scholarly journals A Snapshot of Early Adopters of E-journals: Challenges to the Library

2002 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 515-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin J. Brennan ◽  
Julie M. Hurd ◽  
Deborah D. Blecic ◽  
Ann C. Weller
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Journals ◽  
Early Adopters ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Usage Patterns ◽  
Changing Practices ◽  
Perceptions And Expectations ◽  
The University ◽  
Qualitative Exploration ◽  
The Impact

Studies documenting the usage patterns of electronic journals have compared print and e-journal characteristics, surveyed faculty for their perceptions and expectations, and analyzed the impact on library practices. This study, a qualitative exploration of a wide array of issues related to the research and teaching habits of early adopters of e-journals in a research setting, was conducted in the spring of 2001 with faculty in the basic and health sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Open-ended questionnaires provided a framework to wide-ranging discussions of perceptions, expectations, and changing practices pertaining to e-journals and other electronic resources. The results were analyzed with a specific focus on shared behaviors and values, discipline-dependent variations, and changing research and teaching habits. Several challenges for library resources and services are identified and discussed.

scholarly journals Inquiring Informationists: A Qualitative Exploration of Our Role

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rex R. Robison ◽  
Mary E. Ryan ◽  
I. Diane Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Information Finding ◽  
Participation Research ◽  
Qualitative Exploration ◽  
The Impact

Objective – The goal of this study is to explore the impact of an informationist program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Library and to provide a basis for further program assessment. In 2001 the NIH Library began its informationist program, where librarians with training in both biomedicine and information science work alongside researchers. The goal of the program is to facilitate researchers’ access to and usage of information resources. Methods – The researchers used qualitative interviews with key informants to characterize the current informationist services of user groups. Subjects were selected to capture a variety of activities that would show patterns of how the program assists the researchers of various NIH groups. Following the interviews, the authors extracted recurring and significant themes from the subjects’ comments. Results – Interview subjects provided their views on the informationists’ skills, impact, and team participation. Research results documented that informationists helped find resources, provided instruction, and worked as part of the research team. The NIH groups currently using this service value their informationists’ knowledge of library resources and their ability to access information needs quickly. The informationists’ skills in finding information save the researchers time, increase the efficiency of the research team, and complement the contributions of other team members. Training by informationists was found useful. Informationist services led to increased self-reported library use, albeit in some cases this use was entirely via the informationist. Conclusions – Informationists saved researchers time by obtaining requested information, finding esoteric or unfamiliar resources, and providing related training. These activities appeared to be facilitated by the acceptance of the informationist as part of the research team. This exploratory study provides background that should be useful in future, more extensive evaluations.

CORD Awards Panel 2014: “Celebrating the Scholarship of Deidre Sklar—Can Sklar-Lore Be Brought to Its Senses?”

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 13-18
Author(s):  
Miriam Phillips
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Modern Dance ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Black Sheep ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Global Movement ◽  
Intensive Program ◽  
Dance Ethnology ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

I am both honored and humbled to comment about the impact of Deidre Sklar's work on my research and teaching. More than anything, I consider Dr. Deidre Sklar a kind of dance ethnology big sister. I first learned of her when I was a student at the University of California Los Angeles's (UCLA) internationally recognized former dance ethnology program, where Deidre had attended nearly a decade before me. Those of us who went through this unique and intensive program often felt as if we knew each other, even if we had never met. The program was a kind of nation of black sheep; we were kindred spirits in our love and participation of different kinds of global movement practices at a time when ballet and modern dance were exclusively the norm. Also, our mentors, Allegra Fuller Snyder and Elsie Ivancich Dunin, made it a point to share the distinctive investigations of our predecessors. So I think it was in this context that I first learned of Deidre. Over the years, I recall short but poignant conversations with her which left me pondering for months afterwards. Some of our fleeting encounters occurred in the bustling dark hallway of an American Anthropology Association (AAA) conference hotel in San Francisco, taking in the arid air outside of the Cross-Cultural Dance Resources (CCDR) meeting space in Flagstaff, or smelling fire-baked tortillas and hearing cocoon rattles as we stood observing the awe-inspiring Yaqui Easter ceremony in Tucson. As a newbie dance ethnologist in those years, I found Deidre's strong, direct ways, her laser sharp insights, thought provoking questions, and bold comments somewhat intimidating—all features I have grown to admire and value now.

