr.net/ir/3-4/paper47.html Published in Information Research Volume 3 Number 4 TEXNET, abstracting, software, computer assistance, abstracts oai:infres048 2006-05-30 The Social Science Information Gateway: putting theory into practice Debra Hiom Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 The Social Science Information Gateway (SOSIG) was established in 1994 to provide access to networked resources for social science researchers, academics and librarians. This paper discusses issues of quality, access, resource identification and description, that SOSIG has faced in the four years since its establishment. It also reviews the involvement of SOSIG in the European Union's DESIRE project. http://informationr.net/ir/4-1/paper48.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 1 Social Science Information Gateway, SOSIG, networked resources, social sciences, researchers, academics, librarians. quality, resource identification, description, DESIRE oai:infres049 2006-05-30 A social network study of the growth of community among distance learners Caroline Haythornthwaite Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 Describes preliminary results from a social network study of the growth of community and use of Internet resources among a class of 15 distance learners enrolled in the LEEP option of the Master of Science in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The LEEP programme offers a distance option for students with instruction delivered through communication and computer technologies, and through short, intensive on-campus meetings. Class members reported on their interactions with others in the class at three times over the 15 week term (Fall 1997). They indicated how often they had (1) worked with each other member on class work, (2) received or (3) given information or advice about class work, (4) socialized, and (5) exchanged emotional support (either given or received) during the preceeding month. For each question, class members reported their frequency of communication via each of the available means of communication (Web-board, chat lines, email, telephone, face-to-face). Final interviews, and course evaluation questionnaires provide further information about their class experience. These data allow examination of the role of different types of information exchange in the distance learners' intra-class interactions. By using a social network approach, the data allow examination of issues of centrality and isolation in this network that may correlate with performance or satisfaction measures. Results from this study will provide feedback to course instructors on the experience of class participants in the distance education programme. http://informationr.net/ir/4-1/paper49.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 1 social networks, community, Internet, information resources, distance learning, LEEP, MLS, library science, librarianship, information science, computer technology, interaction, emotional support, Web-board, chat lines, e-mail, email, telephone, face-to-f oai:infres050 2006-05-30 Ethnomethodology and the study of online communities Steven R. Thomsen, Joseph D. Straubhaar, Drew M. Bolyard Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 Drawing from the authors' current research programs, this essay explores the basic dimensions of online communities and the concomitant need for scholars to rethink the assumptions that undergrid historic paradigms about the nature of social interaction, social bonding, and empirical experience (Cerulo, 1997). In so doing, we argue that online communities are far from the imagined or pseudo communities explicated by Calhoun (1991); that they are, in fact, real in the very way in which they reflect the changing nature of human relations and human interaction. Finally this paper discusses the epistemological and methodological implications of studying cyber communities. We will discuss how computer-mediated interaction, or telelogic communication, as it has been characterized by a number of theorists (Ogan, 1993; Ball-Rokeach & Reardon, 1988), can be analyzed to contribute to phenomenological or ethnographic understandings of what it means to be a member of a cyber-community. We suggest that one of the best approaches to taking such a phenomenological snapshot is through a multi-method triangulation, employing qualitative interviews and descriptive and inferential analyses of message content. We also will address limitations and restrictions for using the Internet to do ethnomethodology. http://informationr.net/ir/4-1/paper50.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 1 ethnomethodology, online communities oai:infres051 2006-05-30 IRISS '98: The Intranet as a Learning Tool: A Preliminary Study K. J. Garland, S. J. Anderson, J. M. Noyes Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 Using the World Wide Web (WWW) as an interactive educative tool is still a relatively new concept, and little is known of its impact on learning when it is used as a dynamic learning tool. Despite this the use of educational internet sites, in the form of virtual classrooms and courses, appears to be increasing rapidly. Thus, it is important that their ability to facilitate learning is evaluated. We present the findings of a preliminary study which examined the amount, type and quality of leaning of an undergraduate indroductory history course when presented to three different groups of participants. All participants received four regularly spaced 30 minute study and repeated test sessions over an eight day period. A final test of new questions was also administered at the end of the study. Results showed that the amount of historical knowledge acquired by the end of the study was greatest for those paticpants who learnt using traditional methods, and that over the four test sessions this group consistently outperformed both computer groups. Moreover, the way in which knowledge was acquired was qualitatively different in the groups with the traditional group exhibiting more 'Know' responses while the Intranet group exhibited more 'Remember' responses. Finally, using useability questionnaires, we found that participants preferred learning via traditional methods to screen and Intranet presentations, and that participants who had learnt using computers felt that their learning experience had suffered. These findings have important implications for educators, and others who wish to use the Internet as a training tool, and we discuss our findings through the evaluation of the different presentational media used, specific Intranet design criteria and general usability factors, which, we suggest, are of paramount importance. http://informationr.net/ir/4-1/paper51.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 1 World Wide Web, WWW, interactive education, learning, Internet, virtual classrooms, undergraduates, Intranets, useability oai:infres052 2006-05-30 Information contracting tools in a cancer specialist unit:the role of Healthcare Resource Groups (HRGs) Carol Marlow, Hugh Preston Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 The need for high quality management information within the contracting process has driven many of the major developments in health service computing. These have often merged clinical and financial requirements, usually along patient-centred lines. In order to identify a common currency for a range of clinical activities that are inherently variable, price tariffs have been drawn up on the basis of 'episodes of care' within specialties. Healthcare Resource Groups (HRGs) were designed to meet the need for a common information currency. However, they were designed for acute care. The study on which this paper is based aims to examine their applicability to chronic care in a cancer specialist unit. The data were drawn from the patient information system within a major cancer unit. The focus of the investigation is encapsulated in the following questions: a) Do HRGs really work as a grouping and costing methodology? b) How relevant are HRG classifications for long-term patient care? The investigation demonstrated that not all HRGs are iso-resource within this environment. The findings from the data analysis are echoed by the NHS Executive's own evaluation . This does not negate advantages in their use. Furthermore, the development of Health Benefit Groups as information management tools, through a focus on health conditions and interventions rather than on purely on treatments, offers potential for greater validity within a chronic care situation. http://informationr.net/ir/4-2/paper52.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 2 management information, contracting, national health service, NHS, computing, clinical requirements, financial requirements, patient-centred, episodes of care,Healthcare Resource Groups, HRG, chronic care, cancer, Health Benefit Groups oai:infres053 2006-05-30 Searching heterogeneous collections on the Web: behaviour of Excite users Amanda Spink, Judy Bateman, Bernard. J. Jansen Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 As Web search services become a major source of information for a growing number of people, we need to know more about how users search heterogeneous collections using Web search engines. This paper reports the results from a major study exploring users' information searching behaviour on the EXCITE Web search engine. Three hundred and fifty-seven (357) EXCITE users responded to an interactive survey, including their search topics, intended query terms, search frequency for information on their topic, and demographic data. Results show that: users tend to employ simple search strategies, and conduct successive searches over time to find information related to a particular topic. Implications for the design of Web search services are discussed. http://informationr.net/ir/4-2/paper53.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 2 Web, search services, search engines,information searching, behaviour, EXCITE, interactive survey, query terms, demographic data, successive searches, oai:infres054 2006-05-30 Student attitudes towards electronic information resources Kathryn Ray, Joan Day Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1998 Students are increasingly expected to use electronic resources while at university. Studies were undertaken to determine the level of use of this type of resource, how students feel about various issues surrounding electronic resources and whether attitudes change dependent upon subject studied. 317 students across three universities completed questionnaires to determine level of use of various electronic information resources; ways in which they felt electronic resources had hindered or improved their academic career; if they perceived themselves capable of using the resources; would the standard of their work suffer without the use of these resources; and the various methods employed to acquire the skills necessary to use the sources. 155 students were questioned as part of a larger study IMPEL2, investigating the Impact on People of Electronic Libraries, supplemented by 162 students, questioned as part of an MA Dissertation, using the same methodology. http://informationr.net/ir/4-2/paper54.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 2 Students, electronic resources, electronic information, resources, skills, electronic libraries oai:infres055 2006-05-30 International Workshop on Validation, Verification and Integrity Issues of Expert and Database Systems T. Bench-Capon, et al Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 T. Bench-Capon, et al In August 1998 an international workshop on validation, verification and integrity issues of expert and database systems was held in Vienna in conjunction with the Ninth Conference on Database and Expert Systems Applications (DEXA'98). This paper reports on the results of this workshop and summarises the issues identified for future research in this area. Details of the presented papers and some additional information can be found at the workshop WWW site. http://informationr.net/ir/4-3/paper55.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 3 database design, databases, integrity, expert systems, validation, verification, integrity, workshop oai:infres056 2006-05-30 Re-engineering change in higher education David Allen, N. Fifield Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) is being used in a number of UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as a change management strategy. Whilst the focus of these HEIs is on re-engineering administrative services, there are also tentative attempts to redesign teaching and learning. This paper adopts a case study approach to determine the applicability of BPR to HEIs. The research started from a broad research question: How does organisational culture in HEIs impact on the implementation of BPR programmes? The conclusions drawn from the research are that the organisational culture and structure of HEIs limit the degree of change sought from a BPR project: the focus of the case study HEIs was on incremental process improvement of administrative services. The projects in these institutions were not about radical change. BPR techniques are shown to have something to offer HEIs in terms of co-ordinating administrative activities, but the emphasis on IT and processes in project design means the human resources change necessary for significant gains in efficiency is unlikely. http://informationr.net/ir/4-3/paper56.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 3 Business Process Re-engineering, BPR, UK, Higher Education Institutions, HEI, change management, administrative services, teaching, learning, organisational culture, human resources, efficiency oai:infres057 2006-05-30 Information in organisations: directions for information management Joyce Kirk Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 Joyce Kirk The work of managers in small and medium-sized enterprises is very information-intensive and the environment in which it is done is very information rich. But are managers able to exploit the wealth of information which surrounds them? And how can information be managed in organisations so that its potential for improving business performance and enhancing the competitiveness of these enterprises can be realised? Answers to these questions lie in clarifying the context of the practice of information management by exploring aspects of organisations and managerial work and in exploring the nature of information at the level of the organisation and the individual manager. From these answers it is possible to suggest some guidelines for managing the integration of business strategy and information, the adoption of a broadly-based definition of information and the development of information capabilities. http://informationr.net/ir/4-3/paper57.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 3 information management, competitiveness, management, managers, business strategy, strategy, strategic information oai:infres058 2006-05-30 Back door entries, invisible ink, and false drops on the Web Christopher Brown-Syed Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 The overall aim of the current investigation is to identify header and text elements which will assist researchers in determining quickly the relevance, authenticity, and value of digital artifacts, as well as information about the credentials of their creators. Specifically, we note two trends in Web access and design which would appear to have ramifications - one primarily for Web designers and another for information intermediaries, such as librarians and archivists. We contend that the absence of editorial control, coupled with the alarming tendency toward deliberate skewing of Web search results by profiteers, will stress network bandwidth resources, contribute to a crisis of confidence in the Internet, and if unchecked, may potentially have far reaching consequences for the growth of scientific and scholarly knowledge, and for its dissemination to the public. http://informationr.net/ir/4-3/paper58.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 3 relevance, authenticity, evaluation, World Wide Web oai:infres059 2006-05-30 Representing WWW navigational data: a graphical methodology to support qualitative analysis Honey Lucas Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 This paper concerns the development and use of a graphical methodology in the analysis of individuals' World Wide Web navigational behaviour. Specifically, it reports on the comparison of this methodology to other methodologies of qualitative analysis. Examples are given of the graphical representations of individuals' interactions with particular World Wide Web medical resources, and the integration of these graphical representations with textual data considered. Indications for further development in this area are also suggested. http://informationr.net/ir/4-3/paper59.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 3 graphical method, World Wide Web, navigation, behaviour, qualitative analysis, medicine, textual data considered oai:infres060 2006-05-30 Digital libraries and World Wide Web sites and page persistence. Wallace Koehler Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 Wallace Koehler We begin with the assumption that Web pages and Web sites can be collected and categorized. The paper explores the proposition that the WWW constitutes a library. We conclude that the Web is not a digital library. However, its component parts can be aggregated and included as parts of digital library collections. These, in turn, can be incorporated into hybrid libraries. These are libraries with both traditional and digital collections. Material on the Web can be organized and managed. This paper examines how Web documents can be efficiently and effectively incorporated into library collections. This paper focuses on Web document lifecycles: persistence, attrition, and intermittence. While the frequency of content change has been reported (Koehler, 1999a), the degree to which those changes effect meaning and therefore the integrity of bibliographic representation is yet not fully understood. The dynamics of change sets Web libraries apart from the traditional library as well as many digital libraries. http://informationr.net/ir/4-4/paper60.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 4 Digital libraries, World Wide Web, page persistence, hybrid libraries oai:infres061 2006-05-30 MISCO: A Conceptual Model for MIS Implementation in SMEs R.Bali, G.Cockerham, C.Bloor Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 R.Bali, G.Cockerham, C.Bloor Information Technology ('IT') has made a prolific impact, both in sociological and commercial terms. In the business world, the pursuit of new technology and working practices has often been at the expense of equal regard for the correct methods to manage the new technology. Contemporary IT techniques and methods include Management Information Systems ('MIS') which are normally implemented on a company-wide basis. However, MIS implementation has major cultural and organisational implications which will form the main focus of this paper. A conceptual model is proposed for successful MIS implementation which combines established research findings with ethnographically-informed data from a small, UK-based, business. http://informationr.net/ir/4-4/paper61.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 4 management information systems, small and medium sized enterprises, SMEs, conceptual models, MIS, ethnography oai:infres062 2006-05-30 The contrast between the value placed on discriminatory power in discussions of indexing and classification and on the transformation of a query into a set of relevant records dominant in information retrieval research has not been fully explored. Subsidi Julian Warner Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 Julian Warner The contrast between the value placed on discriminatory power in discussions of indexing and classification and on the transformation of a query into a set of relevant records dominant in information retrieval research has not been fully explored. Subsidiary concepts and measures (relevance and precision and recall) have been increasingly subjected to critiques. An enhanced capacity for informed choice is advocated as an alternative principle for system evaluation and design. This broadly corresponds to: the exploratory capability discussed in recent information retrieval research; the value of discriminatory power in classification and indexing; Giambattista Vico's critique of the unproductivity of Aristotelian methods of categorisation as routes to new knowledge; and, most significantly, to ordinary discourse conceptions of the value of information retrieval systems. http://informationr.net/ir/4-4/paper62.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 4 Evaluation criteria for information retrieval systems. oai:infres063 2006-05-30 Publishing, bookselling and the World Wide Web Paul Kipling, T.D. Wilson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 Part of a continuing series into the business use of the World Wide Web. Following studies of general business usage of the Web, this paper deals with the special industry sector of publishing and bookselling. Both publishers' and booksellers' use of the World Wide Web are explored, with particular reference to on-line selling, and the results of an e-mail questionnaire are provided. http://informationr.net/ir/4-4/paper63.html Published in Information Research Volume 4 Number 4 Electronic commerce in publishing and bookselling oai:infres064 2006-05-30 Using newsgroup headers to predict document relevance Christopher Brown-Syed and William Morrissey Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 Describes a pilot study of Usenet Newsgroup postings about Philosophy. The aim of the research is to arrive at a set of predictors of the quantity and usefulness of documents posted on the Net with the aim of assisting educators in the development of curricula, and LIS practitioners in the assessment of networked resources. In particular, we wished to see whether relationships existed between the layout of digital artefacts and the usefulness and reliability of their content. http://informationr.net/ir/5-1/paper64.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 1 Usenet, postings, newsgroups, philosophy, document quality, relevance oai:infres065 2006-05-30 Information science in sustainable development and de-industrialization Amanda Spink Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 This working paper brings together concepts and ideas about the role of information in the future of humanity. Different views have emerged within the international debate on sustainable development - a global industrialization view centers on sustaining global industrialization and a new moral order that advocates societal downscaling and de-industrialization based on regional self-sufficiency to preserve humanity. This working paper briefly outlines these approaches to sustainable development and their relationship to information science research. Both views are distinguished by their approach to de-industrialization. Global industrialization includes pockets of de-industrialization of communities and regions, and societal down scaling includes a de-industrialization process to a sustainable community. De-industrialization is therefore a growing interdisciplinary area of research within sociology, urban planning and policy, and economics. However, information science research is becoming primarily concerned with the informational dimensions of the global industrialization - not de-industrialization. Despite the growing interdisciplinary literature on sustainable development and de-industrialization, the informational aspects of these important issues have yet to be fully explored. http://informationr.net/ir/5-1/paper65.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 1 information science, sustainable development, de-industrialization oai:infres066 2006-05-30 Experiencing information seeking and learning: a study of the interaction between two phenomena Siew Chee Leong and Suliman Al-Hawamdeh Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 This study was carried out in a mixed gender school using the World Wide Web to teach the top primary five (11 years old) class of forty pupils using a constructivist approach to learning. The study shows differences in gender attitudes toward computers. Generally, boys spent more time with computers at home playing games and had more experience using the World Wide Web compared to girls. On the other hand, more girls preferred the Web-based lesson compared to traditional classroom-based lessons. They learnt more from paired-group work and preferred to work with a partner while boys preferred working alone and learned less working with a partner. The study also found that unlike girls, boys disliked reading from computer screens because they had difficulty reading long pages of text. http://informationr.net/ir/5-1/paper66.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 1 Gender and learning attitudes in using Web-based science lessons oai:infres067 2006-05-30 Information Seeking in Context, and the development of information systems Irina Gaslikova Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 This paper reports on some findings of the explorations represented at the conference information seeking in context (ISIC'98). These findings are investigated with the aim to evaluate their practical usefulness for the design of information computer systems. The paper discusses some common problems connected with the conceptual approaches to the information system development. http://informationr.net/ir/5-1/paper67.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 1 'Information Seeking in Context' and the development of information systems oai:infres068 2006-05-30 Experiencing information seeking and learning: a study of the interaction between two phenomena Louise Limberg Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 1999 Reports the design and findings of a research project for a doctoral thesis on information seeking and use in a learning context. Theoretical frames were found in LIS use and user studies and in phenomenographic learning theory. The empirical study was conducted in a naturalistic setting with a group of 25 high school seniors. Phenomenographic method, designed to investigate variation in people's ways of experiencing phenomena in the world, was used. Three major ways of experiencing information seeking and use were identified; (a) fact-finding, (b) balancing information in order to make correct choices, (c) scrutinizing and analysing. The variation in information seeking and use interacted closely with variation in learning outcomes. These findings form a basis for further research on variation in users' ways of experiencing the content of information. They also provide a basis for didactic development of information literacy instruction. http://informationr.net/ir/5-1/paper68.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 1 Experiencing information seeking and learning: a study of the interaction between two phenomena oai:infres069 2006-05-30 Textual and chemical information processing: different domains but similar algorithms Peter Willett Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 This paper discusses the extent to which algorithms developed for the processing of textual databases are also applicable to the processing of chemical structure databases, and vice versa. Applications discussed include: an algorithm for distribution sorting that has been applied to the design of screening systems for rapid chemical substructure searching; the use of measures of inter-molecular structural similarity for the analysis of hypertext graphs; a genetic algorithm for calculating term weights for relevance feedback searching for determining whether a molecule is likely to exhibit biological activity; and the use of data fusion to combine the results of different chemical similarity searches. http://informationr.net/ir/5-2/paper69.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 2 information retrieval, chemical structures, text retrieval, screening systems, weighting, biological activity, textual retrieval, text databases oai:infres070 2006-05-30 DA draws a circle: on document architecture and its relation to library and information science education and research Mats Dahlstrom, Mikael Gunnarsson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 The architectural metaphor used in analyzing compound meta-objects such as referential databases might be applied also to the primary records these referential tools point to, thereby making way for the study of document architecture (DA). Library and information science has by and large been focussing on possible ways of determining the meanings of the objects of input, whereas the materiality and the textual structure of the objects have been regarded as transparent, offering little or no room for problematization and discussion. The article argues for a revaluation of this somewhat delimiting perspective. Digital production and distribution reframe the ways in which objects and meta-objects might be construed. The mismatch of traditional library institutions and systems (where the printed codex book and its derivatives have been the standard of measurement) and digital carriers for bodies of text and the different architectures of these, suggests our great need for new fields of LIS research, where DA might prove a valuable tool. DA studies might also be useful in re-theorizing traditional reading and writing technologies and their conditioning of textual carriers. http://informationr.net/ir/5-2/paper70.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 2 architectural metaphor, meta-objects, databases, document architecture oai:infres071 2006-05-30 The lowest canonical denominator: electronic literary texts, and the role of the information professional Claire Warwick Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 This paper argues that the English literary cannon has reasserted itself in electronic form. It traces the history of print canons and contends that analogous forces are shaping an electronic canon. This issue should concern not only literary critics, but also information professionals. Humanities scholars need diverse resources, rare texts and multiple editions of works. Yet canons threaten diversity of resources, and it is difficult for works to re-establish their place once excluded. If Collection managers aim to provide a wide range of high quality of resources for future users then an electronic canon is undesirable. If we are to avoid such problems then questions of electronic collections policy must be addressed. For example, do funding councils bear a responsibility to ensure that less canonical texts are available? Who makes the decisions about what is important, and on what basis? How should electronic collections policies be formulated? Should the choice of editions which are digitised matter, is a bad edition better than nothing at all? Should collections policy for electronic resources be organised on a national level, or left to individual institutions? These are areas in which in information professional can and should be able to make an important contribution. http://informationr.net/ir/5-2/paper71.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 2 electronic literary texts, information professional, canonical texts, digitisation oai:infres072 2006-05-30 Library legislation and free access to information as new topics in library and information science education. Aleksandra Horvat Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 An outline of LIS programs offered by the Department of Information Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb is given. Factors affecting the recent curriculum revision are described and the reasons for the introduction of a new course in library legislation and standards have been pointed out. The intention of the course has been to make students aware of the existence of international documents relevant to libraries and librarians and to show how the current trends are reflected in national legislation. It is hoped that the course might help students improve their understanding of the legal context surrounding libraries and other information institutions and teach them to appreciate the importance of good legislation. http://informationr.net/ir/5-2/paper72.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 2 library legislation, access to information, education, librarianship, information science, University of Zagreb oai:infres073 2006-05-30 Search features of digital libraries Alastair G. Smith Text.Serial.Journal Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 text/html en Traditional on-line search services such as Dialog, DataStar and Lexis provide a wide range of search features (boolean and proximity operators, truncation, etc). This paper discusses the use of these features for effective searching, and argues that these features are required, regardless of advances in search engine technology. The literature on on-line searching is reviewed, identifying features that searchers find desirable for effective searching. A selective survey of current digital libraries available on the Web was undertaken, identifying which search features are present. The survey indicates that current digital libraries do not implement a wide range of search features. For instance: under half of the examples included controlled vocabulary, under half had proximity searching, only one enabled browsing of term indexes, and none of the digital libraries enable searchers to refine an initial search. Suggestions are made for enhancing the search effectiveness of digital libraries, for instance by: providing a full range of search operators, enabling browsing of search terms, enhancement of records with controlled vocabulary, enabling the refining of initial searches, etc. http://informationr.net/ir/5-3/paper73.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 3 on-line search,search features, boolean, proximity operators, truncation,digital libraries, World Wide Web, controlled vocabulary, browsing oai:infres074 2006-05-30 Information management and technology strategy in healthcare: local timescales and national requirements Les Smith and Hugh Preston Text.Serial.Journal Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 text/html en The UK National Health Service's strategic switch-back is well documented and each centrally originated change results in various attempts to record the repercussions and predict the outcomes. The most recent shift is embodied in the Department of Health's information strategy, Information for health published in September 1998. This document provides the context for an examination of the issue of developing an Information Management and Technology (IM&T) strategy at the local level within the changing national requirements for NHS information management. The particular pressures on an individual unit and the need to react to them alongside the requirements of the national strategy are the subjects of this article. The case detailed is that of Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology (CCO) on Merseyside, the second largest centre of its type in the UK. Its initial investigation of information needs preceded the publication of the national strategy and its implementation straddled the timescale devised by the NHS Information Authority. The inevitable incompatibility between timescales for the local and the national developments is examined within the case. The work of the new NHS Information Authority and its supporting guidance in its Circular, Information for Health: Initial Local Implementation Strategies, is evaluated as a tool in aligning local and national strategy. Information Managers in other centrally governed organisations within the public sector and large corporations are often alert to similar issues. http://informationr.net/ir/5-3/paper74.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 3 NHS, Nationl Health Service, strategy, information strategy, IM&T, Information Authority, national strategy, information needs oai:infres075 2006-05-30 Public use of the Internet at Chester library, UK. Katherine Turner, Margaret Kendall Text.Serial.Journal Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 text/html en Substantial investment is accelerating the provision of public access to the Internet in UK public libraries. Monitoring and evaluation will be essential to inform policies, developments and justify the new services. This paper reports on quantitative and qualitative research into the use being made of the Internet facilities at Chester Library between August 1998 and May 1999. A questionnaire survey of 178 users revealed substantial use by non-library members, mostly aged between 16 and 35, with only slightly higher use by men than by women. Most of the sample had received no formal training in Internet use and the most popular application was e-mail. Follow-up interviews with 9 users provide examples of the value of the service to users and recommendations for increased training and support from librarians. Analysis of the results includes recommendations for Chester libraries and contributes to the wider debate on the changing roles of public libraries. Further research on the monitoring and evaluation of IT-based services in public libraries is now underway at Manchester Metropolitan University, with Cheshire libraries being one of three library authority project partners in VITAL, an 18 month study funded by the Library and Information Commission. http://informationr.net/ir/5-3/paper75.