Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
  1. Home
  2. Publications
  3. Publishing partners
  4. Facet Publishing
  5. Content Listing

Refine listing

Refine listing

Access:
Content type:
Publication date:
Apply   From and To filters
Subject: Show more
Journals Show more
Publishers: Show more
Societies Show more
Series: Show more
Collections: Show more

Actions for selected content:

Select all | Deselect all
  • View selected items
  • Export citations
  • Download PDF (zip)
  • Save to Kindle
  • Save to Dropbox
  • Save to Google Drive

Save Search

You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
Cancel
×

5856 results in Facet Publishing

Page 284 of 293

  • 12 - Analysing qualitative data from information organizations

  • G. E. Gorman, Peter Clayton
  • Book:
    Qualitative Research for the Information Professional
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 December 2004, pp 204-227

  • Summary

    FOCUS QUESTIONS

    • What is involved in the process of analysing qualitative data from information organizations?

    • How does the researcher achieve depth of understanding when analysing data?

    • What are the roles of, and differences between, data analysis and data interpretation?

    • How can computer technology assist in the analysis of qualitative data?

    This chapter provides an overview of qualitative data analysis, as well as strategies for analysing and reformatting large bodies of data. Information organizations involve complex social processes; qualitative research methods are themselves complex – and for this reason are well suited to dealing with such organizations. As a result, qualitative research in information organizations frequently results in enormous quantities of rich and complex data that must be analysed and descriptively reconstructed. The greatest challenge in a qualitative study is ‘not to get data, but to get rid of it!’

    Before beginning, however, it is worth indicating that the carefully structured approach that we discuss here is not always necessary. For some qualitative investigators, even quite inexperienced ones, it is entirely feasible that data analysis may be simply a matter of finding a quiet corner, spreading out the field notes without a laptop in sight, and writing about what was seen and heard. Many times we know instinctively, from our sensitive immersion in the particular culture being investigated, what needs to be said, and how.

    Sometimes this approach works very well, as it has for generations of researchers. More often than not, however, you will need to take a more structured, conscious approach to your data analysis. In this case, you may find computer software an invaluable aid. If your data prove too great in quantity or too complex to carry in your head, this chapter suggests several approaches to making sense of it.

    Overview of data analysis

    Believing, with Max Weber, that man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun, I take culture to be those webs, and the analysis of it to be therefore not an experimental science in search of law but an interpretative one in search of meaning.

  • 7 - Observation

  • G. E. Gorman, Peter Clayton
  • Book:
    Qualitative Research for the Information Professional
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 December 2004, pp 103-124

  • Summary

    FOCUS QUESTIONS

    • What are the main characteristics of unstructured observation as a qualitative research method?

    • What are the various observation ‘positions’ on the participation continuum?

    • What factors should be considered when selecting an appropriate observation position?

    • How does one begin observation?

    • How does one go about the actual observation process, and what does one observe?

    Stage 3: focused activity

    Once you have completed all the preliminary preparation (Stage 1) and broad exploration (Stage 2) for a qualitative study, it is time to begin the fieldwork. In our schema this is Stage 3: focused activity. In this chapter, after noting this stage and its several steps, we turn to the first data-collecting method, observation. Chapters 8, 9 and 10 then deal with the other data collection methods to be discussed, interviewing, group processes and historical study, before we move on to the final steps in this stage of the research project.

    In the pyramid model (see Chapter 3, Figure 3.3, p. 38) the focused activity stage of fieldwork represents the pinnacle in which you finally collect data, amend the research plan if required, narrow your data-collecting activities, analyse data collected during fieldwork and report findings. The first three of these activities are discussed in this and the following three chapters. In the recursive model (see Chapter 3, Figure 3.2, p. 37) data collection is the third last in the series of activity ‘boxes’.

    Two types of observation

    This discussion builds on the introduction to observation in Chapter 3 (pages 40–41), which might be worth re-reading before continuing with the present chapter. Two broad types of observation are described in the general research methods literature: structured and unstructured observation. Structured observation samples a predetermined event or activity, using a prearranged instrument or form into whose categories the observer records whether specific activities take place, when and how often. This might be numbers of enquirers who approach an information counter. A well designed data collection form will also make provision for some unanticipated activity to be recorded. This is essentially a quantitative research method, and so not considered further in this volume.

  • 13 - Writing qualitative research reports

  • G. E. Gorman, Peter Clayton
  • Book:
    Qualitative Research for the Information Professional
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 December 2004, pp 228-246

  • Summary

    FOCUS QUESTIONS

    • How does one go about writing up a qualitative research report?

    • Is there a particular structure or style that should be followed?

    • What are some of the ways in which a mass of data can be organized into the ‘findings’ of a study?

    • Who are the readers of qualitative research?

    • Why should research studies be published?

