The tipping point: how granular statistics can make a big difference in understanding and demonstrating value

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce an original, quantitative approach to examining the use of library electronic resources by demographic (or \u27market segment\u27). In turn it provides an innovative way to demonstrate and explore the value of libraries and importantly, electronic collections. Methodology: University of Wollongong\u27s Performance Indicator Unit (PIU), in partnership with the University of Wollongong Library (UWL), has built a data warehouse - the \u27Marketing Cube\u27 that links real time usage of electronic resources (eresources) at a title level, to student demographic data. Findings: The Marketing Cube design provides a robust analytics framework for examining pictures of use of eresources by student demographic. For views explored, the cube reveals rich data for demographical context against number of student logins and engagement with resources in hours. Findings give rise to further questions or hypotheses, requiring further interrogation of the cube or triangulation with other available quantitative data or qualitative inquiry with faculty. Practical Implications: An ongoing commitment to continuous improvement at a university and library executive level is critical. UWL is fortunate to have secured the support of the enterprise Performance Indicator Unit (PIU), for this second UWL performance measurement project. The Marketing Cube also exploits tested system design created for UWL\u27s \u27Value Cube\u27 (Jantti & Cox, 2012). Considerable time has been invested anew to select priority resources and to configure them within the cube. Significant time was also spent on user acceptance testing by both the Library and PIU. Originality / Value: Existing research and literature has more often achieved to demonstrate the value of library collections on a qualitative basis. In contrast, the Marketing Cube offers a quantitative perspective and is focussed solely on student use of resources - the library\u27s broadest client base. Real time use capture and weekly reporting provides UWL with a granular picture of who is using a resource and when; on demand. This contextual insight has strategic value to acquisition and renewal decisions; but most innovatively, such analytics data can inform marketing strategy and provide a method to pre and post-test impact of promotional activity

Analysis of errors in the automatic translation of questions for translingual QA systems

Purpose – This study aims to focus on the evaluation of systems for the automatic translation of questions destined to translingual question‐answer (QA) systems. The efficacy of online translators when performing as tools in QA systems is analysed using a collection of documents in the Spanish language. Design/methodology/approach – Automatic translation is evaluated in terms of the functionality of actual translations produced by three online translators (Google Translator, Promt Translator, and Worldlingo) by means of objective and subjective evaluation measures, and the typology of errors produced was identified. For this purpose, a comparative study of the quality of the translation of factual questions of the CLEF collection of queries was carried out, from German and French to Spanish. Findings – It was observed that the rates of error for the three systems evaluated here are greater in the translations pertaining to the language pair German‐Spanish. Promt was identified as the most reliable translator of the three (on average) for the two linguistic combinations evaluated. However, for the Spanish‐German pair, a good assessment of the Google online translator was obtained as well. Most errors (46.38 percent) tended to be of a lexical nature, followed by those due to a poor translation of the interrogative particle of the query (31.16 percent). Originality/value – The evaluation methodology applied focuses above all on the finality of the translation. That is, does the resulting question serve as effective input into a translingual QA system? Thus, instead of searching for “perfection”, the functionality of the question and its capacity to lead one to an adequate response are appraised. The results obtained contribute to the development of improved translingual QA systems

