User versus institutional perspectives of metadata and searching : an investigation of online access to cultural heritage content during the COVID-19 pandemic

Findings from log analyses of user interactions with the digital content of two large national cultural heritage institutions (National Museums of Scotland and National Galleries of Scotland) during the COVID-19 lockdown highlighted limited engagement compared to pre-pandemic levels. Just 8% of users returned to these sites, whilst the average time spent, and number of pages accessed, were generally low. This prompted a user study to investigate the potential mismatch between the way content was indexed by the curators and searched for by users. A controlled experiment with ten participants, involving two tasks and a selected set of digital cultural heritage content, explored: (a) how does the metadata assigned by cultural heritage organisations meet or differ from the search needs of users? and (b) how can the search strategies of users inform the search pathways employed by cultural heritage organisations? Findings reveal that collection management standards like Spectrum encourage a variety of different characteristics to be considered when developing metadata, yet much of the content is left to the interpretations of curators. Rather, user- and context-specific guidelines could be beneficial in ensuring the aspects considered most important by consumers are indexed, thereby producing more relevant search results. A user-centred approach to designing cultural heritage websites would help to improve an individual’s experience when searching for information. However, a process is needed for institutions to form a concrete understanding of who their target users are before developing features and designs to suit their specific needs and interests

Uncertainty in information seeking and retrieval in the context of higher education

Human information behaviour is an area of research that deals with different aspects of information seeking and retrieval. The increase in information availability on the web has significantly influenced information seeking and retrieval. Several issues relating to information seeking and retrieval in a digital environment still remain unexplored and uncertainty is one of them.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Towards an agenda for information education and research for sustainable development

Education for sustainable development (ESD), identified by UNESCO as a core requirement for achieving success in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has not yet been embedded in the information sciences curricula. Similarly, research around data, information and people for achieving success in different SDGs has not yet been a focus in the information science discipline. This paper aims to develop a framework for education and research in information sciences for promoting and achieving success in different SDGs. First, taking the approach of a metareview, the paper shows the trends, as well as challenges, of research and development activities around data, information and the SDGs. It demonstrates how the different activities of the LIS sector can be mapped onto various SDGs and some of their specific targets. A visual map has been produced that links different LIS activities and various SDGs and targets. The diagram and the framework can be used to develop new, and/or revise the existing, information sciences curricula to accommodate the SDGs for training and research in specific LIS activities. The framework will also help to develop an agenda for research in information science for promoting the concepts, and achieving the targets, of the SDGs

Introduction to digital libraries

Recent development in ICT, specially the world wide web, have led to the creation of a growing number of digital library projects in the UK, USA and elsewhere.xi, 307 p.: ill.; 24 c

Introduction to digital libraries

Recent development in ICT, specially the world wide web, have led to the creation of a growing number of digital library projects in the UK, USA and elsewhere.xi, 307 p.: ill.; 24 c

Accessing digital cultural heritage information : users vs institutional perspectives of metadata and searching

A controlled experiment was conducted with ten participants, involving two tasks and a selected set of digital cultural heritage content, to explore (a) How does the metadata assigned by cultural heritage organisations meet or differ from the search needs of users? And (b) How can the search strategies of users inform the search pathways employed by cultural heritage organisations? Findings reveal that collec-tion management standards like Spectrum encourage a variety of different character-istics to be considered when developing metadata, yet much of the content is left to the interpretations of curators e.g. description or physical description. Rather, user- and context-specific guidelines could be beneficial in ensuring the aspects consid-ered most important by consumers are indexed, thereby producing more relevant search results. A user-centred approach to designing cultural heritage websites would also help to improve an individual’s experience when searching for infor-mation. However, a process is needed for institutions to form a concrete understand-ing of who their target users are before developing features and designs to suit their specific needs and interests

Information users and usability in the digital age

xvi, 208 p.; 23 c