Applying informetric methods to empirically assess the authoritativeness of Health Canada electronic documents

Government publications have long been considered authoritative sources of information regardless of the format [electronic via the World Wide Web (WWW) or paper] they are published in and with little consideration as to how they are researched, written, and published. Given the greater accessibility that the WWW provides the public to this very important source of information on a wide variety of subjects, assessing authoritativeness becomes a bigger and more difficult issue. This preliminary study applies informetric methods, specifically citation analysis, to assess whether the blind trust afforded government publications is appropriate in an important area of public policy that, particularly in Canada, is seen almost as a natural right of citizenship, public health care. The results of this study show that this trust is not misplaced as these publications are well researched and, with or without references, are used without discrimination.     

Global informetric impact: A description and definition using bundles

Inspired by the Lorenz curve for evenness or concentration, and the corresponding axioms, we construct a theory leading to the notion of global impact. In this theory, we construct a relation that plays the role of the Lorenz dominance order for evenness or concentration theory. The notion of global impact that we obtain is such that well-known global impact bundles such as percentiles, the cumulative number of items produced by the x most productive sources, the average production of the x most productive sources, the generalized h- and g-indices, and the highest number of citations indeed measure impact in our sense of the word.     

LGBTQ+ health research guides at North American health sciences libraries: a survey and content analysis

Objectives:Current literature recommends online research guides as an easy and effective tool to promote LGBTQ+ health information to both health care providers and the public. This cross-sectional study was designed to determine how extensive LGBTQ+ health guides are among hospital and academic libraries and which features are most prevalent.Methods:In order to locate LGBTQ+ health guides for content analysis, we searched for guides on the websites of libraries belonging to the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) and the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL). Additionally, we searched the Springshare interface for LibGuides with the word “health” and either “LGBT” or “transgender.” Content analysis was performed to identify major characteristics of the located guides, including target audience and the information type provided.Results:LGBTQ+ research guides were identified for 74 libraries. Of these, 5 were hospital libraries, and the rest were academic libraries. Of 158 AAHSL member libraries, 48 (30.4%) had LGBTQ+ guides on their websites. Nearly all guides (95.9%) provided general LGBTQ+ health information, and a large majority (87.8%) also had information resources for transgender health. Smaller percentages of guides contained information on HIV/AIDS (48.6%) and women''s health (16.2%).Conclusions:Even though literature recommends creating LGBTQ+ health guides, most health sciences libraries are missing an opportunity by not developing and maintaining these guides. Further research may be needed to determine the usage and usefulness of existing guides and to better identify barriers preventing libraries from creating guides.     

Assessing library topics using sentiment analysis in R: a discussion and code sample

Abstract

This article discusses the use of R programing language for executing a sentiment analysis of tweets pertaining to library topics. This discussion is situated within the literature of marketing and management sciences, which is employing methods of machine learning and business intelligence to make informed decision-making, and library administration, which has expressed great interest in social media engagement within its literature but has yet to adopt these types of analysis. Presented in this article is a sample code with instructions on how users may execute it within R to retrieve and analyze tweets relevant to library services. Two examples created using the code (analysis of top librarians’ tweets and analysis of posts about major book publishers) are used to demonstrate the functionality of the code. The code presented in this article may be used by libraries to analyze tweets about their library and library-related topics, which, in turn, may inform management and marketing design.     

Yoga at the Public Library: An Exploratory Survey of Canadian and American Librarians

Results of a 2017 survey of 983 public librarians in the U.S. and Canada show that libraries increasingly provide opportunities for both youth and adults to practice yoga at the library. This article examines how these public library yoga programs work and what impacts they have. Most libraries have limited means to assess the impact of these programs. Nonetheless, over 80% of responding librarians said participation in yoga programs had met or exceeded their expectations, and 60% said yoga programs have brought new users into their libraries. These results suggest that yoga programs in public libraries are having significant effects.     

石刻文献数字化建设现状分析与思考

文章通过对石刻文献数字化建设现状的调查研究,分析了当前石刻文献数字化建设存在的问题与不足,并结合用户需求探讨了石刻文献数字化建设的发展方向。     

A comparison of Canadian and American network television news

We read and hear a good deal these days about the proper role of federal agencies, Congress, and broadcasters themselves in properly controlling quantity and quality of television advertising in the U.S. There seems to be a fair amount of criticism expressed and implied by government officials, the general public, broadcasters, agencies and advertisers on the whole question of advertising regulation—suggesting most of these people are dissatisfied to some degree much of the time. An interesting comparative situation is found in Britain where the Independent Broadcasting Authority has followed a unique approach to these problems for a number of years—and apparently pleases most participants and the TV audience. In the following discussion, Mrs. Marting describes the IBA approach and deals with its possible applicability here. The author is completing the Ph.D. at Ohio State University after earlier earning a journalism MA at Alabama, and spending a number of years in public relations and advertising.     

