EN

Use of artificial intelligence innovations in public academic libraries

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Amogelang Isaac Molaudzi, Patrick Ngulube

Public academic libraries are among the many organisations concerned about using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The study adopted a mixed methods research (MMR) approach using a concurrent research design to examine the use of AI innovations in public academic libraries. Thematic and descriptive statistical data analysis was used to analyse the data gathered from questionnaires, interviews and document content analysis. The findings revealed that public academic libraries in South Africa did not have clear strategies for adopting AI innovations.

Consequently, AI was not widely used. Library management systems can support AI, but some must be upgraded. Librarians had excellent computer literacy, although many had not received AI training to broaden their expertise and awareness of this innovation. Results suggested that public academic libraries should create comprehensive AI adoption strategies responsive to AI trends.

This study highlights the need for strategies that ensure AI technologies are utilized ethically, equitably, and with accountability. It also contributes to the literature on the use of AI in academic libraries. The results of this study may encourage public academic librarians to begin planning the incorporation of AI technology into their strategies.

URL : Use of artificial intelligence innovations in public academic libraries

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1177/0340035224130178

EN

Sustainability and Academic Libraries. A story from Denmark

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Najmeh Shaghaei, Dorch Bertil

The University of Southern Denmark has set out its Vision and Strategy and the Library has become an eminent partner in supporting the University in achieving its sustainability ambitions.

This editorial highlights how research libraries support sustainable development and why they are crucial for the achievement of sustainability across the university. It calls attention to national and local projects that the University Library of Southern Denmark works on to promote sustainability in its innovation and day-to-day operations and services.

URL : Sustainability and Academic Libraries. A story from Denmark

DOI : https://doi.org/10.53377/lq.20154

EN

Open But Hidden: Open Access Gaps in the National Science Foundation Public Access Repository

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Kimberly R. Powell, Jenny Townes, Fred Rascoe

Introduction

In 2022, the U.S. government released new guidelines for making publicly funded research open and available. For the National Science Foundation (NSF), these policies reinforce requirements in place since 2016 for supported research to be submitted to the Public Access Repository (PAR).

Methods

To evaluate the public access compliance of research articles submitted to the NSF-PAR, this study searched for NSF-PAR records published between 2017 and 2021 from two research intensive institutions. Records were reviewed to determine whether the PAR held a deposited copy, as required by the 2016 policies, or provided a link out to publisher-held version(s).

Results

A total of 841 unique records were identified, all with publicly accessible versions. Yet only 42% had a deposited PDF version available in the repository as required by the NSF 2016 Public Access Policy. The remaining 58% directed instead to publisher-held versions. In total, only 55% of record links labeled “Full Text Available” directed users to a publicly accessible version with a single click.

Discussion

Records within PAR do not clearly direct users to the publicly accessible full text. In almost half of records, the most prominently displayed link directed users to a paywall version, even when a publicly available version existed. Records accessible only through the CHORUS (Clearing House for the Open Research of the United States) initiative were further obscured by requiring specialized navigation of publisher-owned sites.

Conclusion:

Despite having a repository mandate since 2016, NSF compliance rates remain low. Additional support and/or oversight is needed to address the additional requirements introduced under the 2022 memo.

URL : Open But Hidden: Open Access Gaps in the National Science Foundation Public Access Repository

DOI : https://doi.org/10.31274/jlsc.17767

 

EN

Beyond the Lens: Quantifying the Impact of Scientific Documentaries through Amazon Reviews

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Jill Naiman, Aria Pessianzadeh, Hanyu Zhao, AJ Christensen, Alistair Nunn, Shriya Srikanth, Anushka Gami, Emma Maxwell, Louisa Zhang, Sri Nithya Yeragorla, Rezvaneh Rezapour

Engaging the public with science is critical for a well-informed population. A popular method of scientific communication is documentaries. Once released, it can be difficult to assess the impact of such works on a large scale, due to the overhead required for in-depth audience feedback studies. In what follows, we overview our complementary approach to qualitative studies through quantitative impact and sentiment analysis of Amazon reviews for several scientific documentaries.

In addition to developing a novel impact category taxonomy for this analysis, we release a dataset containing 1296 human-annotated sentences from 1043 Amazon reviews for six movies created in whole or part by a team of visualization designers who focus on cinematic presentations of scientific data. Using this data, we train and evaluate several machine learning and large language models, discussing their effectiveness and possible generalizability for documentaries beyond those focused on for this work.

