scholarly journals Mapping the evolution of topics published by Education for Information: Interdisciplinary Journal of Information Studies

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Fidelia Ibekwe ◽  
Fernanda Bochi ◽  
Daniel Martínez-Ávila
Keyword(s):  
Data Science ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Editorial Policy ◽  
The Body ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Topic Detection ◽  
Manual Exploration ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Mature Field ◽  
Interdisciplinary Journal

The need to map the evolution of trends in any field of activity arises when a large amount of data is available on that activity, thus making impossible a manual exploration of the data in order to understand how the field or the activity is evolving. Topic and trend mapping is a mature field with hundreds of publications on approaches, methods and tools for data collection, analysis, feature extraction and reduction, clustering and visualisation tools and algorithms. Our study aims to map the evolution of topics published by the journal Education for Information. Interdisciplinary Journal on Information Studies (EFI henceforth) which has been in existence since 1983, in order to understand how this journal has evolved and how it is positioned with regard to the field of Library and Information Science to which it belongs. Our study is part of the body of work on topic detection and text mining. Our results showed that the journal displayed a remarkable stability in its editorial policy over more than three decades. With the arrival of its third Editor in Chief in 2018, a shift towards more technologically oriented topics and to specialties from other fields are perceptible such as health information, data science and digital humanities.

Indian Contribution to Open Access: A Study of e-LIS

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-75
Author(s):  
Subhash Khode
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Journal Article ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
The World ◽  
Indian Contribution

The concept of open access has been increased in recent years around the world and India is also contributing in open access movement actively. e-LIS is an international open repository in the field of library and information science established in 2003 and as of today e-LIS contains 21,123 various types of documents. The basic aim of this study is to provide an analysis of Indian contribution towards open access movement, particularly the documents submitted in the e-LIS. This study provides analysis of 1090 various types of documents submitted to e-LIS (Eprint for Library and Information Science) from India as on 30 January, 2019. It found that the position of India in terms of number of documents submitted in the e-LIS is first among Asian countries. The maximum documents (432) are submitted as” Journal Article (Print and Online)” and maximum documents (72) are published in 2006.The maximum numbers of submitted articles (35) were published in “Annals of Library and Information Studies”.

scholarly journals Are Best Practices Really Best? A Review of the Best Practices Literature in Library and Information Studies

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie Druery ◽  
Nancy McCormack ◽  
Sharon Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Common Definition ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Definition Of

Objective - The term “best practice” appears often in library and information science literature, yet, despite the frequency with which the term is used, there is little discussion about what is meant by the term and how one can reliably identify a best practice. Methods – This paper reviews 113 articles that identify and discuss best practices, in order to determine how “best practices” are distinguished from other practices, and whether these determinations are made on the basis of consistent and reliable evidence. The review also takes into account definitions of the term to discover if a common definition is used amongst authors. Results – The “evidence” upon which papers on “best practices” are based falls into one of the following six categories: 1) opinion (n=18, 15%), 2) literature reviews (n=13, 12%), 3) practices in the library in which the author works (n=19, 17%), 4) formal and informal qualitative and quantitative approaches (n=16, 14%), 5) a combination of the aforementioned (i.e., combined approaches) (n=34, 30%), and 6) “other” sources or approaches which are largely one of a kind (n=13, 12%). There is no widely shared or common definition of “best practices” amongst the authors of these papers, and most papers (n=94, 83%) fail to define the term at all. The number of papers was, for the most part, split evenly amongst the six categories indicating that writers on the subject are basing “best practices” assertions on a wide variety of sources and evidence. Conclusions – Library and information science literature on “best practices” is rarely based on rigorous empirical methods of research and therefore is generally unreliable. There is, in addition, no widely held understanding of what is meant by the use of the term.

Library and Information Science Source

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-27
Author(s):  
Stephanie Luke
Keyword(s):  
Conference Proceedings ◽  
Full Text ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Degree Program ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Library Staff

EBSCO's Library and Information Science Source (LISS) is a subscription database that was developed from the merger of EBSCO and H.W. Wilson in 2011. LISS features journals, periodicals, conference proceedings, monographs, and book reviews in the field of library and information studies. It includes full-text access to over 180 journals in both English and other languages. It also provides extensive indexing, a comprehensive thesaurus, and coverage from as early as the 1930s. The database's lack of OA content is at odds with library science's increasing commitment to freely accessible content. LISS will be of the most interest to institutions with large library staff as well as those that offer a degree program in library and information studies.

