Usage of electronic resources at University of Delhi: a case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 96-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narender Kumar ◽  
Lalita Lalita

Purpose The aim of this paper is to know the cost of per use, to analyze the cost per use in different subjects, to analyze the most economical as well as expensive electronic database being subscribed by the University of Delhi, to identify the database(s) for cancellation and to highlight issues related to usage statistics. Design/methodology/approach Usage statistics have been collected from the publishers for the period under study of full-text databases in the counting online usage of networked electronic resource (COUNTER) JR1 excluding downloads from an archive and Indian databases not providing COUNTER compliance usage. Usages of foreign databases have been analyzed through different parameters like yearly average cost per down load, subject-wise average cost per down, most economical databases and most expensive databases have been identified. A total approximation cost has also been worked by adopting standards practice to know the saving of University of Delhi by subscribing these databases. Findings The study concludes that in case of foreign databases, the cost per use has increased by 41.77 per cent in the past 10 years and the cumulative average cost per use has been Rs.55.07 less than $1 if converted into US$. In case of subject, the cheapest cost per use has been from the databases providing statistical data (Rs.26.50) and the costliest cost per use has been from discipline social science (99–196.61), followed by management (Rs.37.33), general databases (Rs.40.58), science (Rs.41.66), humanities (Rs.48.73), technology (Rs.93.22) and computer science (Rs.102.09) per use. It has also been found that the Britannica Online has been the most economical database costing Rs.2.33 and World Intellectual Property Search as most expensive costing Rs.14,902.19 per use. The study concludes that University of Delhi have saved substantial amount by subscribing these databases instead of purchasing these article from open market. The study concluded that though the usage statistics is an important parameter for renewal or cancellation, it should not be the only criteria. Research limitations/implications This study could not able to work out the cost per use of Indian databases, as they were not able to provide COUNTER statistics. Practical implications On the basis of the study, University of Delhi and institute may decide on renewal of these databases. The institute may take necessary action to promote these databases through information literacy program. On the basis of the study, University of Delhi and institute may decide on renewal of these databases. The institute may take necessary action to promote these databases through information literacy program. Originality/value This study is an empirical research based on original usage statistics provided by the publishers in COUNTER format. Earlier literature has also been studied and used. Proper citation and reference have been acknowledged. The study has been checked through plagiarism detecting software.

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 544-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Bombaro ◽  
Pamela Harris ◽  
Kerri Odess-Harnish

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to ask Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, Professor/Coordinator for Information Literacy Services and Instruction in the University Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, about her views regarding the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Design/methodology/approach This is an interview. Findings Hinchliffe believes that the Framework is one among many documents that academic librarians can and should use to promote information literacy. Research limitations/implications Hinchliffe contradicts the opinion that the Framework and the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education could not have co-existed. Practical implications Hinchliffe offers librarians practical advice for moving from a Standards-based to a Framework-based information literacy program. Originality/value Hinchliffe concludes that the old ways of fostering information literacy do not need to be rejected to adopt new practices.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rayana Jaafar ◽  
Vijay Pereira ◽  
Samer S. Saab ◽  
Abdul-Nasser El-Kassar

PurposeWith over 3,000 academic journals in the fields of Business and Economics, most academics face a hard time selecting an adequate journal to submit their work to. In today's demanding academic environment and with the presence of different journal ranking lists (JRLs), the selection becomes more difficult when considering employment, promotion and funding. The purpose of this paper is to explore key differences among multiple JRLs pertinent to the latter common objectives. An extensive analysis is conducted to compare the content of journals in the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) Journal Quality list, Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) in the fields of Business and Economics. Then, a case of a university with medium research output is considered where scholarly performance evaluation is based on the ABDC Journal Quality List.Design/methodology/approachAfter ranking journals in the fields of Business and Economics based on SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) indicator, JCR's Journal Impact Factor (JIF) and JCR's Eigenfactor (EF), a methodology is proposed to categorize journals in the three JRLs into the same categorization adopted by ABDC. The latter establishes a way to compare the four JRLs under consideration and serves as a basis to compare and analyze the content of journals in the ABDC Journal Quality list, Scopus and WoS. As a proxy impact metric, a normalized citation count is associated with each article based on Google Scholar. The publications of the considered university are then evaluated from the perspective of the four JRLs in terms of citation-based impact and quality while considering the exposure to popular world university ranking tables.FindingsFor journals classified under fourth tier by ABDC, over 53 and 59% are not indexed by Scopus and WoS, respectively. In this case study, over 42% of the publications appear in journals that are not listed in JCR despite the fact that over 94% of them are listed by the SJR list. Generally, publications that appear in journals listed by JCR achieve, on a yearly average, significantly higher citation rates when compared to those that appear in journals listed in ABDC and SJR Lists.Originality/valueA four-tier mapping is proposed for consistent comparison among JRLs. Normalized citation count associated with each article based on Google Scholar is employed for evaluation. The findings provide recommendations for scholars, administrators and global universities, including Euro-Med Universities, on which JRL can be more influential for both faculty development and positioning of the university.


