Search

Examines a set of over 27,000 UK papers in cancer research in order to identify the individual factors that influence the impact category of the journals in which they are published, using multiple regression analysis. The most important independent variables that have a positive effect are the numbers of authors and funding bodies, the research level (from clinical to basic), and the presence of certain universities, or of the USA, in the address field. Inter-lab co-operation was shown to have a negative effect on journal impact category, as was international co-authorship. It is because such partnerships usually involve more authors and funding for the research that they are perceived to lead to higher impact work. There is also a tendency for papers to be published in higher impact journals in later years, probably because of market forces, which means that such journals will tend to expand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this editorial is to introduce the selected Proceedings of the 1st National Conference of ISKO UK, the UK Chapter of the International Society for Knowledge Organization. It aims to provide some background for the group, and place it within the context of the recent history of information organization and retrieval in subject domains. Design/methodology/approach - The paper introduces a selection of papers delivered at the 1st National Conference of the UK Chapter of the International Society for Knowledge Organization. Findings - The field of knowledge organization is lively and progressive, and researchers and practitioners in many sectors are actively engaged with it, despite its apparent decline in LIS education. New communities of interest may use different terms to describe this work, but there is much common ground, and a growing convergence of ideas and methods. Originality/value - The value of existing theory is now more widely recognised, and the importance of structured knowledge organization systems and vocabularies in retrieval is generally acknowledged. It is to be hoped that these important areas of information practice and research will soon be restored to their former place in professional education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to investigate pupil use of a newly-created section of a school intranet established to promote greater interest in the organisation's library. Design/methodology/approach -- In October 2006, data collected over a two-week period via Microsoft SharePoint, the software which supports the intranet, were examined in order to explore overall levels of use of the library pages, differences in interest between girls and boys, variations in use among youngsters in the particular year groups and the extent to which use changed over time. Findings -- Although an equal number of girls and boys visited the library pages, the former recorded more hits. Use was greatest among Year Eleven females but few youngsters of either gender or any age returned to the library section on a day subsequent to their initial visit. Interest fell away rapidly within days of the principal phase of data collection commencing. Research limitations/implications -- The data employed were limited to the usage figures provided by the SharePoint log. Future research should, if possible, address whether the new intranet section has led to greater use of the actual library. Practical implications -- To ensure that consultation of library pages is sustained over a prolonged period, much needs to be done to tie their content into wider school activities. Originality/value -- This is the first paper devoted to pupil use of a section of a school intranet specifically developed to publicise the organisation's library, and it will interest both academics studying young people's information behaviour and school librarians considering ways of promoting their libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of research into the extent and impact of restricted access by specific groups of staff to ICT-based communications in UK further and higher education institutions. Design/methodology//approach - An exploratory approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods. A questionnaire survey was distributed to all HEFCE-funded institutions in the UK. Six institutions acted as case study sites for in-depth qualitative investigation using documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews. Findings - Lack of hardware and network infrastructure posed less of a barrier than lack of ICT skills, lack of motivation either to use computers or to gain ICT skills, and line manager resistance to staff using computers or accessing ICT training in work time. Job function was the factor most associated with lack of access, with cleaning, catering and estates staff least likely to have access. However, there were also many examples of good practice to extend staff access, particularly with regard to ICT training. The research concludes that one of the main concerns for institutions is to "win the hearts and minds" of non-desk staff and their managers. The development of an institutional communication strategy is identified as being of critical importance. Research limitations/implications - Provides a "snapshot" of the prevailing situation at the point of data collection rather than a longitudinal insight into developments in access over time. Originality/value - The first comprehensive analysis of staff access to ICT in UK further and higher education. In addition to highlighting examples of good practice for dissemination across the sector, the research provides information about gaps in provision to inform the targeting of future initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to discuss the current situation of academic LIS research, specifically in the UK and to provide some thoughts considering the future of the discipline. According to the opinion of the authors, this situation is characterised by a lack of cohesion, the need for justification of academic research in terms of its immediate applicability to the professional education of practitioners, and a disjuncture between the information profession and information research. The paper attempts to offer introductory thoughts regarding these circumstances. Design/methodology/approach - The current situation is briefly reviewed and commented on from the authors' viewpoint. Aspects of Pierre Bourdieu's study of the university as a hierarchically structured field of forces are considered. Some reference is made to previous literature. Findings - The paper advances the view that the role of academic US research, debate and theory formation needs to be strengthened and that this needs to be reflected in the curriculum more strongly. Originality/value - The paper attempts to highlight consistently overlooked contributing factors, and thus aims to shift the perspective towards role and position of LIS research within academia, rather than vis-à-vis the professional education it is connected to. It aims to stimulate discussion of the current situation, of how it can be perceived, and of ways to address it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to ask: What is the value and outcome of scholarly reading for academic staff? How do academic library collections support research and teaching activities of academic staff? How do reading patterns of articles, books, and other materials differ? What is the role of the academic library collections in teaching and learning? Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides insight into the values and outcomes of scholarly reading, identifies overall reading patterns, and illuminates issues academics address. Approximately 2,000 academic staff members from six UK universities completed a web-based survey. