Search

The purpose of this paper is to report on the seeking of deeply meaningful information, also including embodied information, connected to significant, intensely personal life changes havin...

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the role of one particular online discussion forum as a potentially authoritative health information source for its users. The concept of cognitive authority is used as a starting point for understanding information evaluation in this context. The focus is placed on the types of information users seek for from this forum, the ways they assess the credibility of information obtained, and their views on the impact of this information.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical data were collected with a questionnaire survey from the users of a Finnish online forum for girls and young women (n=290). The data were analyzed qualitatively with content analytic techniques and quantitatively by using descriptive analysis.FindingsThe forum was found to offer girls and young women the possibility to receive health information from peers. It was viewed as an appropriate source for experiential rather than factual health information and used to find information on sexuality, bodily functions and diets, for example. Author-related cues, argumentation and tone, veracity and verification were recognized as means to evaluate information credibility. Credibility evaluation was found to be linked with conceptions of the forum and the type of information sought. A share of the respondents recognized the information obtained to have influence on their thinking or behavior.Originality/valueBased on the findings, it can be argued that the members of the online forum – individually or collectively – can act as cognitive authorities for other users. The findings cannot be generalized beyond this online forum, to Finnish girls or young women, or even the users of the online forum. However, they provide insights into the ways young people evaluate user-generated information in a particular online setting and domain of knowledge and as such contribute to research on cognitive authority, credibility evaluation and information literacy.

Straipsnio tikslas – nustatyti ir išanalizuoti veiksnius, turinčius įtakos respondentų sprendimui nutraukti klausimyno pildymą. Šiam tikslui įgyvendinti pasirinkta Informacinio raštingumo ir mokslinių duomenų valdymo tyrimo anketa, kuri buvo pateikiama Vilniaus universiteto (Lietuva) ir Oulu universiteto (Suomija) mokslininkams, atliekant mokslinių duomenų valdymo tyrimą abiejuose universitetuose 2017 m. Šis tyrimas buvo tarptautinio (atlikto keliasdešimtyje valstybių) mokslinio tyrimo apie duomenų raštingumą ir mokslinių duomenų valdymą (angl. Data Literacy and Research Data Management) dalis. Tyrimo vadovės – Serap Kurbanoğlu ir Joumana Boustany. Šiame straipsnyje analizuojami 1185 anketų duomenys iš abiejų universitetų, iš kurių 515 – pradėtos ir nebaigtos pildyti anketos, o 670 – baigtos pildyti anketos. Duomenų analizė atlikta taikant Framework for Web Survey Participation (Andy Peytchev, 2009). Gautieji duomenys apdoroti taikant IBM SPSS Statistics 19 versiją, naudojant aprašomosios ir inferencinės statistikos testus. Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė, kad svarbiausi veiksniai, nulėmę nebaigtą anketos pildymą, yra anketos apimtis, respondentų atstovaujama mokslo sritis, mokslinio darbo patirtis, amžius ir tyrimo tematika. Einamos pareigos ir respondentų lytis reikšmingos įtakos tam neturėjo. Svarbus veiksnys, lemiantis anketos pildymo neužbaigimą, yra ir klausimyno dizaino bei struktūros sprendimai. The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of factors that affect the respondents to drop out of an already started survey on research data management. We decided to take a questionnaire on data management survey at Vilnius University and Oulu University implemented in 2017 as a case study. The data for the analysis was collected using the questionnaire, which was used in multinational research for Data Literacy and Research Data Management, performed by a group of researchers in more than ten countries, initiated by Serap Kurbanoğlu and Joumana Boustany. This paper describes the analysis of 1185 survey samples, of which 515 were unfinished and 670 finished in both universities. For the analysis of the data, we used Framework for Web Survey Participation created by Andy Peytchev (2009). The collected data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics ver. 19 with descriptive and inferential statistical tests. The most significant factors on deciding not to finish the survey were the length of the survey, the scientific field, experience, age and the topic of the survey. No statistically significant difference was measured between those who finished the survey and unfinished evaluating the data by gender and job position. An important factor in not finishing the survey was the design of the survey.

