scholarly journals Notes on Operations: Combining Citation Studies and Usage Statistics to Build a Stronger Collection

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie H. Wical ◽  
R. Todd Vandenbark
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Academic Departments ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Liberal Arts University ◽  
Citation Studies ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Research Faculty

Citation studies and analyses of usage statistics are two approaches academic librarians take to determine if their journal collections support the needs of research faculty. Librarians at a small, regional liberal arts university compiled a list of faculty journal publications covering a thirteen-year span from four academic departments—nursing, chemistry, biology, and mathematics—and, from these publications, generated a list of the journals that were cited. As expected, this university’s faculty members publish in many of the same journals that they cite. However, faculty members cite a wide range of sources. Wiley journal usage statistics were examined from 2011 and 2012 to determine if the number of PDF downloads of articles in the published in and cited Wiley journals were higher than the average numbers of PDF downloads of Wiley journals. Combining an analysis of usage statistics with citation analysis provides a more strategic way to look at a Big Deal package. This information is of interest to the departments represented and other stakeholders, and the implications for collection development purposes are addressed.

scholarly journals Faculty Perception on International Students in Turkey: Benefits and Challenges

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erkan Acar
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Faculty Perceptions ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Administrative Staff ◽  
Liberal Arts University ◽  
System 2

<p class="apa">The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine faculty perceptions on international students with respect to benefits and challenges of having them in a liberal arts university located in Istanbul, Turkey. The research data were collected through evaluation of pertinent documents of the school and interviews with sixteen faculty members and one administrative staff member. Revealed themes for the benefits of having international students within the institution included: (1) escalading the overall academic and disciplinary success of the school, (2) creating diversity in learning environment and (3) generating competitive learning environment. Themes that are revealed for the challenges of having international students included: (1) adaptation to a new educational system, (2) language accents, (3) time management issues, and (4) isolation and grouping.</p>

Faculty Support and Guidance for Doctoral Candidates

2015 ◽  
pp. 371-395
Author(s):  
Sherrie L. Wisdom
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
School Of Education ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Liberal Arts University ◽  
Midwest United States ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Doctoral Candidates

This chapter describes practices of doctoral faculty in their efforts to support and encourage doctoral candidates for the EdD in conducting reliable and valid research for the writing of the dissertation. The setting of the degree program is in the School of Education in a private, four-year, liberal arts university in the Midwest United States. In guiding the doctoral candidates in their research endeavors, the faculty are promoting critical thinking applied to research design. Critical thinking is a process that represents a collection of skills difficult to teach in a doctoral program, as students who enroll bring a wide range of skills. The chapter includes a description of the doctoral program, some of the challenges faced by the doctoral faculty, and some of the strategies applied to promotion of strong research design among student work.

The role of academic libraries in research and teaching

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 721-736
Author(s):  
Liat Klain Gabbay ◽  
Snunith Shoham
Keyword(s):  
Faculty Members ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Research Support ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Comprehensive Information ◽  
Research Faculty

The perceptions of faculty members from the faculties of social sciences and humanities regarding the role of the library in assisting with their research and teaching needs are compared with those of academic librarians. This research was designed as a comprehensive, mixed-methods study. First, interviews were conducted with faculty members and librarians; then, based on the findings, a questionnaire was constructed and distributed to faculty members and librarians in these departments. The main finding is that the contribution of library services to the various aspects of teaching and research is perceived as higher by the librarians than by the faculty members. Faculty members appear to expect more from the library in various aspects of research support; however, most faculty members believe that the library fulfils their teaching needs. Regarding research, faculty members believe most libraries support the technical aspects, but they do not support other aspects, such as locating the information or providing more comprehensive information relevant for the faculty members’ research. Therefore it is important to compare and resolve the differences between faculty and librarians’ perceptions. The findings of this study indicate that the perception in libraries needs to change, and some of these changes should be made already in the preparatory stages of the profession.

scholarly journals Awareness of Open Access Issues Differs among Faculty at Institutions of Different Sizes

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Reed
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Liberal Arts University ◽  
University Of Wisconsin ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Promotion Process ◽  
The University

A Review of: Kocken, G. J. & Wical, S. H. (2013). “I’ve never heard of it before”: Awareness of open access at a small liberal arts university. Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, 32(3), 140-154. http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1080/01639269.2013.817876 Abstract Objective – This study surveyed faculty awareness of open access (OA) issues and the institutional repository (IR) at the University of Wisconsin. The authors hoped to use findings to inform future IR marketing strategies to faculty. Design – Survey. Setting – University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a small, regional public university (approximately 10,000 students). Subjects – 105 faculty members. Methods – The authors contacted 397 faculty members inviting them to participate in an 11 question online survey. Due to anonymity issues on a small campus, respondents were not asked about rank and discipline, and were asked to not provide identifying information. A definition of OA was not provided by the authors, as survey participants were queried about their own definition. Main Results – Approximately 30% of the faculty were aware of OA issues. Of all the definitions of OA given by survey respondents, “none . . . came close” to the definition favoured by the authors (p. 145). More than 30% of the faculty were unable to define OA at a level deemed basic by the authors. A total of 51 (48.57%) of the survey respondents indicated that there are OA journals in their disciplines. Another 6 (5.71%) of the faculty members claimed that there are no OA journals in their disciplines, although most provided a definition of OA and several considered OA publishing to be “very important.” The remaining 48 participants (46%) were unsure if there are OA journals in their disciplines. Of these survey respondents, 38 answered that they have not published in an OA journal, 10 were unsure, and 21 believed that their field benefits or would benefit from OA journals. Survey respondents cited quality of the journal, prestige, and peer review as extremely important in selecting a journal in which to publish. Conclusion – The authors conclude that the level of awareness related to OA issues must be raised before IRs can flourish. They ponder how university and college administrators regard OA publishing, and the influence this has on the tenure and promotion process.