INFORMATION NEEDS AND SEEKING BEHAVIOUR OF POST GRADUATE STUDENTS OF KOHAT UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Purpose: This study investigated the information needs and seeking behaviour, hurdles to information seeking of Post Graduate students of Kohat University of Science and Technology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It focused on the information requirements of the Post Graduate students of the university, the pattern they use for seeking information, the difficulties they faced during seeking information. Design/Methodology/approach: This study used a quantitative approach, adapting a survey questionnaire method for data collection. The population of this study was composed of M.Phil. and PhD students of 2019 and 2020 in the faculties of Physical and Numerical Sciences, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biological Sciences and Social Sciences of KUST. The sample size was 260. Students were selected randomly. The study response rate was 77% and data were analyzed through SPSS (22 version). Key findings: The study revealed that Most students\u27 information needs were for study and research activities, new knowledge, and for career development. To fulfil these needs, the scholars use various sources and resources. The sources they used for information needs were Journal Articles, Textbooks, and Research Projects commonly. For the information-seeking purpose, often, students preferred books that have some importance. The other factors that played an essential role in selecting material were topical relevance, Novelty, Recommended by colleagues, and publisher’s reputation. Most of the students thought that Book Exhibitions, Open Access systems in the Library, and the Display of new arrivals could enhance the students\u27 information-seeking. The main problems during seeking information were faced by them were shortage of printed information resources. Overall they wanted more facilities, enhancement in the library collection and better services. Delimitations of the study: This study has not included 1) BS and M.Sc. Students of KUST; 2) The colleges and institutions affiliated with KUST; 3) This study was delimited only to the Post Graduate students of KUST. Practical implication(s): The findings of the study motivate the policy makers, authorities of KUST to restructure the information literacy programs to fulfil the scholars’ information needs. It may inform the policy makers to know the difficulties faced by scholars during information seeking. Contribution to the knowledge: No significant work has been done on the students\u27 Information Needs and Seeking Behaviour at KUST. The Study analyzed the Information Needs and Seeking Behaviour of Post Graduate students. It brought a clear picture of information needs and seeking behaviour of scholars and addressed the problems faced by them during seeking process

Full-Text Retrievals and EBSCO Discovery Service: Assessing Usage of E-Journals across Multiple Platforms

This study utilizes COUNTER 5 data from the University of Dayton (UD) to measure full-text retrievals of e-journal articles from five major academic journal publishers (Taylor & Francis, SAGE, Oxford, Wiley, and Springer). Usage data from these publishers’ e-journals within EBSCO is compared to the same content when accessed from publisher platforms such as Wiley Online Library or SpringerLINK. Building on previous studies that have largely focused on links (or referrals) from the library discovery layer to publisher platforms, this study analyzes usage of full text-articles stored within EBSCO Discovery Service and EBSCOhost subject databases to consider how these full-text holdings within EBSCO might affect referrals to publisher platforms. The findings indicate that full-text article holdings within EBSCO are used more often than the same content in publisher platforms, suggesting that UD students and researchers rely heavily on—and likely often start with—EBSCO for their learning and research

Analysis of errors in the automatic translation of questions for translingual QA systems

Purpose – This study aims to focus on the evaluation of systems for the automatic translation of questions destined to translingual question‐answer (QA) systems. The efficacy of online translators when performing as tools in QA systems is analysed using a collection of documents in the Spanish language. Design/methodology/approach – Automatic translation is evaluated in terms of the functionality of actual translations produced by three online translators (Google Translator, Promt Translator, and Worldlingo) by means of objective and subjective evaluation measures, and the typology of errors produced was identified. For this purpose, a comparative study of the quality of the translation of factual questions of the CLEF collection of queries was carried out, from German and French to Spanish. Findings – It was observed that the rates of error for the three systems evaluated here are greater in the translations pertaining to the language pair German‐Spanish. Promt was identified as the most reliable translator of the three (on average) for the two linguistic combinations evaluated. However, for the Spanish‐German pair, a good assessment of the Google online translator was obtained as well. Most errors (46.38 percent) tended to be of a lexical nature, followed by those due to a poor translation of the interrogative particle of the query (31.16 percent). Originality/value – The evaluation methodology applied focuses above all on the finality of the translation. That is, does the resulting question serve as effective input into a translingual QA system? Thus, instead of searching for “perfection”, the functionality of the question and its capacity to lead one to an adequate response are appraised. The results obtained contribute to the development of improved translingual QA systems

