La autopublicación, un nuevo paradigma en la creación digital del libro

Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the intervention of a third party established or publisher. The author is responsible for controlling the whole process, including design (covered indoor), formats, pricing, distribution, marketing and public relations. Authors can do it all themselves or outsource all or part of the process in companies that offer these services. The aim of this paper is analyze the phenomenon of self-publishing in the new digital environment. An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing systems, data are provided in the publishing world and reflects the main players in this market remains a vanity press to attend directly in the publishing market with unprecedented bestsellers

La autopublicación, un nuevo paradigma en la creación digital del libro

[ES]Se entiende por autopublicación la publicación de un libro o cualquier otro documento por parte del autor de la obra sin la intervención de un tercero o de un editor. Por tanto, el autor es responsable del control de todo el proceso, incluyendo el diseño (cubierta/interior), formatos, precio, distribución, marketing y relaciones públicas. Los autores pueden hacerlo todo o subcontratar la totalidad o parte del proceso con empresas que ofrecen estos servicios. El objetivo del trabajo consiste en el estudio del fenómeno de la autopublicación en el nuevo contexto digital, haciendo un análisis de las ventajas e inconvenientes de los sistemas de autopublicación. Asimismo, se proporcionan datos de la autopublicación en el mundo y se recogen los principales agentes en este mercado, que se aleja del tradicional "Vanity Publisher", para concurrir directamente en el mercado editorial en igualdad de condiciones que las establecidas para los circuitos convencionales.[ENG] Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the intervention of a third party established or publisher. The author is responsible for controlling the whole process, including design (covered indoor), formats, pricing, distribution, marketing and public relations. Authors can do it all themselves or outsource all or part of the process in companies that offer these services. The aim of this paper is analyze the phenomenon of self-publishing in the new digital environment. An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing systems, data are provided in the publishing world and reflects the main players in this market remains a vanity press to attend directly in the publishing market with unprecedented bestsellers.Centro Nacional de Información de Ciencias Médicas, Ministerio de Salud Pública (Cuba

The Guided Tour: A Research Technique for the Study of Situated, Embodied Information

This article introduces the guided tour as an appropriate research technique for studying situated and embodied information. The guided tour hybridizes aspects of observation and interviews, and involves a researcher's relatively shortened, nonspontaneous entry into a field site. During a guided tour, a participant leads the researcher through the location (often one that is personally meaningful for him or her) while describing and explaining its features, thinking-aloud the ideas, thoughts, and feelings to which it gives rise, and responding to the researcher's gentle inquiries. This article begins with a sustained background to the technique and descriptive breakdown of it in terms of other, related methods and techniques. It then reviews prior use of the guided tour in the information and library science field, where it is not prevalent per se, but has been used on an ongoing basis for at least three decades. It delineates practical steps and tips for carrying out a guided tour as well as strengths and limitations of the technique for studying situated, embodied information and information phenomena in general. The article concludes by briefly discussing researchers as embodied research instruments and the role of reflexivity in qualitative research

The great public libraries debate - do bricks and mortar still matter? A case study of Canada Water Library, Southwark, London examining current attitudes to a modern library space.

This study aimed to examine in depth a newly-built modern public library to gain insight into attitudes to and perceptions of a modern library space in 2014. It used as a starting point a previous study carried out in 2005 and published by Black (2011) which gathered Mass Observation Archive data on public perceptions of public library buildings at the start of the 21st century. This study aimed to evaluate attitudes a decade on to determine if physical public library spaces still matter. A single case study methodology was used to add detail to the extant general literature on public libraries and provide insight into current attitudes to a purpose-built library in the heart of a community and how it meets users’ needs and expectations. A printed questionnaire looking at the library’s location, design and use of space was handed out to a sample of users. The results show that the physical library is still important to users who are proud of how it looks and the contribution it makes to their local community and area. The findings also show that the case study library is meeting the needs of its diverse user groups very well by providing access to resources, support, IT and space

An Investigation into the Social and Cultural Dynamics that Shape Product Service Systems Consumption

