An Altmetrics and citation analysis of selected predatory journals in library and information science field

PurposeThis paper aims to examine whether Altmetric data can be used as an indicator for identifying predatory journals.Design/methodology/approachThis is an applied study which uses citation and Altmetrics methods. The study selected 21 predatory journals from the Beall's list and Kscien's list, as well as 18 non-predatory open access journals from the DOAJ's list, in the field of Library and Information Science. The Altmetric score for articles published in these journals was obtained from the Altmetric Explorer, a service provided by Altmetric.com. Web of Science was used to search for citation data of articles published in these journals.FindingsThe predatory journals almost have no presence in social media, with poor Altmetric score. In contrast, non-predatory open access journals have a high presence rate and Altmetric score. There is a significant positive correlation between the number of articles cited and the number of articles having Altmetric score among non-predatory open-access journals, but not among predatory journals. Poor Altmetric score may be viewed as a potential characteristic of predatory journals, but other indicators would also need to be considered to determine whether a journal is predatory.Originality/valueDistinct from the traditional research methods, this study combined citation analysis and Altmetrics analysis. By comparing the characteristics of predatory journals and non-predatory open access journals, the findings contribute to the identification of predatory journals.     

When There Is No Magic Bullet: An Interlocking Approach of Managing E-Books

ABSTRACT

This conference report describes the challenges arising from the growth of the e-book market and explores how a mix of proprietary and open source systems can be used to manage e-book collections. The author uses an analogy of building with Legos to evoke an interlocking approach to e-book management. The discussion addresses functionality and pain points of mainstream, commercial systems and explores the ways that open source tools can be used alongside traditional software to create a more full-featured environment.     

The Growing Crisis: Scholarly Publishing Pressures Facing Health Sciences Libraries

ABSTRACT

Health sciences librarians work within a complex environment, one that quickly adopted access to electronic resources. The open access movement evolved as an alternative to traditional publishing as prices for STM e-journals steadily increased, but it also raised issues and concerns for authors within the more traditional biomedical culture. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Public Access policy provided an opportunity to support researchers’ compliance with the policy, while advocating for open access and author rights. As an outgrowth of the NIH policy, health sciences libraries have promoted open access through a variety of activities within their academic health centers.     

The Power of “Open”

ABSTRACT

In a vision session at the 31st NASIG Annual Conference, Heather Joseph provided an assessment of the Open Access movement addressing how far it has come since its inception, how well it has met its original goals, what has and has not worked well, and what is not happening at all. She talked about the importance of open (in all senses—open access, open education, and open data) as a public good, and shared feedback from a recent strategic review of the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition and the Open Access movement. Joseph also explored the implications of using open as an enabling strategy for researchers, scholarly publishers, policymakers, and the larger academic community, and emphasized the importance of deliberately considering what outcomes open can help each community achieve—rather than thinking about open as an end to itself.     

Getting the actor to act

The hypothesis that a self‐contradictory communication is less persuasive than a non‐contradictory one was tested. The data supported the hypothesis only for those subjects who perceived the contradiction; neither open and closed‐mindedness nor initial attitude toward the policy advocated in the communication accurately distinguished the perceivers of the contradiction from the non‐perceivers.     

The U.S. Government Manual in XML: A Case Study of a Data.gov Open Data Set

ABSTRACT

A central tenet of the open data movement is that, to the extent permitted by law, data—especially data collected or produced by government agencies—should be published without restrictions on access or reuse. Proponents of open data believe that unrestricted access to raw data yields many benefits to society, including increased organizational transparency, accountability, public engagement with democratic processes, and economic growth. This article presents a case study based on one of the data sets created under the federal government's open data program, an XML version of the United States Government Manual published by the Office of the Federal Register. Working with the Government Manual data set uncovered various quality issues that presented technical barriers to data reuse, despite its compliance with open data principles of formatting and licensing. This experience raises questions about the purported link between open data and its promised benefits, which I discuss within the wider context of critiques of open data.     

Ethics and Reference Services

Abstract

Reference archivists face challenging ethical dilemmas in the course of seemingly mundane daily tasks. While newly revised ethical codes provide helpful guidelines, there are many ethical questions without clear answers. Rapidly evolving technology, changing expectations, and inconsistent privacy laws place pressures on reference work. These issues also open a window on the society whose cultural property archivists manage.     

