Sophie Rutter, Elaine G. Toms and Paul David Clough
To design effective task-responsive search systems, sufficient understanding of users’ tasks must be gained and their characteristics described. Although existing…
Abstract
Purpose
To design effective task-responsive search systems, sufficient understanding of users’ tasks must be gained and their characteristics described. Although existing multi-dimensional task schemes can be used to describe users’ search and work tasks, they do not take into account the information use environment (IUE) that contextualises the task. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
With a focus on English primary schools, in four stages a multi-dimensional task scheme was developed that distinguishes between task characteristics generic to all environments, and those that are specific to schools. In Stage 1, a provisional scheme was developed based upon the existing literature. In the next two stages, through interviews with teachers and observations of school children, the provisional scheme was populated and revised. In Stage 4, whether search tasks with the same information use can be distinguished by their characteristics was examined.
Findings
Ten generic characteristics were identified (nature of work task, search task originator, search task flexibility, search task doer, search task necessity, task output, search goal, stage in work task, resources and information use) and four characteristics specific to primary schools (curricular area, use in curricular area, planning and location). For the different information uses, some characteristics are more typical than others.
Practical implications
The resulting scheme, based on children’s real-life information seeking, should be used in the design and evaluation of search systems and digital libraries that support school children. More generally, the scheme can also be used in other environments.
Originality/value
This is the first study to develop a multi-dimensional task scheme that considers encompasses the IUE.
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Andrew Martin Cox, Stephen Pinfield and Sophie Rutter
The purpose of this paper is to conceptualise the issues of alignment for changing academic libraries by using and extending McKinsey’s 7S model.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to conceptualise the issues of alignment for changing academic libraries by using and extending McKinsey’s 7S model.
Design/methodology/approach
Theoretical work was conducted to consider and extend the 7S model for the situation of academic libraries. Empirical data were then used to confirm the value of these extensions and suggest further changes. The data to support the analysis were drawn from 33 interviews with librarians, library and non-library academics and experts, and a survey of UK library staff.
Findings
In the academic library context, the 7S model can be usefully extended to include three library functions (stuff, space and services) and users. It can also include institutional influences and stakeholders, and aspects of the external environment or situation, including suppliers and allies. The revised model then provides a useful framework within which data about library change can be analysed. Perceived barriers to successful performance fit the model and enable the identification of seven challenges of alignment.
Research limitations/implications
The resulting model has potential applications such as in the structuring analysis of academic library performance, mapping future directions of development and for exploring variations across the sector and internationally.
Practical implications
The revised model can be used by practitioners to think through their own strategic position and to act to shape their future, in the light of seven major areas of alignment.
Originality/value
The paper extends a well-known model used in strategy, to produce a more comprehensive, sector-specific analytic tool.
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Andrew M. Cox, Stephen Pinfield and Sophie Rutter
The last few years have seen a surge of interest in artificial intelligence (AI). The purpose of this paper is to capture a snapshot of perceptions of the potential impact of AI…
Abstract
Purpose
The last few years have seen a surge of interest in artificial intelligence (AI). The purpose of this paper is to capture a snapshot of perceptions of the potential impact of AI on academic libraries and to reflect on its implications for library work.
Design/methodology/approach
The data for the study were interviews with 33 library directors, library commentators and experts in education and publishing.
Findings
Interviewees identified impacts of AI on search and resource discovery, on scholarly publishing and on learning. Challenges included libraries being left outside the focus of development, ethical concerns, intelligibility of decisions and data quality. Some threat to jobs was perceived. A number of potential roles for academic libraries were identified such as data acquisition and curation, AI tool acquisition and infrastructure building, aiding user navigation and data literacy.
Originality/value
This is one of the first papers to examine current expectations around the impact of AI on academic libraries. The authors propose the paradigm of the intelligent library to capture the potential impact of AI for libraries.
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Sophie Rutter, Paul David Clough and Elaine G. Toms
The information use environment (IUE) – the context within which the search activity takes place – is critical to understanding the search process as this will affect how the…
Abstract
Purpose
The information use environment (IUE) – the context within which the search activity takes place – is critical to understanding the search process as this will affect how the value of information is determined. The purpose of this paper is to investigate what factors influence search in English primary schools (children aged 4–11) and how information found is subsequently used.
