Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (Journal)
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First-year Student Essays Shed Light on their Experience of ACRL Framework Threshold Concepts
No full textA Review of:
Dempsey, P. R., & Jagman, H. (2016). I felt like such a freshman: First-year students crossing the library threshold. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 16(1), 89-107. https:doi.org/10.1353/pla.2016.0011
Abstract
Objective – To synthesize student narratives on searching for an item in the library and to identify information literacy threshold concepts students encountered during their searching.
Design – Constant comparative analysis.
Setting – Academic library at an urban American university.
Subjects – A sample of 97 1-to-2 page ungraded first year student essays.
Methods – A library assignment was developed for first year students in a required academic skills course. Students wrote the essay for peer mentors. After completing the essay, students were asked if they wanted to participate in the study. For the assignment, students were asked to find a library item of interest and write a reflective essay on the process. Essays were analyzed using NVIVO software. The researchers developed codes independently, then came together to review, discuss and recode the essays. Using the constant comparison method, themes were identified from the coding. Narrative analysis was used to understand the coding in the context of the students’ experiences.
Main Results – The authors outlined various search paths that the students described in their essays. The main emotional responses in the essays were surprise, confusion, and excitement. Three ACRL Framework IL concepts were identified in the analysis: Scholarship as Conversation, Searching as Strategic Exploration, and Research as Inquiry. Scholarship as a Conversation was exemplified through students’ selection of a library item. Students chose topics that were of academic interest or associated with personal identity. In the essays, students explained their connection to the item they found, making the connection to the ongoing scholarly conversation. Searching as Strategic Exploration was expressed through student descriptions of connecting the call number to the subject classifications. Some students sailed through, whereas others encountered challenges. Some found that previous library mental models failed, found the catalogue overwhelming, or thought the organization of material was at fault rather than their own skills. Some students described how they overcame their challenges. Students also discussed balancing self-reliance and seeking help when searching for an item. This related to the ACRL frames of Research as Inquiry and Searching as Strategic Exploration. Attitudes on seeking help ranged from complete reliance to anxiety.
Conclusion – This library assignment offered students the opportunity to pursue their own interests and goals. It also encouraged exploration, problem-solving, and reflection. The assignment design allowed students to grapple with information literacy threshold concepts in a safe and independent environment, demonstrating learning and engagement with academia
Much Library and Information Science Research on Open Access is Available in Open Access, But There Is Still Room to Grow
No full textA Review of:
Chilimo, W. L., & Onyancha, O. B. (2018). How open is open access research in library and information science? South African Journal of Libraries & Information Science, 84(1), 11-19. https://doi.org/10.7553/84-1-1710
Abstract
Objective – To investigate the open access (OA) availability of Library and Information Science (LIS) research on the topic of OA, the relative openness of the journals in which this research is published, and the degree to which the OA policies of LIS journals facilitate free access.
Design – Bibliometric, quantitative dataset analysis.
Setting – African academic library and information science department.
Subjects – 1,185 English-language, peer-reviewed articles published between 2003 and 2013 on OA and published in journals indexed by three major LIS databases, of which 909 articles in the top 56 journals received further analysis.
Methods – Authors first searched LIS indexes to compile a dataset of published articles focusing on OA. They then manually identified and evaluated the OA policies of the top 56 journals in which these articles were found. The openness of these journals was scored according to a rubric modified from the Scholarly Publishing and Academic resources Coalition’s (SPARC’s) 2013 OA spectrum. Finally, authors manually searched Google Scholar to determine the OA availability of the articles from the dataset.
Main Results – Of the 909 articles published in the top 56 journals, 602 were available in some form of OA. Of these, 431 were available as gold copies and 171 were available as green copies. Of the 56 journals evaluated for openness, 13 were considered OA, 3 delayed OA, 27 hybrid/unconditional post-print, 2 hybrid/conditional post-print, and 11 had unrecognized OA policies.
