Is it Real or is it Virtual?

Abstract

Digital facsimiles of the Netherlands viewable over the Internet or available on CD-ROMs-as an example of what may be available for other countries-are the focus of this article. The first part of the article discusses facsimiles generally, both analog and digital, as well as the way digital facsimiles have been produced, facilities and places where to find digital reproductions of maps and atlases.     

e-Government readiness: Does national culture matter?

e-Government readiness varies significantly across nations. This research explored the relationship of national culture values and practice to e-Government readiness. Eighteen hypotheses were formulated and tested. With the exception of performance orientation and assertiveness, national culture values and practices correlated negatively and positively with e-Government readiness. In addition, gender egalitarianism, institutional collectivism, performance orientation, and uncertainty avoidance values were found to be key determinants of e-Government readiness. The findings of this research provide a foundation for culturally-based policies and strategies aiming at enhancing e-Government readiness across nations.     

Acceptability of the COVID-19 contact-tracing app – Does culture matter?

During the pandemic, several countries deployed contact-tracing apps in order to contain or reduce the community spread of COVID-19. However, the success rate in terms of acceptance and use of these apps was reportedly low. Using information gathered from citizens across four European countries and the United States of America, this study explores the role of national culture in relation to the acceptance of these apps.Using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), an analysis was undertaken of 3595 records from a cross-country survey dataset that is in the public domain and can be obtained from the Centre for Open Science (Study 1). This analysis was followed by another survey comprising 910 respondents (Study 2). The research model was then validated by using a qualitative approach and undertaking interviews with 51 participants from four countries (Study 3). The results confirmed the moderating role of national culture on the acceptability of the contact-tracing apps in relation to power-distance, masculinity, individualism, long-term orientation and indulgence in the pre-deployment phase (Study 1). There were, however, no significant differences in acceptability of the apps between countries in relation to uncertainty avoidance; and none of the hypotheses in Study 2 was supported.The study concludes that national culture is significant in terms of the acceptance of COVID-19 apps only during the pre-deployment phase; therefore attention is required with pertinence to pre-deployment strategies. Recommendations regarding how governments and public health institutions can increase the acceptability of contact-tracing apps have been highlighted.     

Documentation practices and recordkeeping: a matter of trust or distrust?

Records are more and more important as instruments of trust, for instance to ascertain accountability. However, they are also objects to be trusted upon themselves. Rather rigorous requirements are established to guarantee the trustworthiness of records; requirements are more elaborated in the digital environment than those that have previously been attributed to analogue records. The purpose of this study is to discuss the conceptualization of trust and trustworthiness in relation to records, and to analyze the relation between the increasing reliance on formal documentation in contemporary organizations and the requirements on records and recordkeeping systems that has been advanced recent years. It can be argued that the effort to enhance trustworthiness actually is a manifestation of diminishing trust.     

Does communication matter in social influence during small group discussion? Five positions

Social influence has been a central area of inquiry since the beginning of research in small group communication. Nonetheless, controversy concerning whether communication matters in group discussion is relevant to the hypothesized impact of communication on social influence during discussion. In this paper, five positions concerning the functions that communication performs in social influence during group discussion are described, each with enough research backing to be considered viable. The question of whether communication matters in social influence during group discussion boils down to the question of which of these functions “count as” communication mattering.     

Zero-based budgeting: Does it make sense for universal service reform?

The FCC's proposal for Universal Service Fund (USF) reform proposes to replace current universal service funding programs with the Connect America Fund (CAF), a fund devoted to using government support to make broadband service available in un-served or under-served geographical locations. The goal is to maximize the bang-per-buck from available funds by looking at incremental upgrades to existing infrastructure in under-served areas and incremental infrastructure build-outs in un-served areas. The strategy is to encourage competition between broadband providers whether they are wireless providers or wireline providers.     

Why do evaluation?

This paper examines why library staff involved in the acquisitions process undertake vendor surveys and what they hope to get out of them. Briefly addressed are personal and professional issues involved in the survey process, as well as the resulting personal and organizational benefits.     

Why bother with evaluation?

This paper puts supplier evaluation into the context of the changing environment in which library acquisitions are carried out. A number of “forces of change” are identified, and the relevance of supplier evaluation to these forces is reinforced throughout the article. Some practical suggestions for making time for evaluation and making evaluation work for your institution conclude the article.     