Improved resource efficiency and extended product life cycles are strategies prioritized by policy makers to achieve sustainable production and consumption. Literature suggests that Product Service Systems (PSS), competitive systems of products, services, supporting networks and infrastructure designed to satisfy demand using fewer resources than traditional business models can deliver these strategies. Whilst PSS’ resource efficiency potential has been questioned, PSS may still help society move toward more sustainable futures. Indeed, PSS have been linked to the concept of circular economy in which resources are reused, recovered and regenerated to minimise environmental impact of consumption. Yet PSS have not been widely taken up in consumer markets and consequently their potential to address sustainability challenges has not been realised. In response, this thesis investigates the social and cultural dynamics that shape PSS consumption. Two case studies are presented that draw upon Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) and Practice theory (PT) in pluralistic fashion and experts engaged to find ways to generate a dialogue and insights from these two perspectives. A flexible research design was followed with data collected by semi-structured interviews with consumers and experts. Data were analysed using a dynamic template approach. The findings suggest that some consumers are encouraged to consume PSS as a way to construct identities expressing meanings and ideologies such as altruism and environmental protection. Consumers need, however, to learn access practices to consume PSS offerings. Furthermore, social- structural elements of living such as social conventions and the physical distribution of sites where consumers work and live prevent them from consuming PSS recurrently. Further research is needed to investigate how PSS consumption inspired by consumers’ meanings and ideologies may be collective, recurring and integrated within the social structural aspects of living

レファレンス質問の回答提示方法に対する選好意識の解明

筑波大学修士(情報学)学位論文 ・ 平成29年3月24日授与(37768号

O processo organizativo da greve no contexto de uma biblioteca universitária brasileira

No contexto dinâmico da greve as pessoas convivem em constante interação, compreendem e constroem significados e sentidos para as atividades cotidianas e fazem das organizações, espaços de aprendizagem e geração de conhecimento. Desse modo, ao revelar as práticas desempenhadas nesse contexto em uma biblioteca universitária busca-se entender os processos organizativos em sua dinamicidade e interação. É nessa perspectiva que Feldman e Orlikowski (2011) ressaltam a relevância dos Estudos baseados na prática (EBPs). A abordagem dos EBPs permite compreender, por exemplo, os processos organizativos em uma biblioteca universitária, direcionando o enfoque para as dinâmicas e relações organizacionais. Assim, tem-se como objetivo geral deste estudo: compreender o processo organizativo da greve na Biblioteca da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo. Para o alcance do objetivo da pesquisa, optou-se pela perspectiva teórica da etnometodologia que, de acordo com Coulon (1995), contribui para a mudança de um paradigma normativo para um paradigma interpretativo. As técnicas de coleta de dados adotadas foram: observação participante, conversas informais com os praticantes, análise de documentos e fotografias. Como conclusões destaca-se que os processos organizativos apresentaram-se dinâmicos e inter-relacionados entre os atores humanos (técnicos administrativos, bolsistas, terceirizados) e não-humanos (equipamento do ponto eletrônico, tenda da greve; artefatos de divulgação; artefatos de manifestação; atividades culturais e recreativas) na prática. Como contribuições destacam-se: o potencial das abordagens dos EPBs e da Etnometodologia nos estudos organizacionais da área de biblioteconomia, pois, possibilitaram conhecer a dinamicidade da prática da greve e pensar a organização enquanto uma realidade socialmente construída. Somado a isso, permitiu compreender as particularidades da greve que encontravam-se além do processo organizativo formal de uma biblioteca universitária.In a dynamic context of a strike people live in continuous interaction, they understand and build meanings and senses to daily activities and turn organizations into learning and knowledge construction spaces. Thus, by revealing practices performed in this context in a University Library this study seeks to understand the organizational processes in its dynamism and interaction. From this perspective Feldman and Orlikowski (2011) emphasize the relevance of the Practice-Based Studies (PBS). The PBS approach allows us to understand, for example, the organizational processes in a University Library, focusing the dynamics and organizational interaction. Therefore the general objective of this study is: understanding the organizational process of the strike in the Federal University of Espírito Santo library. To achieve the research main goal was used the theoretical perspective of ethno-methodology, which according to Coulon (1995), contributes to change a normative paradigm to an interpretive paradigm. Data collection procedures were the following: participant observation, informal conversations with practitioners, documents and photographs analysis. As final considerations it stands out that the organizational processes were dynamic and interrelated among the human actors (administrative officers, scholars, outsourced) and non-human (electronic equipment, striker’s reunion tent; informational and propaganda disclosure material; cultural and recreational activities) in practice. Contributions include: the potential of PBS approaches and Ethnomethodology in organizational studies in library science field, since it was possible to recognize the dynamism on practicing the strike and analyze the Organization as a socially constructed reality. In addition, the study allowed understanding particularities of the strike who were beyond the formal organizational process from a University Library

Thriving instructional leadership practices and functions in challenging contexts: lessons from two Nigerian principals.