Conclusion – The increasing amount and significance of LIS research on OA has not directly translated to the comprehensive adoption of OA publishing. Although a majority of the articles in the dataset were available in OA, the authors indicate that some measures of OA adoption and growth assessed in this study are only somewhat higher than in other disciplines. The authors call upon LIS professionals to become more conversant with journals’ OA policies. An acknowledgement that not all LIS scholars researching OA are necessarily advocates thereof led the authors of this study to recommend further investigation of OA research not available in OA to shed light on those scholars’ perceptions and preferences
Weak Correlation Between Circulation and Citation Numbers Suggests that both Data Points should be Considered when Deselecting Print Monographs
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White, B. (2017). Citations and circulation counts: Data sources for monograph deselection in research library collections. College & Research Libraries, 78(1), 53 – 65. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.78.1.53
Abstract
Objective – To facilitate evidence-based deselection of print monographs, this study examines to what extent there are correlations between circulation data (past and future usage) and between the borrowing and citation of print monographs.
Design – Collections assessment project that used a variety of data sources and techniques, including Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, statistical analysis, and the analysis of circulation data, last-use dates, and citation data.
Setting – An academic library in New Zealand.
Subjects – Two ranges of books were chosen for the study: 591 (Specific Topics in Zoology) and 324 (The Political Process). From these ranges, monographs published prior to 2001 were selected as the study sample.
Methods – This project relied on two data sources: circulation data from the Library’s ILS and citation data from Scopus. All data was downloaded to an Excel spreadsheet in preparation for analysis. The researcher examined call numbers, authors and editors, titles and subtitles, publication dates, circulation counts, dates of last check-in, total number of citations, number of citations from publications released in 2010 and on, and number of citations from institution-affiliated documents. Renewal data was omitted, as it did not provide evidence of additional instances of use.
Where multiple copies of a specific title appeared in the data set, the researcher totalled all circulations and recorded the most recent check-in date. The researcher found that some titles in the study sample were generic and it was impossible to determine if citation data from Scopus linked to the monograph in the library collection. These titles were eliminated from the study.
Once data collection was complete, the researcher calculated two additional data elements: the number of months since the last check-in date and the number of citations from items published before 2010. Data in the Excel spreadsheet was analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to determine the relationship between past and future usage and between circulation and citation data.
Main Results – Findings indicated that circulation and citation data are highly skewed. Many monographs in the study sample had never been borrowed and had few citations, while a small number of “celebrity titles” were borrowed or cited at a much higher rate than other monographs in the same classification.
Further, results indicated that historic circulation numbers are imperfect predictors of future probability that a book will be borrowed. When taking a high-level view of the collection, highly circulated books tend to be borrowed more often than average. However, when examining monographs at the title level, high circulation is more of a probability instead of a robust indicator.
An investigation of whether historic citation counts serve as an indicator of future citation followed previously established trends: monographs not heavily cited in the past are less likely to be cited in the future. Findings also found a weak correlation between local-institution monograph citation counts and total citation counts.
Finally, the results demonstrated a weak correlation between circulation and citation data. As a group, well-cited books are borrowed more often than others, but at the individual title level, the effect is too random for either data set to predict the other in a reliable way. As such, circulation data and citation data can not be used as a proxy for each other.
Conclusion – Neither circulation nor citation data can stand as full proxies of the value of a title. However, both provide information that reflects the status of a title within the scholarly community. In this environment, citation data should be considered equally with circulation figures. Both data points measure different phenomena and the weak correlation between them suggests that both are required to inform decisions about deselecting print monographs
Differences in Work/life Balance and Stress at Work Between Male and Female Academic Librarians
No full textA Review of:
Galbraith, Q., Fry, L., and Garrison, M. (2016). The Impact of Faculty Status and Gender on Employee Well-being in Academic Libraries. College & Research Libraries, 77(1), 71-86. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.77.1.71
Abstract
Objective – To measure job satisfaction, personal fulfilment, work/life balance, and stress levels of male and female academic librarians.
Design – Survey.
Setting – ARL institutions.
Subjects – Male and female librarians who work in ARL institutions.
Methods – The survey was emailed to deans of 110 ARL libraries for completion by professional librarians. Participants were asked to rate their work/life balance, job satisfaction, stress at work, and personal fulfillment on Likert scales (1 low -7 high). Overall, 846 librarians from 25 ARL libraries responded to the survey. In total, 719 valid responses were analysed using a 2-tailed 2-sample t-test and multiple linear regression to explore variables.
Main Results – Results of this study indicate that differences exist between male and female librarians’ well-being in academic libraries. Differences in work/life balance and stress at work were most significant. However, at non-faculty institutions this difference was smaller between male and female librarians than faculty institutions. Hours worked per week and the number of years worked at the library were found to have a statistically significant impact on work/life balance. Data analysis also suggested that there is no association between gender and job satisfaction and personal fulfillment. Tenure at faculty institutions also did not have a statistically significant impact on job satisfaction.