scholarly journals Library School Faculty Member Perceptions Regarding Faculty Status for Academic Librarians

2010 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 375-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Alan Wyss
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Development ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Faculty Roles ◽  
Academic Setting ◽  
School Faculty ◽  
Faculty Status

The faculties of the library schools listed as ALA-accredited are directly involved in setting the direction of the education provided to academic librarians through curriculum development and teaching. The curricula and teaching at ALA-accredited library schools revolve around aspects of librarianship such as providing research assistance at a reference desk, collection development, and cataloging; but they do not address preparing the recipients of the MLS for the demands of faculty status at a college or university library. Thus, while academic librarians may be well prepared to assume professional duties in an academic setting, they may be less well prepared to perform activities such as research and publication that are required of faculty members seeking tenure and promotion. Until this descriptive study, the faculties of the ALA-accredited library schools had not been surveyed as a population in regard to their perceptions about faculty status for academic librarians, nor had they been surveyed about how education at library schools prepared academic librarians for faculty roles. As a result, it was vital that the faculties of the ALA-accredited library schools were surveyed so that their thoughts on faculty status for academic librarians and the education that prepares librarians for faculty roles could be known.

scholarly journals Diminishing Short-Term Loan Returns: A Four-Year View of the Impact of Demand-Driven Acquisitions on Collection Development at a Small Academic Library

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Herman Buck ◽  
Sara K. Hills
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Electronic Books ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Changing Environment ◽  
Liberal Arts University ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
The Impact

When St. Edward’s University’s library implemented demand-driven acquisitions (DDA) for electronic books (e-books) in 2011, the program affordably served as the monographic front list for this small liberal arts university library with minimal demands on the professional staff. Over four years, short-term loan (STL) costs have increased at an alarming rate and important publishers have altered what content was made available through aggregator DDA platforms plus the terms of availability of the content. The library examined how DDA fits into it collection-building and management processes in a continually changing environment and offers some strategies and considerations useful for helping in the choice of e-book purchasing models.

scholarly journals Effects of a Research-Infused Botanical Curriculum on Undergraduates’ Content Knowledge, STEM Competencies, and Attitudes toward Plant Sciences

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Rhode Ward ◽  
H. David Clarke ◽  
Jonathan L. Horton
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Scientific Writing ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Plant Science ◽  
Liberal Arts University ◽  
Statistical Knowledge ◽  
Plant Sciences ◽  
Scholarly Data ◽  
Conducting Research

In response to the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education initiative, we infused authentic, plant-based research into majors’ courses at a public liberal arts university. Faculty members designed a financially sustainable pedagogical approach, utilizing vertically integrated curricular modules based on undergraduate researchers’ field and laboratory projects. Our goals were to 1) teach botanical concepts, from cells to ecosystems; 2) strengthen competencies in statistical analysis and scientific writing; 3) pique plant science interest; and 4) allow all undergraduates to contribute to genuine research. Our series of inquiry-centered exercises mitigated potential faculty barriers to adopting research-rich curricula, facilitating teaching/research balance by gathering publishable scholarly data during laboratory class periods. Student competencies were assessed with pre- and postcourse quizzes and rubric-graded papers, and attitudes were evaluated with pre- and postcourse surveys. Our revised curriculum increased students’ knowledge and awareness of plant science topics, improved scientific writing, enhanced statistical knowledge, and boosted interest in conducting research. More than 300 classroom students have participated in our program, and data generated from these modules’ assessment allowed faculty and students to present 28 contributed talks or posters and publish three papers in 4 yr. Future steps include analyzing the effects of repeated module exposure on student learning and creating a regional consortium to increase our project's pedagogical impact.

scholarly journals Using inquiry based simulations in the honors science laboratory

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Anne D Crowell ◽  
Harold Geller
Keyword(s):  
Physics Education ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Nobel Prize Winner ◽  
Natural Sciences ◽  
Honors College ◽  
Chemistry Students ◽  
Free Inquiry ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Liberal Arts Students ◽  
And Mathematics

The project known as PhET, originally stood for Physics Education Technology, but was quickly expanded into the other natural sciences.  It is a project which, with a grant from the NSF and other sponsors, now provides free inquiry- based simulations in the natural sciences and mathematics.  The project was founded by Nobel Prize winner Carl Wieman. The simulations are highly interactive, easy to use, and based on the latest educational research. The GMU Honors College teaches several science courses geared to high achieving liberal arts students.  The courses cover a wide range of topics that include astrobiology, energy/environmental issues, and scientific thought and processes. Despite their high ability and motivation, these students often report a reluctance to engage in scientific inquiry.  PhET simulations were used as laboratory experiments to teach basic concepts in physics and chemistry. Students display high engagement and interest utilizing PhET simulations. Students also were able to demonstrate creativity in problem solving, and a reduced fear of making mistakes.  The PhET computer simulations allowed students to quickly identify cause and effect relationships between simulation inputs and outputs.

Reasons for Student Behavior Codes: A Qualitative Study at Two Christian Liberal Arts Institutions

NASPA Journal ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad A. Lau
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Student Behavior ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Christian Higher Education ◽  
Liberal Arts Institutions ◽  
Institutional Values

One of the great challenges facing Christian higher education is the role and impact of student behavior codes in furthering institutional values and inculcating those values in the students served by such institutions. The perspectives of administrators, faculty members, and students regarding the rationale for codes of conduct at their institution are examined. To obtain data, administrators, faculty members, and students at two Christian liberal arts institutions completed questionnaires and participated in follow-up interviews based on individual responses to the questionnaire. The views of all three groups are described as they see behavior codes relating to institutional purpose and the development and implementation of such codes.

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