    Finally, your data have been collected, sorted and resorted, studied, analysed and re-analysed. Now you are at the final activity of the final stage – writing it all up. You are either at the top of the pyramid (see Chapter 3, Figure 3.3, p. 38) or on the final step in the recursive cycle (Chapter 3, Figure 3.2, p. 37). But remember that nothing is final and that you will constantly refer back to earlier stages and steps during the report-writing exercise.

    You should regard everything we have to say in this chapter as advisory rather than prescriptive, for every writing exercise has its own purpose and context and therefore unique stylistic requirements, organizational conventions and reader expectations. A dissertation, for example, will have quite rigid conventions for presentation and style, and these must be followed exactly. Journal articles and reports for funding bodies, on the other hand, may allow rather more leeway in presentation, but there will still be certain expectations for you to meet. It is best to begin, therefore, by having an absolutely clear understanding of what is required of you in a specific writing exercise. Then, to the extent possible, consider following the appropriate suggestions in this chapter.

    The writing process

    When preparing to write up the results of your qualitative investigation, remember that it helps to begin with a disciplined approach to the writing enterprise. For those new to this activity, Glesne offers a number of suggestions suitable for qualitative researchers.

    Basic considerations

    To begin with, develop a detailed schedule and firm deadlines for your writing. Work backwards from when the completed product is due, and fit each chapter or section into a realistic time frame. Remember that there will be holidays and other unavoidable delays in your writing schedule. If you are relying on participants or referees for feedback, bear in mind that they will have other commitments.

  • 2 - Evaluating qualitative research

  • G. E. Gorman, Peter Clayton
  • Book:
    Qualitative Research for the Information Professional
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 December 2004, pp 20-33

  • Summary

    FOCUS QUESTIONS

    • Why is evaluation of qualitative research necessary?

    • What are the differences between the evaluation of qualitative research and quantitative research?

    • Are there criteria specific to qualitative research which should be used in its evaluation?

    • How might the evaluation of other people's research affect the conduct of your own?

    Regardless of whether we are likely to undertake a research project of our own, these days almost all professionals will encounter qualitative research reports in the professional literature. Unless one is simply to accept that everything published is, in fact, credible – certainly too reckless an assumption for either of us – then some criteria have to be applied to sort the genuinely groundbreaking from the routine, the competent from the flawed. For quantitative research this is, if not easy, at least comparatively straightforward; there are many well-established rules to follow, and guides to their application.

    No such well-established rules or universally recognized guides exist for qualitative research. This chapter proposes some that are gaining wide acceptance and suggests how they might be employed.

    The importance of evaluation

    There are many reasons why an information professional needs to be able to evaluate the quality of qualitative research reports. Perhaps the most apparent is to be able to read one's own professional literature intelligently and quickly – there is no need to waste time reading inadequate work. If you are a manager, should you rely on the findings and recommendations of studies which appear to have been conducted in organizations similar to your own? Few would wish to consider major changes to policies, services or procedures if the study recommending them was itself flawed. For the novice researcher, since research is acknowledged to be cumulative in nature, it is necessary to know whether or not it is safe to rely on earlier work. If you do accept something that is, in fact, dubious, not only will your work be built on inadequate foundations – and hence far more likely to encounter problems – but also if they know or suspect the weaknesses in the work you cite, more expert readers will be inclined to dismiss your own work as similarly flawed.

  • Preface to the second edition

  • G. E. Gorman, Peter Clayton
  • Book:
    Qualitative Research for the Information Professional
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 December 2004, pp xv-xxii

  • Summary

    I asked him how his research was going. He said quite well, he had collected quite a lot of paradise references already. He took a notebook out of his shirt pocket and ran through the list: Paradise Florist, Paradise Gold, Paradise Custom Packing …. He had spotted these names on buildings or the sides of vans or in newspaper advertisements. I asked him if it wouldn't be simpler to look up the Honolulu telephone directory under ‘Paradise’, and he seemed rather offended. ‘That's not the way we do fieldwork,’ he said. ‘The aim is to identify totally with your subjects, to experience the milieu as they experience it, in this case to let the word “Paradise” impinge on your consciousness gradually, by a slow process of incrementation.’ I inferred that it would be improper for me to pass on any Paradise motifs I happened to come across, but he seemed prepared to stretch a point, so I told him about Paradise Pasta and he wrote it down in his little book.

    In his inimitable way, David Lodge paints a picture of the classic qualitative researcher that is both true to form and light-hearted. This, we trust, sets the tone for this volume – formative and informative, but not self-important or without a sense of the absurd. One of the great disappointments in our lives as researchers is the unbearable pomposity of so many other researchers, who can be immodest, opinionated, jargon-driven, narrowly focused and utterly without any awareness of the fun that can be derived from research. For some reason this applies more to those in the qualitative mould than their counterparts in quantitative research. Consider, for example, the ethnographer who specializes in participant observ - ation of information seekers – surely he must see some wonderful vignettes of absurdity in information organizations, but how often are we regaled with these tales? Research is a serious business, but we need to keep it in perspective and to realize that, for most of our colleagues, it is not of ultimate significance. Rather, we have a mission to show information professionals that research is something that is inherent in our work, that it can be done in a spirit of simplicity and modesty, and that it can make a significant difference to how well we provide that service that is the essence of the information professions.