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 3 Internet, public access, public libraries, UK, Chester, training, research, Library and Information Commission oai:infres076 2006-05-30 Recent trends in user studies: action research and qualitative methods T.D. Wilson Text.Serial.Journal Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 text/html en This paper was commissioned by Professor Gernot Wersig of the Freie Universität, Berlin in 1980, as part of his Project, Methodeninstrumentarium zur Benutzforschung in Information und Dokumentation. It attempted to set out what was, for the time, a novel perspective on appropriate methodologies for the study of human information seeking behaviour, focusing on qualitative methods and action research, arguing that the application of information research depended up its adoption into the managerial processes of organizations, rather than its self-evident relationship to any body of theory. http://informationr.net/ir/5-3/paper76.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 3 information seeking behaviour, information behaviour, information behavior, information seeking behavior, user needs, qualitative research, action research oai:infres077 2006-05-30 Business Information Culture Gunilla Widén-Wulff Text.Serial.Journal Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 text/html en This research project is going to review the existing information cultures in 15 Finnish insurance businesses through a qualitative study. The interview-material consists of 40 in-depth-interviews and they are being analysed through the multiple case study method. The analysis is conducted in 5 stages considering information environment, information as resource, work processes, innovation and business success. The information culture varieties compared to the business success will hopefully be useful to create an understanding for the need of a broad understanding of the modern knowledge management concept in business organisations Information Culture, Insurance Business, Information Management http://informationr.net/ir/5-3/paper77.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 3 Business Information Culture, a Qualitative Study of the Information Culture in the Finnish Insurance Business oai:infres078 2006-05-30 The impact of personality and approaches to learning on information behaviour Heinström, Jannica Text.Serial.Journal Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 text/html en Previous studies have shown how personality influences learning strategies and learning outcome. In this study this will be taken further by combining personality and approaches to learning with information behaviour. The aim of this study is to show how the five traits of the Five-Factor Inventory related to the approaches to learning of the ASSIST-test affect information behaviour. The subjects will be approximately 500 university students writing their dissertation. In a pilot study it was shown that personality traits can be related to approaches to learning. Moreover they seem to form distinctive information behaviour. http://informationr.net/ir/5-3/paper78.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 3 information behaviour oai:infres079 2006-05-30 Information seeking by blind and sight impaired citizens: an ecological study Kirsty Williamson, Don Schauder, Amanda Bow Text.Serial.Journal Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 text/html en The article reports a study which investigated information seeking by blind and sight impaired people, with particular emphasis on the role of the Internet. A literature review revealed a paucity of studies about the information-seeking behaviour of groups of people with disabilities, including blind and sight impaired people. The study focussed very specifically on both personal lives and broader social contexts. The techniques for collecting qualitative data included two focus groups involving 16 participants and 15 individual interviewees, from both city and country settings. The findings of the study address issues of information needs, information sources, the role of the Internet in meeting needs and the barriers to the use of the Internet. A major conclusion is that people who are blind and sight impaired deserve to be provided with a range of ways of meeting information needs, as are available for people with normal sight. Given the inexorable continuing impact of the information age, it is also concluded that ways must be found so that people with disabilities can participate equitably in the information economy. http://informationr.net/ir/5-4/paper79.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 4 information seeking, blind, sight impaired, Internet, disabilities, qualitative data, focus groups, information sources, information needs, information age, information society oai:infres080 2006-05-30 The Spell of Homo Informaticus: Two Superstitions and Three Dreams Marius Povilas Saulauskas Text.Serial.Journal Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 text/html en Even at the dawn of a full-fledged information society Homo Informaticus as well as its netted counterpart - Homo Irretitus - already carries a handful of badly compatible fears and hopes. First, anxieties about an inevitable desolation of habitual patterns of human interaction and values,as well as an inexorably impending threat of horrifying global control. Second, evergreen optimism of rapidly approaching egalitarian era under the pledge of free universal access to information, cornucopian abundance of all imaginable material and spiritual goods, and unrestricted reign of knowledge once for all overthrowing unjust orders of power and brute force. The article puts under the close scrutiny the key pro et contra arguments involved in the theoretical articulation of these basic attitudes and examines the topical question: why can neither the dreadful fears nor the gay hopes of Homo Irretitus be reasonably sustained in the face of critical inquiry? http://informationr.net/ir/5-4/paper80.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 4 information society, Homo Informaticus, Homo Irretitus, human interaction, values, global control, universal access oai:infres081 2006-05-30 The Status of the IS Field: Historical Perspective and Practical Orientation Frederic Adam, Brian Fitzgerald Text.Serial.Journal Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 text/html en This paper provides a detailed assessment of the current status of the Information Systems (IS) field by tracing its historical evolution. It uses lessons drawn from the history of another social science, sociology, to highlight some of the fundamental choices now facing IS researchers. Firstly, the paper identifies the most important tensions and forces that shaped the evolution of the IS field in the 40 or so years of its history. Secondly, it draw a comparison between IS and sociology and uses some selected fundamental patterns of the history of the latter to explain the main aspects of the evolution of IS. Finally, noting that IS researchers do not seem to have succeeded in developing a core of concepts and definitions to enable the accumulation of knowledge in IS and to significantly contribute to the improvement of the business application of information systems, the paper calls for a debate on the future orientations of the field and identifies some of the choices that can be made at this stage of the evolution of the field. http://informationr.net/ir/5-4/paper81.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 4 information systems, review, history of information systems, history of sociology, future of information systems oai:infres082 2006-05-30 Information exchange in virtual communities: a typology Gary Burnett Text.Serial.Journal Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 text/html en While there is wide agreement that virtual communities - and other phenomena utilizing CMC technologies - have the capability to provide both interpersonal and informational interactions, the degree to which they can be seen as specifically information-oriented social spaces has been open to some question. Drawing upon theoretical and empirical work that emphasizes an environmental model of human information behaviour, a foundation is developed for a model of information exchange in virtual communities, and a typology of the varieties of information behaviour to be found in virtual communities is proposed. This typology will provide a mechanism for assessing the characteristics of virtual communities in terms of their support for information exchange, and has the potential to enhance our understanding of virtual communities as information environments. http://informationr.net/ir/5-4/paper82.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 4 virtual communities, CMC, interpersonal, informational, interactions, social spaces, environmental model, human information behaviour, information exchange, typology, information behaviour, behavior oai:infres083 2006-05-30 Information exchange in virtual communities: a typology Jean Gladwin, R.A. Dixon, T.D. Wilson Text.Serial.Journal Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 text/html en Reports on an ethnographic case study of the evaluation of PHC-MAP (a set of information management tools) in an East African country. The attempt at innovation is considered within the framework of Rogers's diffusion of innovation theory and Leavitt's theory of dynamic equilibrium in organizations. http://informationr.net/ir/5-4/paper83.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 4 ethnography, case study, evaluation, PHC-MAP, information management, East Africa, innovation, diffusion of innovation theory, dynamic equilibrium, organizations oai:infres084 2006-05-30 Are Schools Library Services equipped to survive in the Age of Information? David Streatfield, Sharon Markless Text.Serial.Journal Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 text/html en Describes the results of an investigation in the the factors that would affect the survival and growth of School Library Services in England and Wales, including funding, staffing and service priorities. The main area of weakness identified is that most Services are not well placed to demonstrate the effectiveness of their provision in relation to the current government's and schools' agendas. http://informationr.net/ir/5-4/paper84.html Published in Information Research Volume 5 Number 4 survival, growth, School Library Services, funding, staffing, service priorities, effectiveness oai:infres085 2006-05-30 Making sense of the Web: a metaphorical approach Lee Ratzan Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 The nature of the World Wide Web is unfamiliar to most people. In order to make sense of this foreign environment people describe the unfamiliar in terms of the familiar. Metaphors are often used for this purpose. Since it is important to use the Web effectively it is important to acquire insight on user perceptions. Preliminary results of the Internet Metaphor Project are presented. http://informationr.net/ir/6-1/paper85.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 1 World Wide Web, metaphors, user perceptions, Internet Metaphor Project oai:infres086 2006-05-30 Use of historical documents in a digital world: comparisons with original materials and microfiche Wendy M. Duff, Joan M. Cherry Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 The paper reports on a user study of a digital library collection of Early Canadiana material, with comparisons to the use of the material in original paper and microfiche formats. The study included a survey of individuals who had used Early Canadiana in original paper, microfiche or WWW format, focus group sessions, and server log analysis. The purpose of the study was to compare use and user satisfaction across the three formats to identify ways to improve the WWW format. Although, as expected, many people liked the paper format the best, over half of those who had experience with all three formats thought that the WWW format would be most useful in their work. However, some users expressed concerns about the authenticity of the WWW format. This raises questions for digital libraries to make explicit the relationship between the original paper and digital formats. The research led to 26 recommendations. To date, over half have been implemented or are in the process of being implemented. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research. http://informationr.net/ir/6-1/paper86.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 1 digital libraries, Early Canadiana, microfiche, survey, focus group, server log analysis, user satisfaction, WWW format oai:infres087 2006-05-30 The effect of query complexity on Web searching results B.J. Jansen Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 This paper presents findings from a study of the effects of query structure on retrieval by Web search services. Fifteen queries were selected from the transaction log of a major Web search service in simple query form with no advanced operators (e.g., Boolean operators, phrase operators, etc.) and submitted to 5 major search engines - Alta Vista, Excite, FAST Search, Infoseek, and Northern Light. The results from these queries became the baseline data. The original 15 queries were then modified using the various search operators supported by each of the 5 search engines for a total of 210 queries. Each of these 210 queries was also submitted to the applicable search service. The results obtained were then compared to the baseline results. A total of 2,768 search results were returned by the set of all queries. In general, increasing the complexity of the queries had little effect on the results with a greater than 70% overlap in results, on average. Implications for the design of Web search services and directions for future research are discussed. http://informationr.net/ir/6-1/paper87.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 1 query structure, information retrieval, World Wide Web, search engines, Alta Vista, Excite, FAST Search, Infoseek, Northern Light, complexity, design, research oai:infres088 2006-05-30 A bibliometric analysis of select information science print and electronic journals in the 1990s Wallace Koehler, et al Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 This paper examines three e-journals and one paper journal begun in the 1990s within the information science genre. In addition, these journals are compared to what is perhaps the leading information science journal,one that has been published continuously for fifty years. The journals we examine are CyberMetrics, Information Research, the Journal of Internet Cataloging, Libres, and the Journal of the American Society for Information Science. We find that there are a number of important differences among the journals. These include frequency of publication, publication size, number of authors, and the funding status of articles. We also find differences among journals for distributions of authors by gender and corporate authors by region. Some of the regional differences can be explained by journal maturation -- the more mature the journal the greater the dispersion. We also find that women are more likely to publish in the newer journals than in JASIS. The fact that a journal is or is not an e-journal does not appear to affect its presence or 'behaviour' as an information science journal. http://informationr.net/ir/6-1/paper88.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 1 e-journals, information science, CyberMetrics, Information Research, Journal of Internet Cataloging, Libres, and the Journal of the American Society for Information Science, authors, gender, region oai:infres089 2006-05-30 Designing Internet research assignments: building a framework for instructor collaboration David Ward, Sarah Reisinger Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 Internet knowledge is increasing steadily among instructors in the academic world. As courses incorporate more instructional technology, traditional undergraduate research assignments are adapting to reflect the changing world of information and information access. New library assignments reflect this shift as well, with term papers and research projects asking students to use Web sites as an information resource, in addition to the standard literature of periodicals and monographs. But the many pitfalls the library profession has learned in its own metamorphosis during the past decade are often repeated in these newer course assignments. The authors in this paper present a framework for librarians to interact with instructors to incorporate Internet resources into traditional term paper and research assignments. They suggest a framework for creating sample assignments librarians can take to campus instructional units, to show the teaching community at large what the library profession has learned from first-hand experience. http://informationr.net/ir/6-1/paper89.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 1 Internet, courses, instructional technology, undergraduate research assignments, information access, library assignments, term papers, research projects, Web, information resources, librarians, instructors oai:infres090 2006-05-30 Selected results from a large study of Web searching: the Excite study Amanda Spink, Jack L. Xu Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 This paper reports selected findings from an ongoing series of studies analyzing large-scale data sets containing queries posed by Excite users, a major Internet search service. The findings presented report on: (1) queries length and frequency, (2) Boolean queries, (3) query reformulation, (4) phrase searching, (5) search term distribution, (6) relevance feedback, (7) viewing pages of results, (8) successive searching, (9) sexually-related searching, (10) image queries and (11) multi-lingual aspects. Further research is discussed. http://informationr.net/ir/6-1/paper90.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 1 large-scale data sets, queries, Excite, users, search service, query length, query frequency, Boolean queries, query reformulation, phrase searching, search term distribution, relevance feedback, successive searching, sex-related searching, image queries, oai:infres091 2006-05-30 Maintaining Web cache coherency Adam Belloum, Bob Hertzberger Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2000 Document coherency is a challenging problem for Web caching. Once the documents are cached throughout the Internet, it is often difficult to keep them coherent with the origin document without generating a new traffic that could increase the traffic on the international backbone and overload the popular servers. Several solutions have been proposed to solve this problem, among them two categories have been widely discussed: the strong document coherency and the weak document coherency. The cost and the efficiency of the two categories are still a controversial issue, while in some studies the strong coherency is far too expensive to be used in the Web context, in other studies it could be maintained at a low cost. The accuracy of these analysis is depending very much on how the document updating process is approximated. In this study, we compare some of the coherence methods proposed for Web caching. Among other points, we study the side effects of these methods on the Internet traffic. The ultimate goal is to study the cache behavior under several conditions, which will cover some of the factors that play an important role in the Web cache performance evaluation and quantify their impact on the simulation accuracy. The results presented in this study show indeed some differences in the outcome of the simulation of a Web cache depending on the workload being used, and the probability distribution used to approximate updates on the cached documents. Each experiment shows two case studies that outline the impact of the considered parameter on the performance of the cache. http://informationr.net/ir/6-1/paper91.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 1 document coherency, Web caching, Internet, origin document, international backbone, overload, servers, strong document coherency, weak document coherency, cost, efficiency, document updating process, Internet traffic, cache performance, evaluation, simula oai:infres092 2006-05-30 Do citation systems represent theories of truth? Betsy Van der Veer Martens Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 This article suggests that the citation can be viewed not only as a 'concept symbol' but also as a 'boundary object'. The scientific, legal, and patent citation systems in America are examined at the micro, meso, and macro levels in order to understand how they function as commodified theories of truth in contemporary knowledge representation. This approach also offers a meta-theoretical overview of existing citation research efforts in science, law, and technology that may be of interdisciplinary interest. http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper92.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 citations, scientific citations, legal citations, patent citations, USA, theories of truth, knowledge representation, citation research, science, law, technology, interdisciplinary oai:infres093 2006-05-30 Where is meaning when form is gone? Knowledge representation on the Web Terrence A. Brooks Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 This essay argues that legacy methods of knowledge represenation do not transfer well to a Web environment. Legacy methods assume discrete documents that persist through time. Web documents are often products of dynamic scripts, database manipulations and caching or distributed processing. The size and rate of growth of the Web prohibits labor-intensive methods such as manual cataloging. This essay suggests that an appropriate future home of content-bearing metadata is extensible markup technologies. Meaning can be incorporated in Extensible Markup Language (XML) various ways such as semanticaly rich markup tags, attributes and links among XML sources. http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper93.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 knowledge represenation, Web environment, Web documents, dynamic scripts, databases, distributed processing, cataloging, cataloguing, metadata, extensible markup technology, Extensible Markup Language, XML, markup tags oai:infres094 2006-05-30 Converting a controlled vocabulary into an ontology: the case of GEM Jian Qin, Stephen Paling Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 The prevelance of digital information raised issues regarding the suitability of conventional library tools for organizing information. The multi-dimensionality of digital resources requires a more versatile and flexible representation to accommodate intelligent information representation and retrieval. Ontologies are used as a solution to such issues in many application domains, mainly due to their ability to explicitly specify the semantics and relations and to express them in a computer understandable language. Conventional knowledge organization tools such as classifications and thesauri resemble ontologies in a way that they define concepts and relationships in a systematic manner, but they are less expressive than ontologies when it comes to machine language. This paper used the controlled vocabulary at the Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) as an example to address the issues in representing digital resouces. The theoretical and methodological framework in this paper serves as the rationale and guideline for converting the GEM controlled vocabulary into an ontology. Compared to the original semantic model of GEM controlled vocabulary, the major difference between the two models lies in the values added through deeper semantics in describing digital objects, both conceptually and relationally. http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper94.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 digital information, retrieval, ontologies, ontology, semantics, relationships, classification, thesauri, thesaurus, controlled vocabulary, Gateway to Educational Materials, GEM, semantic model oai:infres095 2006-05-30 Human issues of library and information work Jela Steinerová Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 This paper examines philosophical, methodological and practical strategic aspects of library and information activity from the viewpoint of natural human and social factors. In contrast to traditional methodological patterns, real-life information problems and supportive methods of information seeking are stressed. The formulated conceptual framework is related to new competencies of information professionals, needs of information institutions and position of a human being in information processes. New methodological approach is outlined in models including factors with impact on a position of people in information work, human complexity and relationships of people and information. The resulting idea of human unity in information-related behaviour forms the vision of research directed to philosophy of a man in information science. http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper95.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 philosophy, methodology, strategy, libraries, information work, human and social factors, real-life information problems, information seeking, information professionals, needs of information institutions, information processes, human complexity, informati oai:infres096 2006-05-30 National Information Infrastructure and the realization of Singapore IT2000 initiative Cheryl Marie Cordeiro, Suliman Al-Hawamdeh Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 Being a small island and without any natural resource, Singapore has much to depend on its human potential and investment in National Information Infrastructure (NII) in order to find its place in the ever competitive global world economies. From Singapore's first experience with the setting up and accessing of the Internet in 1991, the Singapore Government has expended so much creative and financial energy into using information technology to spearhead Singapore's success in terms of enticing and encouraging economic growth and achieving national competitiveness on a global scale. In 1991, the Singapore government, together with the National Computer Board (NCB) currently known as the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), launched the IT 2000, with the objective of converting Singapore into an intelligent island. With many NII projects in place and the various government initiative, this study focus on the role of Singapore Government in the development of the national information infrastructure and the realisation of IT2000 vision. This investigative study delves into the role of the Singapore government in helping Singapore forge its path into the new millennium of the information world. http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper96.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 Singapore, National Information Infrastructure, NII, Internet, Government, information technology, economic growth, competitiveness, global, National Computer Board, Infocomm Development Authority, IT 2000, intelligent island oai:infres097 2006-05-30 Situating relevance: exploring individual relevance assessments in context Theresa Dirndorfer Anderson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 This paper discusses some of the challenges encountered whilst researching and writing a thesis that explores individual understandings of relevance and topic. It is based upon a discussion paper and presentation prepared as part of the Doctoral Workshop held during the ISIC 2000 Conference in Borås, Sweden. The focus of this paper is the doing of qualitative research. To provide a framework for this discussion, the key assumptions that have shaped the author's thesis are presented in the first section of this paper. The paper then focuses on some of the dilemmas of qualitative research encountered during the research and writing of this thesis, giving particular attention to the notion of context and the writing of qualitative research. Forthcoming results from the thesis are mentioned in the closing section. A Thesis Summary is also provided at the end of this paper. http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper97.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 relevance, topic, qualitative research, context oai:infres098 2006-05-30 Critical Theory as a foundation for Pragmatic Information Systems Design Gerald Benoît Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 This paper considers how designers of information systems and end-user perspectives, communication models and linguistic behaviors differ. A critique of these differences is made by applying Habermas's communicative action principles. An empirical study of human-human information seeking, based on those principles, indicates which behaviors are predictors of successful interactions and so are candidate behaviors may be integrated into computerized information systems. http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper98.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 information systems, end-user perspectives, communication models, linguistic behaviour, Habermas, communicative action, information seeking, computerized information systems oai:infres099 2006-05-30 The role of computer-mediated communication in the research process of music scholars: an exploratory investigation Christine D. Brown Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 Music scholars' use and perceptions of the helpfulness of e-mailand electronic discussion groups are described. Diffusion of innovations theory is used to describe and assess the music scholars level of agreement with statements concerning the relative advantages and compatibility of e-mail and electronic discussion group use within the context of the research process. Data were collected via interviews and a survey administered to music scholars in Canada and the United States. Music scholars rated e-mail as consistently more helpful than discussion groups for selected activities in the research process. Scholars who found discussion groups not helpful in their research reacted by periodically unsubscribing, a pattern of intermittent discontinuance consistent with diffusion theory. These modes of computer-mediated communication were found to play marginal roles in the music scholar's research process. http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper99.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 music, music scholars, e-mail, email, discussion groups, diffusion of innovation, theory, research process, interviews, survey, Canada, United States, computer-mediated communication, CMC oai:infres100 2006-05-30 Imposed information seeking in public libraries and school library media centres: A common behaviour? Melissa Gross Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 imposed query model, information-seeking behaviour, children, adults, school library media centres, public libraries, research http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper100.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 Imposed information seeking in public oai:infres101 2006-05-30 Accounting for users' inflated assessments of online catalog search performance and usefulness: an experimental study Charles R. Hildreth Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 User-oriented approaches to information retrieval (IR) system performance evaluation assign a major role to user satisfaction with search results and overall system performance. Expressed satisfaction with search results is often used as a measure of utility. Many research studies indicate that users of online library catalogs (OPACs) and other IR systems often express satisfaction with poor search results. This phenomenon of false positives, inflated assessments of search results and system performance, has not been adequately explained. Non-performance factors such as interface style and ease of use may have an affect on a searcher's satisfaction with search results. The research described in this report investigates this phenomenon. This paper presents the findings of an experimental study which compared users' search performance and assessments of ease of use, system usefulness, and satisfaction with search results after use of a Web OPAC or its conventional counterpart. The primary questions addressed by this research center on the influence of two experimental factors, OPAC search interface style and search task level of difficulty, on the dependent variables: actual search performance, perceptions of ease of use and system usefulness, and assessments of satisfaction with search results. The study also investigated associations between perceived ease of use, system usefulness, and satisfaction with search results. Lastly, the study looked for associations between the dependent variables and personal characteristics. No association was found between satisfaction with search results and actual search performance. Web OPAC searchers outperformed Text OPAC searchers, but search task level of difficulty is a major determinant of search success. A strong positive correlation was found between perceptions of system ease of use and assessments of search results. http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper101.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 user-orientation, users, information retrieval, IR, performance, evaluation, user satisfaction, search results, utility, on-line library catalogues, catalogs, OPACs, false positives, interface, ease of use, system, usefulness, satisfaction, Web, search ta oai:infres102 2006-05-30 Bridging information requirements and information needs assessment: do scenarios and vignettes provide a link? Christine Urquhart Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 The aim of the paper is to compare the philosophies of the vignette and critical incident techniques in information behaviour research, with the methodologies used in object oriented analysis such as use case scenarios and CRC (class, responsibility, collaboration) cards. The principles of object oriented analysis are outlined, noting the emphasis on obtaining the 'storyline' or 'scripts' for information requirements analysis through use cases and CRC cards. The critical incident technique and vignettes are used to obtain valid interpretations of users' information behaviour, using a storyline approach for data collection (and analysis) which is similar to that of object oriented analysis. Some examples illustrate how techniques developed in object oriented analysis could be used for data display in information behaviour studies. Concludes that the methods developed by software engineering could be adapted usefully for information behaviour research. http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper102.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 vignettes, critical incident technique, information behaviour, research, methodology, object oriented analysis, use case scenarios, CRC cards, storyline, scripts, information requirements, data collection, software engineering oai:infres103 2006-05-30 Use of citation analysis to predict the outcome of the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise for Unit of Assessment (UoA) 61: Library and Information Management Alison Holmes, Charles Oppenheim Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 A citation study was carried out to predict the outcome of the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise. The correlation between scores achieved by academic departments in the UK in the 1996 Research Assessment Exercise, and the number of citations received by academics in those departments for articles published in the period 1994-2000, using the Institute for Scientific Information’s citation databases, was assessed. A citation study was carried out on all three hundred and thirty eight academics that teach in the UK library and information science schools. These authors between them received two thousand three hundred and one citations for articles they had published between 1994 and the present. The results were ranked by Department, and compared to the ratings awarded to the departments in the 1996 Higher Education Funding Council Research Assessment Exercise. On the assumption that RAE scores and citation counts are correlated, predictions were made for the likely RAE scores in the 2001 RAE. Comments were also made on the impact of staff movements from one Higher Education Institution to another. http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper103.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 citation study, Research Assessment Exercise, RAE, correlation, academic departments, UK, 1996, citations, articles, Institute for Scientific Information, citation indexes, library and information science schools, ratings, Higher Education Funding Council oai:infres103x 2006-05-30 Letter to the Editor: Information Management: paper by Holmes and Oppenheim on using citation analysis to predict the RAE Ian M Johnson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 http://informationr.net/ir/6-2/paper103x.