Conclusion – The study concluded that support for workplace flexibility and well-being may make the most difference in reducing stress and promoting work/life balance by librarians at ARL institutions
Use of Diverse Online Resources amongst Politically Active University Students Fosters Civic Knowledge Integration
No full textA Review of:
Soe, Y. (2018) Understanding politics more thoroughly: How highly engaged young citizens use the Internet for civic knowledge integration. First Monday, 23(6), 1-17. http://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v23i6.7923
Abstract
Objective – To examine the process by which university students with a high interest in politics and public affairs incorporate new information into their understanding of politics and public affairs, a process referred to as civic knowledge integration.
Design – This study utilized a qualitative research design that consisted of focus group interviews and essay questions.
Setting – Two large four-year Midwestern public universities and two four-year East coast private universities in the United States of America in 2008 and 2010.
Subjects – A total of 65 undergraduate and graduate (masters) students participated in the focus group interviews and answered essay questions by e-mail.
Methods – In 2008, the researcher conducted 11 focus groups consisting of 5 to 7 participants per group. In 2010, additional data were collected from students at another large four-year Midwestern public university who responded by e-mail to essay questions that were adapted from those used in the focus groups. Recruitment of participants was achieved by contacting professors of media and political science at the universities and targeting students with interest in media, politics, and public affairs, and who were politically active. Course credit or a small monetary incentive was offered to students as compensation. Data resulting from the focus group and essay responses were combined and imported into the QDA Miner software. Data analysis, which used some techniques of grounded theory, was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, 120 analyzable subsets were identified, and open coding of 36 subsets was performed to determine themes. These themes were then modified and renamed using an axial and selective coding process. Examples of resulting topics included collaborative layering of ideas, comparison of differing viewpoints, and monitorial scanning. The second phase involved coding of the 120 subsets, and 65 subgroups that focused on civic knowledge integration were identified. Ultimately, open, thematic coding of the 65 subsets was performed to identify comments that contained the most common themes.
Main Results – An analysis of the data revealed that participants used the resulting themes as self-guided learning strategies when searching the Internet for civic knowledge integration, the process by which university students with a high interest in politics and public affairs incorporate new information into their understanding of these areas. One of the strategies used was a two-step process of monitorial scanning and opinion sampling. Monitorial scanning involves the careful selection of search engines in order to scan the news and determine their potential levels of interest, and the use of online encyclopedias such as Wikipedia to locate background information and other details. Opinion sampling involves the process of sorting the sources found, such as blogs and candidates’ web pages. Another strategy used was verification (cross-checking), which consisted of checking multiple sources to find more information on a particular news item or news show, such as those watched on CNN.com. Comparison of differing and opposing viewpoints was another strategy used, that involved the comparing of information about political candidates\u27 perspectives or views to justify their own opinions. Finally, collaborative layering of ideas was a strategy that involved participation in online forums, such as Facebook. This strategy provided participants with the opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions globally, and to contribute to a change in a set practice.
Conclusion – Through the use of strategies for self-guided learning, participants were able to add new information to their knowledge base and to develop new points of view. These students developed advanced search strategies and took pleasure in finding opposing perspectives, and as a result, enhanced their critical thinking skills. The conclusions also increased general knowledge of why young people used specific online platforms, information resources, or social media sites to enhance their understanding of politics and public affairs. These findings may also challenge media and political science to investigate the long-term effects of self-guided learning strategies for civic knowledge integration practiced by some young people
Using Information Practices of Nurses to Reform Information Literacy Instruction in Baccalaureate Nursing Programs
No full textAbstract
Objective - Seeking information is a key element of evidence based practice and successful healthcare delivery. Significant literature exists on both the information seeking behaviour of professional nurses and information literacy teaching methods, but scarce evidence connects nurses’ information behaviour and environments with their education. This study sought to use data from nursing alumni to answer the following research questions: What are the current information practices of professional bachelor’s-prepared nurses? How do recently-graduated nurses suggest that their education could have better prepared them to find and evaluate information in the workplace?
Methods - The researchers conducted a descriptive study using a 59-item survey instrument with a variety of question formats including short-answer, multiple choice, Likert, and open response. The researchers distributed the survey to baccalaureate nursing alumni who graduated in 2012-2017 from four universities in the state of Utah in the United States.