Master of Education in Education Leadership Management and Policy. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2016.The purpose of this study is to account for instructional leadership practices and functions of principals that succeed in challenging contexts and to know how these principals demonstrated these behaviours and functions so that the contextual realities could not limit nor hinder them from achieving high academic performance in their schools. Literature on instructional leadership practices and functions in challenging contexts is limited. Moreover, how instructional leadership practices and functions can suppress contextual realities has not been sufficiently explored. Hence, this study engaged in qualitative research situated in the interpretivist paradigm to build a case around two successful Nigerian principals serving in challenging contexts. These two principals were purposively selected alongside eight teachers from the two schools where the principals served. Documents such as school prospectuses, minute books, time books, staff rosters and other vital documents were purposively selected to uncover the instructional leadership behaviours and functions of principals who succeed in challenging contexts. Data from the study participants were obtained through semi-structured individual interviews and focus group interviews. Thematic abstraction was used to analyse and give meaning to the data. Emerging from this study is that principals who are able to achieve high learner academic achievement in challenging contexts demonstrate instructional leadership behaviours and functions which are guided by thinking leadership, building synergy and exerting discipline. Thus, applying the insights emergent from this study, principals serving in challenging contexts can overcome their contextual realities and thereby achieve high learner academic performance in their schools

An ethnographic study of the utilisation of electronic library databases by academic staff in North-Central Nigeria.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.This ethnographic case study is an exploration of the utilisation of electronic library databases by academic staff in North-Central Nigeria. The motivation for this study stemmed from the researcher's experiences as a Subject Librarian as well as context-specific issues that arose from the existing literature. For instance, there was under-utilisation of e-library databases by academic staff at the University of Jos, Plateau State, alongside similar institutions in North-Central Nigeria. Many previous studies on the use of e-library databases by academic staff in Nigerian universities were centred on the quantitative survey methodology. Hence, this study aimed to improve an understanding of the personal/individual experiences, environmental contexts and socio-cultural factors affecting academic staff e-library database utilisation, through ethnographic research. Accordingly, the Symbolic Interactionist Ethnography-SIE underpinned the study. The application of the theory was anchored by the Interpretivist approach, which was supported by the execution of a case study method of research in which academics from the University of Jos, Plateau state and the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue state were targeted. The probabilistic and non-probabilistic sampling procedures were used in selecting participants. Specifically, the purposive and stratified sampling methods were used. The qualitative research approach adopted for the study gave the researcher the opportunity to elicit detailed views of academics' perspectives on the phenomenon through observation, photovoice, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions. Also, documents were evaluated for triangulation of results. Data were thematically analysed according to the criteria for trustworthiness, such as credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. A constant comparison approach was used in the analysis of data. The study also compared findings from all sources of data collection and cases focused on in this study. Consequently, the study's findings indicated academics engage with the e-library databases for research from their offices, as the office is their workspace that provides a suitable environment for the academics to engage in research and prepare for lectures. The study's core results revealed academics' leaning toward printed sources of information for teaching and research. The decision could be linked to their human nature, individual differences, and personalities, such as a resistance to change. The results revealed negative/unsatisfying experiences due to several limitations, such as inadequate skills, and library staff assistance in academics' use of online databases as the main reason for low use. Also, the results showed shared experiences with colleagues in the faculty influenced academics' use of e-library databases. The study further discovered a lack of interest in academics' use of online library databases as the main reason for low usage. The study concluded that socio-cultural factors and environmental contexts affect academics' utilisation of e-library databases. Therefore, the study recommends that the university authorities scrupulously comprehend modern technology connected with the organisational culture and encourage academic staff of its value and benefits. There is as well the need for university libraries to develop e-database policies and frequently review and update the policies and practices associated with utilising e-library databases. The university management can do that by establishing interventions to tackle inappropriate e-library database use. Finally, actors in universities must be committed to integrating the socio-cultural work environment as an intended benefit (essential factor) in enhancing e-library database use