1,720,955 research outputs found
The Role of Community Based Information Centres in Development: Lessons for Rural Zimbabwe
Get PDFCommunity based information proposals from the library profession in Zimbabwe should in theory fit well with government strategic goals for a “knowledge based society”. In reality, information technology has opened floodgates for international and national development by bringing in a plethora of community based information systems and services. This paper highlights developmental issues initiated by different community based information centres. It defines community, information, rural development and enunciates on community centers throughout their evolution to the modern community based information centres. The premise of the paper is that establishing community based information centres in Zimbabwean rural areas will strengthen and empower rural people to be among global players. The major scale of this paper is to provide platforms for erecting these centres in rural Zimbabwe for the purpose of providing everyone with useful, practical information for daily chores. Rural Zimbabwe has a bigger share in national and international development which can be achieved by harnessing community based information systems and services. Despite low level penetration of community based centres in Zimbabwe, the Matabeleland South initiatives have capacitated Zimbabweans to follow the trend. The centres should be spread throughout the country and provide information for development. Community based information centres can play a significant role in meeting social economic targets for rural people by connecting, empowering rural populace to developmental floodgates. The paper finally shows how community information based centres complement support for the government and agencies in resource sharing and enhances the services available through such centres. Keywords: information, information technology, rural development, and community based information centres: Zimbabwe
Performance evaluation of service quality and user satisfaction in selected Zimbabwe university libraries.
No full textDoctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.This study examines the performance evaluation of service quality and user satisfaction in selected Zimbabwe university libraries. The study objectives were to establish reasons for the criticality of performance evaluation in university libraries, to identify the aspects of performance evaluation standards that contribute the most to service quality and user satisfaction, to examine how the service quality of libraries is affected by technologies, to assess service quality characteristics that contribute to user satisfaction, and to evaluate the decline in the usage statistics of the selected university libraries This study aimed to determine the centrality of the performance assessment of service quality and user satisfaction. The focus is on the selected institutions in Zimbabwe. The study further identifies the contextual areas affecting service quality, user satisfaction, and performance evaluation methods. It provides an opportunity to advance our knowledge of library operations and services, improve our understanding of user expectations, and enhance efficient service delivery. This is crucial in the Information Science fraternity in several ways. For instance, the theoretical perspectives of the study are intended to provide and contribute to the knowledge of performance evaluation of service quality and user satisfaction in university libraries in Zimbabwe. The study adopts the Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT) as the theoretical lens to view the research hypotheses. It also uses a pragmatic paradigm to address the different research questions. The study also employs a combined quantitative and qualitative approach using a survey questionnaire, interviews, and observation for data collection. A survey questionnaire was administered to 1330 postgraduate library users, and semi structured interviews were conducted with nine purposively selected library managers. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis, while quantitative data were analysed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) 2021 to generate descriptive and inferential statistics to actualise the study's objectives. The reliability and validity of the instruments were ascertained through test retest reliability using Cronbach’s alpha on 30 postgraduate students from a university that was not selected. A reliability analysis was conducted on an instrument comprising 43 items. The Cronbach’s alpha showed that the questionnaire had acceptable reliability (α = 0.852). The study adhered to the ethical protocol of the University of KwaZulu Natal. The study findings established that respondents strongly felt that performance evaluation, user feedback, and user suggestions of library services are more critical to library performance and improving library services. The results revealed that library policies, procedures, and regulations affect most service quality and user satisfaction. The findings of this study showed that the use of computers has increased library performance. It was also found that physical library visits declined owing to the proliferation of technologies. The findings indicate that libraries have resources and facilities that meet users’ needs. The library staff were highly commendable. The study concludes that variables such as performance evaluation, service quality, and user satisfaction contribute to library service quality. The study also concluded that university libraries that subscribe to local and international associations and organisations develop more in their management. The selected libraries can raise their standards by becoming members of local and international associations. It was concluded that the availability of electronic resources enhances research quality by supplementing hard copies. University libraries should invest in electronic resources and ensure that they subscribe to various of these resources to increase the accessibility of their collections. The study recommended that work on performance measurement and evaluation be performed regularly. Every academic library's measurement and evaluation team must suggest proper planning for conducting performance surveys. The study also recommends that specific standards be observed to allow university libraries to use different indicators and the revised standards procedures in their operations. There was a need for collaborative efforts through national associations (ZimLA), Zimbabwe Library Consortia, and other international associations (IF LA, AFLIA and American Library Association (ALA). The study recommends that university libraries keep pace with the latest technological advancements. The study also recommends that library management create a section in the library dedicated to eliciting user needs. This study also recommends that library staff be trained and retrained on how to maintain library statistics. The findings, conclusions, and recommendations will help university libraries strengthen their systems and strategies for improving the provision of their services. More importantly, evidence based modern benchmarking tools will usher in a new dimension of managing university libraries. The study proposes a more refined model and instrument for measuring the service quality and user satisfaction of libraries. Finally, this study has the potential to improve the user experience of university libraries.
Iqoqa.
