scholarly journals Reference Management Practices of Postgraduate Students and Academic Researchers are Highly Individualized

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Kimberly Miller
Keyword(s):  
Faculty Member ◽  
Research University ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Student Interview

A Review of: Melles, A., & Unsworth, K. (2015). Examining the reference management practices of humanities and social science postgraduate students and academics. Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 46(4), 250-276. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00048623.2015.1104790 Objective – To understand patterns in reference management practices of postgraduate students and faculty members at one institution. Design – Mixed methods online survey and semi-structured interviews. Setting – Public research university in Australia. Subjects – The survey included responses from 81 postgraduate students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 postgraduate students and 13 faculty members. Methods – The researchers distributed an 18-item survey via email to approximately 800 people who previously registered for EndNote training sessions. Survey participants were also recruited via a website advertisement. The researchers recruited postgraduate student interview participants from the list of survey respondents. Librarians invited faculty members to participate in the semi-structured interviews. Interview audio recordings were transcribed and coded for data analysis. Main Results – The survey found that 71.4% (n=55) of respondents used reference management software (RMS) and 29% (n=22) did not. Over half of the students who did not use an RMS described other ad hoc or “manual” (p. 255) methods for organizing and tracking references. The majority of participants reported using EndNote (67.53%, n=52), while few respondents reported using other RMS tools like Zotero (1.3%, n=1) or Mendeley (1.3%, n = 1). Software awareness (49.32%, n=36), recommendations from faculty members (30.14%, n=22), and University support (47.95%, n=35) were the primary motivations for choosing a specific RMS. Other important factors included ease of use (32.88%, n=24) and integration with Microsoft Word (46.58%, n=34). Students preferred RMS features that support the process of accessing and using references in a paper, and reported that technical problems were the most common frustrations. The researchers found that student interview respondents were more likely to use RMS (75%, n=6) than were faculty member respondents (31%, n=4). Interview respondents varied in which RMS features they used, like importing references, PDF management, or “Cite While You Write” plug-ins (p. 258). Few interviewees used the RMS’s full functionality, either due to variations in workflow preferences or lack of awareness. Similar to survey respondents, interviewees who did not use an RMS reported their own personal practices for managing references. The time and learning curve necessary to become proficient with a particular RMS, as well as how the RMS fit into a particular task or workflow, influenced respondents’ decisions about software selection and use. Faculty members were split with their advice to students about using an RMS, with some respondents advocating that an RMS can save time and trouble later in their writing processes, while others took a more cautious or hands-off approach. Conclusion – The authors conclude that measuring RMS use or non-use does not reflect the real world complexity behind student and faculty member reference management practices. They suggest that librarians may want to rethink focusing on RMS as the sole reference management solution. Librarians should also recognize that institutional availability and support may influence users’ RMS choices. A user-centred approach would account for RMS and non-RMS users alike, and librarians should “develop a more flexible perspective of reference management as part of an approach to researchers that aims to understand their practices rather than normatively prescribe solutions” (Melles & Unsworth, 2015, p. 265). Instruction workshops should help students and faculty members select features or systems that match their existing research processes, rather than exclusively demonstrate the mechanics of a particular RMS.

scholarly journals A Study of Traveller Horse Owners’ Attitudes to Horse Care and Welfare Using an Equine Body Condition Scoring System

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rowland ◽  
Coombs ◽  
Connor
Keyword(s):  
Capacity Building ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Scoring System ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Discussion Groups ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Body Condition Scoring ◽  
Horse Owners ◽  
Poor Welfare

Traveller horses are often perceived to be exposed to poor welfare due to Travellers’ traditional way of horsemanship. However, few studies have investigated Traveller horse welfare. Hence, the present study aims to explore Traveller horse owners’ attitudes to horse care and welfare. Semi-structured interviews and discussion groups examined 14 Irish Traveller horse owners’ attitudes and approach to horse ownership. Additionally, a body condition scoring (BCS) instrument was assessed for its accuracy and ease of use when applied by Traveller horse owners. Additionally, the BCS system was used to assess 18 horses. Results show that Travellers have a good understanding of horses’ natural behaviours and environment, which is reflected in their management practices. However, barriers to improved welfare are land availability, since landowners are often reluctant to lease to Travellers, and the impoundment of horses as a consequence of fly grazing, under the Control of Horses Act 1996 (Ireland). Furthermore, Travellers regarded the BCS as a useful tool, but would require training to apply the scoring successfully. The results suggest that attitudes and management practices are favourable, but Travellers have limited means to overcome barriers. Therefore, it is necessary to increase capacity building and assist with the acquisition of land.