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through the survey. The survey used the critical incident of last reading by academics to gather information on the purpose, outcomes, and values of scholarly readings and access to library collections. The survey concluded with open-ended comments, which is the focus of this article. Findings – The open-ended comments focused on the importance of article readings to all work activities, in particular research. They also placed emphasis on the value of the library's e-journal collections, but they had some issues with electronic access. The role of book reading was also discussed. Research limitations/implications – Open-ended comments are only one way of measuring the value of scholarly reading and library collections. Ongoing studies and examinations of the findings from the other sections of this study will add to the overall findings of the value of the academic library. Originality/value – This paper further illustrates the essential role of scholarly reading and the library's collections on the academic enterprise. This type of qualitative "story" helps libraries demonstrate their value and assess areas of concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Using the public library context, this paper seeks to present research identifying perceived characteristics of fiction readers and their associated genres, with a particular emphasis on the reader of Black British and Asian fiction in the English language. Design/methodology/approach – The paper applies personal construct theory and the associated repertory grid to a mixed method study involving 15 repertory grid interviews, conducted with librarianship Master's students at a UK university. Findings – The findings regarding the perceived profile of the reader were similar to those reported in previous sociological research, but new constructs emerged regarding certain perceived characteristics of both readers and genres. Research limitations/implications – The method and findings provide a starting-point for future research in materials portraying, and originating from, minority ethnic communities. With more repeated constructs and a larger sample size, future research could statistically investigate the significance of potential trends and apparent relationships between data. Practical implications – The paper provides new data regarding the nature and readership of minority ethnic fiction, informing the improvement of its provision and promotion by public libraries. Social implications – It is hoped that longer-term effects will be to increase both public and professional understanding of fiction written by members of minority ethnic communities, and of its potential contribution to the wider body of literature in the English language. Originality/value – The paper applies personal construct theory and the associated repertory grid technique to a new area of research and practice, with new data having been generated concerning the perceived characteristics of fiction genres, and of their readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to identify what motivates young people to play video games, and the extent to which video games are perceived as facilitating learning and information literacy. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopted a qualitative approach, interviewing a convenience sample of 28 young people who enjoy playing video games. They were aged between 12 and 19, and all resident in Northern England. The interview transcripts were analysed thematically. Findings – Entertainment and challenge were key reasons for playing video games. Of the respondents 89 per cent said they had learned something from gaming, including skills with real-world application. Respondents used a variety of texts to solve gaming problems and to choose new games. Analysis of respondents' reported information behaviour showed that they were carrying out activities (e.g. searching, evaluating) that corresponded to models of information literacy, and these activities are mapped to the SCONUL Seven Pillars model. The interviewees showed determination in working out game problems and puzzles, rather than opting straight for an easy solution. Practical implications – Librarians and other educators should design information literacy games, which challenge learners, using a problem-solving approach. They also need to take account of learners' varying preferences for game genres. Originality/value – There have been relatively few empirical studies into information literacy in videogaming (the focus is more usually on digital literacy, or literacy in reading and interpreting text). The paper identifies gamer preferences and behaviours that should influence design of information literacy games, and extend the information literacy model to include an attitudinal focus, fostering persistence and determination to solve information problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The National Archives (TNA) is the UK Government's official archive. It stores and maintains records spanning over a 1,000 years in both physical and digital form. Much of the information held by TNA includes references to place and frequently user queries to TNA's online catalogue involve searches for location. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how TNA have extracted the geographic references in their historic data to improve access to the archives. Design/methodology/approach – To be able to quickly enhance the existing archival data with geographic information, existing technologies from Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Geographical Information Retrieval (GIR) have been utilised and adapted to historical archives. Findings – Enhancing the archival records with geographic information has enabled TNA to quickly develop a number of case studies highlighting how geographic information can improve access to large-scale archival collections. The use of existing methods from the GIR domain and technologies, such as OpenLayers, enabled one to quickly implement this process in a way that is easily transferable to other institutions. Practical implications – The methods and technologies described in this paper can be adapted, by other archives, to similarly enhance access to their historic data. Also the data-sharing methods described can be used to enable the integration of knowledge held at different archival institutions. Originality/value – Place is one of the core dimensions for TNA's archival data. Many of the records which are held make reference to place data (wills, legislation, court cases), and approximately one fifth of users' searches involve place names. However, there are still a number of open questions regarding the adaptation of existing GIR methods to the history domain. This paper presents an overview over available GIR methods and the challenges in applying them to historical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the health and social care information needs of people with a visual impairment; to identify the health and social care information sources used by visually-impaired people seeking information; to identify differences in the information needs of people with different visual impairments; to examine ways in which developments in information provision may help to meet the needs of visually impaired people. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 28 semi-structured interviews (face-to-face or telephone) were conducted with 31 visually impaired people living in or near Sheffield, UK. The participants included two groups: people with an age-related visual impairment, and people with a visual impairment since birth or early childhood. Framework analysis was used to analyse the findings. Findings – Four major themes were identified: health and social care information needs, sources of health and social care information, possible improvements, and "intervening variables". Practical implications – In this study only a small proportion of the health and social care information needs of visually impaired people were currently being met. There was minimal co-ordination of information between the different information providers. Visually impaired people were dependent on acquiring and seeking out additional information from a wide variety of sources. Originality/value – This paper provides new insights into the health and social care information needs of visually impaired people and their sources of information, and starts to fill gaps identified in an earlier systematic review. The paper reinforces the view that visually impaired people are a heterogeneous group, with different needs according to their visual impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The image of the library and information professional has been a source of professional anxiety for many years. The purpose of this paper is to investigate this long-standing issue by studying the portrayal of librarianship in UK national newspapers during a period of rapid technological change. It also proposes to examine the representation of the professional role, determined by the skills and competencies depicted and the topics associated with librarianship. Design/methodology/approach - The approach takes the form of a content analysis of a sample of 264 newspaper articles taken from The Times and The Mirror between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2008. Findings - The findings reveal a lack of representation of skills and duties performed by librarians. The usefulness and relevance of those depicted are overshadowed by the reported value of libraries. When professional duties are depicted, however, the results appear positive: librarians were seen as having an expert knowledge of content, technological competence and skills in collection development. The reporting of negative behavioural traits was infrequent and it was found that newspapers were not perpetuating negative stereotypes. Research limitations/implications - Although The Times and The Mirror are important publications in terms of circulation, their depiction of the library and information profession does not form a complete picture of the representation of librarianship in the UK press. Originality/value - The paper contributes to debates about the image of the profession, and raises awareness about the skills and competencies that practitioners and professional bodies need to promote for the library and information profession to flourish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to review UK government policy on public libraries since 2003, and to examine its relationship to other forms of demand for public libraries Design/methodology/approach - The published literature from government and professional bodies is reviewed, alongside published statistics on library use. Findings - Since 2003 public libraries have been the subject of sustained interest from UK government, in the form of a range of policy initiatives and incorporation in the Best Value and more recent Common Area Assessment monitoring frameworks. Alongside this, professional bodies and other commentators have put forward views on the role of libraries, but even taken together it is not clear that these represent the needs or aspirations of library service users. Originality/value - This paper provides an overview of the demand for UK public libraries, and its synthesis will be of value to librarians, government departments and professionals in this and related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to report research findings from interviews with chemistry researchers about the use and linkage of source and output repositories and the expectations of the chemistry research community about their use. Design/methodology/approach- A total of 17 face-to-face interviews were conducted with members of academic staff and postgraduate research students (PGRs), in chemistry departments at a number of UK universities. Findings - As part of the StORe project (http://jiscstore.jot.com/WikiHome), which sought to develop new ways of linking academic publications with repositories of research data, 38 members of academic and research staff from institutions across the UK provided valuable feedback regarding the nature of their research, the type of data that they produce, the sharing and availability of research data and the use and expectations of source and output repositories. Research limitations/implications - Interpretation of the results must recognise that the majority of the interviewees worked in the area of theoretical/computational chemistry and therefore their views may not be representative of other chemistry research fields. Originality/value - Studies about the workflows and the norms in the use of source and output repositories are limited in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore information literacy amongst small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK and the USA and argue that information policy in the UK has not given sufficient attention to helping these companies navigate the ever-increasing volumes of information accessible over the internet. Design/methodology/approach - A combination of primary and secondary data have been used. The primary data consists of a survey of UK SMEs, which explored how these companies use the internet as a research tool. The results of the survey are compared to similar surveys carried out in the USA. Several significant UK policy documents are examined to find out how government policy in this area has addressed the issue of information literacy amongst SMEs. Findings - It is shown that UK SMEs wasted over £3.7 billion in 2005 in terms of time wasted through inefficient use of the internet as a research tool. Practical implications - It is argued that while government policies in this area have put resources into encouraging SMEs to adopt broadband and engage in e-commerce, they have not sufficiently addressed the issue of information literacy. Originality/value - Little research has been carried out into how SMEs use the internet as a research tool and this is the first time that a financial cost figure has been applied to inefficient searching by these organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - At the English local authority level, there has been significant investment in e-government infrastructure (e-channels) in the last five years, but take-up of these e-channels is low. This paper aims to look at e-citizen, a £3 million project funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and led by Norwich City Council, which has developed a methodology to enable local authorities to encourage their citizens to use e-channels. Design/methodology/approach - The paper undertakes a comprehensive research programme to inform the national approach towards the take-up and marketing of local authority e-channels. Findings - The study finds that there are a large number of English adults who are ready, willing and able to use e-channels, the so-called potential early adopters of e-government. Take-up is low, however, because awareness of e-channels is low. One solution to increase take-up is to run targeted marketing communications campaigns. The gross