Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Research Information retrieval Library orientation'

In this paper, an idea for integrating research in information retrieval and scientific communication in LIS is proposed. This idea is based on the generation and use of subject maps for documents in a specific domain. A subject map, as defined in this paper, is a kind of representation of the important subjects in the target domain and their mutual conceptual relationships, on a two-dimensional graph. The map can be used in many applications in information retrieval and scientific communication. For example, it can be used as an interface in information retrieval systems, to display terms and their relationships in thesauri, and as a tool to explore research and developments of a scientific discipline. The method to generate subject maps is also described. The method comprises four processes: document preparation, information extraction, map generation, and information visualization. All these processes are based on concepts and technologies from both the domains of information retrieval and scientific communication.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examined the information seeking behaviour of the researchers attached to the Parliamentary Research Unit in Parliament. It looked at their use of the Parliamentary Library, their use of the library and its resources, what other avenues for information they use and what suggestions they have for improving the service. A questionnaire was developed and e-rnailed to researchers. As the response rate was poor, it limited the conclusions that could be drawn from the research. In line with other studies, it was found that electronic resources and the Internet played a great role in how they sourced information. Researchers frequented the Internet to find information more than they use the library and they have difficulties with accessing online resources and the catalogue. The manual circulation system was a source of frustration as well. They made use of personal contacts to a certain extent to find unpublished information and very recent information. These categories of information, especially government information, are crucial to their work. Suggestions for improvement centred on the online catalogue, instruction in the use of the online resources, updating the collection of books and journals and consulting researchers where necessary.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie ondersoek fokus op die inligtingsgedrag van die navorsers in die Parlementêre Navorsingseenheid. Dit ondersoek hul gebruik van die Parlementêre biblioteek en sy bronne, die alternatiewe inligtingskanale tot hul beskikking en watter voorstelle hulle het vir die verbetering van dienste. 'n Vraelys is ontwerp en per e-pos aan navorsers gestuur. Swak terugvoering het die proses om finale gevolgtrekkings te maak, beperk. In ooreenstemming met ander studies, is wel gevind dat die Internet en elektroniese bronne 'n groot rol speel in die proses om inligting te bekom. Daar is ook gevind dat navorsers hierdie tipe bronne verkies bo traditionele biblioteekbesoeke. Opleiding om die elektroniese bronne en die katalogus te gebruik is noodsaaklik. Alternatiewe bronne van inligting soos persoonlike kontakte met ander kundiges word tot 'n sekere mate gebruik om inligting te kry wat beide op datum en ongepubliseer is. Voorstelle vir verbetering fokus op die elektroniese katalogus, opleiding in die gebruik van elektroniese bronne, die kwaliteit en inhoud van die versameling en konsultasie met die navorsers.

The purpose of this study was to develop a consensus from a panel of experts composed of library deans/directors, reference librarians, and instructors with online teaching experience. The panel developed the methodology necessary for evaluating free sources of information on the Internet for inclusion in academic library holdings by the year 2010. The following areas were explored as they related to the forecast: 1) The changes in higher education institutions that will be necessary to prepare students to deal with free sources of information on the Internet; 2) The procedures that librarians need to develop and implement to ensure that free Internet materials will meet quality standards for inclusion in academic library holdings; and 3) The things that publishers of free sources of information on the Internet need to do to ensure that their materials will be considered for inclusion in academic library holdings. The Delphi panel was composed of 24 members: eight library deans/directors, eight reference librarians, and eight instructors with online teaching experience. The members of the panel were selected from the community colleges of the Tennessee Board of Regents System. In the first round of the study, panelists responded to 10 open-ended questions on an e-mail questionnaire dealing with free sources of information on the Internet. The narrative responses to the questions were specific and provided a basis on which to develop the Round 2 Questionnaire. In the second round of the Delphi study, panelists responded to 9 questions with 42 subparts. The results of this study may be used to project the information needs of students as well as suggest strategies for publishers on the basis of the data collected in this study. A major finding of the study was the need for reliable information in documents on the Internet. The Delphi panel also listed the lack of permanence of Internet sites as a major reason librarians do not use free sources of information on the Internet. The Delphi panel recommended that educators assist students in dealing with Internet materials by teaching them how to use critical thinking skills.