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 2 oai:infres104 2006-05-30 A Bibliometric Study of the Publication Patterns of Scientists in South Africa 1992-96 Daisy Jacobs Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 A bibliometric study of the publication patterns of a selected group of academic and research scientists of ten universities of South Africa for a period of five years, 1992-96. The subject fields surveyed are Physics, Chemistry, Plant and animal Sciences, and Microbiology/Biochemistry. These ten universities vary considerably with respect to standards of education, quantity of research and publication and overall progress. The general purpose of the study is 1) to determine whether academic status and prestige have any impact on the level of productivity, 2) to study the productivity within different areas of science, 3) to investigate whether or not the level of funding and/or the prospects of getting funded has any influence on the level of productivity in each area of science and their pattern of publication. The study collected two sets of data through a scientometric analysis of science citation index and a questionnaire. The study demonstrates that there is a direct relationship between status and publication productivity. The study further shows that there are significant differences in productivity between areas of sciences but that there is no direct relationship between institutional funding and productivity. http://informationr.net/ir/6-3/paper104.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 3 bibliometrics, publication patterns, scientists, universities, South Africa, physics, chemistry, plant sciences, botany, animal sciences, biology, microbiology, biochemistry, academic status, prestige, productivity, funding, scientometrics, Science Citati oai:infres105 2006-05-30 Reference group theory with implications for information studies: a theoretical essay E. Murell Dawson, Elfreda A. Chatman Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 This article explores the role and implications of reference group theory in relation to the field of library and information science. Reference group theory is based upon the principle that people take the standards of significant others as a basis for making self-appraisals, comparisons, and choices regarding need and use of information. Research that applies concepts of reference group theory to various sectors of library and information studies can provide data useful in enhancing areas such as information-seeking research, special populations, and uses of information. Implications are promising that knowledge gained from like research can be beneficial in helping information professionals better understand the role theory plays in examining ways in which people manage their information and social worlds. http://informationr.net/ir/6-3/paper105.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 3 reference group theory, library science, librarianship, information science, use of information, information need, information-seeking research oai:infres106 2006-05-30 Lithuanian on-line periodicals on the World Wide Web Lina Sarlauskiene Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 Deals with Lithuanian full-text electronic periodicals distributed through the World Wide Web. An electronic periodical is usually defined as a regular publication on some particular topic distributed in digital form, chiefly through the Web, but also by electronic mail or digital disk. The author has surveyed 106 publications. Thirty-four are distributed only on the Web, and 72 have printed versions. The number of analysed publications is not very big, but four years of electronic publishing and the variety of periodicals enables us to establish the causes of this phenomenon, the main features of development, and some perspectives. Electronic periodicals were analysed according to their type, purpose, contents, publisher, regularity, language, starting date and place of publication, and other features. http://informationr.net/ir/6-3/paper106.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 3 Lithuania, full-text, electronic, periodicals, journals, World Wide Web, electronic mail, type, purpose, contents, publisher, regularity, language, starting date, place of publication oai:infres107 2006-05-30 The changing role of subjects connected with book history and publishing in the education of library specialists in Estonia Aile Möldre Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 Gives an overview of the development of library education in Estonia since the beginning of teaching library science on the academic level in 1927 up to the present day. The author concentrates on studying the role and share of the courses that deal with book history and contemporary development of the book trade during different periods of time (the Soviet era, and after the restoration of independence in 1991). The last part of the article presents data on the evaluation of the usefulness and necessity of these subjects by public librarians and students of the Tallinn Pedagogical University. http://informationr.net/ir/6-3/paper107.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 3 library education, Estonia, book history, book trade, Soviet era, independence, evaluation, public librarians, students, Tallinn Pedagogical University oai:infres108 2006-05-30 Determining organizational information needs: the Critical Success Factors approach. Maija-Leena Huotari, T.D. Wilson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 Reports on a series of investigations in the UK and Finland, in both academic and business institutions. The Critical Success Factors approach is defined and explored as a means of determining the information needs of organizations, rather than of individuals. Concludes that such use is appropriate and productive, enabling the identification of types of information that may aid the organization in its strategic policy making to achieve competitive advantage. http://informationr.net/ir/6-3/paper108.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 3 U.K., Finland, university, business, Critical Success Factors, information needs, organizations, strategic policy, competitive advantage oai:infres109 2006-05-30 Intranets in French firms: evolutions and revolutions Emmanuelle Vaast Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 (Progressive) evolutions and (radical) revolutions characterise the temporal paths of intranets in French firms. Based on the results of 12 case studies, this research has adopted a dynamic perspective. It has focused on the implementation and subsequent evolution of intranets, the ways they are shaped by and impact diverse aspects of organisational life, including strategic management and daily tasks. It shows that gradual and radical changes are not mutually exclusive but complementary. On the one hand, intranets evolve incrementally, by co-construction of their technical and organisational dimensions. On the other hand, they experience substantial changes aimed at interpreting them in new ways. This dual pace is noticeable in the changes intranets provide on critical organisational dimensions, such as information management and human resources policies. Finally, this dynamic perspective underscores how new balances in traditional managerial tensions may be reached as a result of these radical and progressive co-evolutions between intranets and organisations. http://informationr.net/ir/6-4/paper109.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 4 Intranets, case studies, gradual changes, radical evolutions, co-evolution of firms and IT, information technology oai:infres110 2006-05-30 Copyright Protection in Israel Debbie L. Rabina Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 The copyright law in effect in Israel today is the 1911 law signed by King George V and absorbed into Israel's legal code with the termination of the British Mandate in 1948. Althoughsome minor amendments and changes were made over the years, a total revision, that would be in accordance with the changes brought on by the digital age, as well as those necessitated as a result of international treaties, is long overdue. Yet, Israel has been slow in amending its copyright legislation, its enforcement of copyright has been inadequate, and the new copyright law has been in the making for years. This article describes and analysis intellectual ownership rights in Israel today, with a particular emphasis on the difficulties of implementing and enforcing a law that did not foresee digital information. http://informationr.net/ir/6-4/paper110.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 4 copyright, law, Israel, legal code, legislation, enforcement, intellectual ownership, digital information oai:infres111 2006-05-30 Scholarly communication, scholarly publication and the status of emerging formats Leah Halliday Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 A study was carried out to clarify the term 'scholarly publication' and to explore the role of this activity in the scholarly communication process. Desk research was supplemented by responses to a questionnaire from key figures in the development of emerging scholarly communicative behaviours. This facilitated development of a working definition of scholarly publication consisting of a list of criteria. These may be used to analyse the degree to which emerging formats can be categorised as scholarly publications and to identify the means by which these formats may be supplemented so that their status may be promoted to that of 'scholarly publication', i.e., documents that meet all of the publication needs of scholarly communities. http://informationr.net/ir/6-4/paper111.html Published in Information Research Volume 6 Number 4 scholarly publication, scholarly communication, questionnaire, formats, publication needs, scholarly communities oai:infres112 2006-05-30 Environmental scanning as information seeking and organizational learning Chun Wei Choo Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 Environmental scanning is the acquisition and use of information about events, trends, and relationships in an organization's external environment, the knowledge of which would assist management in planning the organization's future course of action. Depending on the organization's beliefs about environmental analyzability and the extent that it intrudes into the environment to understand it, four modes of scanning may be differentiated: undirected viewing, conditioned viewing, enacting, and searching. We analyze each mode of scanning by examining its characteristic information needs, information seeking, and information use behaviours. In addition, we analyze organizational learning processes by considering the sensemaking, knowledge creating and decision making processes at work in each mode. http://informationr.net/ir/7-1/paper112.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 1 environmental scanning, information seeking, organizational learning oai:infres113 2006-05-30 Scanning and vicarious learning from adverse events in health care Anu MacIntosh-Murray Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 Studies have shown that serious adverse clinical events occur in approximately 3%-10% of acute care hospital admissions, and one third of these adverse events result in permanent disability or death. These findings have led to calls for national medical error reporting systems and for greater organizational learning by hospitals. But do hospitals and hospital personnel pay enough attention to such risk information that they might learn from each other's failures or adverse events? This paper gives an overview of the importance of scanning and vicarious learning from adverse events. In it I propose that health care organizations' attention and information focus, organizational affinity, and absorptive capacity may each influence scanning and vicarious learning outcomes. Implications for future research are discussed. http://informationr.net/ir/7-1/paper113.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 1 scanning, organizational learning, health care oai:infres114 2006-05-30 Information as a tool for management decision making: a case study of Singapore Shrianjani Marie (Gina) de Alwis, Susan Ellen Higgins Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 The main objective of this study was to develop an understanding of how Singapore's managers behave as information users and determine if their behavioural patterns are similar to their counterparts in other countries (as disclosed in the literature) or if it differs, in what ways. A total of 369 questionnaires were mailed to individual members of Singapore's Institute of Management. Only twenty members responded. The main focus of the survey was the relative uses of the different types of information sources. The survey also touched briefly on the relative importance of domains, and the correlation between hierarchical and functional levels. Results indicated that the types of information considered very important for decision making included Competitor Trends followed by Regional Economic Trends. Types of information considered important included Business news followed by Political, Social, and Supplier trends, Regulatory information, Use of Information Technology, Demographic Trends and New Management methods. Sources given a very high preference rating were Personal Contact for Competitor Trends and the use of Government Publications for obtaining regulatory information. Respondents also preferred use of Government Publications for Local Economic information and the use of Newspapers for Political Trends and Business News. Internal computer printouts were used for forecasting information and company performance. Subordinate managers were referred to for information on the use of technology, Forecasting, and Company Performance. Because the Company Library provided access to newspapers (very high usage) and business news, information about Political Trends, International and Local Economic Information and Competitor Trends were associated with it. However, the Company Library was perceived as a storage facility rather than a dynamic information resource. Local libraries were also used for Regional and International Economic information. Radio and television were used to obtain regional and Local Economic Information in Singapore, but were rated low in accessibility. Very high preference was given to personal contacts as a source of information. Managers in Singapore did not exploit all types of information sources available to them, mainly due to lack of awareness, lack of information skills and lack of accessibility to world news channels. http://informationr.net/ir/7-1/paper114.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 1 information seeking, managers, Singapore, decision making, information oai:infres115 2006-05-30 Finding competitive intelligence on Internet start-up companies: A study of secondary resource use and information-seeking processes Sanda Erdelez, Nicole Ware Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 The paper reports findings from a study of CI activities involving Internet start-up companies in the telecommunications industry. The CI gathering was conducted by graduate students in library and information science in the context of a class project for a real business client, itself a small Internet start-up company. The primary objective of the study was to provide empirical insights into the applicability of specific types of secondary information resources to finding competitive intelligence information on small Internet start-up companies. An additional objective was to identify the characteristics of research strategies applied in the collection of CI on Internet start-ups from the perspective of current conceptual frameworks of information-seeking behaviour presented in the library and information science literature. This study revealed some interesting findings regarding the types of secondary information resources that can be used to find competitive intelligence on small, Internet start-up companies. The study also provided insight into the characteristics of the overall information-seeking strategies that are applied in this type of competitive intelligence research. http://informationr.net/ir/7-1/paper115.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 1 competitive intelligence, Internet start-ups, information seeking oai:infres116 2006-05-30 Environmental scan on women's health information resources in Ontario, Canada Christine Marton Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 This paper describes the development of an environmental scanning system by a group of academics and health librarians for the purpose of conducting a consumer scan on women's health information resources on behalf of Ontario Women's Health Council, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The focus of this paper is on the use of database technology in information acquisition for environmental scanning. http://informationr.net/ir/7-1/paper116.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 1 environmental scan, OWHC, women's health oai:infres117 2006-05-30 Intelligence obtained by applying data mining to a database of French theses on the subject of Brazil Kira Tarapanoff, Luc Quoniam, Rogério Henrique de Araújo Júnior, Lillian Alvares Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 The subject of Brazil was analyzed within the context of the French database DocThéses, comprising the years 1969 -1999. The data mining technique was used to obtain intelligence and infer knowledge. The objective was to identify indicators concerning: occurrence of thesis by subject areas; thesis supervisors identified with certain subject areas; geographical distribution of cities hosting institutions where the theses were defended; frequency by subject area in the period when the theses were defended. The technique of data mining is divided into stages which go from identification of the problem -object, through selection and preparation of data, and conclude with analysis of the latter. The software used to do the cleaning of the DocThéses database was Infotrans, and Dataview was used for the preparation of the data. It should be pointed out that the knowledge extracted is directly proportional to the value and validity of the information contained in the database. The results of the analysis were illustrated using the assumptions of Zipf's Law on bibliometrics, classifying the information as: trivial, interesting and 'noise', according to the distribution of frequency. It is concluded that the data mining technique associated with specialist software is a powerful ally when used with competitive intelligence applied at all levels of the decision -making process, including the macro level, since it can help the consolidation, investment and development of actions and policies. http://informationr.net/ir/7-1/paper117.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 1 data mining, bibliometrics, bibliometric analysis, French, theses, Brazil, knowledge, databases, Zipf's Law oai:infres118 2006-05-30 Using Information Technology to Support Knowledge Conversion Processes Rodrigo Baroni de Carvalho, Marta Araújo Tavares Ferreira Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 One of the main roles of Information Technology in Knowledge Management programs is to accelerate the speed of knowledge transfer and creation. The Knowledge Management tools intend to help the processes of collecting and organizing the knowledge of groups of individuals in order to make this knowledge available in a shared base. Due to the largeness of the concept of knowledge, the software market for Knowledge Management seems to be quite confusing. Technology vendors are developing different implementations of the Knowledge Management concepts in their software products. Because of the variety and quantity of Knowledge Management tools available on the market, a typology may be a valuable aid to organizations that are looking for answers to specific needs. The objective of this article is to present guidelines that help to design such a typology. Knowledge Management solutions such as intranet systems, Electronic Document Management (EDM), groupware, workflow, artificial intelligence-based systems, Business Intelligence (BI), knowledge map systems, innovation support, competitive intelligence tools and knowledge portals are discussed in terms of their potential contributions to the processes of creating, registering and sharing knowledge. A number of Knowledge Management tools (Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange, Business Objects, Aris Toolset, File Net, Gingo, Vigipro, Sopheon) have been checked. The potential of each category of solutions to support the transfer of tacit and/or explicit knowledge and to facilitate the knowledge conversion spiral in the sense of Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) is discussed. http://informationr.net/ir/7-1/paper118.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 1 knowledge management, KM tools, competitive intelligence, intranet, groupware, business intelligence, portal, innovation, knowledge conversion oai:infres119 2006-05-30 Focus on further education of librarians in Latvia Iveta Gudakovska Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 Describes the needs for continuing education of professional librarians in Latvia, following independence and the consequent structural changes. Following research into further education needs, the Continuing Education Centre for Librarians of Latvia (CECLL) was established to provide training courses. CECLL is a collaborative venture, involving the Department of Library Science and Information, University of Latvia, the Library Department of the National Library of Latvia and the initiative group of IT ALISE Ltd. The Centre is supported by funds from the Soros Foundation-Latvia and the Open Society Institute. The paper describes the courses offered, the further collaborative work of the Centre and the impact of its programmes. http://informationr.net/ir/7-1/paper119.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 1 continuing education, librarians, Latvia, Continuing Education Centre for Librarians of Latvia, CECLL, training, collaboration, Department of Library Science and Information, University of Latvia, National Library of Latvia, IT ALISE Ltd, oai:infres120 2006-05-30 Bibliometrics of electronic journals in information science Donald T. Hawkins Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 The bibliometric characteristics of electronic journals (e-journals) covering the field of information science have been studied. Twenty-eight e-journals were identified and ranked by number of articles on the subject they published. A Bradford plot revealed that the core is not well developed yet, but it will likely contain six journals. The publication of information science articles in e-journals began modestly in 1995 with 26 articles, but it has risen to approximately 250 articles per year. The most prolific authors are identified. The vast majority of them are located in the United States or United Kingdom. Only 26 articles have authors from more than one country, showing that electronic technology has not yet strongly influenced international collaboration. About 2/3 of the articles originate in academic institutions. Common topics of e-journal articles in information science include electronic information, electronic publishing, virtual (digital) libraries, information search and retrieval, and use of the Internet. Seven online databases cover these e-journals; Information Science Abstracts is the only one to cover all 28 journals, and it has the highest number of abstracts from them - over 1,100. http://informationr.net/ir/7-1/paper120.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 1 bibliometrics, electronic journals, e-journals, information science, on-line databases oai:infres121 2006-05-30 Factors Influencing Environmental Scanning in the Organizational Context Zita Correia, T.D. Wilson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 This paper identifies and analyses the factors internal to the organization, which affect the activity of environmental scanning, understood here as the information seeking activity of managers, directed at the company's external environment. These factors include individual factors, such as information consciousness and exposure to information, and organizational factors such as information climate and outwardness. The main relationships among them are also analysed. These factors were identified in the course of research aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of the environmental scanning process (Correia & Wilson, 1996). The methodology used - a case-study approach coupled with the grounded theory method of qualitative analysis - was of major importance in obtaining information that is grounded largely on the personal experience of managers. http://informationr.net/ir/7-1/paper121.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 1 environmental scanning, information seeking, information conciousness, information climate, individual exposure to information, organizational outwardness oai:infres122 2006-05-30 Strategy, information processing and scorecard models in the UK financial services sector Judith Broady-Preston; Tim Hayward Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2001 In the current turbulent business environment, quality information is required to ensure that companies achieve competitive advantage by using such information to make decisions more rapidly than their rivals. Scorecard models are employed increasingly to translate the mission and strategy of a company into a comprehensive set of performance measures, providing the framework for a strategic management system. Presented here are the results of a British Library Research and Innovation Centre funded project which examined the role of information in the strategic management of UK retail banks. All the banks surveyed used scorecard models of some description, principally to ease blockages in information flow. Information gathering and analysis activities were perceived as necessary elements of the work of all managers, especially when viewed in conjunction with the trend towards bottom-up strategy formulation in companies. http://informationr.net/ir/7-1/paper122.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 1 competitive advantage, information, quality, decisions, balanced scorecard, performance measures, strategic management, UK, United Kingdom, retail banks, banks, survey, scorecard models, information flow, information gathering, information analysis, manag oai:infres123 2006-05-30 Studying Digital Library Users Over Time: A Follow-up Survey of Early Canadiana Online Joan Cherry, Wendy Duff Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 This paper reports the findings of a second user survey of a digital library collection of Early Canadiana materials. The main purpose of the study was to investigate whether the user group or the nature of use had changed since the first survey conducted a year earlier. As in the first survey we also wanted to gather feedback on satisfaction levels and suggestions for improvements to the Early Canadiana Online (ECO) site. A new section was added to the second survey to explore the use of ECO in teaching and research. Overall, findings showed that the user group and nature of use of the materials were remarkably similar to the first survey. Enthusiasm for ECO remained high but many of the requests for changes to existing features and the suggestions for enhancements to the site were the same as those in the first survey. The survey revealed that respondents who used ECO for teaching and research differed from other respondents in a number of ways. We close by discussing the implications of these findings for digital libraries in general and the value of studying digital library users over time. http://informationr.net/ir/7-2/paper123.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 2 user survey, digital library, Early Canadiana, satisfaction, Early Canadiana Online, teaching, research oai:infres124 2006-05-30 Critical realism and IS Research - Why bother with philosophy? Philip J. Dobson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 Garcia and Quek (1997) point out the difficulties in defining the actual object of information systems research - 'Is the object of research in information systems of a technological or social nature? Is it the organization, an information system or a social system?' (p. 450). A recent IFIP conference on Organisational and Social Perspectives on Information technology examines some of the social and organisational issues involved in IS Research (IFIP TC8 WG8.2, 2000). At this conference Jones (2000) examined the number of citations in the IFIP WG8.2 conference literature that refer to social theorists to determine the level of interest in the use of social theory in information systems research. Over the period 1979-1999 57% of papers had references to social theorists - the four major theorists being Giddens, Habermas, Foucault and Latour. This paper suggests that it would be useful to widen the range of social theorists used in IS to include that of Bhaskar who proposes a critical realist approach to social research. In order to highlight the main aspects of the philosophy the paper will critique a framework developed to suggest IS research approaches. http://informationr.net/ir/7-2/paper124.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 2 information systems, realism, philosophy, research framework, critical realism, social theory, social research oai:infres125 2006-05-30 Task based design of a digital work environment (DWE) for an academic community Narayanan Meyyappan, Suliman Al-Hawamdeh, Schubert Foo Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 Task based design is considered one of the effective ways of designing functional software. It is generally accepted that tasks play an important role in system and user interface design. Identifying the user's tasks enables the designer to construct user interfaces reflecting the tasks' properties, including efficient usage patterns, easy-to-use interaction sequences, and powerful assistance features. In this paper, we present a prototype of a Digital Work Environment (DWE) to support a task-oriented design to information access in a typical community of academic users. The resources in DWE are organized according to specific tasks performed by the research students and staff in the Division of Information Studies of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The tasks and resources were elicited based on the needs of faculty and students through interviews and focus groups. Examples of these tasks include preparation of a new course outline, setting of examination papers, preparation of reading lists and assignments, conducting literature reviews and writing dissertations. This paper discusses the problems of digital library users in an academic environment, highlights task oriented projects and focuses on the task of preparing and writing a Master dissertation. It highlights the importance of task based design in assisting and helping students and instructors from the time of selecting the research project to the time of submitting the final bound copies of the dissertation http://informationr.net/ir/7-2/paper125.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 2 task-based design, software, interface, Digital Work Environment, faculty, students, interviews, focus groups, digital library oai:infres126 2006-05-30 Targeted s-gram matching: a novel n-gram matching technique for cross- and monolingual word form variants Ari Pirkola; Heikki Keskustalo; Erkka Leppänen; Antti-Pekka Känsälä; Kalervo Järvelin Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 We present a novel n-gram based string matching technique, which we call the targeted s-gram matching technique. In the technique, n-grams are classified into categories on the basis of character contiguity in words. The categories are then utilized in matching. The technique was compared with the conventional n-gram technique using adjacent characters as n-grams. Several types of words and word pairs were studied. English, German, and Swedish query keys against their Finnish spelling variants and Finnish morphological variants were matched using a target word list of 119 000 Finnish words. In all cross-lingual tests done, the targeted s-gram matching technique outperformed the conventional n-gram matching technique. The technique was highly effective also for monolingual word form variants. The effects of query key length and the length of the longest common subsequence (LCS) of the variants on the performance of s-grams were analyzed. http://informationr.net/ir/7-2/paper126.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 2 n-gram, string matching technique, character contiguity, crosslingual word form variants, monolingual word form variants oai:infres127 2006-05-30 The RATF Formula (Kwok's Formula): Exploiting Average Term Frequency in Cross-Language Retrieval Ari Pirkola; Erkka Leppänen; Kalervo Järvelinéí Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 In an earlier study, we presented a query key goodness scheme, which can be used to separate between good and bad query keys. The scheme is based on the relative average term frequency (RATF) values of query keys. In the present paper, we tested the effectiveness of the scheme in Finnish to English cross-language retrieval in several experiments. Query keys were weighted and queries were reduced based on the RATF values of keys. The tests were carried out in TREC and CLEF document collections using the InQuery retrieval system. The TREC tests indicated that the best RATF-based queries delivered substantial and statistically significant performance improvements, and performed as well as syn-structured queries shown to be effective in many CLIR studies. The CLEF tests indicated the limitations of the use of RATF in CLIR. However, the best RATF-based queries performed better than baseline queries also in the CLEF collection. http://informationr.net/ir/7-2/paper127.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 2 relative average term frequency, RATF, cross-language retrieval, Finnish, English, TREC, CLEF oai:infres128 2006-05-30 Compounds in dictionary-based Cross-language information retrieval Turid Hedlund Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 Compound words form an important part of natural language. From the cross-lingual information retrieval (CLIR) point of view it is important that many natural languages are highly productive with compounds, and translation resources cannot include entries for all compounds. Also, compounds are often content bearing words in a sentence. In Swedish, German and Finnish roughly one tenth of the words in a text prepared for information retrieval purposes are compounds. Important research questions concerning compound handling in dictionary-based cross-language information retrieval are 1) compound splitting into components, 2) normalisation of components, 3) translation of components and 4) query structuring for compounds and their components in the target language. The impact of compound processing on the performance of the cross-language information retrieval process is evaluated in this study and the results indicate that the effect is clearly positive. http://informationr.net/ir/7-2/paper128.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 2 dictionary-based cross-lingual information retrieval, CLIR, compound processing, Swedish, German, Finnish oai:infres129 2006-05-30 The Role of Motivation and Risk behaviour in Software Development Success Kenneth R. Walsh; Helmut Schneider Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 Although, significant progress has been made in software development methodologies, software project failures continue to exist. Previous work on risk management has found several risk factors and has developed methods for avoiding those factors from causing failures of software projects. However, software development remains a risky undertaking where decisions must be made without complete information. Another approach to risk management is to concentrate on those making decisions as agents of an organization rather than the management control over those individuals. We propose that the behaviour of decision makers affected by risk propensity and motivation is critical to the outcome of a software project. This paper discusses individual risk behaviour and applies agency theory to manage the behaviour of individuals in the context of software development. The implication is that the goals of individuals and their propensity to take risks may have a significant impact on project success not addressed previous research. We apply agency theory to software development. Agency theory is a management theory that puts the principle agent dilemma at center stage and is a way to understand the software development process and how to improve it. http://informationr.net/ir/7-3/paper129.