In support of innovation management and Roger's Innovation Diffusion theory

This paper makes a case for the practicality of Roger's Innovation Diffusion theory. [Rogers, E. (1962). Diffusion of innovations. New York: The Free Press; Rogers, E. (1995). Diffusion of innovations. New York: The Free Press] By using Roger's Innovation Diffusion theory, the paper explores the innovation process from the development stage towards the diffusion stage (the stage of commercialization) of the two major research funding organizations in Thailand: the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and the Thailand Research Fund (TRF). Theoretical and empirical analysis are attempted, focusing on the relation between the management of research and development (R&D) projects and the level of innovation diffusion. The empirical results can help R&D managers manage the projects to contribute to technological development in industry.     

论档案知识管理理论范式的形成与发展

基于档案知识观理论取向,以库恩的范式理论为基础,通过分析以后保管模式为代表的理论成果和以中国人民大学信息资源管理学院为代表的学术共同体,认为档案知识管理理论范式在国内已经形成,其具有重视档案资源的组织开发和档案知识服务以及档案知识管理技术研究等特征,未来该理论范式将向以人为本、资源共享和智慧管理的方向发展。     

Sales Forecasting of New Entertainment Media Products

Managers predict the sales of new entertainment products prior to their release using comparables, such as similar books from the same author or movies with the same actors. In this study, the authors analyze whether diffusion models for media products provide helpful support in the management task of predicting prelaunch sales of the first distribution channel for three different product categories. They compare the performance of predictions based on (a) simple success factor regressions (OLS) and (b) diffusion models against real management predictions. Based on samples covering the German music, film, and the literary market, we show that model-based forecasts outperform the forecasts of management teams for the majority of the products. In contrast, management is superior in forecasting top sellers. This is due to unobserved factors arising from more management attention attached towards super stars. The authors do not find substantial prediction differences between simple success factor regressions and more complex diffusion models. Thus, managers interested in total sales estimates can easily rely on OLS based success factor predictions. Advertising and product differentiation factors with respect to quality (e.g., star power, critics, or country of origin) are across all 3 industries highly relevant for sales predictions, whereas others variables (e.g., price, distribution power, season, or competition) differ across industries.     

The impact of organizational factors on management information system success: An investigation in the Iran's agricultural extension providers

Information system success has been widely discussed in the past two decades. As systems and technologies are being improved and developed, discussions on their effectiveness and evaluation on their success have been continuously debated by researchers, scholars and practitioners throughout the years. Besides the major concern of IS effectiveness, factors influencing IS effectiveness are also important. One of these factors is the organizational factor. Using perceptual measures, this study aims to investigate the influence of organizational factors on MIS success. Survey questionnaires were gathered from 132 Extension Managers from Iran's Agricultural Extension Providers. Seven items were identified to influence MIS success. They are IS department structure, top management support, management style, managerial IT knowledge, goal alignment, resources allocation and IS infrastructure. The study also identified five MIS success dimensions; systems quality, information quality, perceived Ease of use, organizational impact and individual impact. The study found that the MIS success variables are significantly and highly correlated. The study also found all the organizational factors are significantly correlated to the five IS success factors investigated; the system quality, information quality, perceived ease of use, organizational impact and individual impact. Multiple regression analyses also found goal alignment as the highest predictor of IS success, followed by IS department structure, IS infrastructure and management style.     

A methodological approach for object-relational database design using UML

The most common way of designing databases is by means of a conceptual model, such as E/R, without taking into account other views of the system. New object-oriented design languages, such as UML (Unified Modelling Language), allow the whole system, including the database schema, to be modelled in a uniform way. Moreover, as UML is an extendable language, it allows for any necessary introduction of new stereotypes for specific applications. Proposals exist to extend UML with stereotypes for database design but, unfortunately, they are focused on relational databases. However, new applications require complex objects to be represented in complex relationships, object-relational databases being more appropriate for these requirements. The framework of this paper is an Object-Relational Database Design Methodology, which defines new UML stereotypes for Object-Relational Database Design and proposes some guidelines to translate a UML conceptual schema into an object-relational schema. The guidelines are based on the SQL: 1999 object-relational model and on Oracle8i as a product example.     

提高高校图书馆效益探讨

图书馆办馆效益的高低是评价图书馆管理和服务水平的一个重要指标。效益的提高主要来自图书馆的管理、资源、服务、馆员四个方面，本文就这几个方面提高图书馆效益的各种策略、措施作一论述。     

Thank you to the Journal of the Medical Library Association reviewers in 2020

The Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) sincerely thanks the 214 peer reviewers in 2020 who helped vet and improve the quality of work published in our journal.

The Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) sincerely thanks the 214 peer reviewers in 2020 who helped vet and improve the quality of work published in our journal.JMLA is always looking to expand our pool of reviewers with expertise in specific domains in health sciences librarianship research and practice. If you would like to serve as a peer reviewer for JMLA, please indicate your interest to an assistant editor, an associate editor, or the editor-in-chief.     

高校图书馆的采编业务外包管理与实践-以北京大学图书馆为例

结合北京大学图书馆采编外包的经验,从外包的模式选择、人员管理、工作管理和质量管理等几个方面提出高校图书馆在采编外包管理工作中应该注意的问题,达到拥有稳定的外包人员、高效的工作流程、稳定的数据质量的目的,从而获得采编外包的成功。     

Comparison of metadata quality in open data portals using the Analytic Hierarchy Process

The quality of metadata in open data portals plays a crucial role for the success of open data. E-government, for example, have to manage accurate and complete metadata information to guarantee the reliability and foster the reputation of e-government to the public. Measuring and comparing the quality of open data is not a straightforward process because it implies to take into consideration multiple quality dimensions whose quality may vary from one another, as well as various open data stakeholders who – depending on their role/needs – may have different preferences regarding the dimensions’ importance. To address this Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) problem, and since data quality is hardly considered in existing e-government models, this paper develops an Open Data Portal Quality (ODPQ) framework that enables end-users to easily and in real-time assess/rank open data portals. From a theoretical standpoint, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to integrate various data quality dimensions and end-user preferences. From a practical standpoint, the proposed framework is used to compare over 250 open data portals, powered by organizations across 43 different countries. The findings of our study reveals that today’s organizations do not pay sufficient heed to the management of datasets, resources and associated metadata that they are currently publishing on their portal.     

Measurement and benchmarking foundations: Providing support to organizations in their development and growth using dashboards

Growth and stage models often lack a sound empirical and theoretical base and do not provide any help for organizations to improve. Measuring and benchmarking (M&B) is necessary for understanding an organization's position and identifying growth opportunities. Yet M&B methods are often not based on generalizations of practice and measure only what is directly visible. They are missing relevant elements that can help further development. In this paper, we propose a multi-level measurement framework utilizing a mix of measurement methods to look deep inside organizations. Whereas benchmarking is often based on a single number, deep insight is given by showing the performance in a broad range of areas and views using a dashboard. Guidance for improvement is created by identifying those elements that need improvements. The illustration of the framework in a case study shows that the process of measuring deep inside organizations might be more important than the actual outcomes and that per area different maturity levels might be possible. We provide seven principles that can serve as a foundation for developing M&B and stage models.     

Educational workshop improved information-seeking skills,knowledge, attitudes and the search outcome of hospital clinicians: a randomised controlled trial

A double-blind randomised controlled trial was conducted on a group of Hong Kong hospital clinicians. The objective was to test if a three-hour educational workshop (with supervised hands-on practice) is more effective (than no training) to improve clinical question formulation, information-seeking skills, knowledge, attitudes, and search outcomes. The design was a post-test-only control group; recruitment by stratified randomization (by profession), blocked at 800. End-user training was more effective than no training in improving clinical question formulation, in raising awareness, knowledge, confidence and use of databases, but had made no impact on preference for secondary databases. It changed the attitude of clinicians to become more positive towards the use of electronic information services (EIS). Participants had higher search performance and outcomes (satisfaction with information obtained (NNT = 3), EIS satisfaction (NNT = 3) and success in problem solving (NNT = 4)). The workshop improved knowledge and skills in evidence-based searching, but this effect gradually eroded with time. Search logs confirmed that follow-up is required if effects are to be sustained. Longer effects on search behaviours appear to be positive. A randomised controlled trial is valuable in identifying cause-and-effect relations and to quantify the magnitude of the effects for management decision-making.     

Ranking dynamics and volatility

Scientific journals are ordered by their impact factor while countries, institutions or researchers can be ranked by their scientific production, impact or by other simple or composite indicators as in the case of university rankings. In this paper, the theoretical framework proposed in Criado, R., Garcia, E., Pedroche, F. & Romance, M. (2013). A new method for comparing rankings through complex networks: Model and analysis of competitiveness of major European soccer leagues. Chaos, 23, 043114 for football competitions is used as a starting point to define a general index describing the dynamics or its opposite, stability, of rankings. Some characteristics to study rankings, ranking dynamics measures and axioms for such indices are presented. Furthermore, the notion of volatility of elements in rankings is introduced. Our study includes rankings with ties, entrants and leavers. Finally, some worked out examples are shown.     