Results - Nurses seek practical information primarily to provide informed patient care, while also clarifying medical situations and expanding their health care knowledge. They frequently consult nursing colleagues and physicians when seeking information. The majority of nurses consult electronic health records daily. Respondents described time as the biggest barrier to accessing information. They requested authentic, clinically-focused scenarios, training on freely-accessible resources, and more explicit teaching of lifelong learning skills, such as critical thinking.
Conclusion - Information literacy education should prepare student nurses for the fast-paced information environment they will face in the workplace. This means incorporating more patient-focused scenarios, freely available quality resources, and time-based activities in their education. The researchers suggest areas to prepare nurses for information seeking, including problem-based clinical scenarios, building guides with databases accessible for free or little cost, and added emphasis on critical thinking and self-motivated learning
Academic Librarians’ Educational Factors and Perceptions of Teaching Transformation: An Exploratory Examination
No full textAbstract
Objective – As information literacy instruction is an increasingly important function of academic librarianship, it is relevant to consider librarians’ attitudes about their teaching. More specifically, it can be instructive to consider how academic librarians with different educational backgrounds have developed their thinking about themselves as educators. Understanding the influences in how these shifts have happened can help librarians to explore the different supports and structures that enable them to experience such perspective transformation.
Methods – The author electronically distributed a modified version of King’s (2009) Learning Activities Survey to academic librarians on three instruction-focused electronic mail lists. This instrument collected information on participants’ demographics, occurrence of perspective transformation around teaching, and perception of the factors that influenced said perspective transformation (if applicable). The author analyzed the data for those academic librarians who had experienced perspective transformation around their teaching identities to determine if statistically significant relationships existed between their education and the factors they reported as influencing this transformation.
Results – Results demonstrated several statistically significant relationships and differences in the factors that academic librarians with different educational backgrounds cited as influential in their teaching-focused perspective transformation.
Conclusion – This research offers a starting point for considering how to support different groups of librarians as they engage in information literacy instruction. The findings suggest that addressing academic librarians’ needs based on their educational levels (e.g., additional Master’s degrees, PhDs, or professional degrees) may help develop productive professional learning around instruction
Reuse of Wikimedia Commons Cultural Heritage Images on the Wider Web
No full textAbstract
Objective – Cultural heritage institutions with digital images on Wikimedia Commons want to know if and how those images are being reused. This study attempts to gauge the impact of digital cultural heritage images from Wikimedia Commons by using Reverse Image Lookup (RIL) to determine the quantity and content of different types of reuse, barriers to using RIL to assess reuse, and whether reused digital cultural heritage images from Wikimedia Commons include licensing information.
Methods – 171 digital cultural heritage Wikimedia Commons images from 51 cultural heritage institutions were searched using the Google images “Search by image” tool to find instances of reuse. Content analysis of the digital cultural heritage images and the context in which they were reused was conducted to apply broad content categories. Reuse within Wikimedia Foundation projects was also recorded.
Results – A total of 1,533 reuse instances found via Google images and Wikimedia Commons’ file usage reports were analyzed. Over half of reuse occurred within Wikimedia projects or wiki aggregator and mirror sites. Notable People, people, historic events, and buildings and locations were the most widely reused topics of digital cultural heritage both within Wikimedia projects and beyond, while social, media gallery, news, and education websites were the most likely places to find reuse outside of wiki projects. However, the content of reused images varied slightly depending on the website type on which they were found. Very few instances of reuse included licensing information, and those that did often were incorrect. Reuse of cultural heritage images from Wikimedia Commons was either done without added context or content, as in the case of media galleries, or was done in ways that did not distort or mischaracterize the images being reused.
Conclusion – Cultural heritage institutions can use this research to focus digitization and digital content marketing efforts in order to optimize reuse by the types of websites and users that best meet their institution’s mission. Institutions that fear reuse without attribution have reason for concern as the practice of reusing both Creative Commons and public domain media without rights statements is widespread. More research needs to be conducted to determine if notability of institution or collection affects likelihood of reuse, as preliminary results show a weak correlation between number of images searched and number of images reused per institution. RIL technology is a reliable method of finding image reuse but is a labour-intensive process that may best be conducted for selected images and specific assessment campaigns. Finally, the reused content and context categories developed here may contribute to a standardized set of codes for assessing digital cultural heritage reuse