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Article
Publication date: 4 August 2023

Simon Wakeling, Jane Garner, Mary Anne Kennan, Philip Hider, Hamid R. Jamali, Holly Eva Katherine Randell-Moon and Yazdan Mansourian

The purpose of this research was to investigate how Australian public libraries responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of management, planning and communication. The study…

343

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to investigate how Australian public libraries responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of management, planning and communication. The study also investigated operational approaches to the development and implementation of new and adapted models of service and resource delivery.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilising a multiple qualitative case study approach, interviews were conducted with 15 Australian public library staff members at three library services – one inner-city, one regional and one remote. Inductive thematic analysis was employed to generate insights into the operations and management strategies employed during the COVID-19 crisis.

Findings

Findings suggest that public library managers performed admirably in the face of significant logistical, budgetary and regulatory challenges. Five key themes emerged to represent the ways in which public library leaders responded effectively to the crisis: resourcefulness, flexibility, presence, sensitivity and communication. Results also demonstrate the importance placed on library users’ welfare.

Originality/value

This research represents the first study to focus on the response of Australian public library managers to the significant challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify the strategies employed by library leaders to respond effectively. In doing so this research provides valuable insights into how public library managers can prepare for future crises.

Details

Library Management, vol. 44 no. 6/7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 8 January 2018

Valerie Spezi, Simon Wakeling, Stephen Pinfield, Jenny Fry, Claire Creaser and Peter Willett

The purpose of this paper is to better understand the theory and practice of peer review in open-access mega-journals (OAMJs). OAMJs typically operate a “soundness-only” review…

4988

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to better understand the theory and practice of peer review in open-access mega-journals (OAMJs). OAMJs typically operate a “soundness-only” review policy aiming to evaluate only the rigour of an article, not the novelty or significance of the research or its relevance to a particular community, with these elements being left for “the community to decide” post-publication.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports the results of interviews with 31 senior publishers and editors representing 16 different organisations, including 10 that publish an OAMJ. Thematic analysis was carried out on the data and an analytical model developed to explicate their significance.

Findings

Findings suggest that in reality criteria beyond technical or scientific soundness can and do influence editorial decisions. Deviations from the original OAMJ model are both publisher supported (in the form of requirements for an article to be “worthy” of publication) and practice driven (in the form of some reviewers and editors applying traditional peer review criteria to OAMJ submissions). Also publishers believe post-publication evaluation of novelty, significance and relevance remains problematic.

Originality/value

The study is based on unprecedented access to senior publishers and editors, allowing insight into their strategic and operational priorities. The paper is the first to report in-depth qualitative data relating specifically to soundness-only peer review for OAMJs, shedding new light on the OAMJ phenomenon and helping inform discussion on its future role in scholarly communication. The paper proposes a new model for understanding the OAMJ approach to quality assurance, and how it is different from traditional peer review.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 74 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 October 2018

Simon Wakeling, Valerie Spezi, Jenny Fry, Claire Creaser, Stephen Pinfield and Peter Willett

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into publication practices from the perspective of academics working within four disciplinary communities: biosciences…

5896

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into publication practices from the perspective of academics working within four disciplinary communities: biosciences, astronomy/physics, education and history. The paper explores the ways in which these multiple overlapping communities intersect with the journal landscape and the implications for the adoption and use of new players in the scholarly communication system, particularly open-access mega-journals (OAMJs). OAMJs (e.g. PLOS ONE and Scientific Reports) are large, broad scope, open-access journals that base editorial decisions solely on the technical/scientific soundness of the article.

Design/methodology/approach

Focus groups with active researchers in these fields were held in five UK Higher Education Institutions across Great Britain, and were complemented by interviews with pro-vice-chancellors for research at each institution.

Findings

A strong finding to emerge from the data is the notion of researchers belonging to multiple overlapping communities, with some inherent tensions in meeting the requirements for these different audiences. Researcher perceptions of evaluation mechanisms were found to play a major role in attitudes towards OAMJs, and interviews with the pro-vice-chancellors for research indicate that there is a difference between researchers’ perceptions and the values embedded in institutional frameworks.