potential take-up market in England is 17.5 million adults aged 15 +. Research limitations/implications - The research conducted by e-citizen is the largest and most comprehensive study of the take-up of local government e-channels in the world. This work has established that there is a large potential market for e-government in England and that running marketing campaigns is one way of realising this potential. These findings can be applied throughout the UK and also internationally, although the project did not test whether different nationalities might have different reactions to marketing campaigns. e-citizen did not consider other variables which impact on take-up, such as accessibility of e-channels and their effectiveness. Practical implications - The methodology and findings from e-citizen have already been taken-up by a number of English local authorities. The UK Government, through the DCLG, has picked-up the e-citizen findings and applied them in a £4.6 million national marketing campaign. Originality/value - Work of this nature and scale has not been conducted before. It has been financed by central government but delivered by a consortium of English local authorities, government representatives and private sector suppliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to understand how, why and what citizen-focused services local authorities might consider and deliver on digital interactive television (DiTV). In trying to make interaction with local government more joined up and easier for the citizen, digital television has been employed by around 80 local authorities in the UK to determine what is best offered via this emerging channel, how efficiencies in service delivery can be achieved and to encourage participation and democracy. Design/methodology/approach - The project was run by offering a stable, centrally-hosted, centrally-funded, multi-platform technology to local government to investigate and manage their services. Alongside just "getting involved" a large research project involving 300 homes in West London was run with accompanying qualitative and quantitative research. Findings - The evidence indicates that the public is interested in using simple transactional and informational services at this point in time, as long as they are given the "directions" to find services. There are high expectations regarding the use of a wide range of services as the medium beds in and becomes more widely available. A large percentage of citizens expect to use DiTV to contact and communicate with the local government organisations just as they use the telephone today. Research limitations/implications - The research derives from pre-structured polls conducted through closed questioning and responses from the public were therefore inevitably limited by the reference frame provided by researchers. Originality/value - This paper provides a detailed view of how citizens use DiTV and expectations of use for the future. Analysis of usage data is supplemented by a DigiTV specified research project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Parliaments, as representative institutions, serve as communication channels between the public and the process of governance. The purpose of this paper is to consider the way in which this relationship has been conceptualised and various predictions about how it might change in the age of digital interactivity. Design/methodology/approach - Findings from a survey of officials from 44 European parliamentary chambers are presented, together with findings from surveys of participants in several UK online parliamentary consultations. Findings - The survey of European parliamentary officials suggests that digital information/communication technologies are being used widely, but that there is limited use of interactive features which allow citizens to comment and deliberate on policy issues. The surveys of participants in online consultations run by the British Parliament suggest that they might increase citizens' efficacy, although this might only be a short-term effect. Research limitations/implications - The European parliamentary survey was conducted in 2003, since when some parliamentary web sites and information systems have been developed. Practical implications - The paper considers the consequences of digital interactivity for parliamentary representation, combining conceptual and empirical perspectives. Originality/value - The survey of European parliamentary officials gathered data from 44 parliamentary chambers, making it one of the most extensive European surveys of its kind. The surveys conducted before and after participants took part in UK parliamentary consultations were the first ever to explore the experience and attitudes of such a group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of weblogs by political parties in the 2005 general election campaign. It seeks to identify why, why not, and how parties used their weblogs during the election campaign. Design/methodology/approach - The weblogs of the five political parties which had a weblog were assessed, and eight party e-campaigners were interviewed. Findings - The findings contrast with those of studies of the 2004 US presidential campaign where blogs appeared to play a significant campaigning role. Rather, in the UK, party blogs were essentially used as one-way communication channels which added colour to party web sites. As a result, such weblogs may have encouraged visitors to return because of some form of voyeurism, but they were not either effective conversational, campaigning, or promotional tools. Research limitations/implications - The paper is based on a UK general election of an experimental political communication channel. Practical implications - Suggests the key elements required for the effective use of weblogs. Also suggests that individual candidate weblogs may be a more appropriate channel to reach electors than party-controlled weblogs. The motivation for using a weblog seems to be essentially a judgement that it might be worthwhile experimenting with one, However, until there is significant evidence that weblogs can have a tangible effect, it is likely that they will remain merely part of the background to a UK general election campaign. Originality/value - The paper provides a means of judging the value of weblogs within political communication by political actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the results of a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) usability study, which consists of a survey, an evaluation of two UK WAP portals and an experiment that was carried out between November 2001 and February 2002. A number of usability issues, which prevented the users from completing basic and common tasks, were identified. For instance, 70 per cent of the users were not successful in searching for a textbook on the Amazon.co.uk WAP site. Additionally, even experienced users were not immune to these problems. The general conclusion of the study is that WAP usability remains poor. We argue that this could have a negative effect on the future of WAP and m-commerce. Finally, we propose a set of ten principles, which are based on the findings of this study, and we believe will aid towards the development of more usable WAP and m-commerce services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper seeks to report the results of a study, which investigated the use of the internet by political parties and individual candidates in Scotland as part of their campaign for election to the UK Parliament in 2010. Design/methodology/approach – Three methodologies were used in gathering data: the content of the web sites of 