scholarly journals Protected area entrance fees in Tanzania: The search for competitiveness and value for money

Koedoe ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Spenceley ◽  
Andrew Rylance ◽  
Sadiki L. Laiser
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Wildlife Management ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Value For Money ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Wildlife Management Areas

User fees charged by Tanzania’s Game Reserves (GR) and Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) have not changed since 2008. Although previous research has been done on visitors’ willingness-to-pay to enter national parks in Tanzania, none has been conducted on GRs and WMAs. This article assesses the entrance fees in GRs and WMAs, by comparing them with equivalent fees charged in Tanzania (at national parks and the Ngorongoro Crater) and also with regional protected areas in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Based on 28 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholder institutions working on tourism and conservation and more than 50 online survey responses from Tanzanian tourism operators, the research reviews local opinion and issues relating to adjusting current entrance fees. The article considers that while one objective for generating revenue from entrance fees is for conservation management, it is difficult to establish appropriate fees where there are gaps in knowledge about existing levels of visitation, tourism revenue and associated management costs.Conservation implications: This article has implications for protected area management practices, as it provides information on processes by which managers can review and revise entrance fee values.

scholarly journals Users of Virtual Reference Are More Satisfied with the Service They Receive than the Providers of that Service Think They Are

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Carol D. Howe
Keyword(s):  
Research University ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
The United States ◽  
Comparison Method ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Matched Pairs ◽  
Significant Difference

Objective – To examine provider pessimism by comparing user and provider perception of the same instant messaging reference transaction. Design – Instant messaging users and providers completed post-reference transaction surveys which were analyzed using the pair perception comparison method. Setting – A large research university in the United States. Subjects – Two hundred undergraduate journalism students (users of the instant messaging service) and 51 Master of Library Science (MLS) students enrolled in a reference services class (providers of the instant messaging service). Methods – The authors created a research help webpage from which users could access the instant messaging service. Prior to service availability, providers received reference instruction and demonstrated reference aptitude through in-class activities. The authors briefed providers on the project and provided a wiki containing resources they might need during reference transactions. Providers worked in two-hour shifts, and two providers were available during each shift. The service was available for one week while potential users completed a journalism assignment. The authors asked both users and providers of the service to complete an online survey at the conclusion of the reference transaction. Users and providers completed different surveys, but both types included the following four elements: questions to aid in matching a user to a provider; questions about satisfaction with the service based on guidelines put forth by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA); open-ended questions about the reference transaction; and questions regarding demographics, prior reference service usage, and knowledge of instant messaging. There were 55 valid reference transactions, and from those, the authors matched 26 pairs of user and provider surveys. The authors analyzed paired surveys to (a) compare the user’s perception of the reference transaction with the provider’s guess about the user’s perception and (b) compare the provider’s self-perception of the reference transaction with the provider’s guess about the user’s perception. The authors introduced the pair perception comparison method for the analysis using two-tailed paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Main Results – Analysis of background information showed that users were younger on average than providers and used instant messaging more frequently. Even so, most users and providers felt comfortable with instant messaging. When providers were asked to guess how satisfied overall they thought the user was with the reference transaction, they reported on average that the user was less satisfied than the user actually was. These results were statistically significant. The authors found no significant difference between the providers’ overall satisfaction with the service they provided and their guesses about the users’ overall satisfaction. The authors also analyzed the matched pairs on 14 specific aspects of satisfaction gathered from surveys. When comparing the users’ satisfaction with the service they received and the providers’ guesses about the users’ satisfaction, the providers underestimated the users’ satisfaction on average for all 14 dimensions. The authors found statistically significant differences with regard to 7 of the 14 dimensions: tempo, ease of use, friendliness, understanding, accuracy, follow up, and spelling. When comparing the providers’ satisfaction with a given reference transaction and their guesses about the users’ satisfaction with the same reference transaction, the authors found significant differences for 3 of the 14 dimensions: interest, resource type, and accuracy. Conclusion – This study has shown for instant messaging reference what other studies have shown for face-to-face reference—that provider pessimism exists. Whatever the environment, providers of reference tend to judge themselves more harshly than the people they are helping judge them. Based on a review of the literature, the authors further note that both expert and novice reference providers experience such pessimism. The authors are hopeful that providers will view these results as evidence of their own competence during instant messaging reference transactions. The results of this study provide valuable information for training instant messaging providers. For example, the fact that providers thought users were less satisfied with the tempo of the reference transaction than they really were suggested to the authors that instant messaging providers need not be so concerned about giving a quick answer. An accurate answer is more desirable. In the same vein, providers thought that users were more concerned with spelling than they really were. Both of these cases, and others gleaned from the results, provide insight into what aspects of the reference transaction providers should spend their time and effort on. Finally, the authors introduced the pair perception comparison method to compare feedback from matched pairs on individual reference transactions, a methodology not used in any earlier studies. They deemed this method to be an effective way to uncover biases and false assumptions.

