A survey of collaboration rate among of Iranian LIS students in producing scientific articles for annual student conference of AlZahra University (2000-2006)

Abstract

Collaboration in research and production of scientific publications is common in all academic areas. This collaboration among researchers results in the development of scientific knowledge and hence the attainment of wider information. The significance of collaboration in the production of scientific publications in today's complex world where technology is everything is very apparent. Scientists from many nations have realized that in order to get their work wildly used and cited to by experts, they must collaborate. This research aims to survey the rate of collaboration among Iranian LIS students on the production of scientific articles for the annual student conference of Al-Zahra University and assess their contribution to domestic scientific production in the field of Library and Information Sciences. It is through the efforts of the Al-zahra library and information science students accosiation and their lecturers , that this annual conference happens every year and has been able to bring together lecturers, librarians and LIS students in order to debate the latest information in the aforementioned field since its establishment in 2000 for seven consecutive years. As this is a student conference and most of the LIS students of all levels submit papers to this conference. The aim of the present article is to survey the rate of collaboration among contributors which in turn should clarify the contribution of Iranian LIS students in the production of these articles. To that end submitted articles and thematic inclinations of each conference has been examined. Research results indicated that in the seven conferences held 63 articles were present in speech form, of the 91 authors collaborating in the production of these articles, 51 were female and the rest i.e. 37 were male. The most number of articles, 15 on the subject of Iranian University Libraries in the form of a speech were presented in 2003. The least number were submitted in 2000 and 2004 where a total of 7 in the form of speech on the subject of the education of Library and Information sciences and its difficulties were submitted. Of the 63 articles 42 were presented individually while the other 21 were as a result of collaboration where 15 were the result of the collaboration of 2 authors and the other 6 the work of 3 authors. The most number of collaborative articles were submitted in 2005 and 2006 with 6 and the least number was presented in 2001 and 2003 where nothing was presented. The results of this research indicated that The LIS students of ALZahra University with 18 articles took first place while The Chamran University of Ahvaz with 8 was second and Shiraz University with 5 came third