Pub Date : 2016-03-30DOI: 10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.1
M. Ali, Joanna Richardson
Scholarly communication plays a significant role in the development and dissemination of research outputs in library and information science (LIS). This study presents findings from a survey which examines the key attributes that characterize the publishing by Pakistani LIS scholars, i.e. academics and professionals, in national journals. A pilot-tested, electronic questionnaire was used to collect the data from the target population. 104 respondents (or 69.3% of target) provided feedback on areas such as number of articles published, number of citations, and the nature of any collaboration with other authors. The findings of this survey revealed that, among the various designated regions of Pakistan, the Punjab region was the most highly represented. In articles published in national journals, there was a clear preference among all respondents to collaborate with at least one other author. The citation metrics for LIS articles in national journals were relatively low (30.22%), which aligns with Scimago’s Journal and Country Rankings. The uptake of social scholarly networks mirrors international trends. Respondents were asked to score factors which could impact negatively on their ability to undertake research and/or publish the results. The study recommends that concerned stakeholders work together, as appropriate, to address concerns. In addition, it recommends that further research be undertaken to define patterns of Pakistani co-authorship in the social sciences.
{"title":"Research Publishing by Library and Information Science Scholars in Pakistan: A Bibliometric Analysis","authors":"M. Ali, Joanna Richardson","doi":"10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.1","url":null,"abstract":"Scholarly communication plays a significant role in the development and dissemination of research outputs in library and information science (LIS). This study presents findings from a survey which examines the key attributes that characterize the publishing by Pakistani LIS scholars, i.e. academics and professionals, in national journals. A pilot-tested, electronic questionnaire was used to collect the data from the target population. 104 respondents (or 69.3% of target) provided feedback on areas such as number of articles published, number of citations, and the nature of any collaboration with other authors. The findings of this survey revealed that, among the various designated regions of Pakistan, the Punjab region was the most highly represented. In articles published in national journals, there was a clear preference among all respondents to collaborate with at least one other author. The citation metrics for LIS articles in national journals were relatively low (30.22%), which aligns with Scimago’s Journal and Country Rankings. The uptake of social scholarly networks mirrors international trends. Respondents were asked to score factors which could impact negatively on their ability to undertake research and/or publish the results. The study recommends that concerned stakeholders work together, as appropriate, to address concerns. In addition, it recommends that further research be undertaken to define patterns of Pakistani co-authorship in the social sciences.","PeriodicalId":37582,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice","volume":"27 1","pages":"6-20"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90393485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-03-30DOI: 10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.2
A. N. Chakoli, Roghayeh Ghazavi
Given the difference in research performance in various scientific fields, this study aims to weight and valuate current indicators used for evaluation of scientific productions (publications), in order to adjust these indicators in comparison to each other and make possible a more precise evaluation of scientific productions. This is a scientometrics study using documentary, evaluative, and survey techniques. The statistical population consisted of 106 top Iranian researchers, scientists, and scientific and research managers. Then their research resume information was gathered and analyzed based on research questions. In order to compare values, the data gathered from research production performance of the population was weighted using Shannon entropy method. Also, the weights of each scientific production importance according to expert opinions (extracted from other works) was analyzed and after adjustment the final weight of each scientific production was determined. A pairwise matrix was used in order to determine the ratios. According to the results, in the area of engineering sciences, patents (0.142) in the area of science, international articles (0.074) in the area of humanities and social sciences, books (0.174), and in the area of medical sciences, international articles (0.111) had the highest weight compared to other information formats. By dividing the weights for each type of publication, the value of each scientific production compared to other scientific productions in the same field and productions of other fields was calculated. Validation of the results in the studied population resulted in very high credibility for all investigated indicators in all four fields. By using these values and normalized ratios of publication indicators it is possible to achieve precise and adjusted results, making it possible to feasibly use these results in realistic policy making.