scholarly journals Shifting Teaching and Learning in Online Learning Spaces: An Investigation of a Faculty Online Teaching and Learning Initiative

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayson W. Richardson ◽  
Ericka Hollis ◽  
Mikah Pritchard ◽  
John Eric M. Novosel-Lingat
Keyword(s):  
Learning Community ◽  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Research University ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Teaching Approaches ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Hybrid Teaching ◽  
E Learning

We examined the adoption of online teaching strategies by faculty members at a large midwestern research university who participated in a year-long learning community. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to investigate changes in teaching approaches resulting from a year-long e-learning professional development initiative; and 2) to understand the perceptions of factors that influenced faculty members’ decision to adopt online or hybrid teaching approaches. The analysis was based on survey data and semi-structured interviews. Barriers, challenges, and successes to the adoption of online teaching strategies are also described in this article. 

scholarly journals Full-Time Faculty View Information Literacy as Important but Are Unlikely to Incorporate it Into Their Teaching

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eamon C. Tewell
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Research University ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Faculty Attitudes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Time Faculty

A Review of: Bury, S. (2011). Faculty attitudes, perceptions and experiences of information literacy: A study across multiple disciplines at York University, Canada. Journal of Information Literacy, 5(1). Retrieved from http://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/ojs/index.php/JIL/article/view/PRA-V5-I1-2011-1 Objective – To explore faculty attitudes towards information literacy (IL); in particular, faculty perception of student IL competencies, importance of IL skills and instruction, and ideal means of planning and delivering IL instruction. Design – Online survey questionnaire. Setting – Large public research university located in Toronto, Canada. Subjects – 221 full-time faculty. Methods – The author designed and distributed an online survey to all full-time York University faculty (n=1,451) in March 2007 using Zoomerang software. The survey consisted of between 26 and 36 questions depending on responses selected by respondents, and included both open- and closed-ended questions. The author hand coded the qualitative data and used SPSS to analyze the quantitative data. The survey had 221 usable responses giving a response rate of 15.2%. Main Results – The study revealed a high degree of concern among survey respondents regarding undergraduate students’ information literacy skills, accompanied by a perceived gradual increase in IL abilities corresponding to student year. Faculty ranked each of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education as being extremely important. No ACRL standard ranked below 6 on a scale of 1 to 7, suggesting full agreement with the value of IL proficiency. Of the faculty 78.7% felt that IL education should be a joint collaboration between faculty and librarians. A considerable majority of respondents (81.7%) answered that IL instruction should be required for all students. Far fewer faculty incorporated IL teaching in practice, with 52.9% engaging in IL instruction and 47.1% not incorporating IL instruction at all. Of the faculty who incorporated librarian-led IL sessions into their courses, 85% of faculty perceived a “substantial impact” or “some impact” on their students’ IL competencies. Conclusions – The author concludes that this study adds evidence to the claim that a disconnect exists between faculty beliefs about the importance of IL and their teaching practices. Faculty consistently express concern regarding student IL abilities and support collaborative IL instruction, yet the rate of IL integration within their classes remains low. The results corroborate that faculty perceptions and attitudes towards IL remain relatively consistent when compared with other studies. The author recommends that librarians be flexible regarding IL instruction models and encourage further investigation of faculty development models to achieve wider IL integration. A stronger advocacy role is also advised to increase instruction opportunities and the promotion of information literacy at the institutional level. The author identifies four areas for future research, including examining why faculty do not incorporate IL instruction into their classes, disciplinary differences in IL attitudes and adoption, which IL instruction models faculty view as most effective, and replication of this study to test generalizability. As of the study’s publication, the author was conducting a qualitative follow-up study in the form of semi-structured interviews with faculty.

The potential use of a serious game to help patients learn about post-operative pain management – An evaluation study

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 186-186
Author(s):  
B. Ingadóttir ◽  
S. Zoëga ◽  
K. Blöndal ◽  
D. Thue ◽  
I. Thylen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pain Management ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Computer Game ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Pain Medications ◽  
Post Operative Pain