Originality/value

This is the first purely qualitative study relating to researcher perspectives on OAMJs. The findings of the paper will be of interest to publishers, policy-makers, research managers and academics.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 75 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 13 March 2017

Valerie Spezi, Simon Wakeling, Stephen Pinfield, Claire Creaser, Jenny Fry and Peter Willett

Open-access mega-journals (OAMJs) represent an increasingly important part of the scholarly communication landscape. OAMJs, such as PLOS ONE, are large scale, broad scope journals…

15897

Abstract

Purpose

Open-access mega-journals (OAMJs) represent an increasingly important part of the scholarly communication landscape. OAMJs, such as PLOS ONE, are large scale, broad scope journals that operate an open access business model (normally based on article-processing charges), and which employ a novel form of peer review, focussing on scientific “soundness” and eschewing judgement of novelty or importance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the discourses relating to OAMJs, and their place within scholarly publishing, and considers attitudes towards mega-journals within the academic community.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a review of the literature of OAMJs structured around four defining characteristics: scale, disciplinary scope, peer review policy, and economic model. The existing scholarly literature was augmented by searches of more informal outputs, such as blogs and e-mail discussion lists, to capture the debate in its entirety.

Findings

While the academic literature relating specifically to OAMJs is relatively sparse, discussion in other fora is detailed and animated, with debates ranging from the sustainability and ethics of the mega-journal model, to the impact of soundness-only peer review on article quality and discoverability, and the potential for OAMJs to represent a paradigm-shifting development in scholarly publishing.

Originality/value

This paper represents the first comprehensive review of the mega-journal phenomenon, drawing not only on the published academic literature, but also grey, professional and informal sources. The paper advances a number of ways in which the role of OAMJs in the scholarly communication environment can be conceptualised.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 73 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 25 July 2022

Jane Garner, Simon Wakeling, Philip Hider, Hamid R. Jamali, Mary Anne Kennan, Yazdan Mansourian and Holly Randell-Moon

The purpose of this paper is to explore the lived experiences of Australian public library staff during the COVID-19 library closures. The study examines the effect of mandated…

383

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the lived experiences of Australian public library staff during the COVID-19 library closures. The study examines the effect of mandated physical library closures on staff well-being, along with the challenges they faced as library operations moved to a remotely delivered model. The paper includes an examination of staff perceptions of their library's value in the lives of their users.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 15 Australian library staff from three library networks. A process of inductive coding resulted in a thematic description of the participants' experiences of continuing to work during a period of where their libraries were closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Findings

Australian public library workers experienced many challenges that affected their well-being during the period of library closures. These included challenges relating to moving library programming to a virtual delivery model, managing significant change in their work lives, managing the emotions of self and others, and concern for the well-being of library users. Positive outcomes relating to skill development and innovative thinking were also reported.

Originality/value

The operational responses to the COVID-19 library closures in Australia and elsewhere have been well reported. This paper takes a different approach by examining the emotional and well-being outcomes for public library staff during these periods of closure.

Details

Library Management, vol. 43 no. 6/7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 2 March 2012

Simon Wakeling, Paul Clough, Barbara Sen and Lynn Silipigni Connaway

Moves towards more interactive services on the web have led libraries to add an increasing range of functionality to their OPACS. Given the prevalence of recommender systems on…

1601

Abstract

Purpose

Moves towards more interactive services on the web have led libraries to add an increasing range of functionality to their OPACS. Given the prevalence of recommender systems on the wider web, especially in e‐commerce environments, this paper aims to review current research in this area that is of particular relevance to the library community. It attempts to gauge the uptake of recommender systems in exiting OPAC services, and identify issues that might be responsible for inhibiting wider uptake.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on an extensive literature review, as well as original research comparing the functionality of 211 public and 118 university library OPACs in the UK. Examining current recommender systems research, it outlines the most significant recommendation models and reviews research in two key areas of recommender systems design: data acquisition, and the explanation of recommendations. It discusses three existing library recommendation systems: BibTip, LibraryThing for Libraries and the in‐house system at the University of Huddersfield.

Findings

The authors' analysis indicates that the incorporation of recommender systems into library services is extremely low, with only 2 per cent of public libraries and 11 per cent of university libraries in the UK offering the feature. While system limitations and budget constraints are perhaps partly to blame, it is suggested that library professionals have perhaps yet to be persuaded that the value of recommendations to library users is great enough to warrant their inclusion becoming a priority.

Originality/value

This paper represents the first study of UK library OPACs to focus on the prevalence of recommender systems.

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Book part
Publication date: 9 July 2024

Teresa Crew

Abstract

Details

The Intersections of a Working-Class Academic Identity: A Class Apart
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-118-9

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Article
Publication date: 18 October 2011

The article's aim is to describe award‐winning training that helped to transform customer service at food and beverage retailer SSP (UK).