18 parties and 12 candidates was analysed in order to identify the ways in which participation by the Scottish electorate was encouraged via the provision of information and of opportunities for interaction, debate and feedback; the extent to which parties and candidates adopted and used social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, during the campaign was investigated and measured; and using e-mail, Facebook and Twitter, a series of enquiries based around topical campaign and policy issues was directed at parties and candidates to measure the speed and extent of response, as well as any efforts made towards the creation of an ongoing relationship with potential voters. Findings – Party and candidate web sites were being used extensively for information provision, income generation and the recruitment of members and volunteers. However, Scottish political actors were reluctant to encourage online contact and debate, and were unwilling to answer contentious policy questions online. Social media applications were adopted by a significant number of parties and candidates, but were used primarily for the one-way flow of information to known associates and party activists. Originality/value – This study forms part of an ongoing series of investigations by the authors, which has examined the use of the internet by political parties and candidates during parliamentary election campaigns in Scotland. These are the only such studies which have looked specifically at the Scottish political arena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present a discussion and analysis of various assumptions and observations about the significance of blogging by politicians, particularly in relation to theories of representation and the public sphere, informed with an empirical study of the practice of politicians' blogs on the Read My Day platform (www.readmyday.co.uk). Design/methodology/approach - Relevant literature was reviewed to set the scene for an original analysis of politicians' blog posts on Read My Day. These posts were examined via content analysis to systematically catalogue the information politicians disclosed about themselves and to uncover political themes that were featured. A total of 12 politicians who blogged on this platform were subsequently interviewed about their online activities. Findings - The councillors used the Read My Day platform to discuss local political issues but also posted some personal information about the bloggers, indicative of a broad understanding of representation. Councillors generally refrained from attacking other political parties and saw it as a tool of representation and not campaigning. However, there was evidence that councillors got into political trouble because of their blog, even though many said they self-censored themselves. This suggests that bloggers are not merely reciting political spin. While no precise "hits" data were used, the blogging politicians did not feel that their posts were widely read. This was partly explained by bloggers failing to exploit the interactivity that the medium affords. Originality/value - This paper provides new data on political blogging based on a theoretically-informed analysis of blog posts and interviews with blogging politicians in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Alternative document models (ADMs) were created with the purpose of reducing the extent to which anomalies occur in counts of web links at the page level, and have been used extensively within webometrics as an alternative to using the web page as the basic unit of analysis. This paper seels tp carry out a longitudinal study of ADMs in an attempt to ascertain which model gives the most consistent results when applied to the UK, Australia and New Zealand academic web spaces over the last six years. Design/methodology/approach - Information science software (SocSciBot Tools, socscibot.wlv.ac.uk) was used to process hyperlink structure text files for UK, Australian and New Zealand universities and produced standard Page, Directory, Domain and Site ADMs using both inlinks and outlinks. Spearman bivariate correlation analysis was then undertaken to determine the level of correlation between these eight ADMs and a measure of site size for each university. Findings - The findings show that the Domain ADM gives the most consistent results. However, the Directory ADM also gives more reliable results than are evident when using the standard Page model. Aggregating at the site (or university) level appears to provide less reliable results than using the page as the standard unit of measure, and this finding holds true over all three academic webs and for each time period examined over the last six years. Research limitations/implications - The use of Spearman's correlation coefficient is considered to be unreliable when used with very small sample sizes and, with only eight universities, the New Zealand academic web space may not be sufficiently large to give truly accurate statistical results. Originality/value - While previous specific studies have shown that more accurate results can be obtained through the use of the Domain or Directory ADM, the paper has shown that these results are consistent over time and across different countries' academic web spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This study, a part of JISC-funded UK National E-Books Observatory, aims to find out about the perspective of students and academics, the main e-book users, on e-books. Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides an analysis of two open-ended questions about e-books, contained in a UK national survey conducted between 18 January and 1 March 2008. The survey obtained a response from more than 20,000 academic staff and students; 16,000 free-text responses were obtained to these two questions. Findings - The study discloses that convenience associated with online access along with searchability was the biggest advantage of e-books. The study shows a potential market for e-textbooks; however, e-books have yet to become more student-friendly by improving features such as printing and screenreading. Originality/value - This is the biggest survey of its kind ever conducted and it improves one's knowledge of what the academic community thinks of e-books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This JISC funded UK National E-Books Observatory study is a benchmarking survey of e-book usage and perceptions in more than 120 participating universities. The paper aims to present the results that investigated: use of e-books in general (methods of obtaining e-books, reasons for using, viewing/reading behaviour in connection with e.books); use of e-books provided by the library; use of JISC collection texts (use and awareness); use of the library and print material in general. Design/methodology/approach - The study is based on an online survey which was conducted between 18 January and 1 March 2008, over which period 22,437 full or partial responses were received. Findings - The study shows that e-book penetration is very strong (61.8 per cent of all students are already using them in connection with their scholarly work, as teachers or students), so the e-book revolution has already happened but clearly it has some way to go. Originality/value - The paper presents the results of the biggest survey of its kind ever conducted, which represents a huge advance in one's knowledge of e-book use on a national scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - An online survey was carried out with the purpose of finding out the extent to which internet users subscribe to online dating services. The paper