Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (Journal)
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Increasing Student Engagement in a Re-opened Regional Campus Library: Results from a Student Focus Group
No full textAcademic Libraries can Expand Institutional Repository Holdings with Gold Open Access Publications Collected Through Web Scraping
No full textA Review of:
Clark, B. (2023). Proactive institutional repository collection development techniques: Archiving gold open access articles and metadata retrieved with web scraping. Journal of Library Administration, 63(6), 743–765. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2023.2240190
Objective – To describe a method for collecting gold open access publications from the web and packaging them for batch deposit in an institutional repository. The goal of this project is to expand institutional repository holdings and increase the comprehensiveness of the collection with gold open access content.
Design – Web scraping and analysis of institutional repository usage metrics.
Setting – A library at a public doctoral university with very high research activity in Alabama, United States.
Subjects – Articles and metadata from the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) website and the Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Participle Physics (SCOAP3) repository. MDPI is an open access publisher of over 400 journals spanning all disciplines. All articles published in MDPI journals are made freely and immediately accessible on the MDPI website. SCOAP3 is a global partnership of libraries, funding agencies, and research centers that support open access publishing in the field of high-energy physics. The SCOAP3 repository contains research funded by the organization and published in open access journals.
Methods – The MDPI website and SCOAP3 repository were selected because they contained a substantial amount of scholarship by University of Alabama affiliates. On the MDPI website, an author affiliation search across all journals retrieved University of Alabama publications. The Python library Beautiful Soup was used with the parser package lxml to collect articles and metadata. The first script iterated through the pages of search results, downloaded article PDFs, and wrote abstract page URLs to a text file. The second script collected metadata by iterating through the text file of abstract page URLs, parsing the HTML of each URL, and writing Dublin Core metadata to a CSV file. Articles already archived in the institutional repository were removed from the CSV file, and the remaining metadata were reviewed for errors. To pair each PDF with the correct metadata, the file names of all PDFs were added to the CSV file. Article PDFs and the metadata file were packaged using the DSpace CSV Archive and batch deposited in the University of Alabama’s institutional repository.
In SCOAP3, an author affiliation search retrieved University of Alabama publications. The browser automation software Selenium was used to collect articles and metadata. The first script iterated through the pages of search results and wrote article record page URLs to a text file. The second script downloaded article PDFs and extracted DOIs to use for PDF file names. The third script collected metadata by using the article record page URLs to query the SCOAP3 metadata harvesting API and writing MARCXML metadata to a CSV file. To pair each PDF with the correct metadata, the DOI column in the CSV file was duplicated, and the “.pdf” extension added to each DOI. The metadata in the CSV file was reviewed for errors, and citations and keywords were added manually. Articles and the metadata file were packaged and deposited using the MDPI method.
The impact of SCOAP3 content on institutional repository downloads from the physics and astronomy collection was measured in the 100 days preceding and following the deposits.
Main Results – 1,005 articles with corresponding metadata were collected from the MDPI website and SCOAP3 repository. After removing duplicate articles that were already archived in the University of Alabama institutional repository, 937 articles (272 from MDPI, 665 from SCOAP3) were deposited. The amount of faculty research available in the institutional repository increased from 1,639 articles before the project to 2,513 articles, or 37.3%.
678 articles were added to the physics and astronomy collection, which reflects the fact that most of the deposited articles were from a subject repository. The rest of the deposited articles were from MDPI and spanned various disciplines. The next best represented collections were civil, construction, and environmental engineering (26 articles); biological sciences (26 articles); electrical and computer engineering (24 articles); and geography (22 articles). The SCOAP3 articles also contributed to a significant increase in downloads from the physics and astronomy collection. Total downloads increased from 5,765 in the 100 days preceding the deposits to 7,243 in the 100 days following the deposits, with SCOAP3 articles representing 3,421 downloads, or 47.2%.
Conclusion – This project was successful in proactively increasing the amount of scholarship in the institutional repository without faculty or researcher participation. This semi-automated workflow requires considerable technical skills but is manageable for one person. Since the articles and metadata were freely accessible and issued under permissive Creative Commons licenses, there was no need to consult publisher self-archiving policies or solicit permission to copy the articles to the institutional repository. This project did not make any research openly accessible that was otherwise unavailable or behind a paywall, but the added publications contribute to making the institution’s scholarly record more complete.