726

Abstract

Purpose

The article's aim is to describe award‐winning training that helped to transform customer service at food and beverage retailer SSP (UK).

Design/methodology/approach

The reasons for the training, the form it took and the results it has achieved are explained.

Findings

It is revealed that SSP worked with UK learning provider TFA to develop the new “Service Style” training materials that allow staff to learn while taking part in five‐ to ten‐minute activities.

Practical implications

The article explains, for example, that managers might use a set of 25 cards providing miniature case studies for discussion, and use well‐known family card games to engage the learners. Very little instruction is needed, so learning is facilitated as a natural outcome. The new materials fitted around normal operations, and activities could be used one‐to‐one or in break‐out groups for induction and ongoing training. It highlights the particular value of this type of training for a workforce that is diverse in terms of nationality and language.

Originality/value

The article describes how clear descriptions of acceptable behaviors when serving customers, linked to fun, easy‐to‐use activities, have helped multi‐cultural teams to really understand what is expected of them.

Details

Human Resource Management International Digest, vol. 19 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0967-0734

Keywords

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Book part
Publication date: 26 March 2024

Sanjeet Singh, Geetika Madaan and Amrinder Singh

Purpose: The availability of resilient energy infrastructure and services is crucial to achieving sustainable development goals. However, defined and trustworthy definitions of…

Abstract

Purpose: The availability of resilient energy infrastructure and services is crucial to achieving sustainable development goals. However, defined and trustworthy definitions of resilience exist solely for engineering and energy systems, particularly in the industrialised world or metropolitan systems. However, no universally accepted definition considers the distinctive characteristics of rural regions in developing economies. To define resilience for rural power systems in developing countries, this chapter synthesises many perspectives on resilience, energy systems, and rural environments.

Methodology: It draws on extensive literature assessments on resilience, particularly concerning energy systems and rural areas, as well as other pre-existing frameworks.

Findings: To account for the unique challenges of electricity supply in rural developing nations, a comprehensive ‘Rural Power System Resilience Framework’ is introduced, including technical, economic, and social resilience.

Social implications: To better understand the elements contributing to the stability of electricity grids in developing nations and rural areas, this resilience framework may be utilised by global markets, system owners and operators, government officials, non-governmental organisations, and communities.

Originality: Through establishing this framework, this study sets the path for developing suitable and ‘effective resilience standards’ tailored for implementation in these rural areas, with the ultimate goal of facilitating the fulfilment of achieving domestic and worldwide sustainability objectives.

Details

The Framework for Resilient Industry: A Holistic Approach for Developing Economies
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-735-8

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Article
Publication date: 6 July 2015

Michelle Morgan

The purpose of this paper is to report the notable findings of students with different domiciled status. There is a lack of research and understanding of how prior study…

658

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report the notable findings of students with different domiciled status. There is a lack of research and understanding of how prior study experiences and the expectations of new students that are due to embark on an MSc by coursework level (also known as postgraduate-taught [PGT]) can impact on their study and ability to persist and succeed. The research available has mainly been confined to post-experience surveys. By identifying prior study experiences and study expectations, education providers in higher education institutions can use these insights not only to attract more students but to improve retention rates and the overall student experience. The research undertaken in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing at a London-based, post-1992 institution aims to provide valuable data and insights into this nationally and internationally neglected area.

Design/methodology/approach

New taught postgraduate students provided data on their previous study experiences, study expectations, opinions of postgraduate-level study and demographic data via a hard copy questionnaire which was distributed and completed during the orientation period in September 2012. It was entered into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and a range of tests were run on the data.

Findings

The findings in this paper and the project in general will be further explored and investigated as a result of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) awarding a major grant to the post-1992 university to undertake research into these areas amongst nine similar English universities.

Research limitations/implications

As the research was conducted over a one-year period, the findings are based on the limitations that such a time and financially limited project can offer. The institution at which the research was undertaken is a post-1992 institution that has high concentration towards teaching functions. The findings in this paper and the project in general will be further explored and investigated as a result of the HEFCE awarding a major grant to the post-1992 university to undertake research into these areas among nine similar English universities.

Originality/value

The research highlights the similarities and differences in prior study experiences and expectations of studying at PGT level between the UK-, the European Union- (EU) and Non-EU-domiciled respondents. The research offers potentially important findings for similar institutions that are currently looking to develop and expand their PGT provision.

Details

Quality Assurance in Education, vol. 23 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0968-4883

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