This essay examines how trans people experience Swedish public libraries, as well as how the library can be an integral part of their trans identity work. The data sample was collected through semi-structured phenomenological interviews with five trans and non-binary library users. The analysis of the interview data was done using the method of thematic analysis (TA), following an inductive approach. The theoretical framework focuses on five different, but connecting, concepts. Mainly, theories about intersectionality; whiteness; the heterosexual matrix; orientation; and categorization. The results of this study show that trans people use and experience the library in a myriad of different ways. It is clear, however, that all the informants look to libraries to provide them with material that they can see themselves represented in, to get a sense of validation for their gender identity. Even though the library provides this in some ways, other aspects connected to libraries function to hinder trans people in their identity work. There are several ways that libraries can improve on their services toward trans patrons, and one of these are to better facilitate meetings between different trans people through more activities catering towards this group. In short, libraries need to be mindful about this specific group both when it comes to the services they offer, as well as the physical layout of the library space. These are all aspects which affect and influence trans people and their ability to construct and express their gender identity.
Den här uppsatsen undersöker hur transpersoner upplever Svenska folkbibliotek, och dessutom hur biblioteken kan fungera som en viktig faktor i deras identitetsarbete. Dataansatsen samlades in via semi-strukturerade fenomenologiska intervjuer med fem trans- och icke-binära biblioteksanvändare. Analysen denna intervjudata gjordes med hjälp av metoden tematisk analys (TA), utifrån en induktiv ansats. Det teoretiska ramverket fokuserar på fem olika, men integrerade, koncept. Detta baserat på teorier kring intersektionalitet; vithet; den heterosexuella matrisen; orientering; och kategorisering.  Resultatet av denna studie visar att transpersoner använder och upplever bibliotek på en rad olika sätt. Det framgår dock tydligt att informanterna alla ser till biblioteken för att erhålla material de kan se sig själva representerade i för att få en känsla av erkännande av deras genusidentitet. Även om biblioteken lyckas erbjuda detta i vissa fall lyckas andra apsekter av biblioteken fungera för att hindra dem i deras identitetsarbete som transpersoner. Det finns flera sätt som biblioteken kan förbättra deras tjänster gentemot sina användare som är trans, ett av sätten vilket relaterar till att arbeta mer mot att skapa mötesrum för transpersoner genom att erbjuda mer aktiviteter som riktar sig mot denna grupp. I korthet kan man säga att bibliotek måste vara medvetna kring hur de vänder sig mot den här användargruppen, både när det kommer till vilka tjänster de erbjuder samt hur biblioteket som fysisk plats utformas. Dessa är alla aspekter som påverkar och har en inverkan på transpersoners möjlighet att konstruera och uttrycka sin genusidentitet.

