A bibliometric study of human–computer interaction research activity in the Nordic-Baltic Eight countries

Human–computer interaction (HCI) has become an important area for designers and developers worldwide, and research activities set in national cultural contexts addressing local challenges are often needed in industry and academia. This study explored HCI research in the Nordic-Baltic countries using bibliometric methods. The results show that the activity varies greatly across the region with activities dominated by Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, even when adjusting for differences in population size and GDP. Research output variations were larger for the top-tier conferences compared to entry-tier conferences and journals. Locally hosted conferences were associated with local increases in research activity. HCI research longevity appears to be an indicator of research maturity and quantity. HCI researchers typically collaborated either with colleagues within the same institution or with researchers from countries outside the Nordic-Baltic region such as US and the UK. There was less collaboration between national and Nordic-Baltic partners. Collaboration appeared especially prevalent for top-tier conference papers. Top-tier conference papers were also more frequently cited than regional-tier and entry-tier conferences, yet journal articles were cited the most. One implication of this study is that the HCI research activity gaps across the Nordic-Baltic countries should be narrowed by increasing the activity in countries with low research outputs. To achieve this, first-time authors could receive guidance through collaborations with experienced authors in the same institution or other labs around the world. More conferences could also be hosted locally. Furthermore, journals may be more effective than conferences if the goal is to accumulate citations.publishedVersio

Research Collaborations between South Africa and Other Countries, 1986-2005: An Informetric Analysis

The paper reports the findings of an informetric study of the countries with which South Africa collaborates in research. The study period spans 20 years (10 years each during and after the apartheid era). Data were extracted from the Thomson Reuters citation indexes, namely: Science Citation Index (SCI), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI). Among the findings, it was observed that multiple-country-author papers, as well as the number of collaborating countries are on the rise since 1986. The USA topped the list of the countries outside Africa collaborating with South Africa while Zimbabwe topped the list of African countries. However, the strength of research collaboration was low for both categories of countries. Regarding impact, international collaboration yielded higher average citations per paper than continental collaboration. The study concludes that there are many unique research areas in which African countries can collaborate, and recommends that these areas should form themes along which scholars in Africa could conduct collaborative research

A Citation Analysis of Sub-Saharan African Library and Information Science Journals using Google Scholar

In bibliometrics, the numbers of research articles and citations constitute the main measurement indicators of research output and impact respectively. This study evaluates the library and information science/studies (LIS) journals published in sub-Saharan African countries inorder to assess their performance. Drawing its data from Google Scholar, the paper compares the performance of 13 LIS journals using the following indicators: number of publications; average number of records; number of citations; citations per year; citations per article; citedness and uncitedness of the records published in each journal; h-index and g-index; and citation impact factor. The paper also identifies journals with the most cited works and ranks the journals according to the above measurement indicators. Results indicate that publication of LIS journals in Sub-Saharan Africa is a relatively recent practice; a number of journals have not published any issues for close to 5 years; some journals have ceased publication; there is irregular publication of journals; there are about five core LIS journals in the region; AJLAIS was the most highly cited journal, but the most influential journals in terms of the IF include SAJLIS, Innovation and Mousaion. The challenges faced by journal publishers and researchers in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as recommendations on improving the visibility and impact of journals in the region and internationally, are outlined

Adjusted Count, Complete Count, and Straight Count: Does it Matter when Appraising Research Performance? A Case Study of LIS Research in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Counting of publications and citations is the fundamental yet important technique used in bibliometric/informetric measurements of research performance. Informetricians are however divided on the most appropriate method of counting publications and citations as a means of assessing the authors, institutions and countries’ research output and citation impact, respectively. This paper reports on the results generated from a case study of the LIS researchers’ output using three methods of publications count, namely, adjusted count (Ac), complete count (Cc) and straight count (Sc). Using data extracted from the Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA) database, the study found that there are differences in the number of articles generated in each counting method per author, as well as in the authors’ rankings. The study concludes that in informetric studies, the method of counting chosen for purposes of assessing the performance of researchers matters as each method produces different results. The study recommends that the choice of the counting method should largely depend on the purpose for which the informetric study is being conducted

What’s in a Name? Using Informetric Techniques to Conceptualize the Knowledge of Traditional and Indigenous Communities

Since the publication of a collection of articles by Brokensha, Warren and Werner (1980) on the knowledge of traditional and indigenous communities, there is a marked interest in studying and using this kind of knowledge to promote and sustain development activities. Despite the recognition of the importance of the knowledge of traditional and indigenous communities there is limited agreement on its definition and conceptualization. In other words, there are competing ways of defining it and various ways of labeling it. In view of the varying appropriation of meanings to the concept of the knowledge of traditional and indigenous communities, this article starts by dealing with definitions attached to this kind of knowledge before turning to establishing what might be the suitable label for that knowledge using informetrics techniques. The conclusion is that indigenous knowledge is the label that is gaining more currency than any other in the social sciences, arts and humanities.Keywords: Indigenous communities, indigenous knowledge, informetrics, local knowledge, traditional knowledge

