Organizing personal digital information: an analysis of faculty member activities

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry Jacques ◽  
Sabine Mas ◽  
Dominique Maurel ◽  
Jonathan Dorey

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to document and analyze the organizational activities of faculty members using a personal information management (PIM) framework developed by Jacques (2016).Design/methodology/approachInterviews were carried out with seven faculty members, focusing on their personal information organization practices as they relate to their academic activities. These interviews took the form of a guided tour of informants' digital workspaces.FindingsAnalyses focused on PIM activities make it possible to identify the different strategies adopted by faculty members to organize their academic personal information. This qualitative approach highlights four activities involved in the organization of personal information: inclusion, exclusion, apprehension and implementation. It also reveals differences in the ability of faculty members to analyze their own practices. Finally, the relationship to time and memory of PIM practices is examined through the lens of the concepts of virtualization and actualization.Originality/valueThis research provides a more nuanced understanding of PIM practices, specifically of organizational activities, by considering the meaning of these practices for individuals as part of their daily lives. It aims to foster literacy by facilitating the interactions of individuals with their personal information through educational activities.

2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (12) ◽  
pp. 712-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nosheen Fatima Warraich ◽  
Irfan Ali ◽  
Shazia Yasmeen

Purpose This study aims to investigate the usefulness and challenges of personal digital information management (PDIM) as perceived by engineering faculty members. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative research strategy based on survey design was used to collect data through structured questionnaire. Simple random sampling technique was applied to obtain a representative sample from faculty members of University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore. Findings Findings indicate that faculty members understand the usefulness of PDIM practices for their teaching and learning. They opined that these practices improve their performance along with effective utilization of resources. PDIM practices save their time, energy and money. Nevertheless, they have to face challenges in managing their personal information in digital format including technology obsolescence, bulk of incoming emails, prediction of future value of information, information fragmentation and memory load in remembering the location of information. It is also noted that PDIM practices are equally useful for both male and female faculty members. However, female faculty members have to face more PDIM challenges than male faculty members. Practical implications Overall, findings of the study reveal that there are benefits of PDIM and it is useful for faculty members with certain challenges. This study identified five major challenges. All these challenges were from technological and cognitive psychology domain. It is noted that assessing future value of information plays important role in overall process of PDIM. Originality/value The present study would be valuable addition in literature and it would be helpful in devising information literacy instructions programs in academic libraries. This study would also helpful for improving quality services for teaching as required by Pakistan Engineering Council. Findings of this study would helpful for system engineers, software developers and system librarians in designing and developing personal information management systems in Pakistan.


Author(s):  
Alireza Shirazi ◽  
Mikaeil Molazadeh ◽  
Ahad Zeinali ◽  
Ghazale Geraily

In this study, the purpose was to investigate Personal Information Management (PIM) activity rate regardingfourPIM aspects o f acquisition, maintenance, organization, and retrieval o f faculty members in three universities, i.e., Tehran University o f Medical Science (TUMS), Iran University o f Medical Sciences (lUMS), and Shahid Beheshti University o f Medical Sciences (SBUMS). The relationship between PIM use and workplace, academic rank, and gender factors were also studied. A Persian-language questionnaire was used to measure PIM performance of participants. Data were analysed using statistical tests. Findings showed that most o f the participants preferred desktop computers for saving theirpersonal digital information. Also, the percentage of PIM use by the faculty members was reported as 50-75%. However, no significant associations between PIM use by the faculty members and their workplace, academic rank, andgenderwerefound.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Xie ◽  
Diane H. Sonnenwald ◽  
Crystal Fulton

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore graduate students’ behaviour and perspectives regarding personal digital document management, as well as insights into the connections between memory and document re-finding. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 graduate students studying information and library science. The interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed. The transcripts were analysed using open and axial coding. Findings – Participants were overall positive about the importance of managing their digital documents but they had little knowledge about currently available personal information management (PIM) tools. Characteristics of digital documents frequently used by participants to re-find documents include name, subject, storage location, creation time, keyword, document title, document file type, user’s location and recency. For participants the act of organizing documents is itself a memory aid. Participants’ recommendations for PIM tools include support for information organization and simplistic visualizations that can be customized, e.g., using colour to highlight folders or documents. Research limitations/implications – The number of study participants was relatively small, and further studies should examine a more diverse participant sample, e.g., to investigate whether tasks influence re-finding. Further studies should also examine PIM with respect to other types of devices and services, including tablets and cloud services. Practical implications – The results include recommendations for future PIM tool design. Originality/value – This research identifies documents’ characteristics that participants use to re-find documents and the importance of these characteristics. It also examines the usage and expectations of PIM tools in everyday PIM.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyong Eun Oh

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how individuals' personal information organization reflects their social environments in order to understand social aspects of personal information organization.Design/methodology/approachBy using a cognitive sociological approach and based on the personal information organization process (PIOP) model (Oh, 2019), this study investigates the social aspects of personal information organization by analyzing the pre-diary interview, a diary, and two post-diary interviews conducted with each of the 18 information users in social science academic environments.FindingsSocial dimensions of personal information organization were found in differences between organizing academic and non-academic files, the way participants identified and made distinctions among files, common folders they created, and with the impact of participants' professional age on personal information organization. This study shows that information organization is a process of construction and that the participants' social foundations are reflected in the way they view and organize their files.Originality/valueThis study makes a unique contribution to the field by explaining the social aspects of personal information organization. The findings of this study deepen our knowledge of personal information organization by providing different ways to understand how and why people organize their files in certain ways, and by showing that this is not just individual behavior. In practice, this study provides insight into the design of applications and tools that support personal information management of people in specific social environments.