Maximizing the results of federally-funded research and development through knowledge management: A strategic imperative for improving U.S. competitiveness

Federally-funded research and development (R&D) represents a significant annual investment (approximately $79 billion in fiscal year 1996) on the part of U.S. taxpayers. Based on the results of a 10-year study of knowledge diffusion in the U.S. aerospace industry, the authors take the position that U.S. competitiveness will be enhanced if knowledge management strategies, employed within a capability-enhancing U.S. technology policy framework, are applied to diffusing the results of federally-funded R&D. In making their case, the authors stress the importance of knowledge as the source of competitive advantage in today's global economy. Next, they offer a practice-based definition of knowledge management and discuss three current approaches to knowledge management implementation—mechanistic, “the learning organization,” and systemic. The authors then examine three weaknesses in existing U.S. public policy and policy implementation—the dominance of knowledge creation, the need for diffusion-oriented technology policy, and the prevalence of a dissemination model—that affect diffusion of the results of federally-funded R&D. To address these shortcomings, they propose the development of a knowledge management framework for diffusing the results of federally-funded R&D. The article closes with a discussion of some issues and challenges associated with implementing a knowledge management framework for diffusing the results of federally-funded R&D.     

Community Information in Schools:

Community Information and I & R services have not generally been implemented in school librarianship, although some elements of the idea have been presented by authorities for a number of years. This article defines the concepts, outlines results of field research conducted in Great Britain on I & R in schools, presents an 1 & R model for schools based on the British experience, makes suggestions for I & R file construction and maintenance, and reviews selected microcomputer data base management programs useful for I & R information control.     

Aspects of Diversity in ASEEES National Conferences as a Reflection of the Field of Slavic and Eurasian Studies in North America: Case Studies of Gender,Location, Discipline,and Institution

ABSTRACT

This article is a series of four case studies that investigate diversity in Slavic and Eurasian (S&E) studies viewed through the lens of participation in national conferences of the Association of Slavic, East European, & Eurasian Studies (ASEEES). The case studies are based on data extracted from ASEEES convention programs, 1964–2014. Four categories are considered: gender diversity of conference participants, diversity of ASEEES conference locations, diversity of conference sessions by discipline, and diversity of institutions represented at ASEEES conventions. Over the past five decades, gender diversity of ASEEES conference session participants gradually advanced toward parity. Whereas in 1964 nearly 95 percent of the participants were men, in 2014 women comprised a slight majority (50.2%) of conference session participants. In contrast, diversity in the location of ASEEES national conventions has declined in recent years as the Association has evolved. Whereas the disciplines of history, political science, and language, literature, and linguistics continue to represent a combined majority (70%) of ASEEES sessions, in recent years anthropology and sociology have experienced the most growth, while library and information science has remained constant. ASEEES conference session participants come from a wider range of institutions than in the past, and institutions with Title VI National Resource Centers (NRCs) continue to have a strong presence at the ASEEES national conventions.     

How Can Brand-Owned Media Be Managed? Exploring the Managerial Success Factors of the New Interrelation Between Brands and Media

Although owned media formats that pursue brand-policy objectives have been receiving considerable attention in industries since the beginning of the millennium, virtually no research results are available about their conceptual background and strategic management. Using total interpretive structural modeling, this study examines two research questions: (1) Which success factors for the evolving brand-owned media concept can be identified? (2) How can these factors be systematized in terms of interrelations and hierarchies? Results indicate that the success of brand-owned media depends on a complex interrelation of eight factors. Content-centric factors such as content quality and the non-advertising character of brand-owned media are most important for creating relevant content and for achieving media success in terms of reach and frequency. In contrast, brand strength is not regarded as a precondition of brand-owned media success but rather as a result.     

A methodological approach for object-relational database design using UML

The most common way of designing databases is by means of a conceptual model, such as E/R, without taking into account other views of the system. New object-oriented design languages, such as UML (Unified Modelling Language), allow the whole system, including the database schema, to be modelled in a uniform way. Moreover, as UML is an extendable language, it allows for any necessary introduction of new stereotypes for specific applications. Proposals exist to extend UML with stereotypes for database design but, unfortunately, they are focused on relational databases. However, new applications require complex objects to be represented in complex relationships, object-relational databases being more appropriate for these requirements. The framework of this paper is an Object-Relational Database Design Methodology, which defines new UML stereotypes for Object-Relational Database Design and proposes some guidelines to translate a UML conceptual schema into an object-relational schema. The guidelines are based on the SQL: 1999 object-relational model and on Oracle8i as a product example.Received: 22 January 2002, Revised: 10 June 2002, This paper is a revised and extended version of Extending UML for Object-Relational Database Design, presented in the UML2001 conference [17].