Depuis l’époque sumérienne (4ème – 3ème millénaire avant J.-C.), les bibliothèques ont su traiter les documents pour les mettre à la disposition des populations pour leur développement intellectuel, culturel, économique … Pour répondre aux besoins informationnels de toutes les couches socioprofessionnelles, elles ont pris diverses formes : nationale, publique, spécialisée, scolaire, universitaire … et cela, à travers tous les pays du monde.Avec la naissance du web et l’accès progressif des populations aux ressources en ligne, les partenaires techniques et financiers des pays africains ont commencé à aider ces derniers, dans la seconde moitié des années 90, à se connecter à Internet. Ce fut aussi le début de divers projets de création de télécentres en vue de vulgariser Internet et permettre l’accès des populations africaines à l’information pour leur développement. Ces nouvelles structures (communautaires ou privées) ont paru pour beaucoup comme la source d’accès à l’information. Dans ce contexte, les bibliothèques, aux ressources déjà maigres dans nos pays, ont paru comme des structures démodées, voire inutiles. Les professionnels de l’information documentaire ont alors commencé à s’interroger sur l’avenir de leur profession et des bibliothèques. Dans leur réflexion, Internet a été perçu tantôt comme une menace pour les bibliothèques, une technologie comme les autres, ou encore comme une opportunité à saisir pour valoriser leurs ressources et leur savoir-faire.Considérer Internet comme une opportunité exige cependant des bibliothécaires une nouvelle perception de leur mission, une nouvelle organisation du travail, de nouveaux produits et services, une nouvelle vision des relations avec le public. Cela exige surtout l’appropriation d’Internet et un rôle actif dans son usage afin de diffuser ses ressources, faciliter l’accès à celles des autres, promouvoir ses produits et services, diversifier, fidéliser et rendre autonomes ses utilisateurs dans la recherche et l’exploitation des ressources … Ainsi, se pose la question du rôle des bibliothèques dans le développement des usages et services Internet.Notre étude cherche dans le contexte malien, marqué par l’extrême pauvreté des bibliothèques, par l’échec quasi-total des télécentres, mais par un léger dynamise d’autres modes d’accès à Internet (connexion au bureau, à domicile, sur les appareils mobiles …) de déterminer, analyser et comprendre le rôle des bibliothèques maliennes dans le développement des usages et services Internet. Conduite auprès de 39 unités documentaires connectées à Internet, elle expose Internet au Mali (historique, stratégies, représentations, usages), analyse le rôle et le positionnement des bibliothèques dans la démocratisation de l’accès des usagers à Internet et aux ressources informationnelles. Elle essaie, enfin, de comprendre si les actions des bibliothèques en lien avec Internet s’inscrivent dans une stratégie claire et mûrie
Since the Sumerian period (4th - 3rd millennium BC), libraries have been able to process documents in order to make them available to the population for their intellectual, cultural and economic development ... ¶ To meet the information needs of all the socio-professionnal strata, they have taken various forms: national, public, specialized, scolarly, academic ... and this, in all the countries of the world.¶¶ With the rise of the web and the progressive access of people to online resources, the technical and financial partners of African countries began to help them, in the second half of the 1990s, to connect to the Internet. ¶This was also the beginning of various projects to create telecentres in order to popularize the Internet and to enable African populations to access information for their development. ¶These new structures (community or private) have been seen by many as the only source of access to information. In this context, libraries, with already meager resources in our countries, have appeared as obsolete, even useless structures. ¶ Documentary information professionals then began to question the future of their profession and libraries. ¶ In their reflection, the Internet has sometimes been perceived as a threat to libraries, as a technology like any other, or as an opportunity to seize in order to develop their resources and their know-how.¶Considering the Internet as an opportunity, however, requires librarians a new perception of their mission, a new organization of work, new products and services, and a new vision of relations with the public. ¶ This requires especially the appropriation of Internet and an active role in its use in order to disseminate your resources, facilitate access to those of others, promote your products and services, diversify, retain and empower your users in research and exploitation of resources ... ¶ Thus, the question arises of the role of libraries in the development of Internet uses and services.¶ Our study seeks, in the Malian context, marked by the extreme poverty of libraries, by the almost total failure of telecentres, but by a slight dynamism of other modes of access to the Internet (connection at the office, home connection, connection on mobile devices ...) to determine, analyze and understand the role of Malian libraries in the development of Internet usage and services. Realized in 39 Internet-related documentary units, it exposes Internet Mali (history, strategies, representations, uses), analyzes the role and positioning of libraries in the democratization of Internet and information resources access. Finally, it tries to understand whether the actions of libraries in bond with Internet are part of a clear and mature strategy