Academic Libraries as Digital Gateways: Linking Students to the Burgeoning Wealth of Open Online Collections

ABSTRACT

Digital collections of full-text e-books are proliferating on the Web and provide a wealth of open content for students. To examine whether academic libraries are providing a digital gateway to these resources, ten e-book titles from open digital collections were searched in the online catalogs and Web pages of ten academic libraries serving distance learners. Only three of the digital collection e-books were available from any of the library catalogs, and none were found on library Web pages. Availability of the ten e-book titles through Google and other digital discovery tools also had mixed results. Continued projects for improved delivery of open online content are necessary. In order to fulfill their role as digital gateways for their academic communities, libraries must pursue metadata standards to support cross-searching, collaborative projects, and development of e-resource search software, which integrates with the library catalog.     

Talk About Images and Issues of Professional Librarianship

SUMMARY

This session provided an open forum that revolved around various library professional development issues. The presenter briefly introduced each topic and then facilitated audience participation. Specifically, the public image of the profession, librarian faculty status/tenure, public vs. technical services, and employment outlook/retirement concerns were discussed.     

Dear Abby,Dear Abbot

Summary

This workshop was designed to be an open forum to discuss concerns and give practical advice to the serials librarian. As it turned out, the main issue that was discussed was the claiming of non-receipt material. A better understanding of how claimed issues are dealt with was achieved across the spectrum of attendees.     

OER evaluation as a means of teaching information literacy in individual and small group settings

ABSTRACT

Open education resources represent a great opportunity to reduce textbook costs, but many of them have not been evaluated for quality. Librarians and former students in an introduction to engineering course collected and evaluated open education resources to supplement the course textbook in future semesters. Both searching for and evaluating these resources created opportunities for the librarians to evaluate information literacy skills of these students and to provide instruction to improve these skills.     

Electronic Research Beyond LEXIS-NEXIS and Westlaw

ABSTRACT

Lower-cost alternatives to LEXIS-NEXIS and Westlaw have entered the scene to give users without deep pockets access to electronic legal and congressional research. Loislaw.com, V., Congressional Universe and CQ.com on Congress may open up electronic research to new users and lure away some of the big legal research services' customers as well.     

Demonstrating Value in Federal Medical Center Libraries

Abstract

Librarians in the federal sector, like librarians in other medical center libraries, increasingly find it necessary to prove their worth to administrators of their facilities in order to keep their libraries open. The Federal Libraries Section of the Medical Library Association developed a survey for use by federal librarians to help them quantify the value of library reference services provided. Using this survey, these librarians gathered statistics to show the library’s effect on patient care, education, and administrative questions.     

Electronic Resources (ER) Librarians,Usage Data,and a Changing World

SUMMARY

What factors affect the handling of usage data? What skills does an electronic resources (ER) librarian need to work with usage data? How do they solve problems innovatively and contribute to the library's efforts to deliver digital information? First and foremost, ER librarians need a firm understanding of the libraries in which they work and what innovations or adaptations are appropriate. There are no true answers to the question of how to handle usage data, which leaves the field open for innovation and customization.     

Are MLS Graduates Being Prepared for the Changing and Emerging Roles that Librarians Must Now Assume Within Research Libraries?

ABSTRACT

The focus of research libraries is changing to include digital resources, improving the information literacy level of patrons, and creating new partnerships on and off campus, among other things. This creates a need to recruit librarians trained in these areas and open to these changes. Library science training is a necessary foundation for preparing graduates to qualify for and excel in changing and emerging new roles. This article explores current recruitment efforts to articulate new roles and to successfully hire graduates with the skills and aptitude to fill them.     

The Prague Spring Archive at the University of Texas at Austin

ABSTRACT

There is a noted lack of primary historical documents related to the Prague Spring, one of the key moments in the Cold War, available online. As such, there is a need for an online resource that presents these primary documents in their entirety, allowing researchers and the public to engage with these materials in a user-friendly, open access format. The Prague Spring Archive, a new project at The University of Texas at Austin, fills this gap. This article addresses the development, promotion, and future steps of the project.