2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Sonley ◽  
Denise Turner ◽  
Sue Myer ◽  
Yvonne Cotton

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report the results of a case study evaluating the revision of the assessment methods of an information literacy module. The revised assessment method took the form of a portfolio.Design/methodology/approachDuring 2004, all six credit modules at the University of Teesside had to be reviewed and restructured into ten credit modules. Following Biggs' principles of constructive alignment, the tutors looked at the existing module aims and learning outcomes. A review of the literature and previous experience informed the selection of the new assessment method by portfolio. An evaluation of the assessment method was undertaken after the module had run.FindingsThe paper finds that the assessment method had real strengths especially in terms of validity. It was also economical and efficient. Students knew what they were expected to do and where they needed to put in effort.Research limitations/implicationsThe assessment by a portfolio method has been carried out once with a relatively small cohort of students, so the findings can only be regarded as interim.Practical implicationsThe tutors believe that they have created a very useful module with an aligned assessment method which would be of benefit to a much greater number of studentsOriginality/valueThere is a shortage of publications that report the results of the use of portfolios for the assessment of information literacy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 376-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Shaw ◽  
Teresa Capetola ◽  
Justin T. Lawson ◽  
Claire Henderson-Wilson ◽  
Berni Murphy

Purpose This study aims to investigate the sustainability of the food culture at Deakin University and to determine what the barriers to increasing the sustainability of food on the Burwood campus may be. Design/methodology/approach An online survey of staff and students from the Faculty of Health at the Burwood campus of Deakin University (n = 697) was undertaken. The survey included questions relating to eating habits on campus, views on the current food culture, food security, food disposal, visions for the future and demographic information. In addition, a short paper-based survey was developed for the ten food outlets on campus. Findings The results show that although sustainability considerations are important to staff and students, cost is the main issue and is a significant barrier to the development of a more sustainable food culture. It is also a significant barrier to staff and students making healthy choices when it comes to the purchase of food on campus. However, sustainable food initiatives such as community gardens could help alleviate this barrier and also contribute to improving student engagement. Research limitations/implications The online survey was limited to the Faculty of Health, and, therefore, a potential bias exists towards individuals who may have an interest in health. This should be considered when interpreting the results. Originality/value This research demonstrates that although cost may be a barrier to universities improving the sustainability of their food culture, there are other ways in which universities can create an environment that embraces sustainable food production to benefit both the environment and the university community.


2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 12-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin M. Woodward

Purpose – As a model of competency-based education (CBE), the University of Wisconsin (UW) System Flex options present a unique case study of challenges and opportunities for embedding student-centered library services and information literacy. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, we describe strategies for engaging with the evolving Flex curriculum, the needs of an unknown student body and the role of new student support staff. The author notes the relevance of examining the library’s role in Flex at this time, given the potential for growth nationally in CBE. Findings – The challenges the author faced initially were closely tied with opportunities that once examined, formed the basis of the embedded library model for competency-based education. Further, the author found opportunities to articulate their role in Flex on their campus and share with other institutions. Originality/value – This case study is based on the author’s experiences embedding Information Literacy and Distance Services in the Flex option at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.