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 3 software risk, software development, motivation, agency theory oai:infres130 2006-05-30 What is the title of a Web page? A study of Webography practice Timothy C. Craven Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 Few style guides recommend a specific source for citing the title of a Web page that is not a duplicate of a printed format. Sixteen Web bibliographies were analyzed for uses of two different recommended sources: (1) the tagged title; (2) the title as it would appear to be from viewing the beginning of the page in the browser (apparent title). In all sixteen, the proportion of tagged titles was much less than that of apparent titles, and only rarely did the bibliography title match the tagged title and not the apparent title. Convenience of copying may partly explain the preference for the apparent title. Contrary to expectation, correlation between proportion of valid links in a bibliography and proportion of accurately reproduced apparent titles was slightly negative. http://informationr.net/ir/7-3/paper130.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 3 bibliographies, files, html, internet, research, world wide web oai:infres131 2006-05-30 Affording a Place: The Role of Persistent Structures in Social Navigation Jenny Robins Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 Social navigation refers to the way people use the activities of others to direct their own behaviour. Using social navigation as a theoretical framework, it is possible to study and evaluate the patterned behaviour of occupants in cyberspace. It is proposed that an analysis of the type and extent of social navigation occurring in a collaborative virtual environment provides evidence that the environment houses a community. This paper reports findings from an ethnographic study of a distance education programme where three types of social navigation take place: guided behaviours, awareness behaviours and approbation behaviours. Also identified are the persistent structures in the environment that afford social navigation. A discussion of social navigation can inform researchers, designers and occupants of collaborative virtual environments. http://informationr.net/ir/7-3/paper131.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 3 social navigation, community, virtual place, evaluation,awareness oai:infres132 2006-05-30 Understanding on-line community: the affordances of virtual space Karen Ruhleder Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 Increasing numbers of on-line venues for learning are emerging as virtual communities become more accessible and commonplace. This paper looks at one particular virtual community, an on-line degree programme at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, which offers an M.S. in Library and Information Science (called LEEP). It draws on a framework presented by Mynatt, et al. (1998), which provides a lens for talking about on-line community as a set of affordances. This framework is applied to illustrate the interactions, artefacts, and expectations that shape this community. http://informationr.net/ir/7-3/paper132.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 3 on-line learning, virtual communities, degree programme, program, University of Illinois, LEEP, on-line communities, community, affordances, interactions, artefacts oai:infres133 2006-05-30 The development of the information management research area Elena Maceviciute, T.D. Wilson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 In the 1980s information management was emergent and perceived by some to be simply a re-write of traditional librarianship. However, it has continued to thrive and much of what is now included is far removed even from modern information science, although information management draws upon ideas from both librarianship and information science. In one form or another it is likely to persist in the future, since information problems are likely to persist in organisations. The means for resolving the problems may change, but the need to understand those problems and develop solutions will remain. http://informationr.net/ir/7-3/paper133.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 3 information management, knowledge management oai:infres134 2006-05-30 The Semantic Web: opportunities and challenges for next-generation Web applications Shiyong Lu, Ming Dong, and Farshad Fotouhi Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 Recently there has been a growing interest in the investigation and development of the next generation web - the Semantic Web. While most of the current forms of web content are designed to be presented to humans, but are barely understandable by computers, the content of the Semantic Web is structured in a semantic way so that it is meaningful to computers as well as to humans. In this paper, we report a survey of recent research on the Semantic Web. In particular, we present the opportunities that this revolution will bring to us: web-services, agent-based distributed computing, semantics-based web search engines, and semantics-based digital libraries. We also discuss the technical and cultural challenges of realizing the Semantic Web: the development of ontologies, formal semantics of Semantic Web languages, and trust and proof models. We hope that this will shed some light on the direction of future work on this field. http://informationr.net/ir/7-4/paper134.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 4 Semantic Web, web-services, agent-based distributed computing, semantics-based web search engines, semantics-based digital libraries, search engines, digital libraries, ontologies, semantics, trust models, proof models oai:infres135 2006-05-30 Forms of labour in information systems Julian Warner Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 A presentation open to further development is given. The idea of technology, including information technology, as a human construction is taken as the basis for the themes to be developed. The possibility of constructing an information dynamic, continuous with the dynamic of capitalism, is considered. Differentiations are made between forms of semiotic labour: semantic from syntactic labour and communal from universal labour. Information retrieval systems and the departure from the labour theory of copyright are considered in relation to the forms of labour distinguished. An information dynamic is constructed. The potential and limitations of syntactic labour are considered. The analytic value of the distinctions developed is differentiated from the possible predictive power of the dynamic indicated. The Semantic Web is viewed from the perspective of these considerations. http://informationr.net/ir/7-4/paper135.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 4 information technology, capitalism, semiotic labour, semantic labour, syntactic labour, information retrieval systems, labour theory of copyright, information dynamic, Semantic Web oai:infres136 2006-05-30 The Semantic Web, Universalist Ambition and Some Lessons from Librarianship Terrence A. Brooks Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 Building the semantic web encounters problems similar to building large bibliographic systems. The experience of librarianship in controlling large, heterogeneous collections of bibliographic data suggests that the real obstacles facing a semantic web will be logical and textual, not mechanical. Three issues are explored in this essay: development of a standard container of information, desirability of standardizing the information hosted by this standardized container, and auxiliary tools to aid users find information. Value spaces are suggested as a solution. http://informationr.net/ir/7-4/paper136.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 4 Semantic Web, Authority Control oai:infres137 2006-05-30 The Necessity for Information Space Mapping for Information Retrieval on the Semantic Web Gregory B. Newby Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 The Semantic Web offers exciting possibilities for information retrieval (IR). In IR, we would like systems that go beyond simply matching words in documents and queries, and instead match based on topic, data type, relations among data, and many other qualities. The Semantic Web, through fuzzy matching of information spaces from different sources, will provide for much more specific information seeking than current Web-based search engines or other IR systems. In order to succeed, however, it is necessary to map between the differing schema, metadata standards, namespaces and so forth used by documents on the Semantic Web. This information space mapping may be accomplished by a simple match or table lookup when document sets come from similar or otherwise well-defined domains. When the match is less precise, sets of rules or algorithms may be employed to map between information spaces. When schema or metadata are inconsistent, though, we are left with a similar data environment as the modern Web, and must rely on the context of the documents themselves to determine the mapping between information spaces. http://informationr.net/ir/7-4/paper137.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 4 semantic Web, information retrieval, fuzzy matching, information seeking, search engines, schema, metadata standards, metadata, mapping, information spaces oai:infres138 2006-05-30 Critical Success Factors and information needs in Estonian industry Aiki Tibar Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 The article reports the results of the study on the critical success factors and related information needs in Estonian industry conducted in 1999. Data were collected by interviews with 27 managers and engineers from 16 manufacturing companies in various industries. Most of the critical success factors taken up were related to marketing, information management, quality management, product development and technological innovations. The information needs of managers and engineers were related to competitors, customers, markets, technology, regulations, etc. Some identified CSFs expressed also priorities for development by Estonian economic authorities: to support the implementation of new technologies and introduction of quality management methods. The finding that information management was perceived as a very critical area supports the result of the recent Finnish study on CSFs. http://informationr.net/ir/7-4/paper138.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 4 critical success factors, information needs, Estonia, industry, interviews, managers, engineers, manufacturing companies, marketing, information management, quality management, product development, technological innovation, competitors, customers, markets oai:infres139 2006-05-30 An improved method of studying user-system interaction by combining transaction log analysis and protocol analysis Jillian R. Griffiths; R.J. Hartley; Jonathan P. Willson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 The paper reports a novel approach to studying user-system interaction that captures a complete record of the searcher's actions, the system responses and synchronised talk-aloud comments from the searcher. The data is recorded unobtrusively and is available for later analysis. The approach is set in context by a discussion of transaction logging and protocol analysis and examples of the search logging in operation are presented http://informationr.net/ir/7-4/paper139.html Published in Information Research Volume 7 Number 4 transaction logging, end user studies, methodology, protocol analysis, user system interaction oai:infres140 2006-05-30 I=0 - (Information has no intrinsic meaning) F.J. Miller Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 This paper was written mainly to help identify some contradictions that can be found in the notion of knowledge management though its application is wider-ranging. The author suggests that knowledge - that is to say 'what we know' - can scarcely be understood and managed even by ourselves, much less by means of sophisticated information and communications (ie groupware and shareware) technologies. We have progressed from the industrial age through the information age into what is being promoted as the 'golden age' of knowledge and, in the process, we've been led to believe that information contains meaning - rather than just standing for, provoking or evoking meaning in others. The paper argues that unless we take the trouble to face and understand the significance and implications of i=0 (ie that information has no intrinsic meaning) and that knowledge is the uniquely human capability of making meaning from information - ideally in face-to-face relationships with other human beings - we may never emerge into any 'golden' age at all! The consequences of i=0 for communications, learning, safety, quality, management (itself), and winning work are also discussed. http://informationr.net/ir/8-1/paper140.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 1 knowledge management, information, communication, groupware, meaning, learning, safety, quality, management oai:infres141 2006-05-30 Understanding Knowledge Management and Information Management: The Need for an Empirical Perspective France Bouthillier;Kathleen Shearer Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 It has been argued that 'knowledge management' (KM) is not a new field but a different way to refer to information management (IM). This article seeks to summarize empirical evidence of how KM is practiced in several types of organizations to show the variety of organizational approaches that are used and the processes that are involved. Based on an exploratory study of KM practices, the article presents a typology of methodologies that are employed in various organizations, to help illustrate the particular nature of KM and show that it is substantially different from IM. In the first part of the article, the concepts associated with the management of information and knowledge are examined and definitions of IM and KM are presented to clarify their differences. The second part of the article contains the a description of the conceptual framework used for the study and a presentation and discussion of the results. http://informationr.net/ir/8-1/paper141.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 1 knowledge management;information management;km; oai:infres142 2006-05-30 The duality of knowledge Paul Hildreth, Chris Kimble Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 en Knowledge Management (KM) is a field that has attracted much attention both in academic and practitioner circles. Most KM projects appear to be primarily concerned with knowledge that can be quantified and can be captured, codified and stored - an approach more deserving of the label Information Management. Recently there has been recognition that some knowledge cannot be quantified and cannot be captured, codified or stored. However, the predominant approach to the management of this knowledge remains to try to convert it to a form that can be handled using the 'traditional' approach. In this paper, we argue that this approach is flawed and some knowledge simply cannot be captured. A method is needed which recognises that knowledge resides in people: not in machines or documents. We will argue that KM is essentially about people and the earlier technology driven approaches, which failed to consider this, were bound to be limited in their success. One possible way forward is offered by Communities of Practice, which provide an environment for people to develop knowledge through interaction with others in an environment where knowledge is created nurtured and sustained. http://informationr.net/ir/8-1/paper142.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 1 knowledge management, community of practice, communities of practice, knowledge, tacit, soft, explicit, hard, duality, participation, reification, wenger, lave, nonaka, polanyi, information, boundary, constructionist, representational oai:infres143 2006-05-30 Knowledge management: re-thinking information management and facing the challenge of managing tacit knowledge' Suliman Al-Hawamdeh Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 Knowledge management has generated much interest in recent years and has become the latest management buzz in town. Many people start wondering whether knowledge management is here to stay or it is just another consultancy fad. To put things in perspective, it is important to look at the sequence of events that led to the rise of knowledge management. The arrival of the information society and the move toward the knowledge-based economy highlighted the importance of tacit knowledge and the need to manage knowledge resources including skills and competencies. Knowledge management as a concept with people taking the centre stage has prompted us to rethink information management and shift focus from trying to develop intelligent systems to that of developing tools for intelligent people. It is this realization in my opinion that makes knowledge management attractive to many organizations. While the focus in information management is mostly on explicit knowledge, knowledge management brings a new dimension, the need to manage tacit knowledge by focusing on people and enhance their capability by improving communication, information transfer and collaboration. http://informationr.net/ir/8-1/paper143.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 1 knowledge management, fad, tacit knowledge, information management, explicit knowledge, communication, information transfer, collaboration oai:infres144 2006-05-30 The nonsense of 'knowledge management' T.D. Wilson Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 Examines critically the origins and basis of 'knowledge management', its components and its development as a field of consultancy practice. Problems in the distinction between 'knowledge' and 'information' are explored, as well as Polanyi's concept of 'tacit knowing'. The concept is examined in the journal literature, the Web sites of consultancy companies, and in the presentation of business schools. The conclusion is reached that 'knowledge management' is an umbrella term for a variety of organizational activities, none of which are concerned with the management of knowledge. Those activities that are not concerned with the management of information are concerned with the management of work practices, in the expectation that changes in such areas as communication practice will enable information sharing. http://informationr.net/ir/8-1/paper144.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 1 knowledge management, tacit knowing, consultancy, business schools, information management, work practices, communication, information sharing oai:infres145 2006-05-30 Knowledge management: another management fad? Leonard J. Ponzi, Michael Koenig Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2002 Knowledge management is a subject of a growth body of literature. While capturing the interest of practitioners and scholars in the mid-1990s, knowledge management remains a broadly defined concept with faddish characteristics. Based on annual counts of article retrieved from Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, and ABI Inform referring to three previous recognized management fad, this paper introduces empirical evidence that proposes that a typical management movement generally reveals itself as a fad in approximately five years. In applying this approach and assumption to the case of knowledge management, the findings suggest that knowledge management is at least living longer than typical fads and perhaps is in the process of establishing itself as a new aspect of management. To further the understanding of knowledge management's development, its interdisciplinary activity and breadth are reported and briefly discussed. http://informationr.net/ir/8-1/paper145.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 1 knowledge management, Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, ABI Inform, management fads, fads oai:infres146 2006-05-30 Telecentres and the provision of community based access to electronic information in everyday life in the UK Debbie Ellen Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 This paper presents research undertaken for a PhD between 1997 and 2000 in the United Kingdom. The study explored three themes, the use of electronic information in everyday life, the use of telecentres by local communities in everyday life and community involvement strategies in the design, development and implementation of telecentres. Results led to development of a framework to inform future community-based ICT initiatives. The findings and methods used to analyse the data are relevant to both future study of community based ICT initiatives and the broader areas of information seeking, information seeking behaviour and user needs. Consequently, it is hoped they will be used by other researchers wishing to take a qualitative approach when studying in these areas. This paper will report findings relating to the use of electronic information in everyday life, setting these findings within the context of the whole study. The full PhD thesis is available on-line. http://informationr.net/ir/8-2/paper146.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 2 telecentres, ICT Learning Centres, UK on-line centres, CTSC, CTC, telecottages, information seeking, information seeking behaviour, Internet, Sense-making, everyday life, user needs, non-user, information and communication technologies, ICT, UK, United Ki oai:infres147 2006-05-30 Performance of Mexican scholarship owners in the production of scientific knowledge. From biliometrics to science policy? Judith Licea de Arenas, Emma Santillan-Rivero, Miguel Arenas, Javier Valles Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 es During recent decades, several actions have been taken to build up Mexico's science manpower base. Thousands of scholarships have been awarded to Mexicans to pursue postgraduate studies abroad. However, the number of PhD-holders the country expected to have by the beginning of the third millennium is still low despite the large amount of money the country has been investing in the training of doctoral students: $US 250,000 each. Therefore, we attempted to analyse the performance of the 1995 Mexican scholarship recipients awarded by the National Council for Science and Technology of Mexico for study abroad in all disciplines, assuming that many of them will contribute to the development of the Mexican science base after taking their knowledge back home. The visibility of the 680 study-abroad scholarship recipients was measured through the ISI Web of Science. The esteem measure was obtained from Mexico's National Researchers' System (SNI) - the Mexican government recognition - data. As little or nothing is known about the performance of the Mexican government scholarship programme, this study provides information pertinent to this complex and controversial issue. The data reveals facts that might stimulate rethinking of the national science policy regarding support for doctoral training. http://informationr.net/ir/8-2/paper147.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 2 Mexico, science, manpower, scholarships, posgraduate studies, performance, National Council for Science and Technology, Mexico's National Researchers' System, science policy, doctoral training, bibliometrics oai:infres148 2006-05-30 Síntesis y crítica de las evaluaciones de la efectividad de los motores de búsqueda en la Web. (Synthesis and critical review of evaluations of the effectiveness of Web search engines) Francisco Javier Martínez Méndez, José Vicente Rodríguez Muñoz Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 A considerable number of proposals for measuring the effectiveness of information retrieval systems have been made since the early days of such systems. The consolidation of the World Wide Web as the paradigmatic method for developing the Information Society, and the continuous multiplication of the number of documents published in this environment, has led to the implementation of the most advanced, and extensive information retrieval systems, in the shape of web search engines. Nevertheless, there is an underlying concern about the effectiveness of these systems, especially when they usually present, in response to a question, many documents with little relevance to the users' information needs. The evaluation of these systems has been, up to now, dispersed and various. The scattering is due to the lack of uniformity in the criteria used in evaluation, and this disparity derives from their a periodicity and variable coverage. In this review, we identify three groups of studies: explicit evaluations, experimental evaluations and, more recently, several proposals for the establishment of a global framework to evaluate these systems. http://informationr.net/ir/8-2/paper148.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 2 effectiveness, information retrieval, World Wide Web, search engines, relevance, information needs, evaluation oai:infres149 2006-05-30 A literature-based approach to annotation and browsing of Web resources Miguel A. Sicilia, Elena García, Ignacio Aedo, Paloma Díaz Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 The emerging Semantic Web technologies critically depend on the availability of shared knowledge representations called ontologies, which are intended to encode consensual knowledge about specific domains. Currently, the proposed processes for building and maintaining those ontologies entail the joint effort of groups of representative domain experts, which can be expensive in terms of co-ordination and in terms of time to reach consensus. In this paper, literature-based ontologies, which can be initially developed by a single expert and maintained continuously, are proposed as preliminary alternatives to group-generated domain ontologies, or as early versions for them. These ontologies encode domain knowledge in the form of terms and relations along with the (formal or informal) bibliographical resources that define or deal with them, which makes them specially useful for domains in which a common terminology or jargon is not soundly established. A general-purpose metamodelling framework for literature-based ontologies - which has been used in two concrete domains - is described, along with a proposed methodology and a specific resource annotation approach. In addition, the implementation of an RDF-based Web resource browser - that uses the ontologies to guide the user in the exploration of a corpus of digital resources - is presented as a proof of concept. http://informationr.net/ir/8-2/paper149.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 2 semantic Web, ontology engineering, ontologies, RDF, ontology-based search oai:infres150 2006-05-30 Freshmen's use of library electronic resources and self-efficacy Micaela Waldman Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 To encourage students use of the library, and in particular of its electronic resources, we need to understand what factors encourage students to seek out information in the library setting. Research has shown that self-efficacy influences academic achievement. This paper looks at the role self-efficacy plays in their search for information and use of the library's electronic resources, by surveying a class of freshmen at Baruch College. Their library and computer use were analyzed and correlated with their self-efficacy scores. Through statistical analysis, we found that use of the library correlated to the students' use of the library's electronic resources. We also found out that students who express an interest in learning about the library's electronic resources will be more likely to have higher self-efficacy. http://informationr.net/ir/8-2/paper150.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 2 self-efficacy, freshmen, library use, electronic resources oai:infres151 2006-05-30 What is this link doing here? Beginning a fine-grained process of identifying reasons for academic hyperlink creation Thelwall, Mike text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en Analogies between Web links and citations have been used in information retrieval to improve search engine query matching and in information science to develop link metrics for academic and other Web spaces. The purpose of this paper is to begin a [fine-grained] process of differentiating between creation motivations for links in academic Web sites and citations in journals on the basis that they are very different phenomena. A sample of 100 random inter-site links to UK university home pages was used as a starting point for a qualitative exploration and four new types of motivation are postulated. The term 'ownership' is coined for links acknowledging authorship or co-authorship of a resource,'social' for links with a primarily social reinforcement role, 'general navigational' for those with a general information navigation function and 'gratuitous' for those that serve no communication function at all. It is argued that all of these form a role unique to the Web, albeit in varying degrees. Compared to citer motivations they are relatively trivial and instead of being primarily socio-cognitive, none are cognitive and the gratuitous are not even social. http://informationr.net/ir/8-3/paper151.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 3 Web, WWW, World Wide Web, links, hyperlinks, citations, information retrieval, search engines, query matching, information science, link metrics, motivation, academic Web sites, Web sites, journals, university home pages, navigation oai:infres152 2006-05-30 The IIR evaluation model: a framework for evaluation of interactive information retrieval systems Borlund, Pia text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en An alternative approach to evaluation of interactive information retrieval (IIR) systems, referred to as the IIR evaluation model, is proposed. The model provides a framework for the collection and analysis of IR interaction data. The aim of the model is two-fold: 1) to facilitate the evaluation of IIR systems as realistically as possible with reference to actual information searching and retrieval processes, though still in a relatively controlled evaluation environment; and 2) to calculate the IIR system performance taking into account the non-binary nature of the assigned relevance assessments. The IIR evaluation model is presented as an alternative to the system-driven Cranfield model which still is the dominant approach to the evaluation of IR and IIR systems. Key elements of the IIR evaluation model are the use of realistic scenarios, known as simulated work task situations, and the (call for) alternative performance measures. A simulated work task situation, which is a short 'cover story', serves two main functions: 1) it triggers and develops a simulated information need by allowing for user interpretations of the situation, leading to cognitively individual information need interpretations as in real life; and 2) it is the platform against which situational relevance is judged. Further, by being the same for all test persons experimental control is provided. Hence, the concept of a simulated work task situation ensures the experiment both realism and control. Guidelines and recommendations for the application of simulated work task situations are provided. Examples of alternative performance measures are: relative relevance (RR), ranked half-life (RHL), cumulated gain (CG) and cumulated gain with discount (DCG). These measures can incorporate non-binary relevance assessments, necessary due to the result of realistic interaction and relevance assessment behaviour of users in the process of searching and assessing relevance of retrieved information objects. http://informationr.net/ir/8-3/paper152.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 3 evaluation, interactive information retrieval systems, evaluation, IR interaction, information searching, information retrieval, relevance assessments, scenarios, simulated work task situations, performance measures, information need, situational relevanc oai:infres153 2006-05-30 Competency in network use as a resource for citizenship: implications for the digital divide Jääskeläinen, Pirkko; Savolainen, Reijo text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en Conceptual and empirical issues of citizens' network ompetency are explored, defined as people's capabilities to use the Internet in order to communicate and seek information and to utilize electronic public services. First, the concept of network competency is discussed. Second, based on an empirical case study conducted in Finland, perceived network competency is explored as a resource for autonomous and participatory citizenship. Perceived network competency refers to the self-rated assessment made by the informants. A high degree of perceived network competency correlated positively with success in work life. Network competent people participated more frequently in the activities of civic organizations and contacted decision-makers. Compared to less competent people, they appeared to be informed consumers. Those with high perceived competency believed that people's opportunities to influence social issues will increase in the future. The findings are explored with regard to the digital divide vs. digital inclusion, discussing the prospects for future research. http://informationr.net/ir/8-3/paper153.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 3 network competency, networks, citizenship, digital divide, information inequalities oai:infres154 2006-05-30 Web search: how the Web has changed information retrieval Brooks, Terrence A text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en Topical metadata are simultaneously hailed as building blocks of the semantic Web and derogated as spam. The significance of the metadata controversy depends on the technological appropriateness of adding them to Web pages. A survey of Web technology suggests that Web pages are both transient and volatile: poor hosts of topical metadata. A more supportive environment exists in the closed Web. The vast majority of Web pages, however, exist in the open Web, an environment that challenges the application of legacy information retrieval concepts and methods. http://informationr.net/ir/8-3/paper154.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 3 WWW, World Wide Web, Web, information retrieval, open Web closed Web, meta-data, metadata, meta-tags oai:infres155 2006-05-30 Observing documentary reading by verbal protocol Fujita, Mariangela Spotti Lopes; Nardi, Maria Isabel Asperti; Fagundes, Silvana Aparecida text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en Verifies the applicability to research on indexers' reading strategies of the process observing technique known as Verbal Protocol or Thinking Aloud. This interpretative-qualitative data collecting technique allows the observation of different kinds of process during the progress of different kinds of tasks. Presents a theoretical investigation into 'reading' and into formal methodological procedures to observe reading processes. Describes details of the methodological procedures adopted in five case studies with analysis of samples of data. The project adopted three kinds of parameters for data analysis: theoretical, normative, empirical (derived from observations made in the first case study). The results are compared, and important conclusions regarding documentary reading are drawn. http://informationr.net/ir/8-4/paper155.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 4 using verbal protocols in the analysis of reading for indexing oai:infres156 2006-05-30 Access to electronic resources by visually impaired people Jenny Craven Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en Research into access to electronic resources by visually impaired people undertaken by the Centre for Research in Library and Information Management has not only explored the accessibility of websites and levels of awareness in providing websites that adhere to design for all principles, but has sought to enhance understanding of information seeking behaviour of blind and visually impaired people when using digital resources. http://informationr.net/ir/8-4/paper156.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 4 user behaviour, navigation of web based resources, information retrieval, serial and non-serial searching, information seeking behaviour, blind and visually impaired people, web usability, non-visual access, digital library resources oai:infres157 2006-05-30 Task dimensions of user evaluations of information retrieval systems F.C.Johnson, J.R.Griffiths, R.J.Hartley text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en This paper reports on the evaluation of three search engines using a variety of user-centred evaluation measures grouped into four criteria of retrieval system performance. This exploratory study of users' evaluations of search engines took as its premise that user system success indicators will derive from the retrieval task the system supports (in its objective to facilitate search). This resulted in the definition of user evaluation as a multidimensional construct which provides a framework to link evaluations to system features in defined user contexts. Our findings indicate that users' evaluations across the engines will vary, and the dimensional approach to evaluation suggests the possible impact of system features. Further analysis suggests a moderating effect on the strength of the evaluation by a characterization of the user and/or query context. The development of this approach to user evaluation may contribute towards a better understanding of system feature and contextual impact on user evaluations of retrieval systems. http://informationr.net/ir/8-4/paper157.