Design/methodology/approach
Ten teachers, selected using maximal variation sampling, describe search-related activities within the classroom. The resulting interview data were analysed thematically for the influence of the environment on search and different information uses. The findings were then validated against three classroom observations.
Findings
12 categories of information use were identified, and 5 aspects of the environment (the national curriculum, best practice, different skills of children and teachers, keeping children safe, and limited time and resource) combine to influence and shape search in this setting.
Research limitations/implications
Findings support the argument that it is the IUE that is the key influence of search activity. What makes children a distinct user group is linked to the environment within which they use information rather than age, as advocated in previous studies.
Practical implications
The features of search systems and practical guidance for teachers and children should be designed to support information use within the IUE.
Originality/value
As far as the authors are aware, this is the first study to consider the influence of the IUE on how search is enacted within primary schools.
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Hsiao-Pei (Sophie) Yang, Tommy K. H. Chan, Hai-Anh Tran, Bach Nguyen and Han Lin
This research examines how universities enhance the virality of their social media messages among students. Specifically, we explore whether and how positive affective content in…
Abstract
Purpose
This research examines how universities enhance the virality of their social media messages among students. Specifically, we explore whether and how positive affective content in universities’ social media posts can influence sharing behavior. We also investigate the mediating roles of perceived effort and positive emotional reaction, as well as the moderating effect of visual content (i.e. photos).
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing upon the emotions as social information model, we conducted (1) an online experiment (N = 222) and (2) text analysis of 1,269,798 Twitter posts extracted from the accounts of 94 UK universities over 11 years (2010–2020) to test our hypotheses.
Findings
The findings show that social media posts containing positive affective content encourage sharing behavior and the relationship is mediated by both perceived effort and positive emotional reaction. An additional finding suggests that the use of visual content (photos) strengthens the relationship between positive affective content and sharing behaviors through an interaction effect.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the scant research focusing on positive affective content in the higher education context. The findings shed light on how universities could create social media communications that engage current and prospective students.
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Prihana Vasishta, Navjyoti Dhingra and Seema Vasishta
This research aims to analyse the current state of research on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in libraries by examining document type, publication year, keywords…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to analyse the current state of research on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in libraries by examining document type, publication year, keywords, country and research methods. The overarching aim is to enrich the existing knowledge of AI-powered libraries by identifying the prevailing research gaps, providing direction for future research and deepening the understanding needed for effective policy development.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used advanced tools such as bibliometric and network analysis, taking the existing literature from the SCOPUS database extending to the year 2022. This study analysed the application of AI in libraries by identifying and selecting relevant keywords, extracting the data from the database, processing the data using advanced bibliometric visualisation tools and presenting and discussing the results. For this comprehensive research, the search strategy was approved by a panel of computer scientists and librarians.
Findings
The majority of research concerning the application of AI in libraries has been conducted in the last three years, likely driven by the fourth industrial revolution. Results show that highly cited articles were published by Emerald Group Holdings Ltd. However, the application of AI in libraries is a developing field, and the study highlights the need for more research in areas such as Digital Humanities, Machine Learning, Robotics, Data Mining and Big Data in Academic Libraries.
Research limitations/implications
This study has excluded papers written in languages other than English that address domains beyond libraries, such as medicine, health, education, science and technology.
Practical implications
This article offers insight for managers and policymakers looking to implement AI in libraries. By identifying clusters and themes, the article would empower managers to plan ahead, mitigate potential drawbacks and seize opportunities for sustainable growth.
Originality/value
Previous studies on the application of AI in libraries have taken a broad approach, but this study narrows its focus to research published explicitly in Library and Information Science (LIS) journals. This makes it unique compared to previous research in the field.
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Andrew Ware, Anna Preston and Simon Draycott
People with a borderline personality disorder (BPD) diagnosis can require support from mental health services for managing risk behaviour. Current routine inpatient and community…
Abstract
Purpose
People with a borderline personality disorder (BPD) diagnosis can require support from mental health services for managing risk behaviour. Current routine inpatient and community treatment can be unhelpful for this group. Positive risk taking has been developed to help community teams manage risk with people with a BPD. This study aims to explore experiences of risk management in an NHS Trust where positive risk taking is being implemented with people with a BPD.