{"title":"Normalization and Valuation of Research Evaluation Indicators in Different Scientific Fields","authors":"A. N. Chakoli, Roghayeh Ghazavi","doi":"10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.2","url":null,"abstract":"Given the difference in research performance in various scientific fields, this study aims to weight and valuate current indicators used for evaluation of scientific productions (publications), in order to adjust these indicators in comparison to each other and make possible a more precise evaluation of scientific productions. This is a scientometrics study using documentary, evaluative, and survey techniques. The statistical population consisted of 106 top Iranian researchers, scientists, and scientific and research managers. Then their research resume information was gathered and analyzed based on research questions. In order to compare values, the data gathered from research production performance of the population was weighted using Shannon entropy method. Also, the weights of each scientific production importance according to expert opinions (extracted from other works) was analyzed and after adjustment the final weight of each scientific production was determined. A pairwise matrix was used in order to determine the ratios. According to the results, in the area of engineering sciences, patents (0.142) in the area of science, international articles (0.074) in the area of humanities and social sciences, books (0.174), and in the area of medical sciences, international articles (0.111) had the highest weight compared to other information formats. By dividing the weights for each type of publication, the value of each scientific production compared to other scientific productions in the same field and productions of other fields was calculated. Validation of the results in the studied population resulted in very high credibility for all investigated indicators in all four fields. By using these values and normalized ratios of publication indicators it is possible to achieve precise and adjusted results, making it possible to feasibly use these results in realistic policy making.","PeriodicalId":37582,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice","volume":"22 6 1","pages":"21-29"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77873693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-03-30DOI: 10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.4
Abdullahi A. Bakare, A. Abioye, A. Issa
What government does/fails to do is conveyed to the public largely by records and information of various types in the public service, without which there will be no government. When records are poorly managed, much time is involved in sorting and locating needed information from large volumes of records. The rate of records misplaced or lost from which useful information for decision making is usually obtained makes it difficult to provide concise and up-to-date records of both past and present operations, raising the challenge of effective record-keeping. Thus this study examined records management practices in selected local government councils in Ogun State, Nigeria, adopting the descriptive survey research method using questionnaires for data collection. Its population comprised 415 records of personnel in the selected councils, of which 208 were sampled using simple random technique. From the 208 copies of the questionnaire administered on the registry personnel, 150 copies were useable, with a 72.12% response rate. Descriptive statistics were used for the analysis. The results indicated a prevalence of paper as the dominant medium for recording/conveying information in the councils with most of these being either in active state, semi-active, and vital and were kept and maintained in the registry, while in-active records were kept in the records store. Storage facilities for record-keeping were insufficient. Security measures against unauthorized access to records were by restrictions and subject users to managerial clearance. The study concluded that council records were in chaos and recommended the formulation of coherent records management policy, adequate budgetary provision, and adequate finance.
{"title":"An Assessment of Records Management Practice in Selected Local Government Councils in Ogun State, Nigeria","authors":"Abdullahi A. Bakare, A. Abioye, A. Issa","doi":"10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.4","url":null,"abstract":"What government does/fails to do is conveyed to the public largely by records and information of various types in the public service, without which there will be no government. When records are poorly managed, much time is involved in sorting and locating needed information from large volumes of records. The rate of records misplaced or lost from which useful information for decision making is usually obtained makes it difficult to provide concise and up-to-date records of both past and present operations, raising the challenge of effective record-keeping. Thus this study examined records management practices in selected local government councils in Ogun State, Nigeria, adopting the descriptive survey research method using questionnaires for data collection. Its population comprised 415 records of personnel in the selected councils, of which 208 were sampled using simple random technique. From the 208 copies of the questionnaire administered on the registry personnel, 150 copies were useable, with a 72.12% response rate. Descriptive statistics were used for the analysis. The results indicated a prevalence of paper as the dominant medium for recording/conveying information in the councils with most of these being either in active state, semi-active, and vital and were kept and maintained in the registry, while in-active records were kept in the records store. Storage facilities for record-keeping were insufficient. Security measures against unauthorized access to records were by restrictions and subject users to managerial clearance. The study concluded that council records were in chaos and recommended the formulation of coherent records management policy, adequate budgetary provision, and adequate finance.","PeriodicalId":37582,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice","volume":"32 1","pages":"49-64"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79402298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-03-01DOI: 10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.5
Shivani Arora, D. Okunbor
Facebook has been a part of our lives for the last decade. For a company started in 2004 to have penetrated the lives of people across the globe is commendable. The perpetuation of Facebook has led to a phenomena called Facebook Addiction Disorder. Companies are using Facebook to promote their business and people are using it to promote themselves, in addition to staying connected. In this paper, an effort is made to study respondents from India and the United States of America in order to gauge their dependence on Facebook, and a comparative view of it is presented.
