Data preservation, the new science and the practitioner librarian

This paper outlines the information management principles of the so-called 'new science', and attempts to put these in the context of traditional library and information science principles. It gives a brief review of some work in the area, in particular focussing on the work show-cased by the annual digital preservation conference series hosted by the Digital Curation Centre in Scotland (http://www.dcc.ac.uk/). There is a danger that scientists (as opposed to LIS professionals) will apply the information management techniques of the new science to their own activities inappropriately, especially to research that is best curated as 'old' not new science. This is something on which information professionals are well placed to give advice and make judgements. More practice-oriented research is needed to enhance understanding of how traditional librarianship practices can be applied to the data intensive scientific research carried out by so-called 'virtual organisations'. This paper makes some initial suggestions about how the tools of library and information practice can be related to the 'new science'. In particular, it highlights their relevance to distinguishing between the information management needs of the 'old' and the 'new' sciences: these needs are quite distinct, though easily confused. This paper relates terms from pure science such as the virtual organisation, cyberinfrastructure and e-science to traditional LIS concepts, and tries to create an understanding of the relationship between the two disciplines for the library practitioner

Applying the business process and practice alignment meta-model: Daily practices and process modelling

Background: Business Process Modelling (BPM) is one of the most important phases of information system design. Business Process (BP) meta-models allow capturing informational and behavioural aspects of business processes. Unfortunately, standard BP meta-modelling approaches focus just on process description, providing different BP models. It is not possible to compare and identify related daily practices in order to improve BP models. This lack of information implies that further research in BP meta-models is needed to reflect the evolution/change in BP. Considering this limitation, this paper introduces a new BP meta-model designed by Business Process and Practice Alignment Meta-model (BPPAMeta-model). Our intention is to present a meta-model that addresses features related to the alignment between daily work practices and BP descriptions. Objectives: This paper intends to present a meta-model which is going to integrate daily work information into coherent and sound process definitions. Methods/Approach: The methodology employed in the research follows a design-science approach. Results: The results of the case study are related to the application of the proposed meta-model to align the specification of a BP model with work practices models. Conclusions: This meta-model can be used within the BPPAM methodology to specify or improve business processes models based on work practice descriptions

The American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare: History and Grand Challenges

Conceptualized by social work deans and actualized with the support of major social work organizations, the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare was established in 2009. This article describes the historical context and creation of the Academy, whose objectives include recognizing outstanding social work scholars and practitioners; informing social policy by serving as a signal scientific source of information for the social work profession and agencies seeking information; promoting the examination of social policy and the application of research to the design and development of more effective public policies, social welfare programs, and social work practice; and celebrating excellence in research, education, and practice. The Academy's 72 members have been selected using the methods of the National Academy of Science. The Academy's first substantive effort is the Grand Challenges of Social Work Initiative, designed to help transform social work science, education, and practice around visionary and achievable challenges

Practically Impractical: Contemplative Practices in Science

Contemplation has been described as a “long, loving look at the real,” a characterization that could equally well apply to science. In this paper, I frame a contemplative approach to the teaching and practice of science which draws strongly on the Christian monastic traditions. Students, in particular, struggle with the ever increasing information density in their course work which can cloud their understanding of the relationship of their work to broader contexts. I suggest that the monastic counsels of intentional simplicity, deep listening and constancy can provide a foundation for the design of science courses which help students engage more deeply with their work in the midst of a deluge of information, particularly visual and graphical information. I present four different contemplative practices suited for use in the scientific classroom and research lab: a simple, discreet stilling exercise for focus and attention, a ‘beholding’ approach to exploring visual data and two writing exercises designed for laboratory researchers

Beyond eureka moments: Supporting the invisible work of creativity and innovation

Introduction. This paper is about the challenges of working creatively and reflectively in the information-intensive environments characteristic of our digital age. Method. The paper builds upon earlier work about uncertainty in library and information science by incorporating work exploring risk cultures and uncertainty as everyday phenomena. It presents arguments emerging from an ongoing investigation of the background work involved in scholarly research practice. These threads are used to invite discussion about the particular strategic contribution that the ISIC community might make in answer to calls for more creativity and greater support for the human spirit in all that we do. Analysis. Ethnographic material about scholarly research practice is combined with varied research exploring creativity and uncertainty. Results. Analysis of conditions that can stimulate creativity suggests that working through and being in uncertainty provides a site of creativity stimulation that addresses Howkins's query about how and where we wish to do our thinking. Conclusions. As information researchers and practitioners, we can act as stewards within our communities and help shape the information services and infrastructures that support organisations and communities striving to be more creative and to engage with information in inventive ways. Doing so will require us to not only support the creativity and innovation of others, but to be creative and innovative ourselves. © the author 2011

A Reclassification of IS Security Analysis Approaches

The role of security management in the development and operation of information systems has a long tradition of research in computer science, information systems and management science. Integrating the economic, organizational, and technical aspects of information systems security analysis and assessment requires a bridging of these different research streams. We examined major articles published concerning IS security using a new classification scheme for IS security analysis and assessment approaches. We looked at approaches discussed in recent publications as well those examined as in past articles that have attempted to classify various approaches to IS security. This paper therefore organizes a diverse collection of literature into a cohesive whole with the aim of providing IS management with an overview of current security analysis approaches, thereby offering management an effective aide for selecting the methods best suited to their needs. Furthermore, this work structures IS security research into a classification scheme that can also be used in future research and practice

Building Bridges

MY CAREER AS A LIBRARIAN, LJ columnist, researcher, and teacher has been about building bridges--bridges between librarians and publishers, students and knowledge, and research and practice--which is probably why I was selected to deliver the NFAIS (National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services) Miles Conrad Memorial Lecture. Established in 1965, the lecture commemorates NFAIS founder G. Miles Conrad and honors people who have made significant contributions to information science (www.nfais.org). It isn\u27t often that a librarian gets such acknowledgment from the information industry. The work of librarians and information industry professionals is about connecting users to the information they need. Most users just want tools and technologies to help them do their work better and more conveniently. They will not change their work habits unless that change means more convenience. Systems that help people perform better will be readily adopted