Titles in research articles: Changes across time and discipline

Titles are a crucial feature of research papers and have become increasingly important with changes in publishing practices and the explosion of published research. As a result, novice writers seeking to get their work noticed in international journals might benefit from a clear understanding of the features of research titles and an awareness of the relationship between language and disciplinary context. In this study, we explore this relationship and the impact of changing contexts on titles across the last 60 years on the length, form and content of 36,000 titles from the 10 leading journals from six disciplines spread along a soft-hard science continuum. Our results show a considerable increase in the length of titles coupled with more interrogative and compound titles in almost all disciplines. There has also been a growing mention of methods in the titles of hard knowledge papers with more frequent inclusion of results in the softer domains. These diachronic changes can be attributed to different characteristics of the fields and of the changing dynamics of the publishing context. Our findings have important implications for early career academics seeking to publish in English and contribute to studies of diachronic analysis of academic discourse.     

Households' public library use across the school calendar

When schools are on break, some households may be constrained to provide educational resources to their children. Public libraries could be low-cost providers of materials and services that foster educational investment. This research extends existing literature by combining household-level data (public library checkout counts, residential property tax assessment values, student enrollment rosters, and distance to public library measures) to conduct a panel analysis of public library use across the public school calendar. The empirical analyses find that public- school breaks generally impact library use for households with children in public school, but not for households without children in public school or for the lowest socioeconomic status households with children in public school. Distance to library is found to be negatively correlated with public library use for all households, but differentially and dependent on households' socioeconomic status and structure. Lastly, community events and weather are identified to impact use.     

Predicting and explaining corruption across countries: A machine learning approach

In the era of Big Data, Analytics, and Data Science, corruption is still ubiquitous and is perceived as one of the major challenges of modern societies. A large body of academic studies has attempted to identify and explain the potential causes and consequences of corruption, at varying levels of granularity, mostly through theoretical lenses by using correlations and regression-based statistical analyses. The present study approaches the phenomenon from the predictive analytics perspective by employing contemporary machine learning techniques to discover the most important corruption perception predictors based on enriched/enhanced nonlinear models with a high level of predictive accuracy. Specifically, within the multiclass classification modeling setting that is employed herein, the Random Forest (an ensemble-type machine learning algorithm) is found to be the most accurate prediction/classification model, followed by Support Vector Machines and Artificial Neural Networks. From the practical standpoint, the enhanced predictive power of machine learning algorithms coupled with a multi-source database revealed the most relevant corruption-related information, contributing to the related body of knowledge, generating actionable insights for administrator, scholars, citizens, and politicians. The variable importance results indicated that government integrity, property rights, judicial effectiveness, and education index are the most influential factors in defining the corruption level of significance.     

Informed learning: A pedagogical construct attending simultaneously to information use and learning

The idea of informed learning, applicable in academic, workplace and community settings, has been derived largely from a program of phenomenographic research in the field of information literacy, which has illuminated the experience of using information to learn. Informed learning is about simultaneous attention to information use and learning, where both information and learning are considered to be relational; and is built upon a series of key concepts such as second-order perspective, simultaneity, awareness, and relationality. Informed learning also relies heavily on reflection as a strategy for bringing about learning. As a pedagogical construct, informed learning supports inclusive curriculum design and implementation. Aspects of the informed learning research agenda are currently being explored at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).     

Anecdotal episodes in the social context

This article examines poor, moderate and good anecdotal episodes in the social context. The research results suggest 1) the quality of anecdotal episodes is discriminated on the basis of energy and clarity concepts rather than the traditional delivery and content perspective, and 2) the energy and clarity of anecdotal episodes are related to observer's perceived social attraction and projected potential to achieve social and professional success. Tnese results suggest that anecdotal episodes merit further consideration in relational development research from the communication perspective.     