This approach may be particularly helpful for academic library staff looking to build the holdings of a brand-new institutional repository, or for those dealing with an underpopulated institutional repository due to low self-archiving rates. Additional repositories containing a substantial amount of University of Alabama scholarship will be identified and considered for web scraping, to continue expanding the institutional repository holdings. The MDPI website and SCOAP3 repository will also be re-scraped in the future for research added since this project.
Systematic Review Research Guides and Support Services in Academic Libraries in the US: A Content Analysis of Resources and Services in 2023
No full textObjective – The purpose of this research project was to examine the state of library research guides supporting systematic reviews in the United States as well as services offered by the libraries of these academic institutions. This paper highlights the informational background, internal and external educational resources, informational and educational tools, and support services offered throughout the stages of a systematic review.
Methods – The methodology centered on a content analysis review of systematic review library research guides currently available in 2023. An incognito search in Google as well as hand searching were used to identify the relevant research guides. Keywords searched included: academic library systematic review research guide.
Results – The analysis of 87 systematic review library research guides published in the United States showed that they vary in terms of resources and tools shared, depth of each stage, and support services provided. Results showed higher levels of information and informational tools shared compared to internal and external education and educational tools. Findings included high coverage of the introductory, planning, guidelines and reporting standards, conducting searches, and reference management stages. Support services offered fell into three potential categories: consultation and training; acknowledgement; and collaboration and co-authorship. The most referenced systematic review software tools and resources varied from subscription-based tools (e.g., Covidence and DistillerSR) to open access tools (e.g., Rayyan and abstrackr).
Conclusion – A systematic review library research guide is not the type of research guide that you can create and forget about. Librarians should consider the resources, whether educational or informational, and the depth of coverage when developing or updating systematic review research guides or support services. Maintaining a systematic review research guide and support service requires continual training and maintaining familiarity with all resources and tools linked in the research guide
Evaluating an Instructional Intervention for Research Data Management Training
No full textObjective – At a large research university in Canada, a research data management (RDM) specialist and two liaison librarians partnered to evaluate the effectiveness of an active learning component of their newly developed RDM training program. This empirical study aims to contribute a statistical analysis to evaluate an RDM instructional intervention.
Methods – This study relies on a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental intervention during introductory RDM workshops offered 12 times between February 2022 and January 2023. The intervention consists of instruction on best practices related to file-naming conventions. We developed a grading rubric differentiating levels of proficiency in naming a file according to a convention reflecting RDM best practices and international standards. We used manual content analysis to independently code each pre- and post-instruction file name according to the rubric.
Results – Comparing the overall average scores for each participant pre- and post-instruction intervention, we find that workshop participants, in general, improved in proficiency. The results of a Wilcoxon signed-rank test demonstrate that the difference between the pre- and post-test observations is statistically significant with a high effect size. In addition, a comparison of changes in pre- and post-test scores for each rubric element showed that participants grasped specific elements more easily (i.e., implementing an international standard for a date format) than others (i.e., applying information related to sequential versioning of files).
Conclusion – The results of this study indicate that developing short and targeted interventions in the context of RDM training is worthwhile. In addition, the findings demonstrate how quantitative evaluations of instructional interventions can pinpoint specific topics or activities requiring improvement or further investigation. Overall, RDM learning outcomes grounded in practical competencies may be achieved through applied exercises that demonstrate immediate improvement directly to participants
Championing Inclusivity: Underrepresentation of Women in African Academic Leadership and Scholarly Journal Management
No full textObjectives – This study seeks to investigate the exclusion of women from the management of scholarly journals across East Swahili (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Anglo-West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia) by delving into the implications of marginalization. Furthermore, the study aims to illuminate the often-overlooked experiences of black women, whose narratives are frequently overshadowed by those of black men or subsumed within the context of white women.
Methods – By employing empirical evidence from African Journals Online (AJO) and institutional journal data from countries in focus, this study examines the pervasive domination of men within scholarly journal management in East Swahili and Anglo-West Africa.
