Normative behavior and information: The social aspects of information access

Information access is central to library and information science, yet explorations of its conceptual nature have been limited. Given the importance of information access to the discipline, there is a need for research to create a better understanding of the concept and its many roles in all activities and behaviors related to information. Drawing on the theoretical work of Elfreda Chatman, this article proposes that the study of information access can be facilitated through the recognition and examination of the physical, intellectual, and social aspects of information access. These types of access are examined through three case studies in terms of different information behaviors and contexts, with a particular focus on the importance of social access. The article also discusses the future roles that considerations of social access can play in research and theory.     

The use of self moderated focus groups to gather exploratory data on information beliefs and their impact on information seeking behaviour

The existence of an information belief system is tested for the first time through innovative use of self moderated focus groups. Initial generation of information beliefs was achieved in an open, unpredicted and unbiased way through focus groups. To remove researcher effect and promote informality in discussion, the researcher experimented with a novel approach - self moderated focus groups. A detailed study of 5 groups evaluates their effectiveness in encouraging free and spontaneous discussion and in eliciting unique information ideas or beliefs. Results show that self moderated focus groups encourage naturalistic discourse, take unpredictable directions and are fertile in uncovering unexpected beliefs. Disadvantages include lack of consistency and leader mirroring, with members adopting the style and tone of volunteer moderators. Consideration should be given to gender balance in group composition. The method is recommended where open and free flowing discussion is sought.     

The challenges of information retrieval in social sciences and humanities and ways to overcome information barriers

This paper explores the major challenges of access to information that face the consumers of various databases of the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences (INION) of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The key features of different types of information barriers are investigated. The possibilities and means to overcome these barriers are explored in the current context.     

The impact of polices on government social media usage: Issues, challenges, and recommendations

Government agencies are increasingly using social media to connect with those they serve. These connections have the potential to extend government services, solicit new ideas, and improve decision-making and problem-solving. However, interacting via social media introduces new challenges related to privacy, security, data management, accessibility, social inclusion, governance, and other information policy issues. The rapid adoption of social media by the population and government agencies has outpaced the regulatory framework related to information, although the guiding principles behind many regulations are still relevant. This paper examines the existing regulatory framework and the ways in which it applies to social media use by the U.S. federal government, highlighting opportunities and challenges agencies face in implementing them, as well as possible approaches for addressing these challenges.     

Evaluating information seeking and use in the changing virtual world: the emerging role of Google Analytics

The paper identifies changes that have occurred in the Web environment over the last decade which have gradually rendered server logs, once the preeminent source of intelligence on usage and information‐seeking behaviour, an ineffective, impractical, and uneconomic resource. It also looks at the implications of these changes for information professionals and publishers who have come to rely on this data to understand the behaviour of clients and customers in the virtual environment. Ubiquitous and expanding, Google Analytics generates statistics about a website's traffic and traffic sources, albeit from a marketers' perspective, is evaluated as a possible replacement; something which might plug the user knowledge gap which is worryingly opening up, or maybe even, put us in a better position overall. The paper is built on the knowledge and experience of evaluating server logs for more than a decade, mostly for publishers and libraries, and also on two recent projects where server log analysis was supplemented with Google Analytics.     

The impact of electronic access to government information: what users and documents specialists think

This article discusses the results of a survey designed to assess the current state of electronic access to government information from both the specialist and the user viewpoint. The first survey, designed to determine the government documents staffs' level of commitment to and opinions of electronic access to government information, was distributed in electronic format to subscribers of GOVDOC-L, a listserv for specialists dealing with government documents. The second survey, designed to provide insight into the user's point of view, was conducted at the University of Illinois Documents Library. This article synthesizes earlier studies and articles on the topic to show that while the consensus is that electronic access represents a positive, beneficial move toward providing access to government information to a wider audience, there is also an acknowledgment that there are many inherent problems that have not been addressed adequately.     

Developing and sustaining a sense of place: The role of social information

This exploration of the role of information in helping people to develop and sustain feelings of belonging, or a sense of place, is based on a study that investigated the reasons for the high population turnover in the Northern Territory of Australia. The Northern Territory along with Darwin, its capital, has a number of unusual characteristics including geographical isolation. A key component of the theoretical framework for the research focuses on social information, which has similarities to the more commonly termed everyday life information. The specific concern is with the kind of information that helps people connect to a community and is clearly linked with social networking. The sample for the major empirical component for the article was recruited at Darwin's Mindil Beach Market. In telephone phone interviews with those who had agreed to participate, participants discussed how they learned about Darwin and the Northern Territory, and their views of Darwin as a place to live. Interpersonal contacts, including at the Market and at special events, were most often mentioned in relation to information, confirming literature findings on the importance of family and friends as an information source. Other sources were newspapers and physical markers around the City of Darwin. The conclusion is that the processes of social networking, which work well for some residents, could be enhanced through the use of information grounds, a concept widely discussed in the library and information science literature. Obvious information grounds in Darwin, where the usual processes could be enhanced by the distribution of information by formal information providers, include Mindil Beach Market and the special events for which Darwin is renowned.     