Thesis (MTech(Education)--Cape Technikon, Cape Town, 2001
This study presents a theoretical evaluative framework for information literacy initiatives. The evaluative framework is based on a holistic behavioural taxonomic approach incorporating affective, cognitive, and physical domains. In this study the behavioural taxonomic approach was applied to the evaluation of a historical information literacy initiative, the IFYE (Integrated First Year Experience), developed by the Cape T echnikon in 1997, South Africa. The motivating factor behind the evaluation was to determine whether it would be suitable as an implementable initiative at other institutions in the Western Cape. This coincided with the aims of Infolit, who had invited institutions of Higher Education to submit pilot projects on information literacy in a drive to promote information literacy throughout the Western Cape. Although the IFYE initiative may not have realised its full potential, information literacy has drawn continued interest and other initiatives have since been developed. Application of two eXlsttng taxonomles, demonstrated distinct limitations in their application and a new taxonomy was developed within the South African educational context. The new taxonomy was applied to the theoretical evaluation of an innovative elearning information literacy initiative developed by the Cape Technikon in 2000, which has been accepted by Infolit for wider implementation throughout the Western Cape. The final section of the study presents recommendations based on the evaluation of the elearning initiative, information literacy initiatives in general, and structural changes to the developed taxonomy. Areas for further research are also discussed.

The research problem for this study is focused on the need to know how students acquire and use information. Research indicates a lack of understanding of what students know about information and how they use information and this study used the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education (Appendix A) as the basis for acquiring a better understanding of what kind of information freshman students at Virginia Tech need and how they acquire it during their first semester at college. Students were asked questions about their information use during fall semester 2000, using both email questioning and in face-to-face interviews. The data collected was used to develop insights into how students acquire and use information and resulted in suggestions that could be used in revising and improving instruction for freshman students that is provided by the University Libraries at Virginia Tech.
Ph. D.

An evaluation was conducted on a credit-bearing module that has recently become compulsory for second year students in four of the six schools in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. The module was based on a course that has been run for Agriculture students since the 1980s. The module "Information Retrieval Skills" (Agri220) is run over a two week period at the beginning of the first semester and covers the library computer catalogue, OPAC and other retrieval tools such as print-based abstracts and indexes, SABINET Online and the CD-ROM databases in the library. The study sought to determine students' perceptions of the Agri220 module, to determine whether the outcomes as described in the Agri220 module template were evident in students, and to determine the use students made of the library. The method that was used in the evaluation was summative, and thus conducted after students had completed the module. Furthermore to find out their views about the contribution of the module to their studies, the study focused on students who had done the module over a year previously. The respondents were students in the School of Agricultural Sciences and Agribusiness as these were the students for whom the module was compulsory in 1999. A survey was done of five third year classes , which consisted of both third and fourth year students, and questionnaires were distributed and completed in the classes. Students were very positive in their feedback about the module and reported becoming more efficient in their use of the library. They were largely familiar with the interlibrary loan service and OPAC but were aware to a lesser extent of the print-based abstracts and indexes in the library. The study found that students predominantly used books and to a lesser extent journals. Electronic retrieval formats were popular. The students who supplemented their notes with extra readings relied on reserved material and reading lists. Students made suggestions about changes to the module: such as extending the length of the module, bringing it forward to first year, and teaching the module in smaller groups.
Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1990.
eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [136]-148).

This research was a case study that investigated predictors of users’ preferences for digital information at the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) Library in Durban, South Africa. The objectives of the study were to determine the predictors of users’ preferences for digital information, examine user attitude towards use of digital information, evaluate user competencies in the use of digital information, examine available ICT infrastructure to facilitate access to digital information and assess usage patterns of electronic resources. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to underpin the study, using the mixed method paradigm consisting of qualitative and quantitative methods. A census of the study population, consisting of 26 respondents, was taken. Data was collected using focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, participant observations, document reviews and survey questionnaires. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data was analysed thematically. The findings of the study indicated that there was increasing preference of digital information to print by scholars. Moreover, usage of digital information was high by virtue of being easy to use and useful for scholarly work. The findings revealed that scholars had developed a positive attitude towards digital information. In addition, user experience with computers and the availability of infrastructure within the organisation were found to be facilitating conditions for digital information usage behaviour. The findings showed that respondents lacked relevant skills for the effective use of digital information and the ORI Library lacked adequate computers and electronic resources to satisfy user needs. The study recommended the development of a digital repository, user training to improve use of digital information resources. Suggested areas for research included examining the use of electronic resources in marine and aquatic institutions in Africa to establish grounds for collaborations and resource sharing. A study to assess the quality of research output by scholars was also recommended, as a way of exposing the critical or non-critical use of digital sources.
Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