Results – Findings reveal a widespread dominance of men in the management of scholarly journals in the targeted countries despite the considerable presence of women in academia.
Conclusion – The underrepresentation of women in academic leadership positions carries significant consequences, including a lack of diversity in decision-making processes. Such homogeneity can perpetuate existing disparities and impede progress towards gender equality within academia. Furthermore, discussions concerning gender inequality in academia often neglect the experiences of black women
Assessment of the Institute for Research Design in Librarianship, Phase 2: Impact on the Research Productivity and Careers of Academic Librarians
No full textObjective – This article reports on the qualitative phase of a two-phase sequential mixed-methods study to assess the first six years of the Institute for Research Design in Librarianship (IRDL), a continuing education program for academic and research librarians. The study is designed to assess the effectiveness of IRDL in meeting short-term and long-term programmatic objectives related to the research productivity, job performance, and professional identities of the participants in the program.
Methods – In this second part of a two-phase study, the authors conducted focus group and individual interviews with 37 IRDL participants (hereafter called Scholars) and coded the resulting transcripts. The first phase of the study surveyed all 124 program participants; the results were reported in an earlier article in this journal. The second-phase interviews were conducted and then coded using a deductive process. The researchers identified transcript excerpts that explored the concepts of research productivity, job performance, and identity as a researcher. Each of these concepts was further sub-coded to explore the four sources of self-efficacy, as described in Albert Bandura’s theory: mastery experiences; verbal or social persuasion; vicarious experiences; and physiological and affective states.
Results – The majority of the conversations in both the in-depth individual interviews and the focus group interviews centered around research productivity; approximately 70% of the transcript excerpts from focus groups and 55% of the individual interviews addressed issues related to productivity. Participants also discussed the impact of IRDL on their job performance and their identify as researchers. Gaining research confidence had a notable positive impact on job performance related to classroom teaching and supporting researchers. Within these areas of conversation, all sources of self-efficacy were evident, but the most frequently noted were influences related to mastery learning and social persuasion, through mentorship and becoming part of a peer research community.
Conclusion – The findings from the focus groups and in-depth interviews deepen the meaning of the results from the quantitative phase of our IRDL assessment research. The participants in the study reported both frustration and satisfaction with conducting their research. A supportive environment focused on helping librarians gain needed research skills, practice those skills, and become part of a research community contributes to research confidence and productivity, improved job performance, and identity as a researcher. The findings of this study have implications for developing librarians as researchers, including the importance of a supportive work environment, research mentoring, and the positive influence of becoming part of a research community
Using UX Testing to Optimize Discoverability of Non-traditional Resources
No full textObjective – The accessibility of non-traditional resources presents ongoing challenges for users and librarians. This study investigates methods for optimizing metadata and the placement of search results to enhance the discoverability of these resources within library systems. Researchers conducted A/B testing to compare two features of Ex Libris Primo: the Resource Recommender and Discovery Import Profiles. The objective was to enhance user access to a broader range of informational assets beyond conventional collections. This study posed the research question: Is inclusion in the results list (Discovery Import Profiles) or are visually appealing advertisement-style cards above results (Resource Recommender) a more effective method for discovery of non-traditional library resources?
Methods – Researchers identified four key resource types for testing: librarians, frequently asked questions (FAQs), databases, and research guides. An A/B test was conducted with each resource presented in the Discovery Import Profiles and Resource Recommender formats. Following the A/B test, a combined C test was conducted to validate findings.
Results – The ad-style cards achieved higher engagement rates, particularly for databases and FAQs, while research guides performed better when embedded directly in search results. This study highlights the strengths and limitations of each method. Databases and FAQs benefited from the visual prominence of the ad-style cards, while research guides were more discoverable within search results. However, minimal engagement with librarians as a resource type across both methods suggests the need for improved tagging and metadata strategies.
Conclusion – Findings underscore the importance of institution-specific research and localized assessments to ensure effective implementation of discovery strategies. This study provides a useful method for libraries aiming to enhance the discoverability of their non-traditional resources, ultimately improving user access and satisfaction.
