GeoScience Information: User Needs and Library Information

Geoscience libraries and their users were the subjects of a two part questionnaire dealing with user background and attitudes in conjunction with library organization systems. The 23 libraries responding to the first questionnaire varied in size, setting, and organizational systems. A variety of classification systems are utilized in the libraries, but the majority (82.6%) of responding librarians felt the systems they use meet their users’ needs.

In contrast to this, the majority of libraries make use of Library of Congress subject headings, but there is a clear trend in librarians’ views that this system is not adequate for their users’ needs. 336 library users responded to the second questionnaire. A picture of the “average” geoscience information user emerged as a highly educated male geologist in his early thirties to forties.

Users generally took a positive attitude toward the library and their skills as a user. The information access points they consider the most important are: author name, subject heading, asking the librarian, and title. No difference was found in the type or importance of information access points used in libraries using only Library of Congress subject heading.

Further study into users’ information seeking habits in differing library environments is recommended, as well as an increase in libraries’ use of bibliographic instruction.

URL : http://eprints.rclis.org/15070/

Evaporation of Information in Data Trans…

Evaporation of Information in Data Transition Process :

« From a long time ago, information has played a vital role in different aspects of human being life and constantly has flowed in human’s various aspects of life and activities. By progressing of science, profound changes for the meaning of information have accomplished so that it has reached to its modern meaning and significance despite of all relative inadequacies and deficiencies. Since human beings have stepped for transmission and recording of his thoughts unconsciously the meaning of information appeared. First stages of humankind life, meaning of information had been limited to the kind of its carrier, in case inscriptions, papyrus and codex, themselves had been inferred as information and this is the same meaning “solid information “in this domain which has been set with appearances of print industry and possibility prompt duplication of becoming liquid – that is acceptance of each carrier to the amount of that information. At this age this is middle age, information has become liquid and from the book to other electronic information sources, considering to the kind of information carrier, has take other various modes. At this age, organization, dissemination and maintenance of information have been confronted with its own specific challenges. In other words, existing information on an inscription, printed document and or any other type of information carrier could be saved in other carrier simultaneously. This is the same meaning that has been attributed to “liquid information “in the essay. At the close future, however, by appearance of many kinds of computer networks and information systems, this information becomes like gas and would expand in every place without needing to any specific carrier. At this period, one of the characteristics of information concept is instantaneous potential of expansion and instance. Present essay has settled to studying and clarifying of above modes and considering this question “if this information would be convinced to be condensation and change to its old modes?” and what processes on information is covered from production to distribution. »

URL : http://eprints.rclis.org/19288/

CAT (Curator Archiving Tool): improving …

CAT (Curator Archiving Tool): improving access to web archives = CAT :

« PADICAT is the web archive created in 2005 in Catalonia (Spain ) by the Library of Catalonia (BC ) , the National Library of Catalonia , with the aim of collecting , processing and providing permanent access to the digital heritage of Catalonia . Its harvesting strategy is based on the hybrid model ( of massive harvesting . SPA top level domain ; selective compilation of the web site output of Catalan organizations; focused harvesting of public events) . The system provides open access to the whole collection , on the Internet . We consider necessary to complement the current search for new and visualization software with open source software tool, CAT ( Curator Archiving Tool) , composed by three modules aimed to effectively managing the processes of human cataloguing ; to publish directories where the digital resources and special collections ; and to offer statistical information of added value to end users. Within the framework of the International Internet Preservation Consortium meeting ( Vienna 2010) , the progress in the development of this new tool, and the philosophy that has motivated his design, are presented to the international community. »

URL : http://eprints.rclis.org/19041/

Open access press vs traditional university presses on Amazon

This study is a comparison AU Press with three other traditional (non-open access) Canadian university presses. The analysis is based on actual physical book sales on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. Statistical methods include the sampling of the sales ranking of randomly selected books from each press. Results suggest that there is no significant difference in the ranking of printed books sold by AU Press in comparison with traditional university presses.

However, AU Press, can demonstrate a significantly larger readership for its books as evidenced by thousands of downloads of the open electronic versions.

URL : http://openaccess.uoc.edu/webapps/o2/handle/10609/5082

A survey on collaboration rate of Semnan…

A survey on collaboration rate of Semnan University faculties in producing scientific papers during 2002- 2009 Years :

« Collaboration in research and production of scientific publications is common in all academic areas. The Importance of collaboration in the production of scientific publications in today’s complex world where in the age of technology is very apparent. Most of Scientists have realized that in order to get their work wildly used and cited by other experts, they supposed to collaborate together. Scientific cooperation can be considered as a process that during it individuals and groups to research and scientific activities can help each other. Current research aims to survey the rate of collaboration among Semnan University Faculties in production of scientific articles during the 2002- 2009 years. In this research, in addition to survey on quantity amount of Semnan University faculties scientific articles, the amount of their collaboration together and with other domestic and foreign professors were studied. Data were collected through research documents that are publishing by Semnan University annually. Findings indicate that Enigineering College in Semnan University with 316 articles has highlited role in scientific productions in Semnan University. From 316 articles, 69 articles were individual and 247 articles were team. After them, Science College with 157 articles (51 artilces individual and 106 articles team) has second rank. »

URL : http://eprints.rclis.org/19216/

IISH Guidelines for preserving research …

IISH Guidelines for preserving research data: a framework for preserving collaborative data collections for future research :

« Our guidelines highlight the iterative process of data collection, data processing, data analysis and publication of (interim) research results. The iterative process is best analyzed and illustrated by following the dynamics of data collection in online collaboratories. The production of data sets in such large scale data collection projects, typically takes a lot of time, whilst in the meantime research may already be performed on data sub-sets. If this leads to a publication a proper citation is required. Publishers and readers need to know exactly in what stage of the data collection process specific conclusions on these data were drawn. During this iterative process, research data need to be maintained, managed and disseminated in different forms and versions during the successive stages of the work carried out, in order to validate the outcomes and research results. These practices drive the requirements for data archiving and show that data archiving is not a once off data transfer transaction or even a linear process. Therefore from the perspective of the research process, we recommend the interconnection and interfacing between data collection and data archiving, in order to ensure the most effective and loss-less preservation of the research data. »

URL : http://www.surffoundation.nl/nl/themas/openonderzoek/cris/Documents/SURFshare_Collectioneren_Guidelines_IISH_DEF.pdf

E-Journal Usage and Impact in Scholarly …

E-Journal Usage and Impact in Scholarly Research: A Review of the Literature :

« This article reviews the literature dealing with scholarly information behavior around the use of e-journals. Its aims are to examine the use and impact the availability of e-journals has had on the community of scholars, mainly from the UK, but looking also at literature from other countries. Results demonstrated the huge rise in availability and take-up of e-journals, although there are mixed findings regarding the fate of the print format. Access to e-literature is dominated by keyword searching, with subject-specific (e.g., chemical abstracts); or general academic (Web of Knowledge) gateways and search engines (typically Google) all used above publishers platforms, alerts, and other ways to find literature. The value of e-journals has been shown to be high, both in terms of in gaining new insights and helping with teaching, and in measure of “Contingent valuation”: the time or cost incurred by not having provision. Barriers to e-journal use included non-purchase of titles by the library and years or volumes not available electronically. Although many disciplinary differences exist, due to their differing natures and means of scholarly communication, nevertheless, the review concludes that it is now unthinkable for researchers to work without the convenience and comprehensiveness that e-journals provide them. »

URL : http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/section?content=a928400689&fulltext=713240928