This paper aims to provide a bibliometric study of journal articles related to institutional repositories in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) between January 1993 and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide a bibliometric study of journal articles related to institutional repositories in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) between January 1993 and August 2017. This study will provide researchers with a foundation for further research.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, articles published were analyzed; titles were searched using the term “institutional repositories.” The data were evaluated in response to four research questions on the following topics: publication trends, prolific authors, core journals and times cited.
Findings
The results indicate that 124 articles on institutional repositories were authored by 223 individuals. These articles were cited 722 times in 37 journals, and the h-index provided by the Web of Science was 14.
Research limitations/implications
This study only investigated articles titled with institutional repositories in the SSCI. Other items were not included.
Practical implications
This study shows that the implementation of institutional repositories has been limited to library and information science. If they can be used broadly in different disciplines, a better outcome can be expected.
Social implications
Based on the findings, the growth of institutional repositories as an academic subject is likely to continue. If such discussions can be conducted in other disciplines, institutional repositories may be able to provide a more promising outcome to academia.
Originality/value
This paper is valuable for researchers who wish to examine the trends of institutional repositories in the SSCI and seek possible areas for further research.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine open access practices using an anthropological view of emics and etics.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine open access practices using an anthropological view of emics and etics.
Design/methodology/approach
An emic‐etic distinction has been theorized in anthropological research for decades. Its insider and outsider views are adopted here to provide greater understanding of open access development. The visions of various groups of academics, particularly faculty scholars and librarians, are explored to identify their different positions on open access involvement as well as the impact of those positions on open access practices.
Findings
This analysis reveals that new models of scholarly communication need to cope with existing systems and become sustainable only when the thoughts and behaviors of insiders have been fully understood by outsiders and appropriate strategies have been taken on in practice.
Originality/value
A theoretical framework was introduced to understand the practices of open access repositories and journal publishing.
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This article aims to explore the geographic distribution of open access practices in the world from a diffusionist perspective.
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to explore the geographic distribution of open access practices in the world from a diffusionist perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The article applies a tempo‐spatial analysis to examine the diffusion movement of open access practices from the West to the entire world during the past several decades. Both maps and tables are used to support the analysis. The diffusionist theory is reviewed and applied to the understanding of open access.
Findings
The paper discovers that technology is not the only factor determining the diffusion pattern of information systems as discussed in the literature. Cultural dissimilarities across countries have played a significant role in open access development. Open access can only be effectively established after it meets local standards.
Practical implications
The findings help understanding of why open access has a disproportionate growth among developing countries, and even among developed countries, where the ICT infrastructure has been in place.
Originality/value
Few studies have taken a transnational view to analyze open access geography at the global level, and few have been able to synthesize models to interpret diverse discoveries. Furthermore, a chronological evaluation tracing the history of open access spatial expansion is absent in the literature.
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Jingfeng Xia and Katie Nakanishi
This research seeks to examine the relationship between the open access availability of journal articles in anthropology and their citation conditions.
Abstract
Purpose
This research seeks to examine the relationship between the open access availability of journal articles in anthropology and their citation conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper applies a statistical logistic regression model to explore this relationship, and compares two groups of articles, those published in high‐ranked journals and those in low‐ranked journals based on journal impact factor, to examine the likelihood that open access status is correlated to scholarly impact.
Findings
The results reveal that open access articles in general receive more citations. Moreover, this research finds that articles in high‐ranked journals do not have a higher open access rate, and articles in lower‐ranked journals have a greater increase rate of citations if they are freely accessible.
Originality/value
The findings are contrary to the existing theory that a higher citation rate of open access articles is caused by authors posting their best articles online. It is hoped that the research discoveries can help electronic publishers and digital project managers to adjust their strategies in open access advocacy.
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Jingfeng Xia, Sara Kay Wilhoite and Rebekah Lynette Myers
This paper seeks to examine a librarian‐faculty divide in authors' OA contributions with regard to article self‐archiving and OA consumptions with regard to citation counts.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to examine a librarian‐faculty divide in authors' OA contributions with regard to article self‐archiving and OA consumptions with regard to citation counts.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper measures the OA availabilities and citations of scholarly articles from 20 top‐ranked LIS journals published in 2006. A logistic regression analysis is taken to make the comparisons.