2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 607-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicki Lawal ◽  
Stephen Akintunde

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential role of information literacy (IL) within the changing context of the e-learning environment at the University of Jos in recent years. It focuses and emphasises the role of the University library in facilitating teaching and learning through the use of e-learning platforms in teaching information retrieval skills. The paper aims to identify gaps in students’ information skills that could be addressed through IL instruction. Design/methodology/approach – The study employed a case study research design while the methodology involved the administration of structured questionnaires to the two groups of respondents. Findings – Findings from the study provide useful insights to the skills challenges experienced by students and point to a need for effective collaboration between the library, faculty and management in order to promote a better approach to learning at the institution. Originality/value – By emphasising the role of the library, the paper contributes to previous studies on e-learning at the University and provides a basis for further research in this regard.


2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xia Liu ◽  
Ting Lei

PurposeThis paper aims to report on a cost study of document supply at Wuhan University Library, and to investigate the difference in costs over time and the cost‐effectiveness for the university.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach is employed.FindingsThe borrowing unit cost and lending unit cost decreased by 27 percent and 60 percent, respectively, between 2002 and 2004, but showed a small increase in 2006.Originality/valueThe paper reveals the cost of document supply in a Chinese research library and proves that the cost could be lowered rapidly by taking effective measures. The paper also demonstrates that document supply is an effective way to resolve the library budgetary crisis as well as satisfying end‐users' needs.


2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 536-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Jumonville

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the significance of faculty autonomy in sustaining a successful information literacy program. Design/methodology/approach – Faculty members were given the opportunity to create courses that integrated and assessed information literacy as part of a course grant program associated with an institutional assessment mandate. This case study analyzes course grant proposals, course assessment methods and results. It also presents results of a follow-up survey of faculty participants to see if they continued to integrate information literacy in other courses. Results are situated in the context of self-determination theory to better understand the role of autonomy in faculty motivation and participation in an assessment program. Findings – Defining and integrating information literacy themselves allowed faculty to align information literacy with their own course goals. Supporting faculty in choosing their own assessment methods for these integrations also provided program administrators with new information about faculty members’ teaching and learning practices and values. Results of a follow-up study confirmed that faculty continued to integrate information literacy in their courses of their own accord, underscoring the importance of an autonomy-supportive program structure. Originality/value – This paper provides evidence for information literacy advocates that faculty autonomy can be a strength, not an obstacle. It demonstrates ways to incorporate and allow for autonomy within program constraints and introduces librarians to self-determination theory, a way of thinking about motivation that can help librarians pursue more effective collaborations with faculty.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shankar Reddy Kolle

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the literature published on information literacy (IL) from 2005 to 2014 and reveal the key aspects of IL publication trends. Design/methodology/approach The study analyses the literature indexed in Web of Science database on IL from 2005 to 2014 and used the required bibliometric measures to analyse specific aspects of publishing trends. Findings The findings of the study reveal that increase in literature on IL from 2005 to 2014 was noticed. A high amount of annual growth of literature on IL is observed for the year of 2007, 2008 and 2011. “Pinto, M” and the “University of Granada, Spain” was productive author and institute. Journal of Academic Librarianship was the most productive journal, with 97 articles being published for the period. USA was the most contributing country. “Digital divide”, “media literacy”, “pedagogy”, “higher education” and “critical thinking” were current research topics in the IL domain. Originality/value The paper is very useful for researchers to learn about trends in the literature on IL, as well as possible areas for further research, and it provides the names of the most productive authors, organizations and countries, along with the most popular IL keywords.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 308-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling-Feng Hsieh ◽  
Jiung-Bin Chin ◽  
Mu-Chen Wu

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to construct a model of cost efficiency and service effectiveness for a university e-library to allocate e-resources cost and to attain quality of service enhancement and cater to the needs of readers with existing e-resources. Design/methodology/approach – The paper establishes an assessment model for the cost efficiency and service effectiveness of a university e-library in Taiwan. It then proceeds with an empirical study and analysis of related data collected from e-libraries of 16 universities. A discussion of the results of the study and suggestions for the adjustment of the university e-libraries follows. Findings – The paper combines two models of cost efficiency and service effectiveness for the first time to analyze and consider the output results created by the input cost of university e-libraries in Taiwan and their utilization by readers. Originality/value – The paper builds a figure for the relationship of e-library cost efficiency and service effectiveness at 16 universities in Taiwan and then divides it into four types.


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