This paper discusses the results of a survey sent to online searchers in four countries: the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada. The survey form provided a…
Abstract
This paper discusses the results of a survey sent to online searchers in four countries: the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada. The survey form provided a sample question and asked searchers to prepare a preliminary strategy for a search in the Sociological Abstracts database. American searchers depend on controlled vocabulary much more than British searchers. Australian searchers have created their own search pattern, while Canadian searchers have blended the American and British patterns. In reviewing results of the searches, over half of the citations retrieved were retrieved by more than one search. Australian searchers were more likely to retrieve items that no other search retrieved, while Canadian searchers had the highest overlap rate.
In a study of university library Web sites in four English speaking countries (Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA), the visual display of information was found to be similar…
Abstract
In a study of university library Web sites in four English speaking countries (Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA), the visual display of information was found to be similar across all countries. However, there were some differences in the content supplied. All of the 150 library Web sites examined provided access to their own catalogue and some databases. Most also provided access to other library catalogues, a description of services and an update date. There was much less information provided on instructional material and remote access, and there were discrepancies in the availability of encyclopaedias, request forms and pathfinders.
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A previous paper by the present author described the pros and cons of using the three largest cited reference enhanced multidisciplinary databases and discussed and illustrated in…
Abstract
Purpose
A previous paper by the present author described the pros and cons of using the three largest cited reference enhanced multidisciplinary databases and discussed and illustrated in general how the theoretically sound idea of the h‐index may become distorted depending on the software and the content of the database(s) used, and the searchers' skill and knowledge of the database features. The aim of this paper is to focus on Google Scholar (GS), from the perspective of calculating the h‐index for individuals and journals.
Design/methodology/approach
A desk‐based approach to data collection is used and critical commentary is added.
Findings
The paper shows that effective corroboration of the h‐index and its two component indicators can be done only on persons and journals with which a researcher is intimately familiar. Corroborative tests must be done in every database for important research.
Originality/value
The paper highlights the very time‐consuming process of corroborating data, tracing and counting valid citations and points out GS's unscholarly and irresponsible handling of data.
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Julie Still and Frank Campbell
In the past few years more and more librarians have discovered electronic mail. One indication of this new awareness is the proliferation of library‐specific bulletin boards and…
Abstract
In the past few years more and more librarians have discovered electronic mail. One indication of this new awareness is the proliferation of library‐specific bulletin boards and computer conferences on established electronic networks like Bitnet and Internet. The number of authors listing e‐mail addresses in library journals has also increased significantly. Conference participants may be asked to give an e‐mail address as well as a regular mail (“snail mail”) address on committee rosters. Some libraries have local area networks that tie them into campus or systemwide networks.
Katie Elson Anderson and Julie M. Still
The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to Google's new service, Google+.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to Google's new service, Google+.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper provides general descriptions of the elements of Google+.
Findings
The paper explores the potential for the use of Google+ by librarians.
Originality/value
Google+ is a new service that is already being looked at and used by librarians. This paper provides brief descriptions of the elements of Google+, as well as helpful tips on how to find other librarians, to gain the most potential out of this service.
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Abstract
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Julie Still and Zara Wilkinson
The purpose of this paper is to address the use of librarians as a study population in social science research outside of the field of library and information science…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the use of librarians as a study population in social science research outside of the field of library and information science. Additionally, it aims to make general claims about how frequently librarians have been studied compared to other occupations, as well as to identify and describe existing research that has used librarians as a study population.
Design/methodology/approach
The described study had two parts. Two social science databases were searched using the subject headings “librarians” and eight additional occupations, and the results for all nine occupations were analyzed. The peer-reviewed results for “librarians” were then coded by content. The articles that used librarians as a study population were identified, reviewed and described.
Findings
Although librarians, as an occupational group, possess many characteristics that should make them an ideal choice for social science research, they seem to be studied less frequently than other occupations.
Research limitations/implications
Other occupational groups, such as mathematicians, were also studied infrequently. Further research might consider, more broadly, why some occupations are studied more frequently than others. Future studies might also compare librarianship to other female-dominated professions, such as nursing and education. Additionally, the subject heading “librarians” was applied to articles that studied non-professional library employees, making it difficult to isolate only articles with a focus on degreed librarians.
Originality/value
Few other studies have examined social science research in which librarians are used as the study population. By focusing on how librarians are studied and written about in other fields, this paper will add to the body of literature on the professional image of librarians.
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Ellen D. Sutton, Richard Feinberg, Cynthia R. Levine, Jennie S. Sandberg and Janice M. Wilson
Academic librarians are frequently called upon to provide instruction in relatively unfamiliar disciplines. This article presents introductory information for librarians providing…
Abstract
Academic librarians are frequently called upon to provide instruction in relatively unfamiliar disciplines. This article presents introductory information for librarians providing bibliographic instruction (BI) in the field of psychology. Its primary purpose is to identify key readings from the library science and psychology literature that provide a basis for informed delivery of psychology BI. These works are fully identified in the list of references at the end of this article. Because the primary purpose of discipline‐specific bibliographic instruction is to teach the skills necessary for retrieval of the products of scholarship in that discipline, we begin with a discussion of scholarly communication and documentation, which describes how scholars and researchers within psychology communicate research findings and theoretical developments in the discipline. The major emphasis of this article is on formal, group instruction rather than individualized instruction, although much of the information will be applicable to both types.