aims to assess users' experiences of such services and their eventual outcomes. Design/methodology/approach - Data were obtained through a self-completion online questionnaire survey posted on the website of a leading internet research agency, utilising its online panel of c. 30,000 UK respondents. Findings - More than 3,800 online panellists responded of whom 29 per cent said they had used an online dating site. Most of these respondents (90 per cent) had spent up to &pounds;200 on internet dating in the past two years, with 70 per cent of users achieving at least one date, 43 per cent enjoying at least one sexual relationship, and 9 per cent finding a marriage partner. Research limitations/implications-Despite the limitations over sample control of self-completion surveying, a large online sample was achieved that indicated the growing importance of the internet for finding social and even sexual companionship. Practical implications - Data indicate the kinds of factors that are important to internet daters in choosing online dating agencies and that drive eventual satisfaction with service received. Originality/value - This survey provides original and up-to-date findings on a growing online and social phenomenon and represents one of the largest surveys of its kind yet carried out in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the content and usability of a sample of 50 UK MPs' web sites. Design/methodology/approach -- Score sheets were developed for the evaluation of web sites based on an extensive review of the relevant literature. In addition, a questionnaire was sent to all MPs who had a web site at the time of the research. Findings -- The web sites in general scored poorly in terms of content and usability. Liberal Democrats' web sites scored the highest overall. The main reason why MPs set up web sites was to improve communications with their constituents. However, many MPs had problems finding the time and funds to set up and maintain their web sites. There is a growing interest in interactive web sites. Research limitations/implications -- Not every MP's web site was evaluated, nor was every MP approached regarding their attitude to web sites. Practical implications -- A series of recommendations on how MPs can improve their web sites is provided. It is clear that MPs' web sites are a long way from being ideal. Funding issues need to be addressed. Originality/value -- This is the latest such survey for a number of years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate of the results of a survey which asked people where they went online for their health information, why and what success they had. The prime purpose of the questionnaire was to obtain information on the audience for health information web sites and to obtain feedback as to what they used online health sites for. The focus was on two major publicly funded health internet sites: NHS Direct Online and the BBC web site. Design/methodology/approach - An online survey was carried out with a population of internet users in the UK in the winter of 2004, yielding a sample of nearly 1,000(923) people and a response rate of 4.4 per cent was achieved. Findings - The survey identified that indeed both sites were well used although their users were very different in terms of how they arrived at each site and in terms of what they were looking for. Outcomes resulting from using the sites are discussed and compared. Though outcomes differed between NHS Direct Online and the BBC the data suggest that the national sites were not meeting the demanding information needs of some users. Originality/value - It is the first time that two publicly funded national sites that aim to provide the UK population with health information are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to review how the role of the local authority archive service in the UK has developed, and the implications of the requirement for public sector bodies to demonstrate value in relation to concepts such as social capital, for the way in which services are promoted, evaluated and delivered. Design/methodology/approach - A range of literature (1919-2006) is synthesized to provide a perspective on archive service development, theories of social capital and public value, and government policy, as a means of identifying the implications of current government agendas for archive service delivery. The findings are presented in sections addressing: the context of archive service provision; social capital and government policy; the role of the archive service in meeting government agendas; and the need for services to demonstrate public value. Findings - Provides information about the context of archive service provision, and how services have responded to government agendas within an operational environment which has seen a renewed emphasis on the archive domain within government policy and in terms of structural development since 1997. Considers the applicability of thinking on social capital and public value to service provision. Recognises the implications of the low profile of the archive domain to the capacity of services to demonstrate public value in these terms. Research limitations/implications - Commentary focuses on the local authority context of archive service provision, within England and Wales. Originality/value - Brings together information from different sources in making explicit the need for archive services, as with libraries and museums, to respond to government priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The paper seeks to propose a method for selecting menu items based on an analysis of user-entered search terms. Menu pages inform users what is coming next and what questions are going to be answered by an information communication technology service. Menus need to reflect user needs. The paper aims to argue that users reveal the scope of their information needs by the words used in their search expressions and these can be analysed to inform menu titles. Design/methodology/approach — The paper presents an analysis and classification of user search expressions that are automatically collected by the server. The paper examines the search expressions of about 1,000 users of the BBC site related to search expressions on diabetes. Findings — The search expressions were classified, analysed and compared with the diabetes menu of three health sites: NI-IS Direct (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk); BBC health (www.bbc.co.uk); and Diabetics UK (www.diabetes.org.uk). Finally, a six-point menu is derived. Practical implications — The practical implication of this paper is development of relevant web menus based on user information needs as revealed in search expressions entered by users. Originality/value — This is the first explanation of how search logs can be used to construct menu lists. Previously menus have been designed at worst to suit producers and site designers based on the information that they have available and at best on interviews with small usability or focus groups who are not necessarily users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The aim of this paper is to outline a triangulated methodology for studying usage of electronic health information systems which combines the quantitative data accrued from computer logs with qualitative data from in-depth interviews and observation. Design/methodology/approach — The appropriate methods and inherent issues are reviewed from the literature, with an emphasis on qualitative research. The work of the authors is then highlighted, showing how qualitative methods can inform log analysis. Findings — The paper suggests from the