Librarians are expected to be expert searchers, and developing information literacy skills to navigate the vast world of information is a focus of most library and information science (LIS) programs. It is important to understand the information literacy and behaviors of LIS students to see if they are employing the skills they will need to assist and educate their future patrons, yet there is relatively little research into the information literacy and behaviors of librarians and library students. Using a survey on information behaviors, this study addresses this gap in the literature by examining how LIS students in 18 countries search for, evaluate, and use information in various contexts, and on whom they rely for help. The results of this study demonstrate library science students’ information literacy skills within an international context. Faculty in LIS programs will be interested to see how their students approach information problems, and might use this understanding to develop or strengthen courses and inform curricular decisions.

The purpose of this research is to study the attention paid by the YLE Sápmi radio audience to news published on the website. The study is based on the attention economic theory. YLE Sápmi is a regional indigenous radio channel of the public Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE. The attention data consist of web comments and Facebook likes. The most commented news focused on the Sámi area or culture, often associated with ethnic tensions. On the radio website, the comments were from time to time highly controversial, while Facebook likes show support towards positive cultural developments. This study contributes to knowledge on the research potential of the attention data on social media websites. This research method not only enables the study of themes interesting for the audience, but also how the media itself channels discussions in certain directions.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present findings from a multinational survey on copyright literacy of specialists from libraries and other cultural institutions. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a multinational survey of copyright literacy competencies of Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals and those who work in the cultural heritage sector (archives and museums), conducted in 13 countries, namely Bulgaria (BG), Croatia (CR), Finland (FI), France (FR), Hungary (HU), Lithuania (LT), Mexico (MX), Norway (NO), Portugal (PT), Romania (RO), Turkey (TR), UK and USA in the period July 2013-March 2015. An online survey instrument was developed in order to collect data from professionals regarding their familiarity with, knowledge and awareness of, and opinions on copyright-related issues. Findings Findings of this study highlight gaps in existing knowledge of copyright, and information about the level of copyright literacy of LIS and cultural sector professionals. Also attitudes toward copyright learning content in academic education and continuing professional development training programs are investigated. Originality/value This study aimed to address a gap in the literature by encompassing specialists from the cultural institutions in an international comparative context. The paper offers guidance for further understanding of copyright in a wider framework of digital and information literacy; and for the implementation of copyright policy, and the establishment of copyright advisor positions in cultural institutions. The recommendations support a revision of academic and continuing education programs learning curriculum and methods.

The meaning of curation has been connected to art and historical museums but, in the web context, it is also connected to information or content that can have many forms such as text, pictures, video, or music. Content curation is not a new phenomenon, although the term has not been used for a long time, and appears more often in short articles or web pages than in research papers. It has links to several professions and information literacy. The purpose of this paper is to study as to what degree the elements of information literacy can be found in the definitions of content or information curation. The study is based on 18 articles and 12 web pages concerning information or content curation. In the results, elements of information literacy, consisting of the information need, searching and finding information, evaluating it, incorporating into one’s knowledge base, and using it ethically and legally are present in the definitions of content curation, although some of them implicitly, and they are described by many different terms. Although the elements of information literacy would be present in the definitions, references to information literacy literature are rare. The definitions also include elements outside the traditional definitions of information literacy. The results imply to the relevance of information literacy skills and importance of information literacy education in many different fields. Information or content curation have been proposed as future career opportunities for information professionals.

One hundred scientific and scholarly journal web sites were investigated to find out their use of social media tools and to examine attention data revealed by them. Seventy-eight scientific journals used social media tools, RSS being the most common. Interactive social media tools – Facebook, Twitter and blogs – were present on 19 journal web sites. Attention data were operationalised as liking, commenting or sharing postings on Facebook, Twitter or blog texts or linking to articles, liking a YouTube entry or following a journal on Twitter. Facebook and blog sites of the journals had varying roles with respect to content generated by readers and the journal, and the amount of attention data received by the journals’ Facebook, Twitter and blog sites also showed great variation. In scientific communication, social media have a role of their own, complementing that of scientific journals, and their active use indicates the clear demand for them. Attention is difficult to measure also by social media, but their interactive features obviously indicate one part of it, and attention economy presents a fruitful viewpoint for studying scientific communication by providing relevant and useful concepts that describe its characteristics and factors that influence the attention it receives.