Lolu cwaningo luhlola ukusebenza kwezingabunjalo kanye nokwaneliseka kwabasebenzisa imitapo yolwazi ekhethiweyo enyuvesi yaseZimbabwe. Inhloso yocwaningo ngukuthola izizathu zobucayi bokuhlola ukusebenza emitwapweni yolwazi yenyuvesi, ukuveza izinkomba zamazinga okuhlola ukusebenza aholela kakhulu ezingabunjalweni lokusebenza kanye nokwaneliseka kwabayisebenzisayo, ukuhlola ukuthi izingabunjalo lokusebenza kwemitapo yolwazi linomthelela onjani ekusebenzeni kwezobucwepheshe, ukubheka ubunjalo bezinga lokusebenza obunomthelela ekwanelisekeni kwabayisebenzisayo, kanye nokuhlola ukwehla ekusebenzisekeni ngokwezinombolo kwemitapo yolwazi ekhethiweyo enyuvesi. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuthola isizinda sokuhlola kokusebenza kwezingabunjalo lomsebenzi kanye nokweneliseka kwabayisebenzisayo. Kugxilwe ezikhungweni ezikhethiweyo eZimbabwe. Ucwaningo luphinde lukhombe izizinda okugxilwe kuzo ezinomthelela wezinga lokusebenza, ukweneliseka kwabayisebenzisayo kanye nezindlela zokuhlola ukusebenza. Lunikeza ithuba ukuthuthukisa ulwazi lwethu lokusebenza kwemitapo yolwazi kanye nemisebenzi yayo, ukuthuthukisa ukuqonda kwethu kokulindeleke ngabayisebenzisayo, kanye nokukhulisa izidingo zokusebenza ezigculisayo. Lokhu kusemqoka kakhulu emphakathini weSayensi Yezolwazi ngezindlela eziningi. Njengokuthi nje, izindlelakubuka ngenjulalwazi yocwaningo zihlose ukunikeza futhi zibe nomthelela elwazini lokuhlola ukusebenza kwezingakusebenza kanye nokweneliseka kwabayisebenzisayo emitapweni yolwazi enyuvesi yaseZimbabwe. Ucwaningo lusebenzisa iNjulalwazi Yokuvumelana Kokulindelekile, i-Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT) njengesibuko senjulalwazi ukubuka izihlawumbiselo zocwaningo. Lusebenzisa futhi ipharadaymu yokungenzeka ukuphendula imibuzo yocwaningo eyehlukene. Ucwaningo luphinde futhi lusebenzise ngokuhlanganyela indlelande yezinombolo kanye neyobunjalo botho ngokusebenzisa uhlamibuzo lwesaveyi, izingxoxo, kanye nokubukela ukuqoqa imininingo. Uhlamibuzo lwesaveyi lwasetshenziswa kubasebenzisi bomtapo wolwazi asebeneziqu abayi-1330, kanye nezingxoxo ezisakuhleleka zenziwa nabaphathi bomtapo wolwazi abakhethwe ngenhloso. Imininingo yekhwalithethivu yahlaziywa ngokusebenzisa ukuhlaziya ngezindikimba, kanti imininingo yezinombolo yahlaziywa ngokusebenzisa iStatistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 2021 ukuthola izinombolo ezichazayo kanye nezibalo zokungase kwenzeke ukuqondisa kahle izinhloso zocwaningo. Ukwethembeka kanye nokukholakala kwamathuluzi asetshenzisiwe kwaqinisekiswa ngokuvivinya okuphindaphindayo kusetshenziswa iCronbach’s alpha kubafundi asebeneziqu abangama-30 basenyuvesi ekhathethiwe. Ukuhlaziya kokwethembeka kwenziwa ngethuluzi elinezinhlaka ezingama-43. ICronbach’s alpha yaveza ukuthi uhlamibuzo lwaba nokwethembeka okwamukelekile (α = 0.852). Ucwaningo lwahambisana nenqubo yenkambiso elungileyo yasenyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natali. Imiphumela yocwaningo yaveza ukuthi abahlanganyeli bezwa sengathi ukuhlola kokusebenza, izimpendulo zabasebenzisa imitapo yolwazi, kanye neziphakamiso zabasebenzisa umtapo wolwazi ngokusebenza komtapo wolwazi kugxile kakhulu ekusebenzeni komtapo wolwazi kanye nasekuthuthukiseni ukusebenza komtapo wolwazi. Imiphumela yaveza ukuthi imigomo yomtapo wolwazi, izinqubo, kanye nendlelakusebenza kunomthelela omkhulu kwizingabunjalo lomsebenzi kanye nokweneliseka kwasebenzisi bemitapo yolwazi. Lolu cwaningo lwaveza ukuthi ukusebenzisa amakhompyutha sekwenyuse ukusebenza komtapo wolwazi. Kwatholakala futhi ukuthi ukuvakashela umtapo ngumuntu bukhoma sekwehlile ngenxa yokusabalala kokusebensa ngobuchwepheshe. Imiphumela iveza ukuthi imitapo yolwazi inezinsizakusebenza ezihlangabezana nezidingo zabasebenzisi bemitapo yolwazi. Abasebenzi basemtapweni wolwazi banconywa kakhulu. Ucwaningo luphetha ngokuthi amavarebhuli afana nokuhlola ukusebenza, izingakusebenza, kanye nokweneliseka kwabasebenzisi bomtapo wolwazi kunomthelela kwizingakusebenza lomtapo wolwazi. Ucwaingo luphinde luphethe ngokuthi imitapo yolwazi yasenyuvesi iyahambelana nezinhlangano zangaphakathi zezwe nezamazwe angaphandle futhi izinhlangano zithuthukisa amakhono azo okuphatha kakhulu. Imitapo yolwazi ekhethiweyo