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EDITOR'S SUMMARY At the fifth SIG/MET workshop, held during the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, the group shared papers, posters and discussions exploring developments in information measurement. The opening session on bibliometric case studies examined interdisciplinarity among consumers of academic research, increased funding for coauthors of previously funded authors and a classification of acknowledgement types. A session on information retrieval in relation to bibliometrics included studies on overcoming the limits of computational linguistics in very large corpora, an interactive context explorer of bibliographic data called Ariadne and comparative approaches to visualizing the structure of a very large dataset. The alternative metrics session covered application of altmetrics for analyzing public policy documents, a novel usage indicator promoting article discovery, the basis for connections among faculty members using Twitter and the heavy use of Twitter among academics. The daylong workshop included awards for best papers, best student papers and two featured presentations on the application and use of metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EDITOR'S SUMMARY Special Interest Group/Classification Research (SIG/CR) explored the significance of studies on classification and its real world effects through paper presentations by students and faculty at the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting workshop. Presenters looked at the effects of approaches to classifying and structuring knowledge and at the ways classification models frame similarities and differences and influence views of society and the world. Among the papers on specific models and cases were presentations on capturing situation semantics in metadata, classifications of violence and disasters and historians' perspectives on organizing information. Fundamental philosophical positions were shown to inform classifications, and the effects of classificatory systems evolve with time. Other papers addressed the cultural, political and theoretical consequences of compiling a controlled vocabulary, outsourcing metadata and information resources for classification of social and cultural issues. The workshop ended with the announcement of new officers and presentation of student scholarships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EDITOR'S SUMMARY At the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, Special Interest Group/Social Informatics (SIG/SI) celebrated its 11th research symposium and the more than 100 panels, papers and posters presented over the years. The theme, 'The Impacts of Social Informatics Research,' was evident in studies illustrating social informatics in a variety of contexts. Speakers explored the use of communications technology in marginalized communities and language use in informal chat about illegal behavior in online communities. Presenters also examined human rights in Indonesia, taking a value-oriented approach in social informatics research, efforts to create a safer internet and ways big data marginalize individuals through algorithms used in quantitative analyses. A panel considered where social informatics fits in the IT curriculum of iSchools. An examination of social connectedness through digital channels and devices won the Best Paper Award. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article announces the 2015 ASIS&T Award winners including Michael E.D. Koenig who is the recipient of the 2015 ASIS&T Award of Merit, Michael Leach as the recipient of the ASIS&T's Watson Davis Award and Denise Agosto as the recipient of the 2015 Thomson Reuters Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award.

EDITOR'S SUMMARY Bringing comic relief to the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, SIG CON opened with discovery that the alleged nephew of the group's figurehead, Dr. Llewellyn C. Puppybreath III, and speaker at the 2014 meeting was an imposter of dubious character. With the purloined ceremonial wand accounted for, the 2015 symposium opened with a presentation on the I-Index, an anti-establishment altmetric, eschewing group recognition in favor of individualism and self-citation. A paper on the correlation among computer science doctorates, rising arcade revenues and climate warming in Australia highlighted the income and career opportunities available to techies relocating to Oz. Analysis of ASIS&T members' social media posts revealed a skewed distribution of posters, topics and irrelevant content, especially by Association leadership. The session also featured a Monty Python character reporting on fatal answers at the Bridge of Death, multiple personalities of Dr. N. E. Doofus and a séance with illustrious ASIS&T members spanning the spectrum from living to dead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EDITOR'S SUMMARY Special Interest Group/Information Needs, Seeking and Use (SIG/USE) convened at the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting to explore the links between theory and practice in information behavior. In his keynote address, Ross Todd urged the audience to go beyond models and aim for synthesis and meta-analysis, focusing on the user. Lightning talks addressed a social cognitive theory analysis of a program for disadvantaged youth; adults with limited literacy and health information; mobile information workers; forming a community of practice; and information sharing practices among online communities. A key takeaway was that research should actively involve communities and their members rather than simply being about them. Safiya Noble's keynote highlighted hidden biases in automated search engine returns with encouragement to design algorithms enabling users to opt in or out of filtered returns. Attendees explored the topics raised further during a mixer chat and table talks. The symposium ended with presentations for the best paper, poster and research proposal and awards for student and international conference travel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the claims of a black male student that St. Louis University has discriminated on the basis of his race in Missouri. The author stated that the student believes that he is being discriminated despite receiving the waiver, since a white male student has been awarded with a Master of Arts in Philosophy by completing a paper. However, the Office for Civil Rights has determined an insufficient evidence to support the allegation of the student.