review that it is not only possible but also extremely fruitful to combine quantitative and qualitative data to interpret user behaviour. Originality/value — The methods used by the group, known as "deep log analysis", are innovative, and the attempt both to discuss these and to provide concrete examples from this research provides its originality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this article is to introduce the theme of this special issue which contains a selection of papers written by the staff of UCL SLAIS. Design/methodology/approach — The history of the School is briefly described and its philosophy of taking a broad and inclusive approach to professional education is reviewed. Findings — There is considerable benefit to professional education in an institution which incorporates all branches of information work, and retains a sense of the value of traditional skills in tandem with an exploitation of new technologies. The contributors to this issue reflect this both by the range of disciplines which they represent and by the range of topics, from the most traditional to the most modern, and demonstrate the synergy between them. Originality/value — The article provides an introduction to the special issue and promotes the value of an inclusive approach to professional education in the information disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This study provides insights into the early market for e-books in the UK through survey research with members of a large online panel. Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected from an online panel established by a leading commercial internet research company. Members of the panel are signalled each week to take part in web surveys. Respondents completed an online questionnaire posted on the company's web site. Questions explored awareness, trialling, purchase and borrowing of e-books, examining the frequency of such behaviour and types of publications accessed and/or obtained. Findings - A significant proportion of respondents (85 per cent) were aware of e-books. Among these respondents, around half (49 per cent) had made trial use of them, nearly four in ten (38 per cent) had bought at least one e-book, and one in seven (13 per cent) had borrowed an e-book from a library. Technical books and non-fiction publications related to hobbies and interests were among those most popularly used and bought. The main perceived advantages of e-books are that they can be obtained more conveniently than going via a bookstore and they are often cheaper than hard copy versions. Research limitations/implications - This online survey was dependent on respondent self-selection. This meant that there was no central control over the return sample profile. Originality/value - This survey provided an early look at the e-book market in the UK. Findings indicated the market potential of e-books given that the equipment needed to read them is regarded neither as too expensive nor too difficult to use. It is clear, however, that early e-book users regard electronic reading as something to use primarily for reference work than for more extended reading for leisure and entertainment. Most e-book users (56 per cent) still preferred not to read extended passages of text from a screen. Nonetheless, for dipping in and out of reference works e-books have the advantage of being easier to search and easier to annotate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - To examine the effects of technical developments on demand for traditional enquiry services in the House of Commons Library. Design/methodology/approach - Trends in enquiry load are matched against technical advances, especially in the area of user self-service, using published and unpublished reports. Findings - The growth of resources delivered via the Parliamentary intranet, and the provision of suitable and convenient retrieval equipment, have enabled the end-user and significantly reduced demands on traditional librarianship and reference skills. Research limitation/implications - Based on experience of one special library. Practical implications - Likely to be of use to information practitioners in cognate situations where traditional approaches are being supplanted by technical change. Originality/value - Case study of an organization adapting to the new realities of an information-rich corps of users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This study aims to introduce a method based on link analysis to investigate the structure of the R&D support infrastructure associated with science parks in order to determine whether this webometric approach gives plausible results. Design/methodology/approach – Three science parks from Yorkshire and the Humber in the UK were analysed with webometric and social network analysis techniques. Interlinking networks were generated through the combination of two different data sets extracted from three sources (Yahoo!, Bing, SocSciBot). Findings – These networks suggest that institutional sectors, representing business, universities and public bodies, are primarily tied together by a core formed by research institutions, support structure organisations and business developers. The comparison of the findings with traditional indicators suggests that the web-based networks reflect the offline conditions and policy measures adopted in the region, giving some evidence that the webometric approach is plausible to investigating science park networks. Originality/value – This is the first study that applies a web-based approach to investigate to what extent the science parks facilitate a closer interaction between the heterogeneous organisations that converge in R&D networks. This indicates that link analysis may help to get a first insight into the organisation of the R&D support infrastructure provided by science parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Legal information work has expanded with the growth in knowledge management and emergence of a new type of knowledge/information manager, the professional support lawyer. This study aims to investigate competency requirements for library-based information work in UK law firms, including the specialist subject knowledge required, methods of development and the impact on information professionals of professional support lawyers. Design/methodology/approach – The investigation used a pragmatic mixed-methods approach, including a mainly quantitative questionnaire, administered online to 64 legal information professionals, followed by eight semi-structured interviews and a focus group with four participants. A literature review informed the questionnaire design and contextualised the findings. Findings – The survey confirmed a broad range of competency requirements and clarified the specific subject knowledge needed. Participants favoured a varied combination of formal, and informal learning. Most participants also wanted specialised professional education for the sector. Research limitations/implications – The nature of the sample and use of categorised questions were limiting factors, partly compensated by inviting open-ended comments and follow-up interviews. A larger study using qualitative methods with professional support lawyers and fee-earners would provide a fuller more rounded picture. Practical implications – The findings indicate that the subject knowledge needed for legal information work in law firms is more extensive than for other sectors and suggest that information science departments should strengthen and extend curriculum content to reflect this need. Originality/value – The study has advanced the understanding of the competency, education