Convincing Family Caregivers to Participate in Research: “Does that Count as Caregiving?”

This essay details lessons learned in the completion of a dissertation on family caregivers. The four central lessons address challenges with scheduling for caregivers, caregiver understanding of their own activities, the culturally situated nature of caregiving, and the importance of advocating for one's research. Each lesson includes context for how the lesson emerged from a significant problem in applied research and tactics for improvement in similar or related work.     

Where Does it Hurt? Identifying the Real Concerns in the Ethics of Reference Service

No abstract available for this article.     

Information for Research in Developing Countries — Information Technology,a Friend or Foe?

The difference between the advanced and developing countries in the matter of access to information for research has been continually increasing. The advent of the Internet and electronic sources of information has not only exacerbated the gap but also led to the exclusion of developing country researchers from taking part as equal partners in publishing, refereeing, and in international collaboration. If handled imaginatively, the very same technologies can help bridge the information gap between the rich and the poor countries and help improve research productivity worldwide. Many initiatives that are already in place are described and suggestions are given on steps to be taken by developing country researchers.     

What difference does it make? One study of student background and the evaluation of library instruction

The results of a six-year study indicate little relationship between students' demographics, previous library instruction, or prior use of library resources and how they evaluated library instruction for one undergraduate anthropology course. There is a more positive relationship between subject interest and evaluation of the instruction. These results suggest that librarians should be less concerned about students' prior experience and more concerned with ensuring that course-related library instruction focuses on specific goals and reinforces student interest in the subject.     

Does site architecture matter? The political implications of public- versus private-oriented social network sites in China

Political communication researchers have shown that social network site (SNS) use and online network characteristics can impinge on people’s political attitudes and behavior. Nevertheless, individual SNSs have varying site architecture, basic design features, and functionalities, which may influence usage and online network characteristics. This study thus examines whether site architecture matters for understanding the political implications of SNSs. Specifically, this article conceptualizes the distinction between public-oriented and private-oriented SNSs. It contends that the two types of SNSs would have varying impact on political behavior through the kinds of online networks that they tend to sustain. Analysis of a survey of university students in Guangzhou, China (N?=?897), shows that respondents using public-oriented SNSs tended to have a relatively more ‘public’ online network – larger, involving more strangers, and with more connections to public actors. Some of these network characteristics in turn affected political discussion behavior. The analysis thus demonstrates how SNS architecture can indirectly impinge on individual-level political outcomes.     

Does Ownership Matter?

Does media ownership affect the editorial page? Scholars such as Tim Groseclose, Jeffrey Milyo, and Tim Groeling have offered recent empirical tests for media bias in political news coverage. This article focuses on the editorial content of newspapers to examine whether a change in publishers affects a newspaper's editorial page's support for government action on public policy questions, the attention given to the major political parties, and the tone of coverage of the parties. Our content analyses compare the Wall Street Journal's editorial page before and after Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation purchased the paper with two newspapers that did not change ownership structures over the same time period (New York Times and Washington Times). We show that Murdoch's Wall Street Journal is far less supportive of government intervention in the economy, much more negative to Democrats, and much more positive to Republicans than the paper's editorial page was under Bancroft family ownership. We also show that the Wall Street Journal's changes were unique as the New York Times and Washington Times generally did not exhibit similar changes to their own editorial pages.     

21st‐century rights management: why does it matter and what is being done?

‘The answer to the machine is in the machine’ – but what is the answer? At the end of the first decade of the 21st century we are seeing an explosion of rights management issues, as well as the emergence of many products and services that may provide all – or at least some – of the solution for publishers. International standards are also in place. Strong intellectual property protection is the cornerstone of an orderly digital marketplace. That market is for content + rights. Are our rights management practices fit for purpose? In this paper we provide an overview of rights management in publishing at the start of the 21st century, a summary of what is at stake, and an overview of the challenges and opportunities that await publishers.     

教化or消费?

我认为,任何读物都不必端起架子来教训人,少儿读物尤其如此。但流行时尚究竟是否适合融入少儿读物,或者换句话话,少儿读物是否足以适合定位成纯粹的消费,也令人颇费踌躇,恐怕需要一些讨论吧。