Active use of information and the media may promote healthy aging. The everyday information behavior of older adults' is examined, and the activating role of the media thereon—that is, the use of television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet. Enactment, an evidence-based concept, is introduced as a theoretical tool that refers to the phenomenon of information and media use leading to action in concrete daily activities. The research strategy was qualitative, consisting of content analysis of semi-structured interviews of 13 retired teachers and the media diaries of 306 older adult Finns. Fifteen categories of information and media use were proposed and grouped into four forms of enactment on the basis of their temporal nature, namely, direct or indirect engagement: 1) general routines and housework, 2) healthy lifestyle, 3) cognitive tasks, and 4) interaction with others. Enactment takes place when older adults' everyday information behavior leads to observable actions, such as organizing their daily activities, preparing food, exercising and engaging in healthy activities, practicing language skills, or filling in crossword puzzles. These findings support the notion that use of information and the media can motivate older adults to stay active in life. Therefore, the concept of enactment may prove useful in gaining a better understanding of certain physical, cognitive, and social aspects of everyday information behavior and their impact on people's well-being. However, the findings should be validated in a broader population.

The aim of this longitudinal (years 2002―2009), follow-up study is to increase understanding of potential changes in teachers' conceptions of teaching and learning when a school library was established and developed to change a school's operational culture and its way of working with information. An interdisciplinary approach was justified by the new definitions of both literacy and information literacy (IL), the curriculum's conception of learning, and the teaching practises in the schools. The Activity Theory is used to frame the phenomenon of the school's operational culture in the context of a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funded school library project. The data include reports written by the teachers of 11 comprehensive schools (grades 1―6) during 2002―2004, and teachers' group interviews in the same schools in 2009. The preliminary findings based on the qualitative content analysis of the first Data Set, including the use of QSR NVivo8, show that the teachers emphasised collaboration with other teachers, and they discussed about pedagogical issues after the project more than before. The teachers understood well the necessity to develop the pedagogy in relation to the school library space and materials. In the reports, the teachers focused on teaching IL, teacher collaboration, school's operational culture and teaching methods. The findings indicate that the school library project has increased the use of collaborative working methods and understanding of IL among teachers. The researchers' close involvement with the school library project may be considered as a limitation. However, it may give depth to the interpretation of the results. The next phase of the study will be the analysis of the interview data in relation to the written reports.

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to present usability heuristics for the evaluation of public library web services.Design/methodology/approachHeuristics for library services are based on Nielsen's classical list of heuristics and results of previous usability research of library web services. A total of 15 public library web sites were evaluated on the basis of these applied heuristics. One part of the study was supported through usability tests. The results of these studies were utilized to evaluate the applied heuristics.FindingsThe applied heuristics are divided into three categories: heuristics critical from the usability viewpoint; heuristics concerning major problems; and heuristics connected to minor usability problems but still important and concerning conventions of web design. The use of the heuristics and the results they give are evaluated to provide a basis for their use in future.Research limitations/implicationsThe applied heuristics lists have been tested in two different studies, and the combined list based on them has so far been utilized in practical evaluation, but has not been formally tested.Practical implicationsThe heuristics for library web services presented in this paper can be applied to usability evaluation of public library web services.Originality/valueLibrary web sites should be user friendly, because the services are meant for all citizens. The applied heuristics for public library web services provide a starting point for usability evaluation that can be continued with other methods.