D.Litt. et Phil.
In this study the term "information user education" applies to educating students to enable them to retrieve and utilise information sources and the library's services, facilities and sources effectively. In agreement with modern practice this includes learning library and information skills. Literature has shown that information user education must take place in order to render users library and information literate. Various writers have pointed out that distance education students also have a specific need for information user education, but that there is very little information on decentralised information user education. In Library and Information practice it has also been found that information on decentralised information user education is not readily available and that there is a need to educate students. In order to be able to develop decentralised information user education for Technikon SA, it was therefore necessary to undertake research on the design thereof. A literature study was indispensable in investigating information user education in general. Information user education was also explored in the context of distance education (national and international), technikon education, the education model of Technikon SA and the library and information services of Technikon SA. The status of information user education at some distance education institutions was also investigated. Based on the research undertaken by Technikon SA on international distance education trends, it was found that three basic principles form the nucleus of a well-organised distance education institution. These principles are student support of a high standard, learner-centred course material and quality administrative systems. The education model of Technikon SA, that is the Integrated Learner-Centred Distance Education model, is based on these principles. To support this education model, the library and information services of Technikon SA concluded co-operation agreements with public libraries throughout South Africa in order to offer these services to students. Technikon SA purchases duplicate copies of recommended books, processes, issues and dispatch them to the public libraries. At present approximately 270 libraries house these collections. Postal loans and article services are also available for students to supplement these services. For the purposes of this study the library and information services were evaluated according to the guidelines laid down for distance education libraries and for technikon libraries. Based on these guidelines it was found that Technikon SA library generally met the criteria stipulated, but that the library and information services did not offer decentralised information user education. To supplement the literature study, an empirical study was undertaken to determine how essential information user education was for Technikon SA students. In addition it had to be established what aspects had to be offered, at what levels these aspects had to be offered and who had to present the training.

The research reported in this thesis is focused on some of the implications for Library and Information Science of the development of the Internet, and the World-Wide Web (WWW) in particular. It highlights the need for a wider involvement of this profession in the better management, organisation, and ultimately - usability, of the global information system. An extensive study of the information seeking process was carried out on a collection of interlinked hypertext documents constituting a PC-based model of the World-Wide Web. Special attention was paid to the correlation of WWW document authoring characteristics and the success rate in browsing sessions performed by novice, casual and experienced Internet end-users. The analysis of the results from a number of browsing sessions on the model led to some specific recommendations for comprehension-oriented WWW authoring.
Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

SFX is an XML based product designed to inter-link electronic resources with other resources in context-sensitive manner. SFX was first developed at the University of Ghent by Herbert Von de Sompel and has been released as a commercial product by Ex Libris. Use statistics garnered from SFX's statistics module since the implementation July of 2001 are discussed in the context of an academic research library environment. The results from usability testing conducted at Washington State University are reported. These usage statistics demonstrated a pattern of increasing use and exceptional use from FirstSearch databases.

