Being an information literate researcher: tips for avoiding plagiarism

A practical guide by Pat Gannon-Leary and Moira Bent to avoiding plagiarism when gathering information, managing and writing up your research project

Effectiveness of libraries in supporting researchers' information needs: The impact of a digital library

As one of the supporting departments of a university, the academic library plays a vital role in providing essential information resources and services to the researchers. Changes in information technology have impacted libraries due to change in the format of information resources and the information seeking behavior of users. Technology has transformed the way researchers seek, obtain and use information. Libraries therefore need to critically examine their effectiveness and continuously support researchers in fulfilling their research needs. Research has been conducted at an academic library that is moving towards transforming traditional services to a highly digital environment. The fruition of this idea is blooming into reality with the almost completed research wing of the library. In preparation of ensuring suitable and relevant research information, the research analyzed the effect and impact of digital information services existing so far. Moving from here the research hopes to further enhance facilities, services and training with special focus on academic clientele. Research results will be discussed in the course of this paper’s discussion. Amongst factors studied are the relationship between demographic characteristics and the perceived effectiveness of library services among researchers

The End-Users' Requirements of The Library of Arab International University (AIUL)

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has radically affected the way of accessing information and performing research in academic libraries. With the adoption of ICT, end-users’ requirements (EURs) have increased and changed. Thus, the main concern of academic libraries has shifted to address and accommodate these requirements. The purpose of this study is to identify EURs of the AIUL in Syria. Mixed methods approach, using questionnaires and interview, is adopted to collect data from different end-users’ groups; 228 of undergraduate students (USs), and 30 of academic staff (AS) participated in this study to understand their requirements of the AIUL. Furthermore, 8 academic librarians were involved in obtaining further understanding. Findings showed that EURs were high in terms of providing supportive IRs, experts, high-quality services and personal services. There was a difference on the EURs regarding their groups

ILS and RTP: Support to Researchers Provided by Information and Learning Services as Part of the Research Training Programme at the University of Worcester, Past, Present and Future.

The purpose of this article is to investigate the involvement of Information and Learning Services staff in the delivery of the Research Training Programme at the University of Worcester, UK with a focus on researcher receptivity. I believe that by constantly reflecting on the development of that part of the programme delivered by ILS and by examining feedback from the sessions, it is possible to improve and increase the level of researcher receptivity. It is hoped that such examination and reflection will be of value and relevance to the IL community since by reflecting on success and failure in a local context and by mapping this reflection to existing research enables librarians to improve the support provided to researchers within their institutions. This article outlines the support given to research students at the University of Worcester in the past, examines the changes leading to present programme delivery and reflects on considerations for future support. The article is underpinned by reference to current research undertaken in international (albeit Western-centric) contexts. I note that the rationale behind changes is embedded in current adult learning and teaching theory. In an increasingly competitive research environment where funding is dependent on a statistically monitored research output, the aim of such support is to integrate any IL contribution into the wider research training programme. Thus resource discovery becomes part of the reflexive research cycle. Implicit in this investigative reflection is the desire of the IL community to constantly strive towards the positive reception of IL into research support programmes which are perceived by researchers as highly valuable to the process and progress of their work

Research know-how for research support services: Preparing information specialists for emerging roles

The panel will discuss the importance of understanding the research environment for providing effective information and technology support to researchers, and the implications for curricula in professional education. Our specific context is growing involvement of academic libraries and information services in managing research data, but the issues raised have wider implications for educating and developing other information specialists (e.g., in research institutes, government agencies, public libraries). Studies in the past five years have identified technical and disciplinerelated skills and knowledge gaps as potential constraints on developing library research data services. Our recent research in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Ireland confirmed the need for data curation and technology skills, but also found practitioners engaging in other forms of research support, and expressing needs for a multilayered introduction to the research environment, extending beyond the research skills typically gained in masters programs, including subjects such as academic culture and practice, and research policy and evaluation. The panelists represent a mix of academic and practitioner viewpoints from different countries. They will each offer their views on what is missing and should be added to graduate curricula, and how programs can make space, asking the audience to respond with their own suggestions, counter-arguments, and alternative visions, using an interactive style from the start