Insight into Research Publication Output of Academic Librarians in Southern African Public Universities from 2002 to 2011

This article reports on the research and publication patterns of librarians working in university libraries in Southern Africa. Lists of countries and names of public universities in the region were obtained from the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) website, while names of the librarians were obtained from the 60 university websites and the Europa World of Learning. The study confined its scope to publications produced within the last 10 years (2002-2011). Informetrics through content analysis was used as the primary research method. The documents sourced for content analysis were mostly obtained from the Library and Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA) database, which is the largest abstract database in library and information science, while impact was measured through citations obtained from Google Scholar. The results revealed that: a minimal number of items have been published over the last ten years; many universities do not place staff lists of librarians on their websites; not all senior university librarians’ (e.g. university librarians/directors/executive directors, etc.) publications appeared in the databases; most academic librarians preferred publishing individually; and the most published type of document was journal articles, predominantly short articles, followed by conference proceedings. Further in-depth analyses and comparisons with a related study conducted in Eastern Africa are provided and discussed to unravel hidden publication patterns and trends that influence research visibility. We suggest the need for debate on tying the promotion of university librarians to scholarly research output and argue why such linkage is necessary. We strongly recommend that full lists of all library staff, their titles, and qualifications (where possible) should be made available on university library websites for the benefit of improved library information services and research

Indigenous Knowledge Research in Kenya and South Africa: An Informetric Study

This article applies informetrics using descriptive bibliometrics to determine the state Indigenous Knowledge (IK) development in Kenya and South Africa. Data was analysed using the following variables: document type; growth of literature on the subject from 1990-2008; document source(s); document affiliation; subject domain; country of publication; and nature of authorship, among other attributes. International databases (OCLC – Online Computer Library Center, MEDLINE and AGRICOLA) and national databases – South Africa’s Southern African Bibliographic Information Network (SABINET databases, i.e. Current and Completed Research: CCR, Union Catalogue of Theses and Dissertations: UTD, and Index to South African Periodicals: ISAP) and Kenya’s Greenstone Database – were analysed using content analysis. Two keywords – indigenous knowledge and traditional knowledge – were used in all database searches. We found that IK was strongly represented in the SABINET and OCLC databases. The absence of a national (online) database showcasing Kenyan research output made it difficult to account for IK research in the country. Recommendations are provided for a follow up study and further research. The article could prove useful for decision support in IK management.Keywords: Knowledge management; indigenous knowledge; traditional knowledge; informetrics

How public libraries in Meru County, Kenya, address the business information needs of small-scale enterprises

Information Development, 2016; 33 (4) : 418-435The purpose of the study was to explore how public libraries in Meru County, Kenya, address the information needs of small-scale business enterprises (SBEs) in the region. It was carried out from 2013 to 2015. A quantitative approach and survey research design were adopted to collect data from SBE traders and staff from three public libraries in Meru County. The study found that the business information needs of SBEs are myriad, sectorspecific and cut across all stages of business development. These needs are fulfilled by consulting informal information resources and places. The few SBEs traders who were using public libraries for business information expressed high levels of satisfaction. The study concludes that public libraries have facilitative and functional roles of providing business information to SBEs by collaborating with like-minded stakeholders. The study recommends symmetrical dissemination of business information and the re-positioning of public libraries as community development centers by providing value-based and sector-specific business information solutions

Capacity building modules for public libraries to support small-scale business enterprises in Meru County, Kenya

South African Journal of Library amd Information Science, 2017; 83(1): 49-58The lack of well-structured capacity building programmes is a serious drawback to the effective development of small-scale business enterprises (SBEs) in Kenya. Public libraries as community information centres can collaborate with other stakeholders in facilitating the required skills. This study investigated the training needs of SBE traders and public library staff with the aim of proposing capacity building modules that can be considered by public libraries in Meru County, Kenya in their endeavour to support the SBEs. In implementing the study, a mixed methods approach was used and the survey research design adopted. Cluster and systematic sampling techniques were used in getting 355 SBE traders while census was used on twenty-one library staff and on two staff from Meru County government. Interviews and questionnaires were used to collect the required data. The response rate was 83.4% and 95% for SBE traders and public library staff respectively. Descriptive statistics and thematic techniques were used to analyse the data. We used the findings of this study and the scholarly insights from previous studies to propose two sets of capacity building modules: for SBE traders and for the public library staff. The training areas comprise business information literacy, technology competency, and nature of information in the business domain. We recommend the adoption of the proposed modules in public libraries in Kenya in elevating support and value contribution in the development of the small business community. We further recommend a training policy for SBEs and the recruitment of experienced, skilled and knowledgeable business librarians