Extending the reference desk experience: Information Resources for the Nursing Care Plan

Both nursing and library science literature discuss the information needs and information-seeking behavior of nurses. Some research has focused on information needs of nursing students, but little research is available regarding information-seeking behavior of nursing students, specifically baccalaureate nursing students. Only a few key references were identified addressing nursing students' information seeking with regard to nurse care planning. At the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, George F. Smith Library, a wide range of nursing students from those in traditional BSN programs, to students in accelerated BSN programs, to masters' nursing students of all types visit the reference desk asking direct and indirect questions involving the nursing care plan. This article highlights repeated categories of information sought by nursing students at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, George F. Smith Library via both formal and informal reference interviews. Information sought most frequently was categorized and formed the basis for a new library workshop entitled "Information Resources for the Nursing Care Plan."     

Expert Judgment Versus Public Opinion – Evidence from the Eurovision Song Contest

For centuries, there have been discussions as to whether only experts can judge the quality of cultural output, or whether the taste of the public also has merit. This paper tries to answer that question empirically, using national finals of the Eurovision Song Contest. We show that experts are better judges of quality in the sense that the outcome of finals judged by experts is less sensitive to factors unrelated to quality than the outcome of finals judged by public opinion. Yet, experts are not perfect; their judgment does still depend on such factors. This is also the case in the European finals of the contest.     

Communication channels within ethnic groups

Major channels of communication are examined for two major functions: providing news of the ethnic community, and linking ethnics to the “mother country.” The four major channels are: interpersonal channels (friends and neighbors), radio, local metropolitan daily newspapers, and ethnic-language newspapers. Size of ethnic group is linked to channel preference, and greater ethnicity is related to a preference for ethnic media for both functions. Lower SES ethnics lend to rely more on interpersonal communication and ethnic media, while higher SES ethnics turn more to metro media and magazines. Channel preference as indicated by respondents is also linked to actual usage patterns.