The researcher’s view: Context is critical

What are the most important things a 21st-century library should do with its space? Our ideas about future models of the physical library focus on the needs of researchers. Our thinking is informed by our own experiences as both users and directors of library and information services in research institutions, and by debates on future roles for library and information professionals in the network world – a world where automation, digitization and socialization of data, information and knowledge, and disintermediation, are transforming the scholarly landscape. We begin with three reasons why library support for research is a critical issue, and then reflect on the current situation and environmental forces shaping provision for researchers, before setting out our thoughts about future services and spaces for research

Challenges Associated with Cataloguing Electronic Resources in Selected University Libraries in Southwest Nigeria

The study examined the challenges associated with cataloguing electronic resources in six randomly selected university libraries in Southwest Nigeria. A questionnaire was administered to current cataloguers and those who had worked in the cataloguing sections of the selected university libraries. A total of one hundred and ten (110) copies of the questionnaire were distributed, out of which a hundred were found usable for this study. A descriptive survey method was used and the data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results are presented in tables using simple percentages and mean while the Pearson correlation method was used for the hypothesis. This study highlighted some challenges associated with cataloguing electronic resources such as lack of adequate physical description of some electronic resources, inadequate workflow in cataloguing sections, copyright issues among others

Effectiveness of Library Service and Resources in an African University

This paper examined the effectiveness of library service and resources in an African university. To elicit the necessary information, a questionnaire was randomly administered to 500 students from 100 – 500 level of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo-state, Nigeria. A response rate of 100% was achieved. Using frequency and simple percentage to analyze the data, the results showed that majority 73% of the respondents find the university library service effective and (53%) agree that its resources are adequate for their various information needs. The study concluded by noting that there were inadequacies which emanated from short fall in acquisitions, but the library resources provided were easily accessible and fairly adequate to meet the information needs of the users. Based on the findings, recommendations were made in order to boost the library services and resources provided to meet more of the demands of the teeming population of users. Keywords: Effectiveness of library, Library service, Library resources, African universit

El Suport a la recerca de les biblioteques universitàries catalanes: estat actual

Objectius: L'objectiu de la investigació és determinar quins són els serveis de suport a la recerca que les biblioteques universitàries ofereixen per al personal docent i investigador. A més, pretén oferir una síntesi de la realitat d'aquests serveis de suport a Catalunya. Metodologia: La investigació es va realitzar a partir d'un qüestionari en format web que s'adreçava a la direcció de les biblioteques universitàries. El qüestionari va ser validat per especialistes en metodologia d'aquestes eines d'investigació i per professionals del sector de les biblioteques universitàries. Resultats: Els resultats de la investigació són molt representatius ja que dibuixen una radiografia de la totalitat de les biblioteques universitàries catalanes. Es constata que les posicions de les biblioteques de titularitat pública i privada són diferents en un bon nombre dels aspectes analitzats. Altrament, es destaca la necessitat d'incidir de manera decidida en els serveis de suport a la recerca per adaptar-los a les particularitats dels equips d'investigació de cada institució

Google Scholar compared to Web of Science. A Literature Review

Teaching information literacy at higher educational institutions forms the background for the current review. In order to provide an appropriate educational service for research scholars, Google Scholar is considered for teaching. To obtain insight into Google Scholar, it is compared to Web of Science (WoS), the most recognized database for peer reviewed content, well known to librarians and the research community. Both databases are multidisciplinary, provide links to library holdings and offer opportunities for export of references. In addition they have the powerful feature of tracking cited and citing items. The study aims at constructing a deeper understanding of Google Scholar. It is based on a literature review comparing database content, coverage and research impact measures