Abstract Aims To describe the evaluation of a serious computer game designed for patients to learn about post-operative pain management. Methods This was a usability and evaluation study. The sample consisted of 20 people, recruited from the public. The computer game was developed by an interdisciplinary team. In the game, the player controls the actions of a virtual human character who has been discharged home after surgery. The player needs to make decisions about the character’s daily activities, such as common household tasks and self-care, including pain management. The player observes how his decisions influence the character’s recovery. The usability and efficacy of the game were evaluated in one session with semi-structured interviews and questionnaires on knowledge acquisition and usability. The playing session was video recorded to assess if technical problems arose and how often the player needed assistance. Results The mean age of participants was 48 years (SD = 14), 11 were women. Participants described the usability of the game as high (range 3–5 on a 0–5 scale) and expressed satisfaction with this novel method of learning, despite some technological challenges. Ease of use was confirmed by observation. Knowledge of pain medications and pain management strategies improved after playing the game. The number of correct answers increased from 54%, before playing, to 71% after playing the game (p = 0.001). Conclusions Playing an educational computer came has the potential to improve knowledge regarding post-operative pain management. The game was well received by participants. Serious computer games can be a useful tool in enhancing patient education. The game needs to be tested with surgical patients.

scholarly journals Academic Failure: Unspoken Experiences by International Postgraduate Students in a Malaysian University

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 79-94
Author(s):  
Jasvir Kaur Nachatar Singh
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
International Student ◽  
Research University ◽  
Student Mobility ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Academic Failure ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
International Student Mobility ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
The Impact

Malaysia aspires to become a regional and international hub of higher education through an international student mobility initiative. Existing scholarly work on international students is skewed towards understanding the general challenges faced by international students, but limited work has been conducted in exploring the impact of severe supervision challenges on international postgraduate students’ experiences in a Malaysian research university. Hence, this paper explores the evidence of academic failure experienced by international postgraduate students by drawing on semi-structured interviews with 33 international postgraduate students. Academic failure experiences were faced by international postgraduate students as a result of two major challenges: supervision issues, and faculty mismanagement. The experience of academic failure has impacted the students’ enthusiasm, motivation and inspiration in progressing in their research work and has also impacted them psychologically. The implications for developing significant and profound strategies to assist international postgraduate students in achieving positive educational outcomes are also discussed.

scholarly journals Faculty’s Use of Social Media in Flipped Classrooms: A Mixed-Method Investigation

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 394-410
Author(s):  
Majed Alharthi ◽  
Ke Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Mixed Method Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Flipped Classrooms ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Practical Implications

This paper reports a sequential mixed-method study on Saudi Arabian (SA) faculty’s use of social media (SM) in flipped classrooms (FC). The study also examined SA faculty’s related attitudes and identified factors that had limited faculty use of SM in Saudi higher education. In particular, the study explored how SA faculty used SM to address students’ needs and preferences as per the Read, Reflect, Display and Do (R2D2) framework. 391 eligible SA faculty members (199 male and 192 female) participated in the online survey, among which 8 (4 male and 4 female) were also selected for individual, semi-structured interviews afterwards. A wide range of factors were identified to understand what may have prevented or limited faculty’s SM uses in teaching. Research and practical implications were discussed, as well as suggestions to promote the use of SM for teaching in SA and countries with similar cultures.  

Study-work-life balance of international students in the context of temporal boundaries

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-79
Author(s):  
Megan O'Mahony ◽  
Debora Jeske
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Social Withdrawal ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Boundary Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Time Zone ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Personal Challenges

The goal of this qualitative study was to examine the experience of study-work-life balance among international students who were separated from their family both geographically and temporally. Using 10 semi-structured interviews with postgraduate students and thematic analysis, several themes were identified. These included boundary management shifts due to study/work demands and time zone differences. In addition, students reported social and personal challenges (in terms of family’s expectations, relationships maintenance, socialization in host country). Temporal boundaries contributed to social withdrawal and isolation among students, many of which were heavily reliant on their own family network for support. The findings strengthen the argument that time difference impacts the boundary management and social experience of international students.

Financial Management of Tires Retail and Restaurant Business in Greater Jakarta

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 267-275
Author(s):  
Sung Suk Kim ◽  
Jacob Donald Tan ◽  
Rita Juliana ◽  
John Tampil Purba
Keyword(s):  
Financial Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Working Capital ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Cash Reserves ◽  
Retained Earnings ◽  
Computerized System

This study aims to explore the financial management practices ofsmall-and-medium-enterprises (SMEs) in the Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek). We investigate into 3 SME cases by conducting the semi-structured interviews with the owner-managers and using direct observations to know the practices of financial management of SMEs. Through the research, we have found six propositions related to the practice of short-term financial management. They apply bootstraps to ensure availability of working capital. They set aside cash reserves from retained earnings and minimize loans from financial institutions. They have the computerized system to track receivables facilitating working capital needs. They keep theirinventory control efficient to manage working capital. They screen customers using transactional records and reputations to minimize the risk of bad debts.

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