Findings
It finds that there is no correlation between the numbers of OA articles and the professional status of the authors. However, librarian authors differ from faculty authors in the citation and self‐citation rates of their articles. There are also differences between these two groups of authors in co‐authorship and the numbers of article pages and references.
Originality/value
This study takes a new approach to compare the publications of librarians and faculty in library and information science for their open access availability and citations. The findings may help OA advocates and administrators to make appropriate policy changes.
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The purpose of this paper is to review the development of disciplinary repositories in the social sciences.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the development of disciplinary repositories in the social sciences.
Design/methodology/approach
The concentration of this article is on a discussion of the operational styles of existing repositories.
Findings
The paper argues that appropriate operational styles of digital repositories will change the culture of information exchange in the social science disciplines. It finds that many successful repositories have employed the strategy of decentralization in their operations. This model can efficiently and effectively reach individual scholars in broad areas.
Originality/value
Most existing repositories in the social sciences have not gained ground in attracting scholars. They could learn from successful repositories to improve their own operational plans.
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To propose improvements to the identification of authors' names in digital repositories.
Abstract
Purpose
To propose improvements to the identification of authors' names in digital repositories.
Design/methodology/approach
Analysis of current name authorities in digital resources, particularly in digital repositories, and analysis of some features of existing repository applications.
Findings
This paper finds that the variations of authors' names have negatively affected the retrieval capability of digital repositories. Two possible solutions include using composite identifiers that combine author name, publication date, and author affiliation, and also asking authors to input the variants of their name, if any, at the time of depositing articles.
Originality/value
This is the first time that the approach of authors self‐depositing their name variations is proposed. This approach will be able to reduce confusions in name identification.
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This research seeks to observe the occupancy of study areas in a university library over a period of several months with the aim of evaluating the efficiency of library resources…
Abstract
Purpose
This research seeks to observe the occupancy of study areas in a university library over a period of several months with the aim of evaluating the efficiency of library resources usage.
Design/methodology/approach
In undertaking the research, study facilities of a library, such as chairs, sofas, carrels, and tables, were first drawn as features on maps using a GIS application. Geospatial databases were then created to store data of occupancy of the facilities by library users, which were observed by the author. On connecting records in the databases to features on the maps, GIS functions were explored to analyze observed data and exhibit the analytical results on the maps.
Findings
The findings of this research challenge the predominant opinion that insists that academic library users have a preference of study carrels over tables for studying. Instead, the research reveals that student users tend to select tables to study, especially tables equipped with electrical and internet connections. At the same time, group study rooms are overwhelmingly welcomed.
Practical implications
This research demonstrates the potential of GIS technology for assisting library operations with regard to study space management. With GIS, libraries can have an automation tool to record their daily activities, analyze the data, and exhibit the analysis on maps for better understanding.
Originality/value
This is an experimental work. Librarians may find it useful in managing the activities of their library and helpful in providing information for space rearrangement and service enhancement.
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The management of library “pick‐up books” – a phrase that refers to books pulled off the shelves by readers, discarded in the library after use, and picked up by library…
Abstract
The management of library “pick‐up books” – a phrase that refers to books pulled off the shelves by readers, discarded in the library after use, and picked up by library assistants for reshelving – is an issue for many collection managers. This research attempts to use geographic information system (GIS) software as a tool to monitor the use of such books so that their distributions by book shelf‐ranges can be displayed visually. With GIS, library floor layouts are drawn as maps. This research produces some explanations of the habits of library patrons browsing shelved materials, and makes suggestions to librarians on the expansion of library collections and the rearrangement potential for library space.
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This paper identifies the importance of space management in support of the functions of academic libraries. It reviews current solutions on library space management by pinpointing…
Abstract
This paper identifies the importance of space management in support of the functions of academic libraries. It reviews current solutions on library space management by pinpointing their advantages and disadvantages, and it introduces GIS (geographic information systems) as a tool for library space management, because of its capacity for analyzing spatial data and interactive information. A proposal is outlined that attempts to highlight the process of developing, implementing, maintaining, and utilizing a GIS system for academic libraries.