scholarly journals Understanding complaints about paramedics: a qualitative exploration in a UK context

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Lucas ◽  
Ann Gallagher ◽  
Magda Zasada ◽  
Zubin Austin ◽  
Robert Jago ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Delphi Study ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Cultural Climate ◽  
Disproportionate Number ◽  
Perceptions And Expectations ◽  
Qualitative Exploration ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into

IntroductionThis research set out to understand the context and explore the reasons for the disproportionate number of complaints raised against paramedics to the United Kingdom professional regulator – the Health and Care Professions Council – relative to other health professions. MethodsThis paper reports on qualitative findings from one aspect of a mixed-methods study which included a case analysis, Delphi study and literature review. One-to-one semi-structured interviews conducted with 15 stakeholders drawn from practitioners, educators, representatives and regulators, and three focus groups held with 16 practitioners and service users were used to gain an in-depth understanding of the possible reasons for complaints about paramedic practice. ResultsFive themes were generated from a thematic analysis of the data: the impact of public perceptions and expectations; the challenges of day-to-day practice; the effect of increasingly pressurised services; the organisational and cultural climate which impacts paramedics’ work; and the evolving nature of the profession. ConclusionThis study highlights the complex and changing nature of paramedic practice. It provides an insight into the ways in which the character, practice and environment of the profession contribute to a disproportionate number of complaints.

scholarly journals «The World Unplugged» and «24 Hours without Media»: Media Literacy to Develop Self-Awareness Regarding Media

Comunicar ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (39) ◽  
pp. 45-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Moeller ◽  
Elia Powers ◽  
Jessica Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Self Awareness ◽  
University Of Maryland ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
The World ◽  
Usage Patterns ◽  
Media Habits ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Medios De Comunicacion

Across the globe, many students have easy and constant access to media, yet they often receive little or no instruction about the impact of their media consumption. This article outlines a «24 hours without media» exercise in accordance with the guidelines set in Module 7, Unit 1 of the UNESCO curriculum. In the fall of 2010, nearly 1,000 students from a dozen universities across five continents took part in «The World Unplugged» study. Researchers at the University of Maryland gathered students’ narrative responses to the going without media assignment and analyzed them by using grounded theory and analytic abduction, assisted by IBM’s ManyEyes computer analysis software. Results showed that going without media made students dramatically more cognizant of their own media habits –with many self-reporting an «addiction» to media– a finding further supported by a clear majority in every country admitting outright failure of their efforts to go unplugged. Students also reported that having constant access to digital technology is integral to their personal identities; it is essential to the way they construct and manage their work and social lives. «The World Unplugged» exercise enabled experiential learning; students gained increased self-awareness about the role of media in their lives and faculty came to better understand the Internet usage patterns of their students, enhancing their ability to help young people become more media literate. La mayoría de los jóvenes del mundo se conecta habitualmente a los medios de comunicación; sin embargo, en pocas ocasiones reciben formación respecto a los impactos que este consumo mediático tiene en ellos mismos. Este artículo expone la experiencia llevada a cabo en el marco del Currículum UNESCO, denominada «24 horas sin medios». En otoño de 2010, cerca de 1.000 estudiantes de 12 universidades de cuatro continentes participaron en el estudio «El mundo desconectado». Investigadores de la Universidad de Maryland (Estados Unidos) recogieron rigurosamente las reflexiones de los alumnos que participaron y las analizaron a través del programa estadístico IBM’s ManyEyes. Los resultados muestran que los jóvenes, a raíz del ejercicio, fueron más conscientes de sus hábitos mediáticos, y muchos de ellos indagaron sobre su propia «adicción» a los medios, mientras que otros no consiguieron siquiera concluir estas 24 horas sin medios. También se pone en evidencia que el acceso cotidiano a la tecnología digital forma parte ya de su identidad juvenil y son básicas para entender su forma de trabajar y sus relaciones sociales. También se demuestra que los alumnos aumentaron su autoconciencia sobre el papel de los medios en sus vidas, y el profesorado comenzó a comprender mejor los intereses de sus alumnos, así como sus parámetros de consumo de Internet, mejorando sus habilidades para ayudar a los jóvenes a estar más alfabetizados mediáticamente.