{"title":"Facebook: Hate it or Love it, But Can You Ignore it? A Comparative Study of US and India","authors":"Shivani Arora, D. Okunbor","doi":"10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.5","url":null,"abstract":"Facebook has been a part of our lives for the last decade. For a company started in 2004 to have penetrated the lives of people across the globe is commendable. The perpetuation of Facebook has led to a phenomena called Facebook Addiction Disorder. Companies are using Facebook to promote their business and people are using it to promote themselves, in addition to staying connected. In this paper, an effort is made to study respondents from India and the United States of America in order to gauge their dependence on Facebook, and a comparative view of it is presented.","PeriodicalId":37582,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice","volume":"49 4","pages":"65-73"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72479846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-01-22DOI: 10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.3
Roland Izuagbe, S. Hamzat, Edith Idowu Joseph
The study tested a hybrid model with constructs drawn from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory in order to examine the moderating effect of productivity and relative advantage (RA) on perceived usefulness (PU) vis-a-vis electronic information resources (EIR) adoption in private university libraries in Ogun and Osun States of Nigeria. The descriptive research design was adopted in the study. The population consisted of 61 (55.0%) librarians and 50 (45.0%) library officers (totaling 116—100%) in Babcock University, Bells University, Covenant University, Bowen University, Oduduwa University, and Redeemer’s University. Purposive sampling procedure was adopted after which total enumeration was used since the total population is small. The questionnaire was used for data collection. Of the 116 copies of the questionnaire administered, 111 (95.7%) were found usable. The instrument was structured based on a 4-point Likert agreement scale of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics like tables of frequency counts and percentage. The findings revealed that productivity and relative advantage are significant moderators of perceived usefulness of EIR adoption in private university libraries in Ogun and Osun States, Nigeria.
{"title":"Electronic Information Resources (EIR) Adoption in Private University Libraries: The Moderating Effect of Productivity and Relative Advantage on Perceived Usefulness","authors":"Roland Izuagbe, S. Hamzat, Edith Idowu Joseph","doi":"10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1633/JISTAP.2016.4.1.3","url":null,"abstract":"The study tested a hybrid model with constructs drawn from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory in order to examine the moderating effect of productivity and relative advantage (RA) on perceived usefulness (PU) vis-a-vis electronic information resources (EIR) adoption in private university libraries in Ogun and Osun States of Nigeria. The descriptive research design was adopted in the study. The population consisted of 61 (55.0%) librarians and 50 (45.0%) library officers (totaling 116—100%) in Babcock University, Bells University, Covenant University, Bowen University, Oduduwa University, and Redeemer’s University. Purposive sampling procedure was adopted after which total enumeration was used since the total population is small. The questionnaire was used for data collection. Of the 116 copies of the questionnaire administered, 111 (95.7%) were found usable. The instrument was structured based on a 4-point Likert agreement scale of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics like tables of frequency counts and percentage. The findings revealed that productivity and relative advantage are significant moderators of perceived usefulness of EIR adoption in private university libraries in Ogun and Osun States, Nigeria.","PeriodicalId":37582,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice","volume":"52 1","pages":"30-48"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85882726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-12-30DOI: 10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.2
Thomas Mandl, Christa Womser-Hacker, Natalia Gatzke
Evaluation of retrieval systems is mostly limited to laboratory settings and rarely considers changes of performance over time. This article presents an evaluation of retrieval systems for internal Web site search systems between the years 2006 and 2011. A holistic evaluation methodology for real Web sites was developed which includes tests for functionality, search quality, and user interaction. Among other sites, one set of 20 Web site search systems was evaluated three times in different years and no substantial improvement could be shown. It is surprising that the communication between site and user still leads to very poor results in many cases. Overall, the quality of these search systems could be improved, and several areas for improvement are apparent from our evaluation. For a comparison, Google’s site search function was also tested with the same tasks.