Design/methodology/approach
Interpretative phenomenological analysis is the methodology of transcripts from semi-structured interviews. Nine adults with a diagnosis of BPD and current or previous experiences of risk management approaches were sampled from one NHS Trust.
Findings
Limited resources and interpersonal barriers had a negative impact on experiences of Positive risk taking. Participants experienced one-off risk assessments and short-term interventions such as medication which they described as “meaningless”. Traumatic experiences could make it difficult to establish therapeutic relationships and elicit unhelpful responses from professionals. Participants could only feel “taken seriously” when in crisis which contributed towards an increase in risky behaviour. Positive risk taking was contingent upon collaborative and consistent professional relationships which created a “safety net”, enabling open communication and responsibility taking which challenged recovery-relapse patterns of service use.
Research limitations/implications
Positive risk taking approaches to risk management may benefit people with a BPD. Findings complement those from other studies emphasising the importance of compassion and empathy when working with personality disorder. Training and increased resources are required to implement effective risk management with this group.
Originality/value
Findings expand upon the sparse existing research in the area of risk management using the Positive risk taking approach with people with a BPD diagnosis, and provide idiographic understanding which is clinically meaningful. Participants’ experiences suggest Positive risk taking may provide a framework for improving quality of life and decreasing service use for people diagnosed with BPD engaging in risk management with Community Mental Health Teams, which facilitates recovery and other benefits.
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In terms of the concept of broken home as a juvenile delinquency risk factor, whilst Nigeria and Ghana are culturally different from western nations (Gyekye, 1996; Hofstede, 1980;…
Abstract
Purpose
In terms of the concept of broken home as a juvenile delinquency risk factor, whilst Nigeria and Ghana are culturally different from western nations (Gyekye, 1996; Hofstede, 1980; Smith, 2004), parental death (PDE) and parental divorce (PDI) have been previously taken-for-granted as one factor, that is ‘broken home’. This paper aims to deconstruct the singular model of ‘broken home’ and propose a binary model – the parental death and parental divorce hypotheses, with unique variables inherent in Nigerian/Ghanaian context.
Methodology/approach
It principally deploys the application of Goffman’s (1967) theory of stigma, anthropological insights on burial rites and other social facts (Gyekye, 1996; Mazzucato et al., 2006; Smith, 2004) to tease out diversity and complexity of lives across cultures, which specifically represent a binary model of broken home in Nigeria/Ghana. It slightly appraises post-colonial insights on decolonization (Agozino, 2003; Said, 1994) to interrogate both marginalized and mainstream literature.
Findings
Thus far, analyses have challenged the homogenization of the concept broken home in existing literature. Qualitatively unlike in the ‘West’, analyses have identified the varying meanings/consequences of parental divorce and parental death in Nigeria/Ghana.
Originality/value
Unlike existing data, this paper has contrasted the differential impacts of parental death and parental divorce with more refined variables (e.g. the sociocultural penalties of divorce such as stigma in terms of parental divorce and other social facts such as burial ceremonies, kinship nurturing, in relation to parental death), which helped to fill in the missing gap in comparative criminology literature.
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Vignesh Yoganathan, Stuart Roper, Fraser McLeay and Joana César Machado
Madeleine Allman, Sophie Kerr, Carmelo Ismael Roldan, Geri Maria Harris and Gerald E. Harris
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are complex disorders characterized by pervasive symptoms of rigidity, emotion dysregulation and social…
Abstract
Purpose
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are complex disorders characterized by pervasive symptoms of rigidity, emotion dysregulation and social cognitive difficulties. Comorbid ASD and BPD are recognized emerging clinical problem that may be challenging to treat.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors present a case study of a young person in the authors’ assessment clinic diagnosed with BPD and ASD who had received standard dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) with modest effects. The authors provide ASD-informed recommendations for continued DBT treatment.
Findings
The de-identified patient described in this case report met full criteria for ASD and BPD. The patient’s cognitive, behavioral, social and personality functioning are described in detail.
Practical implications
Other practitioners seeking to treat this complex comorbidity may make use of the authors’ treatment recommendations for their patients. The authors underscore the importance of individualized treatment planning and hope the authors’ exemplar will be useful to others.
Originality/value
Several evidence-based treatments exist for ASD and BPD symptom reduction. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no current treatments exist for comorbid ASD and BPD to target emotion dysregulation in individuals with restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors and disturbances in social and communication domains.