Learning to use information: Informed learning in the undergraduate classroom

Informed learning is a pedagogy that focuses on learning subject content through engaging with academic or professional information practices. Adopting the position that more powerful learning is achieved where students are taught how to use information and subject content simultaneously, the research reported here investigated an informed learning lesson. Using phenomenographic methods, students' experiences of the lesson were compared with observations of how the lesson was enacted in the classroom. Based on an analysis of student interviews using variation theory, different ways of experiencing the informed learning lesson emerged. Some students understood the lesson to be about learning to use information, i.e., researching and writing an academic paper, while others understood it as focusing on understanding both subject content and information use simultaneously. Although the results of this study are highly contextualized, the findings suggest criteria to consider when designing informed learning lessons.     

Learning commons: Bridging the academic and student affairs divide to enhance learning across campus

The University of Guelph Learning Commons brings student affairs professionals and librarians together to offer students a coherent and integrated approach to learning, writing, research, and technology support. It is distinguished by three characteristics: (1) a partnership model between academic and student affairs; (2) a solid foundation of theoretical perspectives to guide program development; and (3) a conceptual model to frame services. These characteristics have placed the Learning Commons in a position to play a leadership role in facilitating and enhancing learning across the university. This article describes the Learning Commons, as well as the theoretical perspectives and conceptual framework upon which the programs and services are based.     

The impact of body image on Fitbit use: a comparison across genders

This article is the first in the feature to explore personal tracking devices – in this case the Fitbit – and the relationship between their use and people's self‐perceptions and behaviour. Amber Edwards conducted the research for her MA dissertation at the University of Sheffield, graduating with an MA in Librarianship in January 2017. Her study shows that body image plays a large role in Fitbit use and that this is slightly more evident in females than males, although the differences are subtle. She argues that the results have implications for information professionals involved in teaching health information literacy. Amber began working in the library at Bishop Grosseteste University in June 2016, while completing her dissertation. A. M.     

Learning to use learning resources during medical school and residency.

OBJECTIVES: This study (1) examined the natural history of learning to use learning resources by medical students and residents and (2) considered whether that history is consistent with the ways in which physicians approach their learning tasks. METHODS: The authors conducted and analyzed thirty-two open-ended interviews of first-year and third-year medical students and first-year and senior residents in internal medicine, family medicine, or pediatrics. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Learning to use learning resources occurs at the same time as learning done to address instructional and clinical problems that physicians-in-training face, with all kinds of learning following well-documented stages. Skills for using resources are developed gradually and by overcoming barriers such as time constraints and existing habits. CONCLUSIONS: Implications of the natural history of learning to use learning resources can be employed by librarians and medical teachers to facilitate self-directed learning for physicians-in-training. Specific recommendations are provided.     

Engaging students in active learning: use of a blog and audience response system

Librarians provide instruction to medical students as part of a core course in the medical school curriculum. Instruction was provided, in part, through didactic sessions covering professional-level medical information resources, PubMed search skills, psychosocial information, and evidence-based medicine. Librarians redesigned instructional sessions with the goals of increasing student engagement and minimizing the lecture format, maximizing the number of students receiving feedback on their search and evaluation skills, and permitting students to see a variety of possible responses as well as engage in peer- and self-evaluation. Librarians integrated the use of a blog and an audience response system (ARS) into the instruction to help accomplish these goals.     

Artificial intelligence for the public sector: results of landscaping the use of AI in government across the European Union

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being used by public sector organisations. Previous research highlighted that the use of AI technologies in government could improve policy making processes, public service delivery and the internal management of public administrations. In this article, we explore to which extent the use of AI in the public sector impacts these core governance functions. Findings from the review of a sample of 250 cases across the European Union, show that AI is used mainly to support improving public service delivery, followed by enhancing internal management and only in a limited number assist directly or indirectly policy decision-making. The analysis suggests that different types of AI technologies and applications are used in different governance functions, highlighting the need to further in-depth investigation to better understand the role and impact of use in what is being defined the governance “of, with and by AI”.     