ingaphakamisa amazinga ayo ngokuba amalunga ezinhlangano zamazwe angaphakathi kanye nezamazwe ngamazwe. Kwavela ukuthi ukuba khona kwezinsizakusebenza zobuchwepheshe kukhuphula izingabunjalo locwaningo ngokuthatha indawo yamakhophi aqoshiwe. Imitapo yolwazi yasenyuvesi kumele ifake amandla emali ezinsizeni kusebenza zobuchwepheshe bese iqinisekisa ukuthi bayabhalisa kulezi zinsizakusebenza ezahlukehlukene ukukhuphula ukungeneleka kwamaqoqo abo olwazi. Ucwaningo luphakamisa ukuthi umsebenzi wokukala ukusebenza kanye nokuhlola kumele kwenzeke njalo. Zonke izikalo zomtapo wolwazi wemfundo kanye nethimba lokuhlola kumele kuphakamise uhlelo olufanelekile ukuqhuba umsebenzi wamasaveyi. Ucwaningo luyaphakamisa futhi amazinga athile kumele abhekwe ukuvulela imitapo yolwazi yenyuvesi ukusebenzisa izinkomba ezehlukahlukene bese kubuyekezwa izinqubo sokusebenza. Bekunesidingo semizamo yokusebenzisana nezinhlangano zesizwe (ZimLA), Inhlangano Yemitapo Yolwazi yaseZimbabwe, kanye nezinye izinhlangano zamazwe angaphandle (IFLA, AFLIA kanye ne-American Library Association (ALA)). Ucwaningo luphakamisa ukuthi imitapo yolwazi yasenyuvesi ihambisane nokuthuthuka kokusebenza kobuchwepheshwe. Ucwaningo luphakamisa ukuthi ubuholi bomtapo wolwazi buqambe uhlaka olubhekelela izidingo zabasebenzi bomtapo wolwazi. Ucwaningo luphakamisa futhi ukuthi abasebenzi bomtapo wolwazi baqeqeshwe ngokuphindiwe ukugcina izinombolo zomtapo wolwazi. Imiphumela, isiphetho, kanye neziphakamiso kuzokwelekelela imitapo yolwazi yasenyuvesi ukuthi kukhulise izindlela zabo kanye namasu okuthuthukisa ukunikezela ngemisebenzi yabo. Ikakhulukazi, amathuluzi okusebenzisana nabanye esimanje nanobufakazi kuzokwelekeleka ukubhekelela ubungako obusha bokwengamela imitapo yolwazi enyuvesi. Ucwaningo luphakamisa imodeli ecolisekile kanye nethuluzi lokukala izingakusebenza lemitapo yolwazi kanye nokweneliseka kwabayisebenzisayo. Okokugcina, lolu cwaningo lunokukwazi ukuthuthukisa isimo sabasebenzisa imitapo yolwazi yenyuvesi
Evolving library staff skills during a health crisis: A case of Rimuka public library in Zimbabwe
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to assess the evolving library staff skills during a health crisis. The focus was on skills that library staff could adopt in the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) era in Zimbabwe and worldwide. The aim was to generate insightful knowledge that could be used by information professionals facing health pandemics in order to provide current and relevant library services to their user community. The research employed a qualitative research design using a case study research strategy. Interviews were conducted with six library staff and four administrators who were chosen based on the purposive sampling procedure. Data was analysed thematically and presented textually. The significant findings were that the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had caught the Library unprepared for providing distant services. The library staff did not possess the requisite skills to offer distant services. The Library lacked resources, including ICT gadgets, which could have been used to provide such services. The main recommendations were for the Library to organise in-house training programmes, workshops and seminars to equip staff with digital literacies. To this end, the Library could upskill its staff and use the general digital competencies framework to focus the training. The Library could appoint a systems librarian to set up and run a digital library. The staff could participate in collaborative activities with other local council libraries and events organised by institutions in the library profession. The current study adds to our knowledge of how staff skills in public libraries in Zimbabwe during health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have changed over time. Numerous studies have been conducted in developed and developing nations evaluating the extent of harm to library services in health environments. Nevertheless, there is little research on how staff skills could be developed and enhanced during health crises in African public libraries, especially in Zimbabwe
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
- …