Copyright literacy in Finnish libraries, archives, and museums was studied by a web survey as part of a multinational research. The study focused on the awareness concerning national and international copyright legislation and institutions, regulations concerning different aspects of copyright, and sources of copyright information that the respondents would use. 156 completed questionnaires were returned, representing different kinds of memory institutions. The informants were mostly experienced information professionals who were moderately well aware of national legislation and copyright institutions, whereas they were less familiar with respective international regulations. Copyright issues are already and will be in the future even more relevant part of information professional’s expertise and this is emphasized by the need to educate students in this respect.

The reading format preferences of Finnish university students were studied as part of an international research project. The research material was compiled by a web based questionnaire sent to 18 universities in Finland and over 600 completed questionnaires were received. Printed class readings were preferred by a clear majority of informants, especially if the texts are long. However, only less than half of the informants would want all course materials in print format, often due to ecological reasons. Moreover, electronic publications are easy to store on a computer, and there is also a minority preferring electronic format, especially among students of technology. In most cases also informants with visual limitation preferred printed format to electronic, suggesting to the need for further develop the latter group.

Purpose — The purpose of this study is to describe the development of contents, visibility and use of two Library 2.0 services, Hame-Wiki and the Virtual Path map service, launched by Hameenlinna City Library and based on crowdsourcing, service convergence and the application on Web 2.0 technology. Design/methodology/approach — The development of the contents of the services were analysed by observing the increase in articles and other items published in them. The interest in these sites and their use were studied by the number of their contributors, users and downloads and by link analysis concerning inbound links. To gather users’ experiences, a Web survey was directed to the registered users by e-mail. A questionnaire for all users was linked to the front page of both services. Qualitative theme interviews were conducted with the staff of Hameenlinna City Library to elicit their experiences concerning the use of the services and their impact on the work community. Findings — The reception of the services was evidenced by the daily increasing number of published articles and maps, also indicating crowdsourcing. Their use was clearly described by the increasing download figures and inbound links. Both services offered users information not available elsewhere. The study is limited by the low number of responses in the Web surveys. Practical implications — Practical implications originate from the concrete examples of content sharing, crowdsourcing and service convergence which have not been much studied in library context. Originality/value — The practical implications of the work also contribute to the value of the paper for developers of Web 2.0 services and service convergence.

Lack of security and trust is considered the biggest barrier to the increase of business-to-consumer e-commerce. In this chapter the authors aim at gaining insights of how online vendor design and usability relate to people’s opinions of the trustworthiness of shopping online. Additionally, common concerns regarding trust and security are explored both theoretically, based on existing literature, and empirically in a pilot study. The results showed that the most common concern among the respondents is online payment. The respondents valued detailed information of the products, of the processing and delivery of orders. Also the familiarity of products and vendors and easy-to-use online stores were appreciated. In e-business, quality design and good usability of vendors’ websites can be seen as a means to diminish the customer’s potentially risky situation. From the customer’s viewpoint, in turn, these can be taken as the indicators of quality and the vendor’s competence which reduce uncertainty and predict trust in e-commerce environment.

Ways of sharing information as part of the development and implementation of new evaluation methods were studied in a project involving thirteen public libraries, one polytechnic library, and one university library. The purpose of the project was to initiate collaboration in evaluation and to develop qualitative evaluation tools that would be easy to use. Communities of practice, comprising of representatives of the different libraries, had a focal role in the development work, in which sharing of information was elemental. Qualitative tools consisted of portfolios and various forms for collecting information. In addition, informal consortium benchmarking was applied to evaluate different library tasks. Although small units have rarely been studied with regard to the sharing of knowledge or information or benchmarking, they should be. Moreover, small units may even be able to contribute to development. The study is based on information gathered from participants using interviews and questionnaires as well as project documentation, the contents of which have been analyzed qualitatively.

Portfolio process, mindmapping, and peer evaluation have been utilized in an introductory course of information studies since autumn 2001. The aims of applying these methods were to encourage students to think, to strengthen the social process of learning, and to help students to acquire a general idea of the multifaceted field of information studies. This paper describes the working methods used, the participants' experiences of the course, and the feedback provided by the students.