The Role of Digital Library in Bridging the Language Divide: Comparison Study of Arabic and Other Languages

Developing countries are often said to suffer the disadvantages created by a ‘digital divide’ – the gap between the digitally advantaged and the digitally disadvantaged. Much of the attention given to the digital divide had focussed on the most severely disadvantaged countries (particularly in Africa and parts of Asia). This study was examined the phenomenon in the context of developing Arab countries, with a particular focus on the capacity of digital libraries to bridge the ‘divide’ as it applies to research and scholarly communication. This will entail a case study of University of Jordan.A particular focus of the study will be on assessing the particular challenges and frustrations facing Arabic-speaking researchers in their use of networked information services. That is, while the term digital divide is often used as a means of expressing the technology gap between developed and developing countries, it may well be that a further divide is created because of the domination of the languages and content of the developed world in the networked environment.The research will investigate the potential for digital library services to better serve Arabic-speaking scholars, in particular though the increased access to scholarly publishing in Arabic. It will also explore the policy initiatives and constraints that may impact upon the future development and implementation of digital library services for the benefit of Arabic-speaking scholars. There are no current published studies that deal with the capacity of digital libraries to address the digital divide in the developing Arab World. The findings of this research will provide important recommendations aimed at improving the capacity for digital libraries in Jordan and the wider Arab World to promote Arabic scholarship. Keyword: Digital Libraries, Arab world, Arabic languag

Burnout Syndrome during Residency Training in Jordan: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Implications

Burnout syndrome is common among healthcare professions, including resident physicians. We aimed to assess the prevalence of burnout among resident physicians in Jordan, and a secondary aim was to evaluate the risk factors associated with the development of burnout syndrome in those residents, including gender, working hours, psychological distress, training sector, and specialty. In this cross-sectional study, 481 residents were recruited utilizing multistage stratified sampling to represent the four major health sectors in Jordan. Data were collected using an online questionnaire, where the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) was used to assess the prevalence of burnout. The prevalence, group differences, and predictors of burnout were statistically analyzed using STATA 15. Overall, 373 (77.5%) residents were found to have burnout. Factors associated with higher levels of burnout were psychological stress (β = 2.34, CI = [1.88–2.81]), longer working hours (β = 4.07, CI = [0.52–7.62], for 51–75 h a week, β = 7.27, CI = [2.86–11.69], for 76–100 h a week and β = 7.27, CI = [0.06–14.49], for >100 h a week), and obstetrics/gynecology residents (β = 9.66, CI = [3.59–15.73]). Conversely, medical sub-specialty residents, as well as private and university hospital residents, had lower burnout levels. We concluded that decreasing the workload on residents, offering psychological counseling, and promoting a safety culture for residents might help in mitigating burnout consequences