The correct language of cataloguing local publications in East Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 517-526
Author(s):  
Eliz Nassali State ◽  
Isaac M.N. Kigongo-Bukenya ◽  
Constant Okello-Obura
Keyword(s):  
East Africa ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
The Body ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Subject Term ◽  
The Subject

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the subject cataloguing of local publications and subject access to local publications. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach was used. Methods included interviews, document reviews and observations. Findings – Adherence to cataloguing standards takes precedence over subject access. Rarely is a user the focus of choice of the subject term in the process of cataloguing. The terms assigned to local publications are generally too broad and, at times, border on inappropriateness. The situation is exacerbated by a lack of documented cataloguing policies and a waning interest in cataloguing matters from the profession. Originality/value – This study is intended to benefit the librarians who provide subject representation to local publications by way of streamlining the process of subject cataloguing, hence, enhancing access to these uniquely held resources. The outcome of this study, hence, will provide insight in the process of cataloguing local publications. In addition, the findings of this study will benefit the teaching of subject cataloguing in library and information science programs. The findings from this study are expected to contribute to the body of library science by enabling a localized view to subject assignation. Ultimately, the significance of the study lies in its contribution to cataloguing education and research, especially with a perspective from Africa.

Library and Information Studies Education, Technology, and Professional Identity

2013 ◽  
pp. 89-109
Keyword(s):  
Professional Identity ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Science Studies ◽  
Professional Organizations ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Core Courses ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Core Course

Librarians start to form their professional identities during their Master’s of Library and Information Science/Studies programs. With this in mind, this chapter explores how technology is taught in Library and Information Studies (LIS) programs by examining the core course offerings at 51 of the 57 American Library Association’s accredited programs. Technology-focused courses are the sixth most commonly offered core courses by LIS programs, and an examination of their content using course descriptions and available syllabi indicated that the content taught in these courses matched with expectations as described in competency standards from professional organizations. This indicated that LIS programs are teaching an understanding of technology that agrees with how practising librarians understand technology. The recent iSchool movement has led some professional librarians to claim that LIS programs are no longer offering an education that is relevant for today’s information world. This chapter finds that this claim is false and that the LIS education offered by both iSchools and non-iSchools appears to meet professional expectations for technology education. What the iSchool movement offers LIS education, however, is an expanded understanding of how information users interact with technology in all information settings, not just the library. This provides librarians with a broader understanding of patrons’ information needs. Finally, there is a brief examination of international LIS education, with specific attention to how it is emerging in developing countries.

The use of librarians as occupational study populations in social science research

2014 ◽  
Vol 63 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 2-14
Author(s):  
Julie Still ◽  
Zara Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
The Body ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Occupational Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Population ◽  
The Subject

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the use of librarians as a study population in social science research outside of the field of library and information science. Additionally, it aims to make general claims about how frequently librarians have been studied compared to other occupations, as well as to identify and describe existing research that has used librarians as a study population. Design/methodology/approach – The described study had two parts. Two social science databases were searched using the subject headings “librarians” and eight additional occupations, and the results for all nine occupations were analyzed. The peer-reviewed results for “librarians” were then coded by content. The articles that used librarians as a study population were identified, reviewed and described. Findings – Although librarians, as an occupational group, possess many characteristics that should make them an ideal choice for social science research, they seem to be studied less frequently than other occupations. Research limitations/implications – Other occupational groups, such as mathematicians, were also studied infrequently. Further research might consider, more broadly, why some occupations are studied more frequently than others. Future studies might also compare librarianship to other female-dominated professions, such as nursing and education. Additionally, the subject heading “librarians” was applied to articles that studied non-professional library employees, making it difficult to isolate only articles with a focus on degreed librarians. Originality/value – Few other studies have examined social science research in which librarians are used as the study population. By focusing on how librarians are studied and written about in other fields, this paper will add to the body of literature on the professional image of librarians.

Informatics and data science: an overview for the information professional

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Frank Cervone
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Information Environment ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Professional ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
Traditional Approaches ◽  
Information Landscape

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the emerging field of data science, its significance in the larger information landscape and some issues that distinguish the problems of data science and informatics from traditional approaches in the information sciences. Design/methodology/approach – Through a general overview of the topic, the author discusses some of the major aspects of how work in the data sciences and informatics differ from traditional library and information science. Findings – Data science and informatics, as emerging fields, are expanding our understanding of how the massive amount of information currently being generated can be collected, managed and used. While these may not be traditional “library” problems, the contributions of the library and information science communities are critical to help address aspects of these issues. Originality/value – The emerging fields of data science and informatics have not been extensively explored from the perspective of the information professional. This paper is designed to help information professionals better understand some of the implications of data science in a changing information environment.

Subject analysis of LIS data archived in a Figshare using co-occurrence analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Cho
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Scholarly Communication ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Intellectual Structure ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Subject Analysis ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field

Purpose Based on the data from Figshare repositories, the purpose of this paper is to analyze which research data are actively produced and shared in the interdisciplinary field of library and information science (LIS). Design/methodology/approach Co-occurrence analysis was performed on keywords assigned to research data in the field of LIS, which were archived in the Figshare repository. By analyzing the keyword network using the pathfinder algorithm, the study identifies key areas where data production is actively conducted in LIS, and examines how these results differ from the conventional intellectual structure of LIS based on co-citation or bibliographic coupling analysis. Findings Four major domains – Open Access, Scholarly Communication, Data Science and Informatics – and 15 sub-domains were created. The keywords with the highest global influence appeared as follows, in descending order: “open access,” “scholarly communication” and “altmetrics.” Originality/value This is the first study to understand the key areas that actively produce and utilize data in the LIS field.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document