Public employees' use of social media: Its impact on need satisfaction and intrinsic work motivation

Although increasing numbers of employees working in public organizations are using social media for work purposes and numerous studies exist on how social media affect organizational outcomes, we have very limited knowledge of how using social media for work purposes affects employees' work motivation. This paper fills this important gap by using self-determination theory (SDT) to analyze how the use of social media for work purposes is associated with government employees' need satisfaction and intrinsic work motivation. According to regression results, employees' use of social media is positively related to employees' need satisfaction (autonomy, relatedness, and competence) and, accordingly, intrinsic work motivation. However, further analysis shows that too much use of social media has an averse effect. Theoretically, this study is one of the pioneer attempts to integrate e-governance with SDT. Practically, we encourage managers to use caution in promoting the use of social media for work purposes. Using social media two to three days a week may be the ideal range.     

Deceit,distrust and the social milieu: Application of deception research in a troubled world

This essay draws together deception detection research and explains its relevance to decision‐making in today's social milieu. Major areas of research focus are described including the differential effects of observational conditions, the correspondence between perceived and actual signs of deception, training observers to detect deception, and communicating with suspected deceivers. Communicator relationships, observer characteristics and observer professions are considered in relation to accurate deception detection, as is overall confidence in the ability to detect deception. Implications are drawn for legal, organizational, sales, medical and relational settings.     

互联网使用对传统媒体的冲击:从使用与评价切入

本文分析2009年对上海市城市居民所展开的问卷调查数据(n=2,910),比较网民和非网民之间的(1)人口和社会地位特征,(2)媒介使用频率和时间,以及(3)对媒体表现的评价.这项研究涉及"数码沟"、媒体间的竞争或补充关系、媒体评价等理论问题,并从网络媒体对传统媒体的影响这个角度探讨这些问题.结果显示,网民比非网民拥有更多的经济和教育资源,也更年轻;网民与非网民收看电视时间相当,但网民比非网民使用其它传统媒体的频率和时间都高于非网民;网民与非网民对媒体的评价都倾向正面,但网民对网络的评价比非网民更高;网民对网络论坛或博客在体现民众利益和表达民众心声这两方面的评价高于他们对传统媒体在相同方面的评价.这些结果说明,一方面,网络媒体资源的分布体现了社会经济不平等的结构性特征:另一方面,网络媒体的普及也丰富了人们的媒介储备(media repertoire),并通过人们的使用经验而影响他们在评价媒体时所考虑的要素.     

Scholarly article seeking,reading, and use: a continuing evolution from print to electronic in the sciences and social sciences

Electronic journals are now the norm for accessing and reading scholarly articles. This article examines scholarly article reading patterns by faculty in five US universities in 2012. Selected findings are also compared to some general trends from studies conducted periodically since 1977. In the 2012 survey, over three‐quarters (76%) of the scholarly readings were obtained through electronic means and just over half (51%) of readings were read on a screen rather than from a print source or being printed out. Readings from library sources are overwhelmingly from e‐sources. The average number of articles read per month was 20.66, with most articles read by the medical and other sciences, and on average each article was read for 32 minutes.     

Measuring the value and impact of health library and information services: past reflections, future possibilities

Objectives: To summarize the context, history and results of research studies conducted on the value and impact of health library and information services by the author since 1975 and to use this as a basis for examining ongoing developments related to evaluation research. To provide a comprehensive bibliography of library value and impact studies. Methods: Literature review and background based on personal involvement in the studies under discussion. Results: The author's studies demonstrate an ongoing evolution of value and impact studies since the mid‐1970s. In health sciences libraries, the approach taken to measuring value and impact has been strongly influenced by the type of research being conducted in the health sciences field as a whole. As a result, health sciences library researchers have become early adopters of methods that incorporate outcome and impact measures and rigorous research designs, and the concept of evidence‐based library and information practice. The paper recommends that a range of research approaches from various disciplines be used to guide future evaluation research. Conclusions: Value and impact studies will continue to be important resources for evidence‐based practice as health information professionals deal with evolving user needs and new ways of delivering information to a variety of audiences.     

A meta-analysis of the relationships between psychosocial problems and internet habits: Synthesizing internet addiction,problematic internet use,and deficient self-regulation research

Losses of self-control over Internet use, indicative of Internet habits, have caught the attention of the public for some time. A large collection of studies that theorize about and test the associations between psychosocial problems and Internet habits has been amassed over the last two decades. A meta-analytic review was used to determine the average correlations of Internet habits with loneliness and depression in existing research and explore several conditions under which these effects may vary. The cumulative correlations revealed that loneliness and depression were independently associated with Internet habits across the studies. Although the relationship between loneliness and Internet habits was stable across a number of different conditions, the depression-Internet habit association varied with age groups, year of publication, and sample types.     

The infosphere of social sciences: Structure,boundaries, and functions

This paper discusses the concept of the infosphere and proposes a set of issues that define the structure of this concept and a model for determining the boundaries of the infosphere with respect to the tasks of its management. It considers the expediency of the system organization of the infosphere, including the restoration of the SSSTI. A possible list of functions is presented whose centralization could facilitate the transformation of the infosphere into a system.     