{"title":"Has Retrieval Technology in Vertical Site Search Systems Improved over the Years? A Holistic Evaluation for Real Web Systems","authors":"Thomas Mandl, Christa Womser-Hacker, Natalia Gatzke","doi":"10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.2","url":null,"abstract":"Evaluation of retrieval systems is mostly limited to laboratory settings and rarely considers changes of performance over time. This article presents an evaluation of retrieval systems for internal Web site search systems between the years 2006 and 2011. A holistic evaluation methodology for real Web sites was developed which includes tests for functionality, search quality, and user interaction. Among other sites, one set of 20 Web site search systems was evaluated three times in different years and no substantial improvement could be shown. It is surprising that the communication between site and user still leads to very poor results in many cases. Overall, the quality of these search systems could be improved, and several areas for improvement are apparent from our evaluation. For a comparison, Google’s site search function was also tested with the same tasks.","PeriodicalId":37582,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice","volume":"21 1","pages":"19-34"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74143074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-12-30DOI: 10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.4
S. M. Mostofa, M. Mezbah-ul-Islam
Knowledge Management (KM) has become a fundamental process for all types of institutions in society. Academic libraries are also an integral part of the knowledge system, these institutions being one of the forms that contribute to knowledge development. This study aims to find out the challenges and opportunities associated with KM practices in Dhaka University Library (DUL). The specific objectives were to ascertain the understanding of KM concepts among library professionals of DUL, to explore an overview of KM and its role, and to identify the rationale behind not practicing KM properly at DUL. Appropriate methods were employed. The findings indicate that limited expertise and lack of clear guidelines are the major challenges for the implementation of KM in DUL.
{"title":"Challenges and Opportunities of Knowledge Management in University Library: A Case Study of Dhaka University Library in Bangladesh","authors":"S. M. Mostofa, M. Mezbah-ul-Islam","doi":"10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.4","url":null,"abstract":"Knowledge Management (KM) has become a fundamental process for all types of institutions in society. Academic libraries are also an integral part of the knowledge system, these institutions being one of the forms that contribute to knowledge development. This study aims to find out the challenges and opportunities associated with KM practices in Dhaka University Library (DUL). The specific objectives were to ascertain the understanding of KM concepts among library professionals of DUL, to explore an overview of KM and its role, and to identify the rationale behind not practicing KM properly at DUL. Appropriate methods were employed. The findings indicate that limited expertise and lack of clear guidelines are the major challenges for the implementation of KM in DUL.","PeriodicalId":37582,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice","volume":"3 1","pages":"49-61"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83612743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-12-30DOI: 10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.5
M. Satija, D. Martínez-Ávila
This paper describes qualities of a library classification system that are commonly discussed in the LIS tradition and literature, and explains such a system’s three main functions, namely knowledge mapping, information retrieval, and shelf arrangement. In this vein, the paper states the functional requirements of bibliographic classifications, which broadly are subject collocation and facilitation of browsing the collection. It explains with details the components of a library classification system and their functions. The major components are schedules, notations, and index. It also states their distinguished features, such as generalia class, form divisions, book numbers, and devices for number synthesis which are not required in a knowledge classification. It illustrates with examples from the WebDewey good examples of added features of an online library classification system. It emphasizes that institu tional backup and a revision machinery are essential for a classification to survive and remain relevant in the print and e-environment.