Themes are also extracted from our annotated dataset which, along with our large language model analysis, demonstrate a measure of the ability of scientific documentaries to engage with the public.

Arxiv : https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.08705

EN

The Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS): Bringing Open-Source Software Practices to the Scholarly Publishing Community for Authors, Reviewers, Editors, and Publishers

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Patrick Diehl, Charlotte Soneson, Rachel C. Kurchin, Ross Mounce, Daniel S. Katz

Introduction

Open-source software (OSS) is a critical component of open science, but contributions to the OSS ecosystem are systematically undervalued in the current academic system. The Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS) contributes to addressing this by providing a venue (that is itself free, diamond open access, and all open-source, built in a layered structure using widely available elements/services of the scholarly publishing ecosystem) for publishing OSS, run in the style of OSS itself.

A particularly distinctive element of JOSS is that it uses open peer review in a collaborative, iterative format, unlike most publishers. Additionally, all the components of the process—from the reviews to the papers to the software that is the subject of the papers to the software that the journal runs—are open.

Background

We describe JOSS’s history and its peer review process using an editorial bot, and we present statistics gathered from JOSS’s public review history on GitHub showing an increasing number of peer reviewed papers each year. We discuss the new JOSSCast and use it as a data source to understand reasons why interviewed authors decided to publish in JOSS.

Discussion and Outlook

JOSS’s process differs significantly from traditional journals, which has impeded JOSS’s inclusion in indexing services such as Web of Science. In turn, this discourages researchers within certain academic systems, such as Italy’s, which emphasize the importance of Web of Science and/or Scopus indexing for grant applications and promotions. JOSS is a fully diamond open-access journal with a cost of around US$5 per paper for the 401 papers published in 2023. The scalability of running JOSS with volunteers and financing JOSS with grants and donations is discussed.

URL : The Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS): Bringing Open-Source Software Practices to the Scholarly Publishing Community for Authors, Reviewers, Editors, and Publishers

DOI : https://doi.org/10.31274/jlsc.18285

EN

Data Makers and Users’ Views on Useful Paradata. Priorities in Documenting Data Creation, Curation, Manipulation and Use in Archaeology

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Isto Huvila, Lisa Andersson, Olle Sköld, Ying-Hsang Liu

Understanding and making data (re)usable requires adequate documentation of the data but also information on how it has been created, curated, manipulated and used, termed in data documentation literature as paradata. This paper reports results of a survey study (N=91) of data creating and (re)using archaeologists’ views of what data creation, curation, manipulation and use related information (termed here as paradata) they consider important when they are working with data. Data makers’ and users’ perceptions align to a considerable degree.

It is important to have an explanation of the original general context of data creation and knowing the purpose, procedures and methods of data making, analysis and documentation. The findings underline that there is a need to continue developing and testing ideas how to capture and document paradata, and to find ways how to help data makers adopt proven practices to facilitate paradata making.

Simultaneously, it is crucial that the paradata aimed at facilitating data use is relevant for data users rather than, for instance, technical or administrative details considered useful primarily by data makers.

URL : Data Makers and Users’ Views on Useful Paradata. Priorities in Documenting Data Creation, Curation, Manipulation and Use in Archaeology

DOI : https://doi.org/10.2218/ijdc.v19i1.892

EN

A worldwide itinerary of research ethics in science for a better social responsibility and justice: a bibliometric analysis and review

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Author : Ingrid Sonya Mawussi Adjovi

This study provides a comprehensive overview of research ethics in science using an approach that combine bibliometric analysis and systematic review. The importance of ethical conduct in scientific research to maintain integrity, credibility, and societal relevance has been highlighted. The findings revealed a growing awareness of ethical issues, as evidenced by the development of numerous guidelines, codes of conduct, and oversight institutions.

However, significant challenges persist, including the lack of standardized approaches for detecting misconduct, limited understanding of the factors contributing to unethical behavior, and unclear definitions of ethical violations. To address these issues, this study recommends promoting transparency and data sharing, enhancing education, and training programs, establishing robust mechanisms to identify and address misconduct, and encouraging collaborative research and open science practices.

This study emphasizes the need for a collaborative approach to restore public confidence in science, protect its positive impact, and effectively address global challenges, while upholding the principles of social responsibility and justice. This comprehensive approach is crucial for maintaining research credibility, conserving resources, and safeguarding both the research participants and the public.

URL : A worldwide itinerary of research ethics in science for a better social responsibility and justice: a bibliometric analysis and review

DOI : https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2025.1504937