New trends in research skills development of future teachers: quantitative approach and empirical studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the use of technology and the development of research skills in future teachers, specifically current graduate students participating in Mathematical Olympiads. The study used a quantitative approach and analyzed data collected through a survey. The findings indicated that quantitative analysis skills, problem-solving skills, communication skills, and research methodology skills are the dimensions of research skills in future teachers. The results showed that the use of digital tools for literature searching and curation, online courses and workshops (OCWs), collaborative learning and discussion forums, and data analysis software significantly and positively affected research skills. However, the study failed to provide evidence that digital portfolios (DPs) affected research skills. The limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are discussed. In conclusion, the findings highlight the importance of technology in the development of research skills in future teachers and suggest that technology-based learning resources and tools should be integrated into teacher training programs

Log Usage Analysis: What it Discloses about Use, Information Seeking and Trustworthiness

The Trust and Authority in Scholarly Communications in the Light of the Digital Transition research project1) was a study which investigated the behaviours and attitudes of academic researchers as producers and consumers of scholarly information resources in respect to how they determine authority and trustworthiness. The research questions for the study arose out of CIBER’s studies of the virtual scholar. This paper focuses on elements of this study, mainly an analysis of a scholarly publisher’s usage logs, which was undertaken at the start of the project in order to build an evidence base, which would help calibrate the main methodological tools used by the project: interviews and questionnaire. The specific purpose of the log study was to identify and assess the digital usage behaviours that potentially raise trustworthiness and authority questions. Results from the self-report part of the study were additionally used to explain the logs. The main findings were that: 1) logs provide a good indicator of use and information seeking behaviour, albeit in respect to just a part of the information seeking journey; 2) the ‘lite’ form of information seeking behaviour observed in the logs is a sign of users trying to make their mind up in the face of a tsunami of information as to what is relevant and to be trusted; 3) Google and Google Scholar are the discovery platforms of choice for academic researchers, which partly points to the fact that they are influenced in what they use and read by ease of access; 4) usage is not a suitable proxy for quality. The paper also provides contextual data from CIBER’s previous studies

Collaborative yet independent: Information practices in the physical sciences

In many ways, the physical sciences are at the forefront of using digital tools and methods to work with information and data. However, the fields and disciplines that make up the physical sciences are by no means uniform, and physical scientists find, use, and disseminate information in a variety of ways. This report examines information practices in the physical sciences across seven cases, and demonstrates the richly varied ways in which physical scientists work, collaborate, and share information and data. This report details seven case studies in the physical sciences. For each case, qualitative interviews and focus groups were used to understand the domain. Quantitative data gathered from a survey of participants highlights different information strategies employed across the cases, and identifies important software used for research. Finally, conclusions from across the cases are drawn, and recommendations are made. This report is the third in a series commissioned by the Research Information Network (RIN), each looking at information practices in a specific domain (life sciences, humanities, and physical sciences). The aim is to understand how researchers within a range of disciplines find and use information, and in particular how that has changed with the introduction of new technologies

Diversity in the e-journal use and information-seeking behaviour of UK researchers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present some of the results of the project “Evaluating the usage and impact of e-journals in the UK”. The particular research reported here evaluated the use of the ScienceDirect journals database with regard to Life Sciences, Economics, Chemistry, Earth & Environmental Sciences and Physics by ten major UK research institutions. The aim of the study is to investigate researchers' digital behaviour, and to ascertain whether their use and behaviours varied by subjects and disciplines, or in relation to the institutions in which they worked. Design/methodology/approach – Raw logs for ScienceDirect were obtained for the period January to April 2007, were subject to deep log techniques and analysed using the Software Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings – Typically, 5 per cent of the ScienceDirect journals viewed accounted for a third to half of all use. A high proportion of researchers entered the ScienceDirect site via a third-party site, and this was especially so in the case of the Life Sciences and in the highest-ranked research institutions. There were significant institutional and subject differences in information-seeking behaviour. In the most research-intensive institutions, per capita journal use was highest and their users spent much less time on each visit. There were significant differences of the order of 100-300 per cent in the age of material viewed between subjects and institutions. Just four months after ScienceDirect content was opened to Google indexing, a third of traffic to the site's Physics journals came via that route. Originality/value – The research is one of the very few studies to investigate subject and institutional differences with regard to the information seeking and use of UK researchers, something UK academic librarians should particularly welcome