Bulletin of the Association for Information Science and Technology最新文献

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

In an interview with the special section guest editors, Ronald L. Larsen, dean of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Information Sciences and chair of the iCaucus, discussed the origins and goals of the iSchool movement, starting in 2005. Larsen explained key differences from traditional information science programs as institutional interest and doctoral programs that reflect intense academic research, paired with core values and expertise to support evolving demands in an increasingly digital world. Criteria for recognition as an iSchool or school of information include expertise or a solid foundation in all forms of information, its use and users and information technology applications. Multidisciplinarity is a strong attraction for many faculty and students. As of early 2016, 65 iSchools existed, over half being outside North America. The iSchools consortium sponsors annual iConferences and has been formalized as a corporate entity dedicated to global recognition, educating information professionals and exploring the effects of information and information technologies.

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

Summer brings two exciting opportunities for information architects to gather, share information and update personal knowledge. The annual IA Summit, set for May 4–8, 2016, in Atlanta, Georgia, will feature outstanding keynote speakers, 19 workshops and three days of conference sessions. The June issue of the Bulletin will recap its highlights. The Euro IA Summit will run September 22–24 in Amsterdam. Its theme, Connected Things Among Us, stresses the pervasiveness and complexity of connections across devices, sensors and real world applications. ASIS&T special interest groups and Slack groups pick up the conversations and promote exploration and learning. The ongoing evolution of information architecture is evident through updated editions of fundamental publications, and IA professionals must strive to stay current with knowledge developments in the field.

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

The journey of the University of Zadar's Department of Information Sciences to iSchool recognition reflects the challenging requirements for an academic institution to attain that status. The department was accredited in 2014, with undergraduate and graduate programs evolving from the Department of Librarianship, accredited since 2005. The department co-publishes a scientific journal, organizes professional conferences, operates a joint graduate program with other universities, promotes active involvement in international professional organizations and encourages collaboration with universities around the world to promote student exchange studies. Admission requirements, curricula and professional competencies follow recommendations for all levels of study, with special focus at the doctoral level on supporting Croatia's written heritage. Having demonstrated institutional dedication to the field of information sciences and support of robust academic study, the department's sole remaining obstacle for full recognition as an iSchool is stable research funding.

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

Libraries are increasingly being asked to provide data management support of various types. Without a single approach or standard, each institution must devise a strategic plan for data management support in terms of local requirements. A strategic plan helps to align available skills and services with the needs of users and to build critical support. Planning must start with research on user needs and any pertinent unique local information. Based on an explicit need, the plan should specify a vision for data services using identified resources for a specified time period. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis can help to identify internal and external factors to be considered. Actionable and reasonable goals should be formulated and outlined. The strategic plan should encourage stakeholders to work in concert, include outcome metrics and be updated every few years.

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

The Asia-Pacific iSchool regional chapter, initiated in 2014, consists of nine of the 11 iSchools across Australia, China, Japan, Korea and Singapore. The curricula and research areas of the iSchools in the region vary widely. Sungkyunkwan University in Korea offers a general B.A. in library and information science and a more technical B.S. in data science, as well as master's and doctoral programs geared to research. Other schools in the chapter offer programs ranging from publishing and e-commerce to software engineering and information systems. The vibrant young chapter is working creatively on mutual support, outreach and funding. Member schools agree on a number of agenda items to strengthen the chapter, but, without a shared body for collaborative work, most maintain stronger partnerships with institutions in Europe and North America.

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

Building connections between ASIS&T and other information-oriented organizations is progressing through collaborations with the Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S), the Council of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP) and the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE). With data management a critical issue for scientific societies, the CSSP will focus its spring meeting in May 2016 on theoretical and practical issues around data, having ASIS&T and 4S jointly present the opening session. ASIS&T president Nadia Caidi serves on the CSSP executive board and co-chairs its scholarly publications and data committee. ASIS&T ties with ALISE are growing stronger through their joint hosting of a Presidential Session on Accreditation at the ASIS&T Annual Meeting in Copenhagen in October 2016. That meeting will also feature sessions on diversity and inclusion and opportunities to meet journal editors and to hear keynote speakers exploring bridges between industry and research. Other upcoming meetings include the ASIS&T Regional (East Coast) Meeting and ASIS&T Taipei Chapter workshop, both in April 2016.

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

Started in the late 1990s by deans of three library schools in the United States, the iSchool movement has grown to include 16 European institutions. The expansion required revision of the original North American model, assumptions about academic positions and funding. Among the European schools, some differences exist in curricular focus, though funding needs may reinforce subject area overlap. As an example, the Berlin School of Library and Information Science offers multiple programs at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels, with varying curricula focusing on practical librarianship, computer emphasis or extended research. The curricula at other European iSchools, their research pursuits and employment opportunities for bachelor's and master's program graduates vary widely. Most attaining a doctorate degree go into management since academic positions are limited. European iSchools collaborate through planning, exchange programs and a shared doctoral colloquium, and funding sources reward cooperative institutional efforts and geographic diversity.

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

At the fifth SIG/MET workshop, held during the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, the group shared papers, posters and discussions exploring developments in information measurement. The opening session on bibliometric case studies examined interdisciplinarity among consumers of academic research, increased funding for coauthors of previously funded authors and a classification of acknowledgement types. A session on information retrieval in relation to bibliometrics included studies on overcoming the limits of computational linguistics in very large corpora, an interactive context explorer of bibliographic data called Ariadne and comparative approaches to visualizing the structure of a very large dataset. The alternative metrics session covered application of altmetrics for analyzing public policy documents, a novel usage indicator promoting article discovery, the basis for connections among faculty members using Twitter and the heavy use of Twitter among academics. The daylong workshop included awards for best papers, best student papers and two featured presentations on the application and use of metrics.