Promotion and caution in research article abstracts: The use of positive,negative and hedge words across disciplines and rankings

Abstract as a promotional genre has been an increasing interest in recent years, leading to an intriguing debate on the objectivity of scientific writing. The present study investigated the promotion and caution in research article abstracts through the use of positive, negative and hedge words across disciplines and rankings based on a large and principled dataset (more than 12.6 million words). The corpus was designed and built with full consideration of representativeness, structure, balance, and size in terms of discipline and ranking. The results showed that positive words were more frequently used than negative words in terms of both discipline and ranking, positive and negative words were more frequently used in hard sciences than those in soft sciences and high ranking journals than those in low ranking journals, and hedge words were more frequently used in high ranking journals and soft sciences. Further investigation also found a complexity of frequency patterns when two disciplines were broken down into specific categories. The more frequent use of positive words in abstracts to promote scientific research was discussed from the perspective of disciplinary knowledge construction in addition to the publication bias, the outcome reporting bias, and universal linguistic positivity bias.     

面向现代学习模式构建高校学习中心

文章从现代学习模式的需求出发,分析了高校图书馆构建学习中心的重要意义,并从馆藏资源、环境气氛、特色服务、组织管理等方面探讨了创建学习中心的具体措施.     

Development of Electronic Resources across Networks in Thailand

The rapid development of electronic resources across networks is critical to meeting library and user needs. This article stresses the importance of Thai use of electronic journals. A number of search techniques appropriate for use within the electronic environment are described. The article concludes with specific suggestions for enhancing the effectiveness of Thai use of electronic journals.     

Academic libraries as learning spaces in Japan: Toward the development of learning commons

Since the beginning of the 1990s, new types of learning spaces at academic libraries have emerged mainly in North America. They are called “information commons” or “learning commons.” They provide various kinds of services, facilities, and materials in one location to support students’ learning. The idea of learning commons has been introduced to colleges and universities in Japan as well. The purpose of this study is to examine the present condition of learning spaces in university libraries in Japan. A questionnaire was sent to 755 main or central libraries at colleges and universities. The response rate was 69.4%. The results of the survey are as follows: (a) simple collaborative learning spaces with desk/desks and chairs have become modestly widespread, while advanced spaces with equipment for information and communication technology, such as computers or projectors, are not common; (b) many libraries provide computer clusters; and (c) cafés and/or beverage vending machines in libraries are still few in number. The survey also reveals that learning commons in Japan are in the early stage of development. Various types of learning spaces are recognized as learning commons. They range from a group learning room with Wi-Fi access to an entire learning commons, where several kinds of facilities, services, and information resources to support students’ learning in one location are provided. This diversification may be based on the confusion caused by the rapid introduction of learning commons in Japan. Many learning spaces may rebuild their own services in the near future because of their students’ needs.     

我国国民阅读与购买倾向又有重要变化--2006年全国国民阅读与购买倾向抽样调查有六大发现

一、图书阅读连年走低网络阅读持续增长 本项调查对图书阅读率有国民阅读率和识字者阅读率两个定义.广义的国民图书阅读率是指每年至少有读一本书行为的读者的总体与调查样本总体之比,这个指标表示的是有阅读行为的读者群体在全体国民(包括不识字者)中所占的比例.狭义的国民图书阅读率是指识字者阅读率,即每年至少有读一本书行为的读者的总体与识字者总体(拒答者除外)之比.     

Teaching and learning in information retrieval

A literature review of pedagogical methods for teaching and learning information retrieval is presented. From the analysis of the literature a taxonomy was built and it is used to structure the paper. Information Retrieval (IR) is presented from different points of view: technical levels, educational goals, teaching and learning methods, assessment and curricula. The review is organized around two levels of abstraction which form a taxonomy that deals with the different aspects of pedagogy as applied to information retrieval. The first level looks at the technical level of delivering information retrieval concepts, and at the educational goals as articulated by the two main subject domains where IR is delivered: computer science (CS) and library and information science (LIS). The second level focuses on pedagogical issues, such as teaching and learning methods, delivery modes (classroom, online or e-learning), use of IR systems for teaching, assessment and feedback, and curricula design. The survey, and its bibliography, provides an overview of the pedagogical research carried out in the field of IR. It also provides a guide for educators on approaches that can be applied to improving the student learning experiences.