Libri ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Williams Ezinwa Nwagwu ◽  
Antonia Bernadette Donkor

Abstract This study examined personal information creation and storage practices in digital and print media by faculty in selected universities in Ghana. A sample survey research design guided the research and quantitative data were collected from 235 faculty members of six universities in Ghana. Qualitative data was also collected from 18 willing faculty members, and was guided by an interview schedule. Faculty reported that they created their information in an organized manner and that they created information mainly in digital formats compared with manual. The task at hand determined the information facility created and search words that are semantically related to the item are used in finding/re-finding electronic information. Faculty reported that they acquired their information literacy personally, and information literacy explained re-finding of digital information but not non-digital information. The demographic variables in the study did not explain finding/re-finding of stored information: gender (β = −0.113, p = 0.280) and age (β = 0.038, p = 0.545). This study establishes clearly the pattern of information literacy activities for faculty in the universities in Ghana.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-79
Author(s):  
Md. Anwarul Islam

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the initial understanding of what perceptions have the faculty members of Dhaka University and how they use cloud for academic activities. Design/methodology/approach A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect responses from the faculty members of Dhaka University. An online questionnaire was sent out to the faculty members of Dhaka University via e-mail. The questionnaire was both open and close-ended. Overall, 125 respondents participated in this survey and convenience sampling method was used. Mann–Whitney and chi-square test were carried out to see the influence of demographic characteristics on cloud use for teaching and learning activities. Findings The results showed that faculty members are generally aware of cloud computing, and they are using some of the cloud applications for teaching and learning purposes. They use cloud for research, collaboration, faculty-students engagement, student supporting activities and sharing course materials. They identified limited wireless access or internet facilities, lack of ICT infrastructure and lack of cloud training and knowledge as major constraints. However, these constraints are mainly related to the poor IT infrastructure and limited access to internet, which may also lead to other constraints. Originality/value This is the first time an attempt has been made to explore the perception and use of cloud among the faculty members in a public university, Bangladesh. The findings of this study may shed light to other align research areas of cloud computing in Bangladesh.


2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 119-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghalib Khan ◽  
Rubina Bhatti

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of academic law libraries’ use, collections and services among the faculty members of the University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach – Keeping in view the objectives of the study, a survey based on a well-structured questionnaire was designed to collect data about law libraries’ usage, collection and services from the faculty members of 19 law colleges, including Law College, University of Peshawar, and 18 affiliated law colleges situated in the different geographical location of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Findings – Results of the study indicate that most of the faculty members use law libraries for the issue and return of books and consult textbooks for their teaching and other academic activities. The overall results show the usage, collections and services of law libraries as somehow satisfactory. Research limitations/implications – The scope of this paper covers constituent college of the University of Peshawar and its 18 affiliated law colleges (Total 19), and the geographical area is restricted to the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The scope of this paper can be extended to additional private and public sector universities in Pakistan, as well as abroad. Originality/value – There are number of studies on the usage, collections and different library services, but this study is the first of its kind in Pakistan, specifically focusing on academic law libraries at a provincial level. This study will pave way to fulfill the demands of law faculty members and legal practitioners teaching in the legal institution of Pakistan.


2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyong Eun Oh

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate and model the process of organizing personal information in digital form in the context of everyday life.Design/methodology/approachA background survey, a diary study and two interviews were conducted with each of the 18 participants, who are information users in social science academic environments. In particular, the personal information organization process (PIOP) model was developed by tracking and analyzing 143 organization events.FindingsThe PIOP model consists of six stages: initiation, identification, temporary categorization, examination/comparison, selection/modification/creation and categorization. This model also shows actions, thoughts and decisions involved in the organization process, and 19 factors that impact the process.Originality/valueThis study introduces a new model that specifically shows the process of organizing personal information. This study advances our understanding of the process and informs the design and development of systems and applications that support personal information management.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward C. Tomlinson ◽  
Christopher A. Nelson ◽  
Luke A. Langlinais

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how the reparative efforts of extensive apologies, compensation and structural change affect trust after a violation has occurred. Specifically, this paper presents a cognitive process model positing that voluntary reparative efforts will shape the victim’s stability attributions for the cause of the violation such that it will be deemed less stable (i.e. unlikely to recur); as a result, the victim is more likely to perceive the transgressor as being fair, and hence extend subsequent trust. Design/methodology/approach Two experiments were conducted to test the cognitive process model. Findings The results of both experiments supported this predicted sequence for extensive apologies. Support for the predicted sequence was also found when compensation and structural change are invoked as reparative efforts. Originality/value This research has theoretical and practical implications for a more nuanced understanding of how causal attribution theory and organizational justice theory can be integrated within the context of trust repair.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Septianto ◽  
Bambang Soegianto

Purpose Although previous research has established that moral emotion, moral judgment, and moral identity influence consumer intention to engage in prosocial behavior (e.g. donating, volunteering) under some circumstances, these factors, in reality, can concurrently influence judgment process. Therefore, it is important to get a more nuanced understanding of how the combinations of each factor can lead to a high intention to engage in prosocial behavior. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This research employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to explore different configurations of moral emotion, judgment, and identity that lead to a high consumer intention to engage in prosocial behavior. Findings Findings indicate four configurations of moral emotion, moral judgment, and moral identity that lead to a high intention to engage in prosocial behavior. Research limitations/implications This research focuses on the case of a hospital in Indonesia; thus, it is important not to overgeneralize the findings. Nonetheless, from a methodological standpoint, opportunity emerges to broaden the examinations in other service and cultural contexts. Practical implications The findings of this research can help the hospital to develop effective combinations of advertising and marketing strategies to promote prosocial behavior among its customers. Originality/value This paper provides the first empirical evidence on the existence of multiple pathways of moral emotion, judgment, and identity that lead to a high consumer intention to engage in prosocial behavior. The implications of this research also highlight the importance of cultural context in understanding consumer behavior.


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