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 4 information retrieval systems, search engines, evaluation user satisfaction oai:infres158 2006-05-30 Access to electronic resources by visually impaired people Margaret Markland text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en A small study of the use of online information resources by new Virtual Learning Environment users in a UK University provided insights into the strategies used by lecturers to select those resources, and into some of the difficulties they encountered when using online materials in their teaching. Skills training emerged as an issue for both teachers and learners, and some interesting observations were made on the working relationships of lecturing staff and librarians. The study concludes that the need for 'new alliances' frequently raised in current literature is indeed very apparent, but that to be most effective such co-operation may need to be at individual as well as at group level.. http://informationr.net/ir/8-4/paper158.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 4 using verbal protocols in the analysis of reading for indexing oai:infres159 2006-05-30 Information literacy in Europe: a literature review Sirje Virkus text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en Examines the developments in information literacy in Europe and provides an overview of the concepts used and discussed by European authors. Some examples of information literacy initiatives in schools and the higher education sector, as well as of institutions and organizations, projects and conferences concerned with information literacy, are given. Some research initiatives are also introduced. The overview is based on literature reviews and personal observations and involvement and presents a selective review. http://informationr.net/ir/8-4/paper159.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 4 information literacy oai:infres160 2006-05-30 Evaluation of the JISC Information Environment: student perceptions of services Jillian R. Griffiths text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) Information Environment (IE, a development from the DNER - Distributed National Electronic Resource, is intended to help users in the UK academic sector maximise the value of published information resources by developing a coherent environment out of the confusing array of systems and services currently available. The EDNER Project (Formative Evaluation of the DNER) is funded to undertake ongoing evaluation of the developing IE over the full three years of the JISC 5/99 Learning & Teaching and Infrastructure Programme i.e. from 2000 to 2003. The EDNER Project is led by the Centre for Research in Library & Information Management (CERLIM) at the Manchester Metropolitan University; the Centre for Studies in Advanced Learning Technologies (CSALT) at Lancaster University is a partner. This paper reports on work in progress and some of the initial findings of the evaluation team. http://informationr.net/ir/8-4/paper160.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 4 information environment, IE, DNER, evaluation, electronic information services, user testing, students, quality attributes, information retrieval, IR oai:infres161 2006-05-30 Synchronised object retrieval: the enhancement of information retrieval performance in multimedia environments using synchronisation protocols Brophy, P text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en The retrieval of objects from within collections of multimedia presentations poses a number of problems but also offers opportunities for enhancing retrieval performance, by utilising information about the relationships between objects. This paper is concerned with the theoretical possibility of using the synchronisation information contained in SMIL-compliant multimedia presentations to retrieve objects which may either lack appropriate metadata or where the metadata is insufficient to enable reliable retrieval. It suggests that the synchronicity of display of objects could be used to infer their content and that this would provide possibilities for enhancement of retrieval performance. It further suggests how this process might be achieved and recommends that an experimental collection of SMIL-compliant presentations needs to be established to enable experimental work to be undertaken. http://informationr.net/ir/8-4/paper161.html Published in Information Research Volume 8 Number 4 multimedia retrieval oai:infres162 2006-05-30 Inscription and interpretation of text: a cultural hermeneutic examination of virtual community Gary Burnett, Michael H. Dickey, Michelle M. Kazmer, Katherine M. Chudoba text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en People engaging in electronic exchanges can create communities--places with socially constituted norms, values, and expectations. We adopt an anthropological perspective, yoked with a methodology based in hermeneutics, to illustrate how language use both reflects and influences culture in a virtual community. Our study analyses contributions to a Usenet newsgroup. Four elements of our conceptual model--coherence, reference, invention, and intention--provide mechanisms to examine a community's texts as it engages in social interaction and knowledge creation. While information exchange and socializing are intertwined, our model allows a robust understanding of the relationship between the two. Texts are not merely vehicles for communication but serve multiple purposes simultaneously. While they transfer information, texts also provide information within a social context, and create an expanding archive of socially-contextualized information well beyond the capabilities of any individual participant. This allows groups to negotiate reputations, socialize, and define the limits of their knowledge. http://informationr.net/ir/9-1/paper162.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 1 virtual communities oai:infres163 2006-05-30 On conceptual models for information seeking and retrieval research Kalervo Jarvelin, T.D. Wilson text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en There are several kinds of conceptual models for information seeking and retrieval (IS&R). The paper suggests that some models are of a summary type and others more analytic. Such models serve different research purposes. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the functions of conceptual models in scientific research, in IS&R research in particular. What kind of models are there and in what ways may they help the investigators? What kinds of models are needed for various purposes? In particular, we are looking for models that provide guidance in setting research questions, and formulation of hypotheses. As a example, the paper discusses [at length] one analytical model of task-based information seeking and its contribution to the development of the research area. http://informationr.net/ir/9-1/paper163.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 1 conceptual models, information seeking, information retrieval, models, hypotheses, task complexity, information behaviour oai:infres164 2006-05-30 A proposed general model of information behaviour. Barbara Niedźwiedzka text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en Presents a critical description of Wilson's (1996) global model of information behaviour and proposes major modification on the basis of research into information behaviour of managers, conducted in Poland. The theoretical analysis and research results suggest that Wilson's model has certain imperfections, both in its conceptual content, and in graphical presentation. The model, for example, cannot be used to describe managers' information behaviour, since managers basically are not the end users of external from organization or computerized information services, and they acquire information mainly through various intermediaries. Therefore, the model cannot be considered as a general model, applicable to every category of information users. The proposed new model encompasses the main concepts of Wilson's model, such as: person-in-context, three categories of intervening variables (individual, social and environmental), activating mechanisms, cyclic character of information behaviours, and the adoption of a multidisciplinary approach to explain them. However, the new model introduces several changes. They include: 1. identification of 'context' with the intervening variables; 2. immersion of the chain of information behaviour in the 'context', to indicate that the context variables influence behaviour at all stages of the process (identification of needs, looking for information, processing and using it); 3. stress is put on the fact that the activating mechanisms also can occur at all stages of the information acquisition process; 4. introduction of two basic strategies of looking for information: personally and/or using various intermediaries. http://informationr.net/ir/9-1/paper164.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 1 provide a brief statement of the subject oai:infres165 2006-05-30 Five personality dimensions and their influence on information behaviour Jannica Heinstrom text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en This article emphasize the importance of considering psychological mechanisms for a thorough understanding of users of information services. The focal point is the relation between personality and information seeking which is explored through a quantitative analysis of 305 university students' personality traits and information habits. It is shown that information behaviour could be connected to all the personality dimensions tested in the study - neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, competitiveness and conscientiousness. Possible explanations for these relations are discussed. It is concluded that inner traits interact with contextual factors in their final impact on information behaviour. http://informationr.net/ir/9-1/paper165.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 1 Personality traits and information behaviour oai:infres166 2006-05-30 Human studies and user studies: a call for methodological inter-disciplinarity Brenda Dervin text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2003 text/html en Drawing on extensive literature reviews focusing, in particular, on user (and audience) research in the fields of library and information science and communication studies, the author describes the increasing chaos of human studies and user studies--the plethora of theories, concepts, approaches, methods, and findings which plague researchers within and between fields and bewilder policy maker and practitioner observers. The origins and symptoms of these disciplinary overloads and the usual forms of inter-disciplinarity brought to bear on them are traced and the author argues that most usual approaches to inter-disciplinarity act as more of the same and contribute to overload conditions. She calls for a methodological approach to inter-disciplinarity based on fundamental communicative principles. For library and information science, which as a field has traditionally drawn on multi-disciplinary sources, the author cautions that as the field sets itself to the task of assisting the inter-disciplinary needs of its constituencies, it is especially important that the field also attend to inter-disciplinary needs within its own walls, between its many disparate and disconnected discourse communities. http://informationr.net/ir/9-1/paper166.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 1 inter-disciplinarity in user studies oai:infres167 2006-05-30 Users and user study methodology: the JUBILEE project Linda Banwell, Graham Coulson text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en This paper presents both theoretical aspects and practical examples from the on-going and large-scale JUBILEE (JISC User Behaviour in Information seeking: Longitudinal Evaluation of Electronic information services) project, now in its fifth year. Particular emphasis will be placed on the importance of using robust theory and methods as the basis for reputable user studies, especially those undertaken by practitioners. Theory underlying the development of the JUBILEE project and Toolkit is outlined, followed by demonstration of its practical use and impact during the project's on-going program of monitoring and evaluation activities. Themes underlying the paper concern the importance to practitioners of the need to understand and adopt a well founded methodology and sound methods with which to conduct projects, the additional benefits they can derive by so doing, and the pitfalls and dangers of not so doing. JUBILEE is used throughout as the example project to demonstrate the points made. http://informationr.net/ir/9-2/paper167.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 2 JUBILEE project, user behaviour, information seeking, longitudinal evaluation, electronic information services, theory, user studies, monitoring, evaluation, methodology oai:infres168 2006-05-30 An analysis of the use of electronic journals and commercial journal article collections through the FinELib portal Terttu Kortelainen text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The contents and characteristics of the services of a national electronic library, the FinELIb, were studied in relation to their use. The indicator of the use of the digital library material was the number of printed articles per journal in a year. The sites characterized as e-journals provide developed services utilizing the hypertext structure, 'outlinks', and the possibility of navigating between different materials, and, at least to a certain degree, maintain the structure of a traditional scientific journal. In services characterized as article files, the hypertext structure is utilised less and the unit of information delivered is an article. E-journals are used more heavily, but the article files outnumber them in the number of journals they offer. The services of e-journals and article files complement each other. http://informationr.net/ir/9-2/paper168.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 2 scientific journals, FinELib, digital libraries oai:infres169 2006-05-30 The challenge of automated tutoring in Web-based learning environments for information retrieval instruction Sormunen, Eero; Pennanen, Sami text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The need to enhance information literacy education increases demand for effective Web-based learning environments for information retrieval instruction. The paper introduces the Query Performance Analyser, a unique instructional tool for information retrieval learning environments. On top of an information retrieval system and within a given search assignment, the Query Performance Analyser supports learning by instantly visualizing achieved query performance. Although the Query Performance Analyser is a useful tool in training searching skills, performance feedback is not enough for learners practicing alone in Web-based learning environments. The paper reports the findings of a log analysis on user problems in exercising Boolean and best-match queries. A blueprint of an automated tutoring system for IR instruction is presented. http://informationr.net/ir/9-2/paper169.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 2 information literacy, World Wide Web, Web, learning environments, information retrieval, Query Performance Analyser, query performance, searching skills, performance feedback, log analysis, Boolean, best-match, automated tutoring system oai:infres170 2006-05-30 Open access to scientific publications - an analysis of the barriers to change Professor Bo-Christer Björk text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en 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 have, however, not changed much. Scientists have in protest against the high subscription prices of mainstream publishers 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, OA 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, subject-specific and institutional repositories for secondary parallel publishing. It also discusses the types of barriers, which can be classified as: legal framework, IT-infrastructure, business models, indexing services and standards, academic reward system, marketing and critical mass. http://informationr.net/ir/9-2/paper170.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 2 Open access electronic publishing oai:infres171 2006-05-30 The Library Visit Study: user experiences at the virtual reference desk Nilsen, Kirsti text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en This paper discusses the methodology and reports on initial findings of a study examining the perceptions of users of digital reference services. It is part of a long-term research project, The Library Visit Study, which has been conducted in three phases at the University of Western Ontario for more than a decade. Phases One and Two examined perceptions of users who approached physical reference desks in libraries with reference questions. Phase Three of the research considers reference encounters at virtual reference desks and compares users' experiences at the physical reference desk with experiences at the virtual reference desk. The findings suggest that, from the viewpoint of the enquirer, the virtual reference desk suffers from the same problems as the physical reference desk: inadequate reference interviewing, referral to alternative sources without a subsequent check on their suitability, and a lack of follow-up to determine satisfaction in general. http://informationr.net/ir/9-2/paper171.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 2 methodology, digital reference services, Library Visit Study, reference, virtual reference, reference interview, satisfaction, user perceptions oai:infres172 2006-05-30 Systems for the management of information in a university context: an investigation of user need. Information systems, Universities, Information strategy Marcella, R., Knox, K text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The accessibility, reliability, consistency, and relevance of data underpinning information systems are crucial to its use and effectiveness in a university setting. This article reports on the findings of a research project carried out at a new university, which highlighted the role information plays in the success of the operation and in allowing the institution to evolve and meet the challenges posed by the government, students and other stakeholders. Data were gathered from the academic and administrative staff of the university through interviews with senior managers, and a Web-based questionnaire completed by 863 respondents (a 47.9% response rate). The project aimed to explore data and information activities supporting management and strategic decision making in a new university. Project results indicate that there are real deficiencies in the realization of the case institution's information strategy and that these deficiencies must be addressed in developments focusing on improving strategic effectiveness in the future. Particular issues identified included the lack of clarity in responsibility regarding information and concerns about the validity of much of the internally created and maintained data. http://informationr.net/ir/9-2/paper172.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 2 Information systems, Universities, Information strategy, Accessibility, Reliability, Consistency, Relevance, University, Information, Academic staff, Faculty, Administrative staff, Senior managers, Web, Questionnaire, oai:infres173 2006-05-30 Supporting undergraduate learning through the collaborative promotion of e-journals by library and academic departments. Electronic journals, E-journals, Higher education John Colvin, Judith Keene text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en 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 quotient 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. http://informationr.net/ir/9-2/paper173.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 2 Electronic journals, E-journals, Higher education, Universities, Learning, Colleges, UK, Research quotient, Assessment oai:infres174 2006-05-30 A longitudinal study of Web pages continued: a consideration of document persistence Wallace Koehler text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en It is well established that Web documents are ephemeral in nature. The literature now suggests that some Web objects are more ephemeral than others. Some authors describe this in terms of a Web document half-life, others use terms like 'linkrot' or persistence. It may be that certain 'classes' of Web documents are more or less likely to persist than are others. This article is based upon an evaluation of the existing literature as well as a continuing study of a set of URLs first identified in late 1996. It finds that a static collection of general Web pages tends to 'stabilize' somewhat after it has 'aged'. However 'stable' various collections may be, their instability nevertheless pose problems for various classes of users. Based on the literature, it also finds that the stability of more specialized Web document collections (legal, educational, scientific citations) vary according to specialization. This finding, in turn, may have implications both for those who employ Web citations and for those involved in Web document collection development. http://informationr.net/ir/9-2/paper174.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 2 Web pages, persistence, half-life, Link rot, Web citations oai:infres175 2006-05-30 The applicability of constructivist user studies: how can constructivist inquiry inform service providers and systems designers? Constructivist inquiry, Case study, Systems design, User behaviour Alison Pickard, Pat Dixon text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html/ en This paper has attempted to clarify the ways in which individual, holistic case studies, produced via the process of 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. http://informationr.net/ir/9-3/paper175.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 3 Constructivist approach to information needs oai:infres176 2006-05-30 Language engineering for the Semantic Web: a digital library for endangered languages. Lu, Shiyong and Liu, Dapeng text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en In this paper, we describe the effort undertaken at Wayne State University to preserve endangered languages using the state-of-the-art information technologies. In particular, we discuss the issues involved in such an effort, and present the architecture of a distributed digital library for endangered languages which will contain various data of endangered languages in the forms of text, image, video, audio and include advanced tools for intelligent cataloguing, indexing, searching and browsing information on languages and language analysis. We use various Semantic Web technologies such as XML, OLAC, ontologies so that our digital library becomes a useful linguistic resource on the Semantic Web. http://informationr.net/ir/9-3/paper176.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 3 Endangered languages, Ontology, Digital library, Multimedia, EMELD, Intelligent querying and retrieval, ImageSpace oai:infres177 2006-05-30 Three looks at users: a comparison of methods for studying digital library use Mark Notess text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en 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. http://informationr.net/ir/9-3/paper177.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 3 Endangered languages, Ontology, Digital library, Multimedia, EMELD, Intelligent querying and retrieval, ImageSpace oai:infres178 2006-05-30 Constructing a model of effective information dissemination in a crisis Fiona Duggan, Linda Banwell text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en A model of effective information dissemination in a crisis was developed from a Ph.D. study of information dissemination during a suspected TB outbreak. The research aimed to characterise and evaluate the dissemination of information to the community during the incident. A qualitative systematic review of the research literature identified twenty relevant studies. Meta-ethnographic analysis of these studies highlighted the key factors in effective dissemination. Consideration of these factors in relation to dissemination theory provided the links between the key factors. When the resulting model was applied to the specific circumstances of the incident two barriers to effective information dissemination were identified. Incorporating these barriers into the original model enabled the construction of a model of effective information dissemination in a crisis. The implications of this model for information professionals include incorporating social marketing as a core element of education and training and adopting multi-method dissemination strategies. http://informationr.net/ir/9-3/paper178.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 3 Information dissemination, Crisis, Crises, Tuberculosis, Dissemination of information, Meta-ethnographic analysis, Social marketing oai:infres179 2006-05-30 Education and training for records management in the electronic environment - the (re)search for an appropriate model McLeod, J. Hare, C. and Johare, R text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en This article shares the initial results of a doctoral research study for a best practice model for education and training in records management. It also considers existing education and training initiatives. http://informationr.net/ir/9-3/paper179.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 3 Education and training for effective records management oai:infres180 2006-05-30 The nature of meaning in the Age of Google Terrence A. Brooks Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The culture of lay indexing has been created by the aggregation strategy employed by web search engines such as Google. Meaning is constructed in this culture by harvesting semantic content from web pages and using hyperlinks as a plebiscite for the most important web pages. The characteristic tension of the culture of lay indexing is between genuine information and spam. Google's success requires maintaining the secrecy of its parsing algorithm despite the efforts of web authors to gain advantage over the Googlebot. Legacy methods of asserting meaning such as the META keywords tag and Dublin Core are inappropriate in the lawless meaning space of the open Web. A writing guide is urged as a necessary aid for web authors who must balance enhancing expression versus the use of technologies that limit the aggregation of their work. http://informationr.net/ir/9-3/paper180.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 3 Google is the pre-eminent web search engine of our age. oai:infres181 2006-05-30 My e-journal - exploring the usefulness of personalized access to scholarly articles and services Jette Hyldegaard, Piet Seiden text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The paper presents the results of a user evaluation study exploring the usefulness of personalized access to scholarly journals and services with regard to the information behaviour of scientists. The aim was to investigate what factors would be critical to personalization, what personalization features would be relevant and to what extent profile and behaviour based personalization would be acceptable. Three providers of personalized access to scholarly journals and services formed the basis of the study. The user group was fourteen doctoral students. Personalization was found to be associated with expectations of increased efficiency compared to traditional searching, emphasizing the need for functionality oriented features such as search alerts. Profile based personalization was to some extent positively associated with reduction of information overload. Various quality indicators were found to affect the perceived reliability of a service, making trust a critical theme when establishing a personalized user experience. The study suggests implications for the digital library when designing for a personalized information environment. http://informationr.net/ir/9-3/paper181.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 3 The paper presents the results of a user evaluation study exploring the usefulness of personalized access to scholarly journals and services with regard to the information behaviour of scientists. oai:infres182 2006-05-30 Study of interdisciplinarity in chemistry research based on the production of Puerto Rican scientists 1992-2001 Elias Sanz-Casado, Carmen Martin-Moreno, Carlos Garcia-Zorita, Maria Luisa Lascurain-Sanchez text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en Determining the role played by interdisciplinarity in the generation of knowledge is a very fertile line of research in which synergies among different fields of science can be identified and their impact on research efficiency ascertained. A number of methods may be used to explore interdisciplinarity, from the sociological approach to those requiring the application of bibliometric indicators. In this paper, a bibliometric analysis of the research conducted by scientists with the Chemistry Department at the University of Puerto Rico was run on the basis of the subject matter of citing and cited papers, in order to ascertain how interdisciplinarity affects certain aspects of research, such as collaboration or visibility. The data used for this paper were taken from the Science Citation Index database, which lists the most significant contributions made by these scientists, along with the respective bibliographic references. The study revealed the existence of scientific areas that are highly dependent on the knowledge generated in the specific area itself. A positive, albeit weak, correlation was also observed between research interdisciplinarity and collaboration between researchers and institutions. Interdisciplinarity was not found to have any effect, however, on the visibility of research papers or to be correlated with international collaboration. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper182.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Interdisciplinarity in chemistry oai:infres183 2006-05-30 Web information seeking by pages Jarkko Kari text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The intention of this paper is to look at how the World Wide Web is used in looking for information in the domain of personal development. The theoretical aim of the paper is to elaborate conceptual tools for understanding better the content of Web pages, as well as navigation through the Web. To obtain detailed and valid data, totally free-form Web searches by fifteen individuals were observed and videotaped. The 1,812 pages visited by the informants, along with their actions therein, were examined and coded. The study explores the subject, language and content type of the viewed pages, as well as the tactics, strategies, interfaces and revisitation in moving from one page to another. Correlations between the variables are also analysed. One of the most interesting discoveries was the wide variety of different tactics for moving around the Web, albeit that only clicking on links and pushing the Back button stood out from the rest. The paper ends by presenting sundry theoretical, methodological and practical contributions of the research to the field of Web searching. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper183.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 World Wide Web information seeking oai:infres184 2006-05-30 Using participant or non-participant observation to explain information behaviour Janet Cooper, Rachael Lewis and Christine Urquhart text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The aim of the paper is to provide guidance on conducting participant and non-participant observation studies of information behaviour. Examines lessons learned during non-participant observation of hospital pharmacists, and participant observation with dependent older people living in their own homes. Describes the methods used in both studies, and discusses the ethical issues involved in gaining access to the subjects. In the hospital setting, professional affiliation between the researcher and the subjects (six pharmacists) made access easier to obtain. In the home care setting, access to subjects (seven clients) for participant observation (as a care worker) was more difficult, as was withdrawal from the field study. In both studies, the observation element was triangulated with survey data. Both studies indicated the fundamental need for trust between the observer and the research subjects. In some situations, professional relations offer instant access and trust, whereas in closed and sensitive situations such as social care, time is required to build up trust. With participant observation, that trust should not be damaged by withdrawal of the researcher from the research setting. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper184.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Observation - participant and non-participant - in information behaviour research oai:infres185 2006-05-30 An Empirical Study of the Effect of Information Technology Expenditures on Student Achievement Alan R. Peslak text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The impact of information technology on productivity in the private sector has been extensively researched. But the study of the impact of information technology expenditures in schools has been limited. This study of 1090 California schools and including over 6,000,000 students, attempts to address this issue through an analysis of IT expenditures at the school level and the effect on standardized reading and mathematics test scores. Thirteen other factors were also included in this analysis of the 2001-2002 academic year. Included are public school grades two through eleven. The results indicate that socio-economic status as measured by the percentage of students receiving free or reduced meals was the most significant factor in determining test scores. Also significant was percentage of fully qualified teachers. Information technology as measured by a number of factors did not show significant and positive effects on student performance. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper185.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Information technology productivity, educational technology, standardized testing, educational information technology, Internet in schools, computers in schools oai:infres186 2006-05-30 Beyond usage: understanding the use of electronic journals on the basis of information activity analysis Annaïg Mahé text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en In this article, which reports the second part of a two-part study of the use of electronic journals by researchers in two French research institutions, we attempt to explain the integration of the use of electronic journals in the scientists' information habits, going beyond usage analysis. First, we describe how the development of electronic journals use follows a three-phase innovation process - research-development, first uses, and technical acculturation. Then, we attempt to find more significant explanatory factors, and emphasis is placed on the wider context of information activity. Three main information activity types are outlined - marginal, parallel, and integrated. Each of these types corresponds to a particular attitude towards scientific information and to different levels of electronic journal use. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper186.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Electronic journals, Use studies, Information activity, Scientific communication oai:infres187 2006-05-30 Library usage patterns in the electronic information environment. B. Franklin, T. Plum text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en This paper examines the methodology and results from Web-based surveys of more than 15,000 networked electronic services users in the United States between July 1998 and June 2003 at four academic health sciences libraries and two large main campus libraries serving a variety of disciplines. A statistically valid methodology for administering simultaneous Web-based and print-based surveys using the random moments sampling technique is discussed and implemented. Results from the Web-based surveys showed that at the four academic health sciences libraries, there were approximately four remote networked electronic services users for each in-house user. This ratio was even higher for faculty, staff, and research fellows at the academic health sciences libraries, where more than five remote users for each in-house user were recorded. At the two main libraries, there were approximately 1.3 remote users for each in-house user of electronic information. Sponsored research (grant funded research) accounted for approximately 32% of the networked electronic services activity at the health sciences libraries and 16% at the main campus libraries. Sponsored researchers at the health sciences libraries appeared to use networked electronic services most intensively from on-campus, but not from in the library. The purpose of use for networked electronic resources by patrons within the library is different from the purpose of use of those resources by patrons using the resources remotely. The implications of these results on how librarians reach decisions about networked electronic resources and services are discussed. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper187.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Electronic journals, Use studies, Use studies, Libraries, Medical libraries oai:infres188 2006-05-30 Web links as research indicators: analogues of citations? Alastair G Smith text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en This exploratory study investigates the extent to which web links are analogues to the citations in traditional print literature. A classification of links is developed, using the nature of source and target pages, and the reason for linking. Links to a sample of research oriented websites (universities, professional institutes, research institutes, electronic journals, and individual researchers) were classified. Overall, 20% of the links in the study could be regarded as research links analagous to citations. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper188.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 web links, citatations oai:infres189 2006-05-30 Evaluation of three German search engines: Altavista.de, Google.de and Lycos.de Joachim Griesbaum text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en 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. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper189.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Evaluation, retrieval test, search engines oai:infres190 2006-05-30 Censura y tolerancia del material sexualmente explícito: la opinión de los estudiantes universitarios de pregrado Carlos Vílchez Román Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 Conocer las opiniones de los estudiantes universitarios con relación a la censura del material sexualmente explícito. Se utilizó una encuesta de opinión en una muestra de 842 estudiantes de tres universidades peruanas. Resultados: 1) Las mujeres apoyan las leyes que prohíben completamente la pornografía, incluso en Internet, mientras que los varones respaldan las medidas reguladoras dirigidas a proteger a los menores de edad (p<0.05). 2) Se confirmó la hipótesis de investigación: existe relación entre la opinión de los estudiantes universitarios, a favor de la libertad de información y su exposición actual a material sexualmente explícito (p<0.001). 3) El 28% de los estudiantes encuestados está a favor de la censura de las publicaciones, de ellos, un mayor porcentaje de mujeres mostró su conformidad <33.3% vs. 23.8% (p=0.002). 4) La subescala 'Censura/Rechazo' logró un alto nivel de confiabilidad (a=0.7961), mientras que en la subescala 'Liberalidad' ésta fue algo más moderada (a=0.5312). http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper190.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Pornography and censureship on the Internet oai:infres191 2006-05-30 Bringing human information behaviour into information systems research: an application of systems modelling D Johnstone, M Bonner, M Tate Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 In their influential paper, Dervin and Nilan compared and contrasted the 'traditional' and 'alternative' paradigms for human information behaviour research, highlighting the inadequacies of the former and promoting the importance of the latter. In this paper, we argue that the two paradigms are not irreconcilable. We offer a research framework that allows qualitative and quantitative views of the same problem to be combined using systems models. We demonstrate how this approach can be used to reconcile the six key differences between the two paradigms as argued by Dervin and Nilan. We further illustrate the usefulness of this approach by applying it to Wilson's revised general model of information behaviour to provide a framework for future research in this area. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper191.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 human information behaviour; paradigms; systems models oai:infres192 2006-05-30 On Identifying Name Equivalences in Digital Libraries Dror G. Feitelson text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en 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. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper192.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Digital library administration oai:infres193 2006-05-30 Análisis bibliométrico de la literatura científica publicada en 'Ciencia. Revista hispano-americana de ciencias puras y aplicadas' Antonio Pulgarin, Cristina Carapeto, Jose M. Cobos text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en This paper reports the pilot stage of a Project whose objective is to analyse the scientific output of the journal Ciencia from its appearance (1940) until its closure (1974). The journal constituted the formal channel for the dissemination of science among Spanish researchers in exile in Hispano-America due to the Spanish civil War (1936-1939). The original articles published in three of the seven sections into which the journal was divided - Modern science (section I), Original communications (section II), and Applied science (section IV) - are studied, together with the bibliographical references contained in those articles. The number of articles analysed was 972, and of bibliographical references 14,184. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper193.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Bibliometric analysis of the journal Ciencia oai:infres194 2006-05-30 Diseño y desarrollo de una plataforma digital de apoyo a la docencia y a la investigación en Archivos Electrónicos: un portal temático Antonio Ángel Ruiz Rodríguez y David Gómez Domínguez text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The present contribution is aimed at explaining in detail a thematic Web portal specialized in digital documents and their impact on the information society from the archives and records management perspective. It has been produced by the Faculty of Library Science and Documentation of the University of Granada. This web portal has been developed as the basis of a digital platform for practical exercises in subjects linked to this area which form part of a Masters degree in Documentation. Thus, the development of practice will be enhanced and supported with a wide range of relevant information resources on this subject. As the portal will support both teaching and research, it contributes to the principal objectives of the university. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper194.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Web portal development oai:infres195 2006-05-30 Generating and Analysing Data for Applied Research on Emerging Technologies: A Grounded Action Learning Approach Pak Yoong, David Pauleen text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en One of the difficulties of conducting applied qualitative research on the applications of emerging technologies is finding available sources of relevant data for analysis. Because the adoption of emerging technologies is, by definition, new in many organizations, there is often a lack of experienced practitioners who have relevant background and are willing to provide useful information for the study. Therefore, it is necessary to design research approaches that can generate accessible and relevant data. This paper describes two case studies in which the researchers used a grounded action learning approach to study the nature of e-facilitation for face-to-face and for distributed electronic meetings. The grounded action learning approach combines two research methodologies, grounded theory and action learning, to produce a rigorous and flexible method for studying e-facilitation. The implications of this grounded action learning approach for practice and research will be discussed. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper195.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Applied research in e-facilitation oai:infres196 2006-05-30 An evaluation of New Zealand political party Websites Matthew Conway, Dan Dorner text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en In a very short time, Websites have become vital campaign and communication tools for political parties around the world. This study examines the effectiveness of the Websites of New Zealand political parties, focusing on the functions that the parties were performing online and on how effectively they were delivering these functions. The research was designed to provide a quantitative evaluation of party Websites and to allow for longitudinal comparisons and comparisons between countries. Using a coding scheme that measured 50 different criteria numerically, providing for objective evaluation and comparison, the study found that New Zealand political parties were not using the Internet effectively, mainly because most were using their Websites for information provision, yet were not providing the tools required to make this information as accessible as possible. The research also found that the major parties were using their Websites more effectively than the minor and non-parliamentary parties, but the most effective Website belonged to the Green Party. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper196.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Political parties and the World Wide Web oai:infres197 2006-05-30 Online newspapers: the impact of culture, sex, and age on the perceived importance of specified quality factors Beverley G. Hope, Zhiru Li text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en There has been a proliferation of online newspapers over recent years. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, factors affecting the quality of online newspapers remain only partially understood. Based on a two-factor model of hygiene and motivator factors, this paper examines quality for online newspapers giving attention to differences across culture, sex, and age. Hygiene factors are essential requirements whose absence causes dissatisfaction, while motivators are desirable elements that add value and increase user satisfaction. The paper presents findings from an empirical study of eighty-four Web users. Results show that hygiene factors for our respondents were: Timeliness, Content attractiveness, Content coverage, Usefulness, and Navigation, while motivators were: Writing style, Layout, Archives, Services, Interactivity, and Multimedia presentation. Four factors were borderline: Journalism ethics, Ease of use, Front page and headlines, and Locating information. However, the research reveals some differences in classification of factors across culture, sex, and age. http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper197.html Published in Information Research Volume 9 Number 4 Quality of online newspaper oai:infres198 2006-05-30 Enthusiastic, realistic and critical: discourses of Internet use in the context of everyday life information seeking Reijo Savolainen text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en Based on the interviews of 18 participants, the ways in which people talk about their source preferences with regard to the Internet in everyday life information seeking were investigated by using discourse analysis. Three major interpretative repertoires were identified: Enthusiastic, Realistic and Critical. The Enthusiastic repertoire emphasizes the strengths of the Internet, conceiving it as a 'great enabler' or as a 'technology of freedom'. In this repertoire, positive expressions such as fast, easy and interactive are favoured. In the Realistic repertoire, the source preferences are constructed as situation-bound choices. The Internet is given no absolute priority but its value is seen to depend on the relative advantages in specific situations. No sources or channels are superior by themselves but their value is contingent on the use situation and its specific requirements. Finally, the Critical repertoire is characterized by a reserved standpoint to the advantages brought by the Internet. Central to this repertoire is the critical view on the low amount of relevant information available in the Internet and the poor organization of networked information, rendering effective information seeking difficult. Due to their ideal-typical nature, the above repertoires are rather independent. However, in the everyday discursive practices, the repertoires are used alternately, and the same speaker may shift from one repertoire to another within the same account. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper198.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Internet, Everyday life, Information seeking, Discourse analysis, Interpretative repertoires, Information sources, Value, Use oai:infres199 2006-05-30 Information behaviour of migrant Hispanic farm workers and their families in the Pacific Northwest Karen E. Fisher, Elizabeth (Betty) Marcoux, Lupine S. Miller, Agueda Sánchez, Eva Ramirez Cunningham text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en Immigrants are generally perceived to be information poor, meaning they face major challenges with finding and using greatly needed everyday information. However, little research exists from an information behaviour perspective as differences in language, culture, and other factors such as access make immigrants a difficult population to study. We explored the everyday information behaviour and information grounds of migrant Hispanic farm workers via field observation and interviews with users, nonusers, and staff of community technology centres in a major agricultural area. Findings suggest that personal networks having various levels of credibility were used more readily than any other type of information source. Credibility and use of various sources seemed to relate to personal status as well as interest in information. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper199.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Migrant labour information behaviour oai:infres200 2006-05-30 Field differences in the use and perceived usefulness of scholarly mailing lists Sanna Talja, Reijo Savolainen, Hanni Maula text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en Based on a qualitative comparative study across four domains, this paper explores how the use and perceived usefulness of scholarly mailing lists is related to primary search methods, collaboration patterns, loci of critical information, physical proximity of like-minded colleagues, field size, the desirability of sharing information in public or semi-public discussion fora, relevance criteria, the degree of scatter within a field, and book versus article orientation. The findings show the differential role of formal and informal computer-mediated communication across fields. Environmental biologists and nursing scientists saw little value in mailing lists for research purposes. They relied on their local collaborators as sources of support and advice. Historians and literature and cultural studies scholars experienced mailing lists as helpful in monitoring literature and progress of the field. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper200.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Use of scholarly mailing lists oai:infres201 2006-05-30 Choosing people: the role of social capital in information seeking behaviour Catherine A. Johnson text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en It is an almost universal finding in studies investigating human information behaviour that people choose other people as their preferred source of information. An explanation for the use of people as information sources is that they are easier to approach than more formal sources and therefore are a 'least effort' option. However there have been few studies that have investigated who the people chosen as information sources are and what their relationship to the information seeker is. This paper reports findings that come out of a larger investigation of the information seeking behaviour of a random sample of residents of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Using the theory of social capital as a conceptual framework and the methods of social network analysis, this study investigated the relational factors associated with the choice of people as information sources. Results indicate that respondents chose people who had better resources than they had and were not well known by them. This suggests that respondents were deliberate in their choice of people information sources and therefore it is speculated that people are not necessarily the least effort option but may require considerable effort to seek out and consult. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper201.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 People as information sources oai:infres202 2006-05-30 Whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache: Moral tensions in heart surgery patients' and their spouses' talk about information seeking. Discourse analysis, Social constructionism, Heart surgery, Information seeking Tuominen, Kimmo text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The paper analyses accounts of information behaviour that are produced by twenty heart surgery patients and their spouses. It is shown that patients and their significant others have to act in a context in which health ideologies stressing self sufficiency and patient compliance play a strong role. Thus, the analysed accounts and narratives of information seeking reflect moral demands that ill persons and their significant others are facing in contemporary society. The author uses social constructionist discourse analysis to examine how the interviewees have to relate their descriptions of information practices to existing moral presuppositions on how rational individuals should behave. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper202.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Information seeking behaviour and heart surgery oai:infres203 2006-05-30 A new model of information behaviour based on the Search Situation Transition Nils Pharo text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en This paper presents a conceptual model of information behaviour. The model is part of the Search Situation Transition method schema. The method schema is developed to discover and analyse interplay between phenomena traditionally analysed as factors influencing either information retrieval or information seeking. In this paper the focus is on the model's five main categories: the work task, the searcher, the social/organisational environment, the search task, and the search process. In particular, the search process and its sub-categories search situation and transition and the relationship between these are discussed. To justify the method schema an empirical study was designed according to the schema's specifications. In the paper a subset of the study is presented analysing the effects of work tasks on Web information searching. Findings from this small-scale study indicate a strong relationship between the work task goal and the level of relevance used for judging resources during search processes. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper203.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 A conceptual model of information behaviour oai:infres204 2006-05-30 Discipline, availability of electronic resources and the use of Finnish National Electronic Library - FinELib Sanna Torma, Pertti Vakkari text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 This study elaborated relations between digital library use by university faculty, users' discipline and the availability of key resources in the Finnish National Electronic Library (FinELib), Finnish national digital library, by using nationwide representative survey data. The results show that the perceived availability of key electronic resources by researchers in FinELib was a stronger predictor of the frequency and purpose of use of its services than users' discipline. Regardless of discipline a good perceived provision of central resources led to a more frequent use of FinELib. The satisfaction with the services did not vary with the discipline, but with the perceived availability of resources. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper204.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Digital libraries, University faculty, Discipline, Users, Finnish National Electronic Library, Electronic resources oai:infres205 2006-05-30 Seeking Information, Seeking Connections, Seeking Meaning: Genealogists and Family Historians Elizabeth Yakel text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en Genealogy and family history are examples of everyday life information seeking and provide a unique example of intensive and extensive use of libraries and archives over time. In spite of the ongoing nature of this activity, genealogists and family historians have rarely been the subject of study in the information seeking literature and therefore the nature of their information problems have not been explored. This article discusses findings from a qualitative study based on 29 in-depth semi-structured interviews with genealogists and family historians and observations of their personal information management practices. Results indicated that the search for factual information often led to one for orienting information. Finding ancestors in the past was also a means of finding one's own identity in the present. Family history is also an activity without a clear end goal; after the ancestry chart is filled in the search continues for more information about the lives of one's forebears. Thus, family history should be viewed as an ongoing process of seeking meaning. The ultimate need is not a fact or date, but to create a larger narrative, connect with others in the past and in the present, and to find coherence in one's own life. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper205.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Information needs of genealogists./ oai:infres206 2006-05-30 Talking about the problem: a content analysis of pre-search interviews T.D. Wilson text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The pilot study reported here applies content analysis techniques to twenty interviews carried out in preparation for mediated searches as part of the 'Uncertainty in Information Seeking' project. The tools used in the analysis (Atlas.ti and TEXTStat) are described and their contribution assessed. TEXTStat, a free program, was used to produce frequency counts of the words used in the interview and to examine the context of those words. Atlas.ti was used to assign codes to the interview transcripts and to model the relationships among these codes. The mode of analysis of the cases is qualitative and interpretative and the results reveal the complexity of the information problems, the variety of motivations for undertaking a mediated search, the difficulties of expressing the search concepts, and the relationship between the need for a search and previous information seeking behaviour. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper206.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Content analysis, Interviews, Mediated searches, Searching, Atlas.ti, TEXTStat, Qualitative analysis, Interpretative research, Motivation, Search concepts, Information-seeking behaviour oai:infres207 2006-05-30 Information behaviour that keeps found things found Harry Bruce, William Jones, Susan Dumais text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en 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 behaviour and re-finding behaviour. The research study observed both types of information behaviour. To study keeping behaviour, 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 that they what 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 information re-finding behaviour. Finally, the researchers conducted a survey to validate and augment the data from the keeping study. 214 individuals participated in the survey. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper207.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Information behaviour, Finding, Keeping, Survey oai:infres208 2006-05-30 Information seeking and students studying for professional careers: the cases of engineering and law students in Ireland Gillian Kerins, Ronan Madden, Crystal Fulton text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en 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 and continuing mis-perceptions of libraries and information professionals. The 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. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper208.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Information seeking, Students, Professions, Engineering, Law, Ireland oai:infres209 2006-05-30 The information needs of female Police Officers involved in undercover prostitution work Lynda M. Baker text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The purpose of this study was to examine the information behavior of female police officers involved in undercover prostitution work. 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 http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper209.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Information needs of police decoys. oai:infres210 2006-05-30 From Information Behaviour Research to the Design of Information Systems: the Cognitive Work Analysis Framework Raya Fidel, Annelise Mark Pejtersen text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) 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. CWA has proven to be an effective approach to the study of human information behaviour for the purpose of designing information systems. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper210.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Cognitive Work analysis makes it possible to analyse human-information behaviour, preserving its complexity, in a manner that lends itself to the development of requirements for the design of information systems. oai:infres211 2006-05-30 Preparing for opening night: temporal boundary objects in textually-mediated professional practice Elisabeth Davies, Pamela J. McKenzie text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en The authors report on two projects in which the role of documents as temporal boundary objects mediating information practices across multiple timelines was explored. It has been suggested that studying workplace documents will uncover the information practices of professionals beyond traditional information needs and uses studies. Two workplaces were studied: a professional theatre production and a midwifery clinic. Both settings are communities constructed partly through textual dynamics and both have a pre-production phase leading to an opening night. In the theatre setting, qualitative interviews with the cast and crew and document analysis of the prompt book were the means of data collection. The midwifery clinic setting was investigated by means of interviews and follow-ups with sixteen midwife-client pairs and document analysis of the antenatal record. Preliminary thematic analysis pertaining to time and information was conducted on interview transcripts and the relevant documents. It was possible to show several instances of both the prompt book and the antenatal record being treated as a timeline by the various professionals using them. The authors conclude with a discussion of the temporal aspects of professionals' information practices as revealed by these two projects and encourage further document-focused research. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper211.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Documents, Temporal boundary objects, Boundary objects, Information behaviour, Professionals, Theatre production, Midwifery oai:infres212 2006-05-30 Information Seeking Research Needs Extension towards Tasks and Technology Kalervo Järvelin, Peter Ingwersen text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2004 text/html en This paper discusses the research into information seeking and its directions at a general level. We approach this topic by analysis and argumentation based on past research in the domain. We begin by presenting a general model of information seeking and retrieval (IS&R) which is used to derive nine broad dimensions that are needed to analyze IS&R. Past research is then contrasted with the dimensions and shown not to cover the dimensions sufficiently. Based on an analysis of the goals of information seeking research, and a view on human task performance augmentation, it is then shown that information seeking is intimately associated with, and dependent on, other aspects of work; tasks and technology included. This leads to a discussion on design and evaluation frameworks for IS&R, based on which two action lines are proposed: information retrieval research needs extension towards more context and information seeking research needs extension towards tasks and technology. http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper212.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 1 Information seeking research evaluation. oai:infres213 2006-05-30 Assessing Website quality in context: retrieving information about genetically modified food on the Web Claire R. McInerney, Nora J. Bird text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en Knowing the credibility of information about genetically modified food on the Internet is critical to the everyday life information seeking of consumers as they form opinions about this nascent agricultural technology. The Website Quality Evaluation Tool (WQET) is a valuable instrument that can be used to determine the credibility of Websites on any topic. Method. This study sought to use the WQET to determine the quality of Websites in the context of biotechnology or genetically modified food and to seek one or more easily identified characteristics, such as bias, commitment, use of metatags and site update-access interval (length of time between last update of the site and the date reviewed) that might be used as a quick discriminator of a Website's quality. Analysis. Using SPSS, ANOVA and regression analyses were performed with the website variables of a population of one hundred Websites about genetically modified food. Results. Only the site update-access interval was determined to be a shortcut quality indicator with an inverse relationship. The longer the interval the lower the quality score. Conclusion.The study established a model for Website quality evaluation. The update-access interval proved to be the single clear-cut indicator to judge Website quality in everyday information seeking. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper213.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Website quality, Evaluation, Biotechnology, Genetically modified food oai:infres214 2006-05-30 The nature of information, and the effective use of information in rural development Hester W.J. Meyer text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en We report on the role of information in the development of rural communities where the impact of the oral tradition remains very strong. The nature of the attributes, and the particular type of communication mechanisms to be used, have been proposed as key factors in the use of information in rural communities. Method. Literature studies have been conducted to determine the nature of information, and information handling skills of traditional people. An in-depth study with field visits provided information on real-life practices. Analysis. A qualitative analysis has been carried out to match evidence from a case study and field visits with evidence in the literature. Requirements for the development process were taken into account. Results. A comparison of the attributes of information with the requirements for development of traditional people revealed that certain attributes of information are conducive to development while others can be counterproductive to the development process if not addressed properly. Conclusion. The successful use of information as a resource for development depends in large part on knowledge of the nature of information and the ability of senders to apply appropriate communication mechanisms understandable to traditional people. This has implications for people involved in the development of rural communities. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper214.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Information use in rural development oai:infres215 2006-05-30 A review of Web information seeking research: considerations of method and foci of interest Konstantina Martzoukou text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en This review shows that Web information seeking research suffers from inconsistencies in method and a lack of homogeneity in research foci. Background. Qualitative and quantitative methods are needed to produce a comprehensive view of information seeking. Studies also recommend observation as one of the most fundamental ways of gaining direct knowledge of behaviour. User-centred research emphasises the importance of holistic approaches, which incorporate physical, cognitive, and affective elements. Problems. Comprehensive studies are limited; many approaches are problematic and a consistent methodological framework has not been developed. Research has often failed to ensure appropriate samples that ensure both quantitative validity and qualitative consistency. Typically, observation has been based on simulated rather than real information needs and most studies show little attempt to examine holistically different characteristics of users in the same research schema. Research also deals with various aspects of cognitive style and ability with variant definitions of expertise and different layers of user experience. Finally the effect of social and cultural elements has not been extensively investigated. Conclusion. The existing limitations in method and the plethora of different approaches allow little progress and fewer comparisons across studies. There is urgent need for establishing a theoretical framework on which future studies can be based so that information seeking behaviour can be more holistically understood, and results can be generalised. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper215.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Web information seeking, World Wide Web, Information seeking, Quantitative methods, Qualitative methods, Observation oai:infres216 2006-05-30 Managers look to the social network to seek information Mckenzie, M.L text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en The purpose of this study was to explore how managers selected individuals to serve as information sources. The social context of a for-profit business environment offered opportunity to study information seeking among interacting line managers. Method. The qualitative methods of social network mapping and interview were used to capture the data. The study was conducted within a stand-alone business unit of a major US-based corporation. A total of 22 line-managers participated in the study. Analysis. Content analysis was selected as the data analysis technique. The elements of interest were the themes within the data. Open coding was used to interrogate the data to ensure a systematic approach so that future researchers can replicate the process. Results. Relationship, more than knowledge, can be the reason a line-manager is sought as an information source. In addition to relationship, an individual manager's knowledge, communication behaviour, cognitive style, and cognitive ability play an influencing role in being selected as an information source. Conclusion. The non-hierarchical flow of information among managers and the reasons managers seek others as information sources further differentiates line-managers as a unique information user group http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper216.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Line-managers, Social networks, Social network mapping, Information seeking, Relationships, Communication behaviour, Communication style, Cognitive ability, Information sources, Managers oai:infres217 2006-05-30 Domain knowledge, search behaviour, and search effectiveness of engineering and science students: an exploratory study Zhang, X., Anghelescu, H.G.B. & Yuan, X text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en This study sought to answer three questions: 1) Would the level of domain knowledge significantly affect the user's search behavior? 2) Would the level of domain knowledge significantly affect search effectiveness, and 3).What would be the relationship between search behaviour and search effectiveness? Method. Participants were asked to rate their familiarity with 200 thesaurus terms to measure their level of domain knowledge. They also searched on three assigned topics using the COMPENDEX database. Data were collected through pre- and post-search questionnaires, thesaurus term rating form, computer logs, and search session printouts. Analysis. Twenty-two engineering and science students' data were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative analysis included both descriptive statistics and statistical testing, while the qualitative analysis was on the use of terms in queries. Results. As the level of domain knowledge increases, the user tends to do more searches and to use more terms in queries. However, the search effectiveness remained the same for all participants. Conclusion. The level of domain knowledge seems to have an effect on search behaviour, but not on search effectiveness, and search behaviour does not seem to be related to search effectiveness. The findings are limited by the small sample size and need to be confirmed in further studies. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper217.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Search behaviour of engineering and science students oai:infres218 2006-05-30 Speaking of users: on user discourses in the field of public libraries Åse Hedemark, Jenny Hedman, Olof Sundin text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en The aim of the study reported is to examine user discourses identified in the Swedish public library field. The following questions are posed: What user discourses can be found and what characterises them? How are users categorised and what does this categorisation imply? The departure point in this paper is that the ways users are categorised influence their information behaviour. Plausible consequences for the relation between the interest of the public library and the users are discussed. Method. The empirical focus of the paper is a discourse analysis with a starting-point in Ernesto Laclaus and Chantal Mouffes discourse theory. Analysis. Sixty-two articles from three established Swedish library journals are analysed through a model in four phases. These phases include designations of users, user categories, themes within which users are described and user discourses. Results. Four user discourses are revealed: a general education discourse, a pedagogical discourse, an information technology discourse and an information management discourse. Conclusion. The discourses hold both levels of idealizing and experience related rhetoric. The dominant general education discourse is based on a tradition of fostering and refining as well as educating the general public and thereby reproduces inequality between the user and the library. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper218.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Discourse analysis of public library conceptions of users oai:infres219 2006-05-30 Meaning and authority: the social construction of an 'author' among information behaviour researchers Michael Olsson text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en The study explores the social processes that influence the construction by academic (information behaviour) researchers of the meaning/s and significance/s of an author and her work prominent in the literature of their field (Brenda Dervin). Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews, based in part on the 'Life-Line' and 'Time-line' techniques developed by Dervin and her collaborators. Participants were purposefully sampled to reflect a range of experience levels and conceptual approaches.. Analysis The study adopted an inductive approach to data analysis, based on the 'constant comparison' approach of Glaser and Strauss. Feedback from participants was sought throughout the analysis process via email. Results 'Interactions and Relationships' describes the social contacts involved in their construction of the author; 'The Role of Existing Constructions' deals with participants' existing knowledge and understandings; and 'Accepted and Contested Constructions' demonstrates how they drew on their existing constructions in order to accept or contest the constructions of the author conveyed to them Conclusions Participants' constructive processes involved drawing on their previous experience ('existing constructions') in order to accept or contest the constructions of the author conveyed to them in each new encounter. Participants' constructive processes had two interdependent aspects: the construction of meaning and the construction of authority. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper219.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Social construction of authorship in information behaviour research oai:infres220 2006-05-30 How human information behaviour researchers use each other's work: a basic citation analysis study Lynne McKechnie, George R. Goodall, Darian Lajoie-Paquette, Heidi Julien text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en The purpose of this study was to determine if and how human information behaviour (HIB) research is used by others. Method. Using ISI Web of Knowledge, a citation analysis was conducted on 155 English-language HIB articles published from 1993 to 2000 in six prominent LIS journals. The bibliometric core of 12 papers was identified. Content analysis was performed on papers citing the core (n=377) to determine how the papers were cited. A domain visualization was constructed of the citing relationships within the entire corpus. Analysis. Citation analysis, content analysis and social network analysi were used to analyse the data. Results. HIB literature is being cited, primarily (81.5%) by LIS authors. Fields outside of LIS citing HIB articles include engineering, psychology, education and medicine. Papers were cited generally (36.0%), for findings (28.5%) and for theory (25.3%) with few citations for method (6.0%). The domain visualization depicted a clear core of HIB scholarship surrounded by a periphery of largely uncited literature. Conclusion. HIB literature is yet to have a significant impact on other disciplines. It appears to be a second stage discipline, marked by theoretical consistency and exponential growth in publications and new researchers. More attention should be paid to writing and citation practices to allow HIB literature to become a rich guide to the act of doing HIB research. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper220.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Human information behaviour, Research, Citation analysis, Citing relationships, Content analysis, Social network analysis, Domain visualization, Information behaviour, Behavior oai:infres221 2006-05-30 Information literacy of medical students studying in the problem-based and traditional curriculum Eskola, Eeva-Liisa text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en This paper reports on part of a research project on the relationships between learning methods and students' information behaviour in Finland. In this qualitative study information behaviour is studied in the contexts of a problem-based learning curriculum and a traditional curriculum. In 1998, 16 theme interviews were conducted at the Tampere University medical school, which applied the problem-based learning curriculum and 15 interviews at the Turku University Medical School, in which the traditional curriculum with an early patient contact programme was implemented. The focus of this paper is on the concept of information literacy as a part of the students' information behaviour. The findings indicate that students' information literacy is developed on the other hand through active use of information and sources in connection with real information needs, on the other hand through an educational context which offers opportunities to get different viewpoints on issues. Superiority of small group instruction compared to lecturing as a teaching method on courses in information searching and the importance of the correct timing of the instruction are confirmed. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper221.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Information literacy on medical students oai:infres222 2006-05-30 A non-linear model of information seeking behaviour Allen E. Foster text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en The results of a qualitative, naturalistic, study of information seeking behaviour are reported in this paper. The study applied the methods recommended by Lincoln and Guba for maximising credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability in data collection and analysis. Sampling combined purposive and snowball methods, and led to a final sample of 45 inter-disciplinary researchers from the University of Sheffield. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used to elicit detailed examples of information seeking. Coding of interview transcripts took place in multiple iterations over time and used Atlas-ti software to support the process. The results of the study are represented in a non-linear Model of Information Seeking Behaviour. The model describes three core processes (Opening, Orientation, and Consolidation) and three levels of contextual interaction (Internal Context, External Context, and Cognitive Approach), each composed of several individual activities and attributes. The interactivity and shifts described by the model show information seeking to be non-linear, dynamic, holistic, and flowing. The paper concludes by describing the whole model of behaviours as analogous to an artist's palette, in which activities remain available throughout information seeking. A summary of key implications of the model and directions for further research are included. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper222.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Information seeking behaviour oai:infres223 2006-05-30 Something Old, Something New: Preliminary Findings from an Exploratory Study about People's Information Habits and Information Grounds Fisher, Naumer, Durrance, Stromsky, Christianson text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en We explored Harris and Dewdney's principle that people follow habitual patterns when seeking everyday information along with Pettigrew's notion of information grounds. [Method] A telephone survey of 612 urban-rural residents was conducted regarding their needs for health and human services in partnership with the United Way of America. [Analysis] Both quantitative and qualitative (content analysis of open question responses) methods were used to analyse the data. [Results] Findings revealed: strong ties (40%) and the Internet (39%) are people's primary information sources; people both value and critique most their sources' ability to provide reliable and trusted information; and, that the most common information grounds are places of worship and the workplace. [Conclusion] People have information grounds from which the acquire information and the Internet is emerging as a popular information ground. Our findings suggest that further research may provide insight into types of information grounds, the ways in which information is socially constructed at these places and how information grounds evolve over time. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper223.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Information seeking behaviour oai:infres224 2006-05-30 Health information-seeking among Latino newcomers: an exploratory study Christina Courtright text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en This exploratory study examines health information-seeking practices among Latin American newcomers to a small city in the United States. The framework locates these practices within social networks, the local institutional context and the use and non-use of information technologies. Method. Semistructured interviews were conducted in Spanish with seven immigrant workers. Interviews elicited incidents of both purposive seeking and accidental encountering of health information. Analysis. Data were coded for reference to social networks, strengths of social networks, and perceptions and uses of institutions, organizations, and technologies, treating the information incident as unit of analysis. Results. Information seeking is often assisted by both social networks and key institutions, yet the quality of the information transmitted through social networks is apt to be uneven, and newcomers are unable to obtain an adequate overview of local health care for improved decision-making. Of particular interest is the finding that the local information environment has evolved significantly in response to growing demand for Spanish-language and low-income services. Conclusion. It is particularly important for information behaviour researchers to examine the dynamic interactions among study populations and their information environments over time. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper224.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 information seeking in the context of immigrant life oai:infres225 2006-05-30 Towards collaboration between information seeking and information retrieval Carol C. Kuhlthau text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en The conceptual framework of librarianship and information science has developed rapidly over the past decade with the prospect of application in other fields. However, transfer of concepts across branches within the field remains problematic and severely limits ability to address important information problems. Requirements. A conceptual framework is needed that will integrate the diverse areas of interest. Imperatives. An integrated framework requires sustained attention to a problem area; the application of the evolving framework to the area; the development of projects that are of relevance to more than one interest group in the field; and evolving the findings of research into the implementation of systems and services. Conclusion. The challenge facing librarianship and information science today is to bring together the allied areas of the field into an overarching conceptual framework that represents the unified whole. This paper suggests a strategy to accomplish this. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper225.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Developing a conceptual framework for librarianship and information science oai:infres226 2006-05-30 Relevance as process: judgements in the context of scholarly research Theresa D. Anderson text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en This paper discusses how exploring the research process in-depth and over time contributes to a fuller understanding of interactions with various representations of information. Method. A longitudinal ethnographic study explored decisions made by two informants involved in scholarly research. Relevance assessment and information seeking were observed as part of informants' own ongoing research projects. Fieldwork used methods of discovery that allowed informants to shape the exploration of the practices surrounding the evolving understandings of their topics. Analysis. Inductive analysis was carried out on the qualitative data collected over a two-year period of judgements observed on a document-by-document basis. The paper introduces broad categories that point to the variability and richness of the ways that informants used representations of information resources to make relevance judgements. Results. Relevance judgements appear to be drivers of the search and research processes informants moved through during the observations. Focusing on research goals rather than on retrieval tasks brings us to a fuller understanding of the relationship between ultimate research goals and the articulation of those goals in interactions with information systems. Conclusion. Relevance assessment is a process that unfolds in the doing of a search, the making of judgements and the using of texts and representations of information. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper226.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Ethnographic study of relevance assessment in information seeking oai:infres227 2006-05-30 Spreading the load: mobile information and communications technologies and their effect on information overload D.K. Allan, M. Shoard text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en We report on a small-scale research project which examined the impact of mobile technologies on the users' experience of information overload. The project focused on a group of worker who have had relatively little attention in both the mobile technology and information overload literatures: senior managers. Method. The case study approach was adopted, as complementary to an incremental approach to theory building. An inductive approach is adopted, in which data are collected and the findings are interpreted in the light of previous work. The case site was West Yorkshire Police Force in the UK where BlackBerry handhelds were being used by senior officers. Analysis. A semi-structured interview schedule was developed and applied in face-to-face interviews with the Senior Management Team and their secretaries. All interviews were recorded and the transcripts of the interviews analysed, using qualitative coding. Results. A conceptual model of the interactions and relationships among the key elements that drive and mediate the information flows and information behaviour within a complex organizational environment was developed. Managers' information behaviour and coping strategies were found to have changed since the introduction of mobile devices. Officers are more likely to deal with information received sooner, thereby resulting in less queuing of messages (although filtering strategies still prevail). Approximation (responding in a non-precise way) was also found to have increased. In this particular implementation, the mobile technology has not altered the information-pull behaviour of managers. Conclusion. The main finding is that personal information management is now distributed more evenly throughout the day. Thus, the technology has enabled officers to 'spread the load' and, in doing so, has helped to ease some of the pressures created by information overload. http://informationr.net/ir/10-2/paper227.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 2 Mobile information systems oai:infres228 2006-05-30 Towards a stakeholder model for the co-production of the public-sector information system Zita P. Correia text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en Proposes a systemic approach to Public Sector Information (PSI), defined as comprising entities in four categories - citizens, businesses, policymakers and administrations. This system also comprises four categories of information - on citizenship, economic and social development, policy and administration. Methods. A selective literature review was conducted to produce a convergence of perspectives from different fields, to provide the foundations for the stakeholder model. Analysis. The implications of the systemic approach to PSI, are: a) a holistic and open view of the entities and elements involved; b) clarification of the role of each of the stakeholder groups; c) commitment of each group to the public sector information system, and hence co-responsibility for the system. The principle of co-production is applied to the PSI system, by building on lessons from development studies. Results. A model is developed where the different groups of stakeholders are seen as groups of people and organizations with distinctive characteristics, playing different roles, but not mutually exclusive regarding their participation in the different subsystems. Conclusion. Success in adopting the proposed model may depend on pre-existing characteristics and conditions of each socio-political context, including existing levels of social capital, as much as on the implementation of technology to improve public service delivery. However, it is possible to build synergistic relations relatively quickly, through an imaginative application of 'soft technologies', such as institution-building and organizational change. http://informationr.net/ir/10-3/paper228.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 3 The public sector information system oai:infres229 2006-05-30 Information-seeking behaviour of Iranian extension managers and specialists Gholamreza Pezeshki-Rad, Naser Zamani text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en We report an investigation designed to explore information-seeking behaviour of extension managers and specialists in Iran, and to identify the factors that correlate with their information-seeking behaviour. Method. A questionnaire was developed to explore information-seeking behaviour of extension managers and specialists. Analysis. Data collected were analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS). Appropriate statistical procedures for description (frequencies, percent, means, and standard deviations) were used. Results. Results showed that the main motivation for seeking job-related information by both public extension managers and specialists was because they were interested in developing their own job-related information. The top three mostly used information sources by extension managers and specialists were Persian books, Persian scientific magazines, and scientific-technical reports. Concerning communication channels, interpersonal communication with colleagues, in-service training courses and scientific-technical conventions were ranked respectively as the three top communication channels used by respondents. There was a negative correlation between managers' years of extension work and their information-seeking behaviour. For specialists, a significant positive correlation was found between years of education and level of job satisfaction with their information-seeking behaviour. Conclusion. Providing valuable information sources, and removing information seeking barriers, can improve information-seeking behaviour of extension specialists and managers. http://informationr.net/ir/10-3/paper229.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 3 Information seeking behaviour of agricultural extension managers oai:infres230 2006-05-30 Intellectual property rights vs. public access rights: ethical aspects of the DeCSS decryptation program Robert Vaagan, Wallace Koehler text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en In 1999-2000, a Norwegian youth cracked a DVD-access code and published a decryptation program on the Internet. He was sued by the US DVD Copy Control Association (DVD-CCA) and the Norwegian Motion Picture Association (MAP), allies of the US Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), arrested by Norwegian police and charged with data crime. Two Norwegian court rulings in 2003 unanimously ruled that the program did not amount to a breach of Norwegian law, and he was fully acquitted. In the US, there have been related cases, some with other outcomes. Method. Based on a theoretical framework developed by Zwass, the paper discusses these court rulings and the wider issues of intellectual property rights versus public access rights. Analysis. The DVD-Jon case illustrates that intellectual property rights can conflict with public access rights, as the struggle between proprietary software and public domain software, as well as the SPARC and Open Archives Initiative reflect. Results. An assessment of the DVD-Jon case based on the Zwass framework does not give a clear information ethics answer. The analysis depends on whether one ascribes to consequentialist (e.g., utilitarian) or de-ontological reflection, and also on which side of the digital gap is to be accorded most weight. Conclusion. While copyright interests are being legally strengthened, there may be ethically- grounded access rights that outweigh property rights. http://informationr.net/ir/10-3/paper230.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 3 Intellectual property rights. oai:infres231 2006-05-30 Construcción de Estrategias Sistemáticas para la Búsqueda Exhaustiva de Información en Internet: un marco de toma de decisiones aplicado a la información sobre Psicología de la Salud. Julio Meneses, Mercè Boixadós, Lourdes Valiente, Pep Vivas, Manuel Armayones text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html es With the progressive increase of publicly available contents on the Internet and as information searching has become one of the most frequent online activities, informal and common searching cannot respond to the aims of scientific research. In regard to the relevant contents in a specific field of knowledge in a non-organised environment such as the Internet, the need of developing efficient procedures to guarantee a systematic search process arises. The development of these procedures or strategies, articulated by means of the properties of exhaustiveness in the search process, replicability of the procedure and ecologic validity, not only is not it arbitrary, but it is directly related to the time spent in the carrying out of the process and the quality of the resulting information. After the critical review of the different alternatives in information seeking, the current article intends to suggest a framework for this decision making process. Furthermore, the whole process is exemplified by the development of a systematic strategy in the field of the information about Health Psychology. http://informationr.net/ir/10-3/paper231.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 3 Systematic searching for Internet information oai:infres232 2006-05-30 Personal anticipated information need H. Bruce text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en Background. The role of personal information collections is a well known feature of personal information management. The World Wide Web has introduced to such collections ideas such as filing Web pages or noting their existence in 'Bookmarks' and 'Favourites'. Argument. It is suggested that personal information collections are created in anticipation of some future need for that information-personal, anticipated information need, which also underlies the design of formal information systems. Elaboration. Examination of the literature of information needs and information seeking behaviour leads to the formulation of five propositions that elaborate the concept of personal, anticipated information need. These propositions draw upon concepts such as uncertainty, predictability, sensitivity and the valuation of information sources. Conclusion. An individual's understanding of personal, anticipated information need and how this understanding guides the acquisition and management of personal information will determine the effectiveness of that collection. http://informationr.net/ir/10-3/paper232.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 3 Personal, anticipated information need oai:infres233 2006-05-30 The case of the news search engine: an exploratory empirical analysis of Google News Sandeep Krishnamurthy and Elaine Taniguchi text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en In this paper, we study one news search engine, Google News. We analyze and classify the sources used by this engine. We also conducted an analysis of two randomly chosen American states, Washington and Kansas, to ascertain the proportion of newspaper Websites featured on Google News. We find that Google News is US-centric: 73.24% of the sources are American. Google News is top-heavy. The top 5 countries- USA, UK, Canada, Australia and India- account for 91.95% of the sources. http://informationr.net/ir/10-3/paper233.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 3 Google News, news search engine, newspaper websites, evaulation oai:infres234 2006-05-30 Information seeking and use behaviour of economists and business analysts Eric Thivant text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en The aim of this paper is to deal with the information seeking and use problem in a professional context and understand how activity can influence practices, by taking as examples, the research undertaken by economic analysts. We analyse the relationship between the situational approach, described by Cheuk, the work environment complexity (with social, technological and personal aspects), and the information seeking and use strategies, which relied on Ellis and Wilson's model, with Bates's comments. Method. We interviewed eight economists, using a questionnaire and the SICIA (Situation, Complexity and Information Activity) method. The SICAI method is a qualitative approach, which underlines the relationship between situations, professional contexts and strategies. Both methods allow better understanding of how investment analysts find out what they need for their job. We can clarify their information sources and practices of information seeking, which are very particular because of their activities. We complete our analysis by interviewing analysts from financial institutions. Analysis. A qualitative mode of analysis was used to interpret the interviewees' comments, within the research framework adopted. Results. We find similarity in information seeking and use strategies used by these two groups and environmental levels meet in most situations. But some differences can be also found, explained by the activity frameworks and goals. Conclusion. This study demonstrates that the activity and also the professional context (here the financial context) can directly influence practices. http://informationr.net/ir/10-4/paper234.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 4 Information seeking and use behaviour of economists and analysts oai:infres235 2006-05-30 Information and Knowledge Management: Dimensions and Approaches Christian Schloegl Christian Schl&ouml;gl text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en Though literature on information and knowledge management is vast, there is much confusion concerning the meaning of these terms. Hence, this article should give some orientation and work out the main aspects of information and knowledge management. Method. An author co-citation analysis (ACA), which identified the main dimensions of information management, forms the basis of the study of literature. In it, the main aspects of information management are further refined. Furthermore, it will be investigated if the concept of knowledge management adds anything to information management, and if so what it is. Analysis. Data for ACA were retrieved from Science Citation Index (SCI) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI). Though the literature review is based on the quantitative results of the bibliometric analysis and has tried to consider the most prominent publications, some degree of subjectivism cannot be excluded. Results. As a result of ACA, a distinction can be made between content and technology-oriented information management approaches. According to the literature review, technology-oriented information management includes data management, IT management and strategic IT management. The main emphasis of these approaches is the effective and efficient use of information technology. In contrast, content-oriented approaches focus on information and its use. They can be distinguished in records management, provision of external information, human-centered information management, and information resources management. The reading of the literature on knowledge management reveals, that this term is either used synonymously for information management or for the management of work practices with the goal to improve the generation of new knowledge and the sharing of existing knowledge. Conclusions. This article identifies various aspects that are embraced by the terms information management and knowledge management. Thus, it should contribute to more terminological clarity and finally improve communication both in science and in professional practice. http://informationr.net/ir/10-4/paper235.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 4 This article identifies the main dimensions and major approaches of information management and knowledge management. It investigates if the concept of knowledge management adds anything to information management and what it is. oai:infres236 2006-05-30 Operational use of electronic records in police work Erik Borglund text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en This research is about how police officers use electronic records in their operational work, reacting to calls from the dispatch centre. Method. Three different qualitative studies, involving interviews and observations, were used to collect data. The studies were performed at a police county in the north of Sweden during 2003. Analysis. The empirical data were analysed using a hermeneutical analysis technique without computer-based support. Iterative analysis was performed, where empirical data related to the use of electronic records were identified and grouped together into larger categories, which were named descriptively. Results. There is a widespread use of information retrieved from electronic records. This has changed the possibilities for police officers to get reliable and authentic information for both tactical and legal decisions, which increases the officers' ability to make correct decisions within operational work. Information technology and information systems now handle many administrative tasks, and allow access to and searching of electronic information independently of the physical location of the officer. This opens up a possibility for mobile access to trustworthy information that supports police work. Conclusion. Operational police work has changed in a positive direction by the use of electronic records, and it is possible to develop this change even further. Record management systems designed to support access independent of physical location of the police officer could open up new possibilities for working police officers. http://informationr.net/ir/10-4/paper236.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 4 Operational use of electronic records by police officers oai:infres237 2006-05-30 A gender perspective on Internet use: consequences for information seeking on the net AnnBritt Enochsson text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en The aim of this article is to look at how attitudes towards the Internet technology differ between boys and girls, and how this affects their critical approach when seeking information. Method. The approach is ethnographic, and the material was collected by means of observations, conversations, questionnaires, interviews, computer logs and reading documents. Analyses. The analyses were made with the help of software for qualitative analyses, where all sentences both from interviews and field notes were coded. Some analyses were strictly quantitative and compared data from coded qualitative material with questionnaires and computer logs in a database sheet. Others were of qualitative nature and based on selected material from the coded texts. Result. It cannot be seen that boys and girls have different interest in the Internet technology in practice. But boys talk about their knowledge to a greater extent, and this interplays with their reflections about the Internets reliability. Conclusion. Since a more developed cognitive model of the Internet seems to lead to more developed critical thinking about information on the Internet, it is important to help especially girls to develop models of the Internet, or else there is a risk that traditional gender roles will be preserved. http://informationr.net/ir/10-4/paper237.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 4 Differences in Internet information seeking by children of different sex oai:infres238 2006-05-30 Intention to seek information on cancer genetics J.E. Andrews, J.D. Johnson, D.O. Case, S. Allard, K. Kelly text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en Objective. The public has a high interest in seeking personal genetic information, which holds implications for health information seeking research and health care policy. Rapid advances in cancer genetics research promise early detection, prevention and treatment, yet consumers may have greater difficulty finding and using the information they may need to make informed decisions regarding their personal health and the future of their families. Design. A statewide telephone survey was conducted of non-institutionalized Kentucky residents 18 years of age or older to investigate factors associated with the intention to seek cancer genetics information, including the need for such information seeking help. Results. The results show that intention to seek cancer genetics information, if testing were readily available, is moderately high (62.5% of those responding; n=835), and that status as a racial minority, the perception that cancer runs in one's family, and frequent worrying about cancer risk are statistically significant predictors of intent to seek genetics information. Conclusions. We argue that an already complex health information environment will be even more difficult for individuals to navigate as genetic research becomes more ubiquitous in health care. An increase in demand for genetics information in various forms, as suggested by these results and those of other studies, implies that enduring intervention strategies are needed to help individuals acquire necessary health information literacy skills, with special attention given to racial minorities. http://informationr.net/ir/10-4/paper238.