The article highlights the Verni v. Cleveland Chiropractic College lawsuit in Missouri. The author stated that Leonard Verni has been dismissed from the college for committing an academic misconduct for selling copies of the forthcoming examination. However, Verni filed an action against Cleveland and Aleksandr Makarov after the appeal procedures. Furthermore, the Missouri Supreme Court has reversed the judgment of the Circuit Court on Verni's breach of contract against Makarov.

The article features Bob Wittenburg, dean of University College at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Wittenburg explores his love for teaching. As administrator, he teaches one regular course every year in his specialization, Shakespearean literature. He discusses the professional and personal rewards of teaching as an administrator, such as being able to earn credibility from faculty members, being aware of the problems and needs of the faculty and having a variety in daily work.

An introduction is presented wherein the editor discusses various reports in the issue on topics including a coverage of the 2015 Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri and the possible role of libraries and data repositories in supporting the reproducibility of research from the faculty of the institutions they serve.

The article offers information on the 78th Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) annual meeting to be held in Saint Louis for from November 6-10, 2015.

The article announces that the Saint Louis Community College encourages individuals to submit applications and nominations for the position of president of the Forest Park Campus in Missouri. It states that the deadline of application is on January 11, 2010 and the information on qualifications can be obtained at www.stlcc.edu or www.acct.org. It notes that the institution is the largest community college system in the state with about 27,500 students enrolled each semester.

The article reports on the effort to improve crisis care in St. Louis, Missouri with the opening of the St. Louis Regional Psychiatric Stabilization Center in 2012. The center aims to provide relief to the problem created in 2010 when state budget cutbacks resulted in an end to state-operated acute-care psychiatric services. However, a number of factors that limited the impact of the facility was suggested including its failure to be certified to receive Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement.

The article discusses a court case wherein the U.S. Office for Civil Rights (OCR) ruled against a student in a discrimination claim filed against St. Louis University stating that there was not enough evidence to support his complaint. In Letter to: St. Louis University, a student alleged that the university discriminated against him based on his race when he was asked to take an additional course after reenrolling at the university.

The article focuses on the issue of Medicaid expansion in Missouri. Joseph Parks, medical director, Missouri Department of Mental Health, revealed that under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) federal disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments will gradually decrease to a 50 percent cut. Impacts of non-expansion of medicaid include reduction or elimination of psychiatric services and outpatient mental health system will focus more on crisis services.

The article reports on the proposed Medicaid system in Missouri which received some attention from national advocacy groups for its implementation. According to the article, the legislative bill will move forward, however without a plan for beneficiary wellness incentives that had worried advocates for individuals with serious mental illness and other disabilities.

The article offers information on the 78th Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) Annual Meeting to be held in St. Louis, Missouri from November 6-10, 2015.

The article features Deanna Hunsaker, registrar at the A.T. Still University in Missouri charged with helping the institution to operate as a single university. It discusses how the institution improve its efficiency in providing common services to students such as orientation, which include proposing a new calendar plan and review of accreditation rules. Hunsaker adds that reaching an agreement over a common grading system is the existing challenge for the university.

The article profiles Mike Alden, athletic directors at the University of Missouri. It highlights the commitment and effort of Alden in changing the mindset of the culture at the university through the institution of outreach sports programs. It also highlights an event when he was placed under a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) investigation for alleged infractions with his men's basketball program.

Reports on the launch of a program designed to reduce the number of methamphetamine laboratories in Franklin County, Missouri. Focus of the program on reducing the supply of ingredients used to make methamphetamine by reaching out to store retailers; Award of a grant from the federal government to finance the program; Use of the funds to reach retailers through training videos and public service announcements.