and training needs of UK legal information professionals, challenging assumptions about academic/professional qualifications and illuminating the blend of competencies needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - To examine the weblogs written by members of UK legislatures and to determine whether such weblogs address commonly cited criticisms of MPs' web sites and serve to bridge the gap between representative and constituent. Design/methodology/approach - Examination of the literature on MPs' web sites to draw up a list of common criticisms. Construction of evaluation criteria to analyse the blogs in terms of content, currency, design, interactivity and evidence of personality both as a snapshot and over a longer period. Findings - That weblogs are, on the whole, kept up to date and show promising levels of activity. Blogs enable constituents to see with what their MPs have been involved (on both the local and the Parliamentary stages) and to see what areas of policy particularly interest their MR Personality of the MPs is apparent on most of the blogs, which are less party-oriented than many MPs' web sites. Although the gap between representatives and constituents may have been bridged to an extent, blogging is still largely a top-down form of communication - even though people do submit relevant and pertinent comments to the blogs, proper two-way debate is rarely seen and comments are not always acknowledged or answered. Research limitations/implications - Based on a small number of blogs covering the UK only. Practical implications - Provides simple evaluation criteria that could be applied to blogs in other areas. Originality/value - Provides a useful first structured analysis of weblogs written by elected representatives, on which further work can be undertaken once the sample size has increased and existing blogs are more established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An online survey was run to investigate the broadband Internet users in Britain. A sample of 1,594 Internet users replied to questions that asked them about their different uses of the Internet and reasons for using this medium. Comparisons were made between respondents (33 per cent) who said they had a high-speed of "broadband" Internet connection and those (67 per cent) who had a narrowband connection. Broadband users were more likely to be male and older than narrowband users. Broadband respondents were also likely to be more experienced Internet users, having had longer Internet access and being more frequent users. Broadband respondents were more advanced Internet users than narrowband respondents, being more likely to engage in consumer and financial transactions online and to exchange software and files with other users. Evidence emerged among all Internet users in the sample that online behaviour was displacing off-line media use. Internet users felt that they had reduced the time they spent in reading newspapers and watching television. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents research that was designed to explore the early take-up of a pilot digital interactive television (DiTV) health information service (Living Health) by cable television subscribers in Birmingham, UK. Log data indicated real-time viewing behaviour of subscribers to the cable network on which the digital health service was carried. A survey of users delivered a return sample of 723 subscribers. Log data indicated an initial surge in use that subsided and stabilised at a lower level. Over one third of cable network subscribers visited the digital health TV site at least once during a 20-week pilot period. The most popularly visited pages concerned sex-related information. In the user survey, just under one in four respondents had reportedly used the DiTV service. The user profile was oriented towards older men and young adult women. Over eight in ten users found the service easy to use and understand. Over half of users consulted the service in connection with a GP visit. Some evidence emerged that use of DiTV might substitute for consulting a doctor among some users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to study the information needs of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the UK. Categories of information need were identified; their importance and difficulty in obtaining them quantified. The research highlighted how there were significant differences in terms of people's desire for the information, the topics in which they were interested and how they wanted that information. Information provision to people with MS was found to have improved dramatically over the last seven years, but was found to be inconsistent in terms of subjects covered. However, it should be borne in mind that it may be difficult for people to take on board information for a variety of reasons. Furthermore, different individual needs mean that information provision is a complex task. Many intervening factors can make it fail. The research made it clear how access to relevant information, provided in an appropriate way, could significantly improve the quality of life of the person with MS and that there is considerable scope for improving provision of information to people with MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to increase turnout at elections the UK government has been piloting electronic voting. At the 2002 local elections five councils tested remote Internet voting for the first time. Swindon Borough Council conducted the largest pilot, offering remote Internet voting to all voters. Almost 15,000 voters were surveyed as to their motivation for choosing their voting method. Turnout did increase by 3.5 per cent but it is impossible to state conclusively that this was due to the availability of the Internet voting option, since most Internet voters were already regular voters. Future pilots should allow a more conclusive assessment of the impact on turnout of remote Internet voting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The British Life and Internet Project was launched in 2002 to explore the way people use the Internet in Britain. It will survey people online throughout each year on a range of topics linked to the use of the Internet. In the first survey that was conducted, just before Christmas 2002, respondents were asked a series of questions about their history of involvement with the Internet and the nature of their online behaviour. The findings indicated that online technology was used overwhelmingly for sending and receiving e-mails and for obtaining news and information linked to work and hobbies. Such is the demand of the Internet on the time of users that many acknowledged reducing the amount of time they spend on other activities, such as watching television, reading newspapers, and even going out to do the shopping. The Internet is, for most of its users, an important interpersonal communications medium, used to stay in touch and gossip with family and friends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishes whether e-mail overload exists in the UK workplace through a series of in-depth interviews. Evaluates the use of e-mail and attitudes towards its use in a business environment. Concludes that e-mail has recently penetrated into organisations as a business communication tool and that the level of seniority in a company impacts on the number of e-mails sent and received. Establishes that e-mail overload exists, although it is difficult to say to what extent, as e-mail usage is sometimes very personal. Devises a set of guidelines to give advice on how to manage incoming messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]