scholarly journals Understanding Social Responsiveness: Portraits of practice at the University of Cape Town

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 18-38
Author(s):  
Judith Favish ◽  
Sonwabo Ngcelwane
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Public Institution ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Major Development ◽  
Conceptual Clarity ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
University Of Cape Town ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

In 2004 the University of Cape (UCT) launched its first annual report on social responsiveness at the university. As a public institution receiving considerable funding from the public purse, it was deemed appropriate that the university should report annually on how it was addressing major development challenges facing the country. The first part of this article describes the process of developing a shared definition of and conceptual clarity about social responsiveness. The second part develops this further by outlining how practices on the ground helped to inform a conceptual framework defining the links between social responsiveness and the other core processes of the university: research and teaching. The third part of the article describes ways to support and reward social responsiveness. Finally, the article assesses the extent to which UCT has been able to institutionalise social responsiveness. The article outlines progress that has been made and suggests that the participative processes employed in the policy development phase have helped lay the foundations for institutionalisation. Despite this, however, challenges remain with respect to ensuring a consistent implementation of the policy across the institution and maximising the impact of social responsiveness on addressing critical challenges facing the country.

scholarly journals Trends in Distant Student Use of Electronic Resources: A Survey

2003 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly B. Kelley ◽  
Gloria J. Orr
Keyword(s):  
Student Behavior ◽  
User Behavior ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
Depth Information ◽  
Electronic Resources ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Part Time Students ◽  
Usage Patterns ◽  
National Trends ◽  
The University

The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) is one of the eleven degree- granting institutions of the University System of Maryland (USM). UMUC plays a unique role among academic institutions in the State of Maryland in that it serves a large distant student population, with the proportion of students studying online approaching 50 percent of enrollments. Information and Library Services (ILS) at UMUC conducted a needs assessment survey to examine trends in student use of library resources, services, and instruction in order to understand how student usage patterns, needs, and preferences have changed as well as stayed the same. One important element of the survey was to obtain in-depth information on student usage patterns for electronic resources and services because (1) the library has increased delivery of these types of resources and services in the five years leading up to the current (2001) study and (2) several studies suggest that students are relying more heavily on online resources, both proprietary databases and the “free” Web.1 Therefore, ILS was interested in determining whether the shift to more online delivery of classes, and the simultaneous shift observed in user behavior in libraries in general (i.e., relying more heavily on online resources), would also affect student usage patterns and dependence on the physical library and online resources at UMUC. The findings of the survey followed national trends and demonstrated that nontraditional, predominantly part-time students’ usage patterns have changed and now favor the use of electronic resources (the Internet, in particular) and also mirror trends observed in traditional student behavior toward libraries and library resources in many important respects.

Counting the uncounted: contestations over casualisation data in Australian universities

2019 ◽  
pp. 327-336
Author(s):  
Nour Dados ◽  
James Goodman ◽  
Keiko Yasukawa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Academic Employment ◽  
Marketization Of Higher Education ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Recently, insecure work in universities in many countries has grown exponentially, alongside the rapid marketization of higher education. Reflecting the neoliberal ideal of a flexible workforce, research and teaching at universities is routinely carried out by precariously-employed academics. In Australia, for instance, the bulk of university teaching is now carried out by hourly-paid employees. This structural dependence on precarious academics poses a reputational problem for universities, and universities respond by obfuscating the statistical evidence. We present a case study of tracking down the level of this phenomenon in Australian higher education. The academics’ trade union and allies have used the university-level figures to challenge the advance of academic job insecurity, and are now highlighting the incidence of precarious academic employment nationally. Our own work has highlighted the multiple and conflicting figures being reported by universities, and the systematic underestimation of the actual rate of insecure jobs reported by government departments. We question these unreliable estimates, examples of neoliberalism’s ‘funny numbers’, and develop alternative data and arguments Thereby, we aim to reveal the impact of casualisation and enable critical evaluation of trends in the higher education sector, so as to restore industrial justice.

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