Assessing knowledge skills in the NHS: a training needs analysis approach

This feature discusses the use of a training needs analysis exercise carried out by library staff at the NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHSGGC) Library Network to support the development of a fit for purpose programme of information skills training. A survey was designed based on a well‐known information skills competency framework and used to gain an understanding of the knowledge skills needed by staff and how library training could best support these. The survey received a good response rate and led to the successful writing of a training plan for the Library Network for the delivery of information skills training. H.S.     

徽州文书分类整理要点和疑难解析

徽州文书分类整理是一项学术性很强的科研工作,需要一整套科学规范的分类著录体系和正确合理的工作方法,要求整理人员掌握丰富的历史知识和多种专门业务知识。在分类整理中最常遇见的疑难问题是土地文书中名实不符、内容不清、地点不明和复合契四种,必须准确地解析文书所涉及的各种关系,根据文书真实内容确定类目。     

论国际标准《ISO15489信息与文件-文件管理》的基本内容、影响及其权威性

本文主要论述了国际标准《ISO15489信息与文件-文件管理》的基本内容，并指m该标准的整体框架，体现了从宏观到中观到微观的架构，随之阐述了该标准在国际所产生的重大影响，并对此标准在世界各国文件管理领域中的采标情况的影响作了介绍，最后分析了该标准在国际标准领域中的权威性。     

The IAIMS project of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: using information technology to improve the health care of women

The mission of the ACOG IAIMS project is to identify the core of knowledge necessary for the practice of obstetrics and gynecology, structure it and put it in electronic form, integrate it into a national ob-gyn information network, prepare ACOG members to use it, and disseminate this core of knowledge to members in appropriate forms. This mission will be accomplished through four project objectives: educational programs on computers and information use; definition of a prototype ob-gyn knowledge base; automated access to ACOG and NAACOG membership services; and integration of ACOG IAIMS activities with other organizations. The ACOG IAIMS model phase project is a model for the role of a national specialty society in meeting the information needs of its members and for the integration of national specialty IAIMS programs with locally-developed programs.     

The documentation approach in the theory of archaeography and documentation science: a comparative analysis

A comparative analysis of the general document theory and documentation theory developed by V.P. Kozlov is carried out. It is suggested that archaeography be considered to be the discipline of the documentation cycle that studies the problems of the interaction between operative, retrospective, and diachronic information documentation systems. The consistency of both theories that have chosen the notion “document” as a theoretical basis is suggested for consideration as one of the criteria for the verity of theoretical knowledge.     

Native American health: traditional healing and culturally competent health care internet resources

Health disparities between Native Americans and the general population of the United States are a major health concern. Traditional healing and culturally competent health care offer much promise in raising the health status of Native Americans. Traditional healing, although uniquely practiced by each indigenous culture, is generally a system of medicine based on the inseparability of mind, body, and spirit. Culturally competent health care, care that is congruent with the culture and language of the patient, is a growing initiative in western medicine. This article outlines Internet sites and online resources relevant to the study and practice of traditional healing and culturally competent health care.     

Developing health information literacy: a needs analysis from the perspective of preprofessional health students

Objective:

The research identified the skills, if any, that health preprofessional students wished to develop after receiving feedback on skill gaps as well as any strategies they intended to use to address these gaps.

Methods:

A qualitative approach was used to elicit students'' reflections on building health information literacy skills. First, the students took the Research Readiness Self-Assessment instrument, which measured their health information literacy, and then they received individually tailored feedback about their scores and skill gaps. Second, students completed a post-assessment survey asking how they intended to close identified gaps in their skills on these. Three trained coders analyzed qualitative comments by 181 students and grouped them into themes relating to “what skills to improve” and “how to improve them.”

Results:

Students intended to develop library skills (64% of respondents), Internet skills (63%), and information evaluation skills (63%). Most students reported that they would use library staff members'' assistance (55%), but even more respondents (82%) planned to learn the skills by practicing on their own. Getting help from librarians was a much more popular learning strategy than getting assistance from peers (20%) or professors (17%).

Conclusions:

The study highlighted the importance of providing health preprofessional students with resources to improve skills on their own, remote access to library staff members, and instruction on the complexity of building health literacy skills, while also building relationships among students, librarians, and faculty.

Highlights

• After receiving feedback on skill gaps, most preprofessional health students intend to develop their information literacy skills.
• Some students report that a trip to the library is a barrier to using library resources.
• Students see the need to build their information evaluation skills, knowledge of citations and plagiarism, and library skills, which they differentiate from Internet skills.
• Students are more likely to identify librarians as sources for assistance in finding information than faculty or peers after receiving individual feedback explaining the role of libraries and library staff members.

Implications

• Students'' health information competencies can be built through assessment and feedback that reveals skill gaps, highlights misconceptions, and offers ideas on how to improve.
• Access to professionally designed self-study resources is needed for students who intend to develop health information competencies on their own.