In recent years educators have become increasingly aware of the necessity to support the development of higher order thinking abilities in all students. It has been suggested that, in this regard, special attention should be given to those aspects of the curriculum "which are inherently enabling of further learning" (Resnick, 1987, p44). Library research skills tuition is one such area but traditional modes of teaching these have frequently overlooked the cognitive and metacognitive demands of tasks requiring information retrieval and use. The extent of these demands as they affect students undertaking project assignments independently was largely unknown and prompted the following study. To access the levels of knowledge and thinking processes used by students, think aloud/concurrent interviews were conducted individually while 23 Form 1 students (mean age 11 years 8 months) attempted to gather information for a project. These interviews were videotaped and then replayed to students to provide memory cueing for retrospective interviews. Students were found to have wide ranging metacognitive knowledge, the accuracy of which influenced their performance on the information retrieval task. However, the knowledge they made public concerning the learning task and the criteria by which their learning would be assessed was very limited. Few students voiced recognition that the criteria for evaluation would have implications for the way in which they approached the learning task itself. In contrast, they voiced considerable awareness concerning the expected features of the materials they must use, qualities of their own learning abilities and processes, and interactions between these. However, Form 1 students often lacked an accurate understanding of the relationships within the library system and between access structures in individual books. Overall they had insufficient general and tactical knowledge to facilitate the use of alternative action paths when a favoured approach failed. However, both able and less able students were found to engage in some form of executive control processing. Two case studies are presented which illustrate differences in the quality of students' executive control processes. In particular, students varied in the degree to which monitoring events triggered associated planning and regulation/revision episodes. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for providing a learning environment that supports the development of higher order thinking and increased information retrieval success.

The purpose of this research was firstly to compare the differences in online performance between two groups trained to use the Online Public Access Catalogue at the M L Sultan Technikon using two different types of instruction, namely the teaching methods of concept-based and procedural instruction. Secondly, the objective of the research was to compare these two teaching methods in relation to first year students at the M L Sultan Technikon with differing levels of library experience, computer experience and English language experience. To meet the objectives of the research, literature was reviewed and analysed from various sources. Original research was conducted using the method of a quasi-experiment. A random sample of 120 students were split between two teaching conditions, with sixty participants in a concept-based teaching condition and sixty participants in a procedural teaching condition. Research instruments used were a background questionnaire to collect demographic information, a pre-and post test to evaluate significant differences between the teaching methods, an evaluation questionnaire to collect affective responses, direct observation, and transaction log monitoring of the searches conducted. In a one-hour lecture the concept-based group were taught general search concepts using model-based instruction techniques and the procedural lecture demonstrated methods of searching in a step-by-step fashion. Data analysis made use of Microsoft Access 97 and Excell 97 software to code and verify the data, and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), v9.0 to conduct statistical analysis. The research found that first year students were generally inexperienced in the use of the online information retrieval system. The majority of the participants in the study did not have any computer experience, and made use of English as a second language. Others, although not in the majority were found to have low levels of library experience. Performance on pre-tests were generally low for these participants while those who had experience in the use of libraries, computers and who regarded English as a first language were able to make fair use of the system for simple tasks such as author and title. This suggested that prerequisite competencies needed for online searching were, library literacy, computer literacy and some proficiency in the use of English. Performance on search tasks found no significant differences on simple tasks between the teaching conditions. However, variances in performance as a result of individual differences were found. On difficult tasks participants fared better with concept-based instruction resulting in significant differences in performance. The findings of this research supported the need for online instruction to novice end-users, taking cognisance of the need for suitable venues equipped with adequate hardware, provision of staff, and allocation of sufficient time for such instruction. The research proposes that model-based teaching be encouraged, especially for difficult tasks. In the decisions made however, instruction must take note of the background of participants. Further proposals for instruction and other related aspects are discussed in the research.
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

Libraries have traditionally facilitated each of the following elements of research: production of new knowledge, its preservation and its organization to make it accessible for use over the generations. In modern times, the library is constantly required to meet the challenges of information explosion. Assimilating resources and restructuring practices to process the large data volumes both in the print and digital form held across the globe, therefore, becomes very important. A recourse by the libraries to application of successive forms of what can be called as Digital Library Technologies (DLT) has been the imperative. The Open Archives Initiative (OAI) is one recent development that is expected to assist the libraries to partner in setting up virtual learning environment and integrating research on a near universal scale. Future extension of this concept is envisaged to be that of Grid Computing. The technologies driving the â Gridâ would let people share computing power, databases, and other on-line tools securely across institutional and geographic boundaries without sacrificing the local autonomy. Ushering an era of the ubiquitous library helping the e-research is thus on the card. This paper reviews the emerging technological changes and charts the future role for the libraries with special reference to India.