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 4 Information seeking for cancer genetics information oai:infres239 2006-05-30 Information and knowledge: an evolutionary framework for information science Marcia J. Bates text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en Background. Many definitions of information, knowledge, and data have been suggested throughout the history of information science. In this article, the objective is to provide definitions that are usable for the physical, biological, and social meanings of the terms, covering the various senses important to our field. Argument. Information 1 is defined as the pattern of organization of matter and energy. Information 2 is defined as some pattern of organization of matter and energy that has been given meaning by a living being. Knowledge is defined as information given meaning and integrated with other contents of understanding. Elaboration. The approach is rooted in an evolutionary framework; that is, modes of information perception, processing, transmission, and storage are seen to have developed as a part of the general evolution of members of the animal kingdom. Brains are expensive for animals to support; consequently, efficient storage, including, particularly, storage at emergent levels-for example, storing the concept of chair, rather than specific memories of all chairs ever seen, is powerful and effective for animals. Conclusion. Thus, rather than being reductionist, the approach taken demonstrates the fundamentally emergent nature of most of what higher animals and human beings, in particular, experience as information. http://informationr.net/ir/10-4/paper239.html Published in Information Research Volume 10 Number 4 An evolutionary framework for the definition of 'information'. oai:infres240 2006-05-30 The development of children's Web searching skills - a non-linear model Ann-Britt Enochsson text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en The aim of this article is to determine the various skills necessary for seeking information on the Internet in educational settings. Throughout the article there is also an aim to present the students' perspective on possibilities and difficulties when using the Internet. The approach is ethnographic, which requires various data collection methods. In total 110 students in four different settings have participated. The analyses were partly made with the help of the software NUD*IST for qualitative analyses, where sentences both from interviews and field notes were coded. Some analyses were of qualitative nature and based on selected material from the coded texts. Others were strictly quantitative and compared data from coded qualitative material with questionnaires and computer logs in a database sheet. In ethnographic analyses the material is read several times and compared in different ways to see what themes will emerge. In this case the respondents have also commented upon the result.The students regard six different skills as fundamental: language, knowledge about the technology, knowledge about different ways of information seeking, how search engines work, setting goals and being critical. http://informationr.net/ir/11-1/paper240.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 1 Children's Web searching skills oai:infres241 2006-05-30 Environmental scanning: how developed is information acquisition in Western European companies? David Benczur text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html es A number of theoretical works focus on the potential revolutionary impact of the Internet and other Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) upon Competitive Intelligence, but only a few empirical research papers can be found on it. Is the real impact still unknown, or is it too insignificant to talk about? The present paper searches for the answers to this question both in literature and on the field, focusing on the point where the impact is expected to be the greatest: Information Gathering. Important empirical essays in academic literature are overviewed, including extensive American and also French surveys. These works did not report any major development of Environmental Scanning Systems throughout the years or significant changes due to the Internet. Based on literature the authors establish 7 groups of hypotheses with respect to the influence of external environment, internal structure and development of IT on the Information Gathering activities of firms. These hypotheses are then investigated by quantitative methodologies applied to a large sample: a survey of more than 500 firms over two consecutive years. Internal structure shows only partial influence, but for IT and external environment, the correlation was high. On the other hand, firms are still underdeveloped. The presented results provide better understanding of the level of development of Information Gathering in firms and of the factors influencing it, and suggest new ways for further research in order to understand why firms are still underdeveloped. http://informationr.net/ir/11-1/paper241.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 1 Environmental scanning oai:infres242 2006-05-30 Scanning the business external environment for information: evidence from Greece L. Kourteli text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html es This paper examines the business external environment scanning theory for information in the context of Greece. Method. A questionnaire was developed to explore the relationships between general and task business environment, perceived uncertainty, scanning strategy, and sources of information with respect to type of environment, size and industry.The research was based on a sample of 144 private organizations operating in North Greece. Analysis. Data collected were analysed using SPSS. The statistical procedures of chi-squared homogeneity test, ANOVA, Duncan's test of homogeneity of means, and related samples t-test were followed for testing the hypotheses developed. Results. The results show that perceived uncertainty of the general and task business external environment factors depend on the type of the environment, size of organization, and industry where the organizations operate; organizations adapt their scanning strategy to the complexity of the environment; personal sources of information seem to be more important than impersonal sources; external sources of information are equally important with internal sources; and higher levels of environmental uncertainty are associated with higher levels of scanning the various sources. Conclusion. Business external environment scanning of information is influenced by the characteristics of the organizations themselves and by the characteristics of the external environment within which the organizations operate. The study contributes to both environmental scanning theory and has important messages for practitioners. http://informationr.net/ir/11-1/paper242.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 1 Environmental scanning, Business, Greece oai:infres243 2006-05-30 Comunicación de conocimiento. ¿Habilidad de los profesores universitarios? J. Licea de Arenas, J.V. Rodríguez, J.A. Gómez, M. Arenas text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html es Las competencias que todo ser humano debe reunir para estar plenamente alfabetizado en información están relacionadas con la capacidad para hacer ciencia. Los profesores universitarios no son la excepción. Objetivo:Determinar, a través de sus publicaciones en las revistas de la vertiente principal aparecidas en el periodo 1994-2001, el grado en que el personal académico de la Universidad de Murcia está alfabetizado en información Métodos:Se utilizaron las tres bases de datos de la Web of Science para identificar las revistas centrales en las que los profesores de la Universidad de Murcia comunican los resultados de sus investigaciones, así como en el Journal Citation Reports para asignar las disciplinas en que publicaron. Resultados:Los artículos indizados en A&CI fueron escasos, mientras que los cubiertos por el SSCI permanecieron constantes en el periodo estudiado. El SCI indizó 1,923 artículos de 1994 a 2001 y el 72% de ellos fue citado. Los artículos fueron publicados principalmente en idioma inglés y de la autoría de profesores adscritos a centros relacionados con las ciencias biológicas. Las disciplinas con mayor actividad fueron la química, bioquímica y biología molecular, así como las neurociencias.Conclusiones:Las bases de datos que utilizamos son criticadas por sus sesgos, sin embargo, reunimos evidencia de que los académicos de la Universidad realizan investigación principalmente en ciencias. También, que ellos están alfabetizados en información: su producción científica aparece en las revistas visibles, es decir, han vencido barreras de producción de conocimiento y comunicación de la ciencia. http://informationr.net/ir/11-1/paper243.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 1 bibliometría, alfabetización en información, profesores universitarios, España oai:infres244 2006-05-30 Variables Associated with Environmental Scanning Among Clinicians at Substance Abuse Treatment Clinics Alison L. Koch, Cynthia L. Arfken, Marcus W. Dickson, Elizabeth Agius, & Jacqueline K. Mitchelson text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html en Environmental scanning, as a component of absorptive capacity, has been shown to be associated with increased use of innovative treatment techniques at substance abuse treatment programmes. As the transfer of innovative, evidence-based treatment techniques from research to practice is gaining attention, we aimed to identify variables associated with higher levels of environmental scanning among substance abuse treatment clinicians. Method: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 162 clinicians at 15 substance abuse treatment clinics in Michigan. Measures: Environmental scanning was measured by frequency of use of the Internet, journals, seminars or conferences, and people at other treatment clinics for new substance abuse treatment information. Clinicians were asked for their perceptions of their clinic's openness to new treatment techniques and support for acquiring new information, access to and satisfaction with information sources at work, as well as if they feel it is their job to keep up to date with current treatment research. Additional measures included whether they intended to quit their jobs and whether they were emotionally drained from work. Findings: We found positive associations between environmental scanning and perceived clinic support for acquiring new information, perceived clinic openness to new treatment techniques, access to e-mail and Internet at work, and satisfaction with resources. Turnover intention and being emotionally drained were negatively associated with environmental scanning. Conclusions: Individual and organizational level variables were found to be associated with higher levels of environmental scanning activity. Although the causal directions of these associations are not known, the findings suggest ways to increase environmental scanning among clinicians. http://informationr.net/ir/11-1/paper244.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 1 The environmental scanning activities of substance abuse treatment clinicians. oai:infres245 2006-05-30 Estudio cienciométrico de la colaboración científica en la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (España) A. Alonso-Arroyo, A. Pulgarín, I. Gil-Leiva text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2005 text/html es El artículo ofrece algunas características de la colaboración científica en la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV). El estudio se ha llevado a cabo mediante un análisis cienciométrico de la circulación de artículos de revistas y comunicaciones a congresos producidos por esta universidad, entre 1973-2001. Concretamente, se pretende conocer el grado de cooperación entre los autores, las entidades y los países que colaboran con la UPV. Método. El estudio comprende la consulta a un total de 213 bases de datos nacionales e internacionales, el tratamiento de 5464 artículos de revistas y 1111 comunicaciones a congresos, obtenidos de la búsqueda, y el análisis de la colaboración científica en ese período de tiempo. Análisis. Se ha realizado un análisis cuantitativo de los datos obtenidos, después de ser tratados con el programa gestor de bibliografía 'Reference Manager'.Resultados. Los resultados muestran un alto porcentaje de colaboración científica de la UPV. Indican que la colaboración científica y la visibilidad están directamente relacionadas. Y se obtienen similares resultados en el caso de la cooperación internacional. Conclusiones. La UPV presenta una tasa de colaboración superior al 86%, en general, y más del 40% internacional. Ha colaborado con 576 instituciones de 51 países diferentes. http://informationr.net/ir/11-1/paper245.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 1 Scientometric studies oai:infres246 2006-05-30 User satisfaction with referrals at a collaborative virtual reference service Nahyun Kwon text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en This study investigated unmonitored referrals in a nationwide, collaborative chat reference service. Specifically, it examined the extent to which questions are referred, the types of questions that are more likely to be referred than others, and the level of user satisfaction with the referrals in the collaborative chat reference service. Method. The data analysed for this study were 420 chat reference transaction transcripts along with corresponding online survey questionnaires submitted by the service users. Both sets of data were collected from an electronic archive of a southeastern state public library system that has participated in 24/7 Reference of the Metropolitan Cooperative Library System (MCLS). Results. Referrals in the collaborative chat reference service comprised approximately 30% of the total transactions. Circulation-related questions were the most often referred among all question types, possibly because of the inability of 'outside' librarians to access patron accounts. Most importantly, user satisfaction with referrals was found to be significantly lower than that of completed answers. Conclusion. The findings of this study addressed the importance of distinguishing two types of referrals: the expert research referrals conducive to collaborative virtual reference services; and the re-directional local referrals that increase unnecessary question traffic, thereby being detrimental to effective use of collaborative reference. Continuing efforts to conceptualize referrals in multiple dimensions are anticipated to fully grasp complex phenomena underlying referrals. http://informationr.net/ir/11-2/paper246.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 2 Virtual reference services oai:infres247 2006-05-30 Producción latinoamericana en biblioteconomía y documentación en el Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) 1966-2003 Víctor Herrero-Solana, Claudia Ríos-Gómez text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html es Se realiza una revisión de algunos estudios sobre producción científica latinoamericana en biblioteconomía y documentación, y se constata la carencia de trabajos que traten el tema desde una perspectiva de análisis de dominio. Material y Métodos. Se utilizó como revistas fuente las pertenecientes a la categoría temática Information Science & Library Science, recogidas en el Journal Citation Reports (1992-2002) y se utilizó la versión en linea del Social Science Citation Index (1966-2003). Además para las posteriores modificaciones de registros el programa Bibexcel. Análisis. Se analiza la producción científica de dicha área en la base de datos SSCI durante el periodo antes mencionado, presentando algunos indicadores bibliométricos, tales como producción, coautoría, instituciones y departamentos más productivos, entre otros. Este análisis es una continuación de un estudio anteriormente realizado sobre visibilidad internacional de la producción científica en iberoamerica. Conclusiones. La participación de los científicos latinoamericanos en esta área es muy poca, sobresaliendo los países que en terminos generales son más productivos de la región. La institución más productiva es la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, dentro de la cual se destaca el Centro de Información Científica y Humanística (CICH), y el Centro Universitario de Investigaciones Bibliotecológicas (CUIB). http://informationr.net/ir/11-2/paper247.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 2 Bibliometrics, Research production, Library science, Information science, Librarianship, Latin America oai:infres248 2006-05-30 Constructing web subject gateways using Dublin Core, RDF and Topic Maps Jesús Tramullas, Piedad Garrido text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en Specialised subject gateways have become an essential tool for locating and accessing digital information resources, with the added value of organisation and previous evaluation catering for the needs of the varying communities using these. Within the framework of a research project on the subject, a software tool has been developed that enables subject gateways to be developed and managed. Method. General guidelines for the work were established which set out the main principles for the technical aspects of the application, on one hand, and on aspects of the treatment and management of information, on the other. All this has been integrated into a prototype model for developing software tools. Analysis. The needs analysis established the conditions to be fulfilled by the application. A detailed study of the available options for the treatment of information on metadata proved that the best option was to use the Dublin Core, and that the metadata set should be included, in turn, in RDF tags, or in tags based on XML. Results. The project has resulted in the development of two versions of an application called Potnia (versions 1 and 2), which fulfil the requirements set out in the main principles, and which have been tested by users in real application environments. Conclusion. The tagging layout found to be the best, and the one used by the writers, is based on integrating the Dublin Core metadata set within the Topic Maps paradigm, formatted in XTM. http://informationr.net/ir/11-2/paper248.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 2 Constructing Web subject gateways oai:infres249 2006-05-30 Combining ethnographic and clickstream data to identify user browsing strategies Lillian Clark, I-Hsien Ting, Chris Kimble, Peter Wright, Daniel Kudenko text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en The strategies that people use to browse Websites are difficult to analyse and understand: quantitative data can lack information about what a user actually intends to do, while qualitative data tends to be localised and is impractical to gather for large samples. Method: This paper describes a novel approach that combines data from direct observation, user surveys and server logs to analyse users' browsing behaviour. It is based on a longitudinal study of university students' use of a Website related to one of their courses. Analysis: The data were analysed by using Footstep graphs to categorise browsing behaviour into pre-defined strategies and comparing these with data from questionnaires and direct observation of the students' actual use of the site. Results: Initial results indicated that in certain cases the patterns from server logs matched the observed browsing strategies as described in the literature. In addition, by cross-referencing the quantitative and qualitative data, a number of insights were gained into potential problems. Conclusion: This study shows how combining quantitative and qualitative approaches can provide an insight into changes in user browsing behaviour over time. It also identifies some potential methodological problems in studies of browsing behaviour and indicates some directions for future research. http://informationr.net/ir/11-2/paper249.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 2 Web browsing strategies oai:infres250 2006-05-30 Some features of alt texts associated with images in Web pages Timothy C. Craven text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en This paper extends a series on summaries of Web objects, in this case, the alt attribute of image files. Method. Data were logged from 1894 pages from Yahoo!'s random page service and 4703 pages from the Google directory; an img tag was extracted randomly from each where present; its alt attribute, if any, was recorded; and the header for the corresponding image file was retrieved if possible. Analysis. Associations were measured between image type and use of null alt values, image type and image file size, image file size and alt text length, and alt text length and number of images on the page. Results. 16.6% and 17.3% of pages respectively showed no img elements. Of 1579 and 3888 img tags randomly selected from the remainder, 47.7% and 49.4% had alt texts, of which 26.3% and 27.5% were null. Of the 1316 and 3384 images for which headers could be retrieved, 71.2% and 74.2% were GIF, 28.1% and 20.5%, JPEG; and 0.8% and 0.8% PNG. GIF images were more commonly assigned null alt texts than JPEG images, and GIF files tended to be shorter than JPEG files. Weak positive correlations were observed between image file size and alt text length, except for JPEG files in the Yahoo! set. Alt texts for images from pages containing more images tended to be slightly shorter. Conclusion. Possible explanations for the results include GIF files' being more suited to decorative images and the likelihood that many images on image-rich pages are content-poor. http://informationr.net/ir/11-2/paper250.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 2 Alt texts associated with images in Web pages oai:infres251 2006-05-30 The use of genre analysis in the design of electronic meeting systems Pedro Antunes, Carlos J. Costa, José A. Pino text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en Genre analysis is an approach to study communication patterns and thus it can be applied to the specific context of meetings. This research investigates the impact of genre analysis on the design of electronic meeting systems. Background. The primary goal of genre analysis is to understand how virtual communities use digital communication to collaborate. This knowledge is fundamental to inform IT design, particularly in areas where communication and informality are paramount. However, the research literature does not report any experiments where genre analysis has been used to inform electronic meeting system design. Problems. The paper tackles the following common problems found in current electronic meeting systems: (1) reduced organizational integration, neglecting many contextual cues and explaining factors necessary to make meeting outcomes usable within the organization; (2) lack of support to specific communities of users, stressing the dependency on a facilitator to configure and manage the technology; and (3) lack of support to meeting occurrences that span across long time periods. Conclusions. The paper describes how genre analysis was used to develop electronic meeting systems for several organizations and meeting genres. It covers the complete design process, from genre elicitation to validation. The obtained results demonstrate that the genre approach produces electronic meeting systems focused on organizational integration, pre-configured to communities of users, supporting long-term usage and added organizational value. http://informationr.net/ir/11-3/paper251.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 3 Web page design, alt texts, image files oai:infres252 2006-05-30 Towards an integrated analytical framework of information and communications technology literacy: from intended to implemented and achieved dimensions Lina Markauskaite text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en Theoretical approaches and frameworks that help us to understand the contemporary notion of information and communication technology (ICT) literacy in the formal education sector are reviewed and examined. Method. The analysis is conducted from a technology (i.e., computer science) conceptual perspective. The focus is on those aspects of new literacies that are directly related to the use of ICT. Structured literature review and documentary research techniques are applied. Analysis. Relationships between ICT literacy, information literacy, media literacy and other new literacies are clarified. Important terms - 'ICT', 'literacy' and 'ICT literacy' - are discussed. An analytical framework for the investigation of contemporary understandings of ICT literacy is presented. Three analytical dimensions of ICT literacy - (1) intended, (2) implemented and (3) achieved - are employed in this framework. The main perspectives and structural approaches that can be applied for the examination of ICT literacy in each of these three dimensions are discussed. Results. The proposed analytical framework reveals links between (1) the conceptual approaches and initial aims of ICT literacy policies, proposed at the top-level of policymaking; (2) teaching and learning practices, implemented at the middle-level of educational system and (3) ICT literacy learning experiences and students' outcomes, expected at the base-level of educational system. Conclusions. It is argued that this analytical framework can be applied for an integrated analysis of ICT literacy. The framework provides a conceptual structure for discovering inconsistencies in the understanding of ICT literacy at various levels of educational systems. http://informationr.net/ir/11-3/paper252.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 3 information literacy, information and communications technology, literacy oai:infres253 2006-05-30 A model for the development of virtual communities for people with long-term, severe physical disabilities C.M. Tilley, C.S. Bruce, G. Hallam, A.P. Hills text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en This paper reports results of an investigation into the needs of persons with disabilities wanting to participate in the use of virtual communities. The aim was to investigate 'how virtual communities for persons with long-term, severe physical disabilities can best be facilitated'? Method. A Grounded Theory approach was adopted to inform the investigation. In- depth interviews were conducted with twelve persons with paraplegia, quadriplegia or other severe, long-term physical or mobility disabilities and six health care professionals, service providers, information personnel and policy advisers who were involved in their well-being. Analysis. Rich explanations were derived about the information and communication technology (ICT) usage and the technologies' contributions towards restoration of sense of control over their lives. Results. The primary outcome of the investigation is a theory regarding the character of virtual communities for the disabled. The theory is represented as a Virtual Community Model. The model identifies: the need for 'a sense of control' as the foundation element of virtual communities for the disabled; the key domains in which disabled people participate in virtual communities; and the barriers and enablers to their participation. Conclusion.The model provides a framework which can be used by interest groups and other organizations to facilitate the development of virtual communities for persons with severe physical disabilities. The six key types of community need to be represented in such virtual communities if a full 'sense of control' is to be achieved by disabled persons. http://informationr.net/ir/11-3/paper253.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 3 virtual communities, physical disability oai:infres254 2006-05-30 Use of information sources by cancer patients: results of a systematic review of the research literature Kalyani Ankem text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en Existing findings on cancer patients' use of information sources were synthesized to 1) rank the most and least used information sources and the most helpful information sources and to 2) find the impact of patient demographics and situations on use of information sources. Methods. To synthesize results found across studies, a systematic review was conducted. Medline and CINAHL were searched to retrieve literature on cancer patients' information source use. The retrieved articles were carefully selected according to predetermined criteria, and several articles were eliminated in a systematic approach. Analysis. The twelve articles that met the criteria were systematically analysed by extracting data from articles and summarizing data for the purpose of synthesis to determine the meaning of findings on most used information sources, least used information sources, most helpful information sources, effect of patient characteristics on preference for an information source, and effect of patient situations on preference for an information source. Results. In descending order of use, health care professionals, medical pamphlets, and family and friends were most used information sources. Internet and support groups were least used. In descending order of helpfulness, books, health care professionals and medical pamphlets were found to be most helpful information sources. Younger patients used health care professionals and certain forms of written information sources more than older patients. Conclusions. The systematic review shows that many areas of cancer patients' information source use have been either neglected or barely analysed. An in-depth understanding of cancer patients' use of information sources and the characteristics in information sources they consider to be helpful is important for developing successful interventions to better inform patients. http://informationr.net/ir/11-3/paper254.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 3 cancer patients, information use oai:infres255 2006-05-30 Case studies in open access publishing. Number one. The Electronic Journal of Information Technology in Construction (ITcon): an open access journal using an un-paid, volunteer-based organization. Bo-Christer Bjoerk, Ziga Turk text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en This case study is based on the experiences with the Electronic Journal of Information Technology in Construction (ITcon), founded in 1995. This journal is an example of a particular category of open access journals, which use neither author charges nor subscriptions to finance their operations, but rely largely on unpaid voluntary work in the spirit of the open source movement. The journal has, after some initial struggle, survived its first decade and is now established as one of half-a-dozen peer reviewed journals in its field. The journal publishes articles as they become ready, but creates virtual issues through alerting messages to “subscribers”. It has also started to publish special issues, since this helps to attract submissions, and also helps in sharing the work-load of review management. From the start the journal adopted a rather traditional layout of the articles. After the first few years the HTML version was dropped and papers are only published in PDF format. The journal has recently been benchmarked against the competing journals in its field. Its acceptance rate of 53% is slightly higher and its average turnaround time of seven months almost a year faster compared to those journals in the sample for which data could be obtained. The server log files for the past three years have also been studied. Our overall experience demonstrates that it is possible to publish this type of OA journal, with a yearly publishing volume equal to a quarterly journal and involving the processing of some fifty submissions a year, using a networked volunteer-based organization. http://informationr.net/ir/11-3/paper255.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 3 open access, electronic journals, e-journals oai:infres256 2006-05-30 Information needs research in Russia and Lithuania, 1965-2003 Elena Maceviciute text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en The invisibility of research on information needs from the east and Central Europe in the West suggested an exploration of the published research output from Lithuania and Russia from 1965 to 2003. Method. The data were collected from the abstracting journal Informatika-59. The publications were retrieved from Lithuanian and Russian libraries or the Internet. Analysis. The texts and, in cases when full-texts were not available, the abstracts were used for qualitative analysis assessing the relevance, content, concepts used and their change over time. Comparison with the Western (English language or Anglo-American) literature was carried out. Results. The development of the concept of information user needs in Russia and Lithuania is followed through several decades as well as the understanding of its origins, structure and typologies. The parallel concepts and similar ideas are traced in the Western information behaviour literature. A context of related research (reading studies and information literacy) is revealed. Conclusions. Despite the isolation of two bodies of research (Western and East European) in the area of information needs the common development and similarities in the understanding of the basic concept of information need, its origin and structure as well as typologies are revealed. Basic differences lie in understanding the contexts of the formation of information needs, their influence and, consequently, attention to the roles of contexts in research. It also seems that the everyday, non-work related information needs are totally excluded from the horizons of Russian researchers. http://informationr.net/ir/11-3/paper256.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 3 information seeking behaviour, information behaviour, information needs, Russia, Soviet Union, Lithuania oai:infres257 2006-05-30 No bad web pages: reader empowerment and the Web Terrence A. Brooks text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en User scripting heralds a paradigm shift towards web reader empowerment. Powerful web writers of the first decade of the Web needed to be cautioned about usability and accessibility issues. As power shifts to web readers, they become capable of customizing web pages to their own tastes and purposes. This paper describes the development of Greasemonkey extension of the Firefox browser. Argument User scripting is a product of the development of the open source browser, and individual developers who wish to change webpages. The Greasemonkey extension of the Firefox browser permits web readers to write JavaScripts that (1) Change the look and feel of Web pages, (2) Change the functionality of web page controls, and (3) Facilitates Web page 'mashups', hybrid web presentations composed of content from two or more web pages. The only naturally occurring limit to web page modification may be difficult Web page source code. Tools that shield Web readers from the complexity of HTML are being introduced. Conclusion The paradigm shift to Web readers, armed with powerful and easy-to-use tools for customizing Web pages heralds a new era of the Web. It threatens the idea that a Web page has a single look and feel, and emphasizes the trend to design Web pages as mere input to the reading experience, subject to modification of presentation device as well as reader taste and purpose. http://InformationR.net/ir/11-3/paper257.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 3 Surveys the development of user scripting with Greasemonkey, an extension of the Firefox browser oai:infres258 2006-05-30 Methodologies for developing Visual Interfaces for Information Retrieval: analysis and comparative review Víctor Herrero-Solana, Yusef Hassan text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en Con el advenimiento de la web a principios de los años 90, el volumen de información electrónica ha experimentado un crecimiento exponencial sin precedentes. Este fenómeno introdujo muchas ventajas en relación con la posibilidad de intercambio, difusión y transferencia de datos pero, sin embargo, acarreó igualmente muchos problemas en relación con el acceso, búsqueda, localización y recuperación de la información relevante dentro de grandes volúmenes de datos. http://informationr.net/ir/11-3/paper258.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 3 Information Visualization, Information Retrieval, Data Mining, MultiDimensional Scaling, Clustering, Pathfinder oai:infres259 2006-05-30 The complementary relationship between the Internet and traditional mass media: the case of online news and information An Nguyen, Mark Western text Professor T.D. Wilson, University of Sheffield 2006 text/html en The question whether old media are driven out of existence by new media has been a long concern in academic and industrial research but has received no definitive answer. Aim.This paper goes beyond most previous studies of Internet impact on traditional media, which have placed their relationship within a competition-based framework, to specifically investigate the complementary effect of online news and information usage on traditional sources. Method. Secondary data analysis of a national survey of 4270 Australians conducted in late 2003, employing hypothesis testing for the mean, partial correlations, and a linear regression analysis. Results. Online news and information usage at different usage levels is positively associated with the use of traditional news and information sources, especially those that are more information-intensive. Those who relied on the Internet the most for news and information still used traditional sources substantially. Conclusion. The findings suggest that even if a displacement effect takes place, there will be no replacement (absolute displacement): traditional media will still exist to complement the Internet in serving human beings' news and information needs. http://informationr.net/ir/11-3/paper259.html Published in Information Research Volume 11 Number 3 Online news, online information, Internet use, Communication media