{"title":"Features, Functions and Components of a Library Classification System in the LIS tradition for the e-Environment","authors":"M. Satija, D. Martínez-Ávila","doi":"10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.5","url":null,"abstract":"This paper describes qualities of a library classification system that are commonly discussed in the LIS tradition and literature, and explains such a system’s three main functions, namely knowledge mapping, information retrieval, and shelf arrangement. In this vein, the paper states the functional requirements of bibliographic classifications, which broadly are subject collocation and facilitation of browsing the collection. It explains with details the components of a library classification system and their functions. The major components are schedules, notations, and index. It also states their distinguished features, such as generalia class, form divisions, book numbers, and devices for number synthesis which are not required in a knowledge classification. It illustrates with examples from the WebDewey good examples of added features of an online library classification system. It emphasizes that institu tional backup and a revision machinery are essential for a classification to survive and remain relevant in the print and e-environment.","PeriodicalId":37582,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice","volume":"64 1","pages":"62-77"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74063631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-12-30DOI: 10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.3
Bakthavachalam Elango, P. Rajendran
The aim of this study is to compare country output and citation impact as well as to assess the level of interdisciplinarity in the field of tribology research during the period 1998-2012, based on the SCOPUS database. Macro-level scientometric indicators such as growth rate, share of international collaborative papers, citation per paper, share of un-cited papers, and publication efficiency index were employed. Further, the Simpson Index of Diversity was used to measure the level of interdisciplinarity. The performance of top countries contributing more than 1000 papers during the study period was discussed. Contributions and share of continents and countries by income groups were examined. Further research contributions and citation impact of selected country groups were analyzed. This study reveals that high levels of interdisciplinarity exist in tribology research. Asia outperforms the other world regions and China contributes most of the papers (25%), while the United States receives most of the citations (22%).
{"title":"Global Tribology Research Output (1998 - 2012): A Macro Level Scientometric Study","authors":"Bakthavachalam Elango, P. Rajendran","doi":"10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.3","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this study is to compare country output and citation impact as well as to assess the level of interdisciplinarity in the field of tribology research during the period 1998-2012, based on the SCOPUS database. Macro-level scientometric indicators such as growth rate, share of international collaborative papers, citation per paper, share of un-cited papers, and publication efficiency index were employed. Further, the Simpson Index of Diversity was used to measure the level of interdisciplinarity. The performance of top countries contributing more than 1000 papers during the study period was discussed. Contributions and share of continents and countries by income groups were examined. Further research contributions and citation impact of selected country groups were analyzed. This study reveals that high levels of interdisciplinarity exist in tribology research. Asia outperforms the other world regions and China contributes most of the papers (25%), while the United States receives most of the citations (22%).","PeriodicalId":37582,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice","volume":"3 1","pages":"35-48"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81602038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-12-01DOI: 10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.1
R. Cox
There has been an explosion of new research and writing about all aspects of the information disciplines. Nevertheless, both academics and practitioners often find it difficult to engage in successful writing strategies. Indeed, writing is hard work, and doing it in a way that leads to publication is an even harder task. Since reading is essential to good writing, the challenges of learning to write are obvious. In this essay, I am drawing on many years of experience in writing and publishing, as well as considerable reading of writers’ memoirs, advice books on writing, literary studies, and other perspectives on the experience of writing in order to offer a set of approaches that can be pursued over a lifetime of scholarship and practice. Writing is a craft or art to be learned, and learning demands paying attention to the audience, having clear objectives, being an avid reader, and possessing the ability to accept and learn from criticism. While information professionals and scholars incessantly write for each other, there are large segments of the public and other disciplines who they ignore. Fortunately, the tools and resources for improving one’s writing are both broad and deep; discipline and realistic strategies are all that are required to improve one’s writing and, ultimately, to achieve success in publishing.
{"title":"Professional and Scholarly Writing: Advice for Information Professionals and Academics","authors":"R. Cox","doi":"10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1633/JISTAP.2015.3.4.1","url":null,"abstract":"There has been an explosion of new research and writing about all aspects of the information disciplines. Nevertheless, both academics and practitioners often find it difficult to engage in successful writing strategies. Indeed, writing is hard work, and doing it in a way that leads to publication is an even harder task. Since reading is essential to good writing, the challenges of learning to write are obvious. In this essay, I am drawing on many years of experience in writing and publishing, as well as considerable reading of writers’ memoirs, advice books on writing, literary studies, and other perspectives on the experience of writing in order to offer a set of approaches that can be pursued over a lifetime of scholarship and practice. Writing is a craft or art to be learned, and learning demands paying attention to the audience, having clear objectives, being an avid reader, and possessing the ability to accept and learn from criticism. While information professionals and scholars incessantly write for each other, there are large segments of the public and other disciplines who they ignore. Fortunately, the tools and resources for improving one’s writing are both broad and deep; discipline and realistic strategies are all that are required to improve one’s writing and, ultimately, to achieve success in publishing.","PeriodicalId":37582,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice","volume":"5 1","pages":"6-18"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83243223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}