Health communication on the web: The roles of web use motivation and information completeness

Recent articles on the evaluation of the quality of health information on the World Wide Web reveal an emphasis on the completeness of information. This paper takes a situational approach to Web usage arguing that the impact of completeness on attitude and intention toward the issue is moderated by Web use motivation. Borrowing the analogy between low–high involvement and surfing–searching, it was hypothesized that the effect of completeness would be observed in the searching situation and not observed in the surfing situation. After the initial pretests and pilot studies, 246 respondents were recruited to participate in a 2×3 study design. Not supporting the hypotheses, it was observed that the effect of completeness was significant in both surfing and searching situations. Explanations are provided for the observation, and directions for future research are suggested.     

The flow of,and access to,information in Bangladesh: A village level case study

This paper identifies the sources and channels of information in the rural areas of Bangladesh and highlights the information flow and access patterns at the village level of Comilla and Chittagong districts in Bangladesh. It proposes some suggestions for effective information services in rural area, as well as a specific model for a Bangladesh Integrated Rural Information System (BD-IRIS) to improve the information system of villagers. This study uses structured interviews through a pilot survey of 20% of the households from each village and information gathered by personal observations and other secondary sources, as well as appropriate statistical methods. A total of 155 responses is included in the study.Existing conditions of information flow and access in this case study indicate that there are problems in access in spite of interpersonal sources and channels of information. Of course, it is important to remember that the low literacy rate in the villages studied and in many similar communities presents many serious barriers. The author recommends establishing a Village Information Center (VIC) to provide integrated and concerted information services, along with an integrated rural information system for the purpose in the villages studies, and more widely, to meet the requirements of all people in villages in Bangladesh. The case study is one of very few studies focusing on the flow and access of information for rural areas of Bangladesh, particularly as regards information sources and channels, system and services. The approach can be replicated in other communities, and the proposed model for future direction to improve information system of village level people of Bangladesh could be modified for use in other countries.     

Social capital,trust and social activity among librarians: Results of research conducted in 20 countries across the world

Libraries may stimulate social capital and social integration. They are institutions that enjoy a high level of social trust, which creates many opportunities. In 2018 and 2019, a survey on social capital, trust and social activity of librarians was conducted in 20 countries across the world. The research addresses the question of whether libraries as public institutions may prevent the alarming processes of social alienation of individuals. The findings show that librarians have an average level of individual social capital, but they have a relatively high level of trust in other people and often volunteer for their communities. Nonetheless, librarians tend to not believe in their own impact on the rest of the society/local community. Of most importance for them in their lives are emotional values, attachment and family values; they are less focused on material values, image, etc.     

媒介使用、社会凝聚力和国家认同——理论关系的经验检视

本文基于中国社会变革的现实发展,在理论上将国家认同概念化为民族主义、世界主义、地方主义三维度,运用2009年上海城市居民问卷调查数据(n=1421),力图从经验研究层面阐述并检验媒介使用、社会凝聚力和国家认同之间的理论关系.研究表明,媒介使用行为与公众对社会凝聚力的主观感知和国家认同的不同维度会在一定层面上发生互动,尤其在建构本地认同上具有重要的作用.然而公众对社会凝聚力离心趋势的感知会对其民族主义认同和城市共同体的情感依附产生直接的负面影响,国家认同作为社会凝聚力的动力机制和实践目标,与大众媒介着力建构的主流意识形态的向心力则有着积极的正向的预测关系.     

The value and impact of information provided through library services for patient care: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE: An updated systematic review was carried out of research studies looking at the value and impact of library services on health outcomes for patients and time saved by health professionals. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic search was undertaken of the published literature to September 2003 in ERIC, LISA, MEDLINE, PREMEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register and Google. Some handsearching was carried out, reference lists were scanned and experts in the field were contacted. Twenty-eight research studies of professionally led libraries for health-care staff, including clinical librarian projects, met the inclusion criterion of at least one health or 'time saved' outcome. Papers were critically appraised using internationally accepted criteria. Data were extracted and results were summarised using a narrative format as the studies were heterogeneous and precluded a statistical analysis. RESULTS: There is evidence of impact from both traditional and clinical librarian services. The higher quality studies of traditional services measured impacts of 37-97% on general patient care, 10-31% on diagnosis, 20-51% on choice of tests, 27-45% on choice of therapy and 10-19% on reduced length of stay. Four studies of clinical librarian projects suggested that professionals saved time as a result of clinical librarian input, and two of these studies showed evidence of cost-effectiveness. However, the clinical librarian studies were generally smaller, with poorer quality standards. CONCLUSIONS: Research studies suggest that professionally led library services have an impact on health outcomes for patients and may lead to time savings for health-care professionals. The available studies vary greatly in quality but the better quality studies also suggest positive impacts. Good practice can be gathered from these studies to guide the development of a pragmatic survey for library services that includes the direct effects for patients among the outcome measures.