  • 11 - Recording fieldwork data

  • G. E. Gorman, Peter Clayton
  • Book:
    Qualitative Research for the Information Professional
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 December 2004, pp 182-203

  • Summary

    FOCUS QUESTIONS

    • What are the goals and objectives of recording fieldwork data?

    • What are some of the options for recording fieldwork data?

    • What are the characteristics of field notes, reflexive notes and expanded notes?

    ‘The primary purpose of gathering data in naturalistic inquiry is to gain the ability to construct reality in ways that are consistent and compatible with the constructions of a setting's inhabitants.’ In information service settings, most information professionals develop skills to observe and assimilate their users’ behaviour. This chapter presents an overview of specific techniques to formalize these skills. Particular emphasis is given to providing examples of fieldwork methods for collecting data in information organizations or settings.

    Overview of data recording

    Qualitative research seeks to understand a particular social phenomenon in its natural setting. For our purposes, the social phenomena to be studied are those occurring within the context of information services. The objectives of qualitative research are to discover, describe and analyse the complexities of common phenomena through observation and involvement in a research setting. It is the role of the qualitative researcher to scrutinize commonplace occurrences because, when observed for prolonged periods, common phenomena can reveal remarkable levels of complexity. For example, in an archive a user is seated at a terminal but gazing out the window – a common enough phenomenon. Is he thinking through the significance of the records he has just retrieved, or is he planning a more detailed search strategy? Is he perhaps wondering why he has so far failed to retrieve anything of value, and what he can be doing wrong? Perhaps he is waiting for assistance from one of the archivists, or he may be simply bored with his research, and thinking about taking a break.

    In other words, fieldwork is the disciplined study of a particular social world where the fieldworker learns from the participants themselves, seeing the world through the eyes of its inhabitants. From the perspective of a learner, the qualitative researcher collects field data through careful observation, prolonged engagement, documentation of observations and, finally, data analysis. This chapter explores techniques of data collection in fieldwork.

  • 8 - Embedding information skills in the subject-based curriculum

  • from THEME 2 - THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN USER NEEDS, INFORMATION SKILLS AND INFORMATION LITERACIES
    • By Kay Moore, Information Specialist, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
  • Edited by Peter Brophy, Shelagh Fisher, Jenny Craven
  • Book:
    Libraries Without Walls 5
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 June 2004, pp 79-86

  • Summary

    Introduction

    A quick trawl through information skills packages currently being delivered in virtual learning environments (VLEs) will reveal that there are basically two types of package: generic and customized. Generic packages are by far the most common; these are usually created by library staff and are often external to the curriculum. The second type is the customized package, tailored to a particular subject area or student group. Customized skills packages are undeniably more expensive to develop, but are they worth the extra effort and cost? This is a brief overview of our experience of creating and delivering such a package at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK.

    To customize or not to customize?

    What are the essential criteria of a good information skills programme? Ask any information professional and they will probably respond with a range of factors, but most of them will agree that they should be timely, relevant and engaging. It is quite a challenge to achieve success in all three areas in the traditional, face to face mode of information skills teaching, but even more so when we transfer that teaching to the more impersonal environment of virtual learning. With careful management the ‘timely’ aspect can be well supported by the use of VLEs. Materials are usually accessible at the point of need and can be revisited as often as required. But how well are we doing in satisfying the other criteria of good information skills teaching? How do we make the material relevant to the students and how do we really hold their attention long enough to encourage the development of effective information skills?

    These were the questions we tried to address at Sheffield Hallam University when we first set out to create an information skills tutorial to be delivered in the Blackboard learning environment. The first decision we made was that whatever we designed had to support the pedagogy of sound information skills teaching and not to sacrifice this on the altar of the VLE. So we took time to reflect on what good information skills teaching meant to us.

  • 10 - Information literacy and learning

  • from THEME 2 - THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN USER NEEDS, INFORMATION SKILLS AND INFORMATION LITERACIES
    • By Sirje Virkus, Research Student, Department of Information and Communications, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
  • Edited by Peter Brophy, Shelagh Fisher, Jenny Craven
  • Book:
    Libraries Without Walls 5
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 June 2004, pp 97-108

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The emergence of the knowledge economy has caused a wide debate about what kinds of competencies young people and adults need. While there is a growing agreement on the importance of skills as a key engine for economic growth and the spread of the knowledge economy, there is far less agreement on which competencies and skills make the difference (OECD, 2000). The general move is clearly towards a stronger attention being paid to employment prospects and the acquisition of core or transversal skills. The new qualification frameworks adopted in the UK and Ireland are heavily outcome-based and qualifications are mostly defined in terms of skills and competencies acquired by graduates (CRE and the Confederation of EU Rectors, 2001). However, there is no general agreement what these transferable skills should include (NCIHE, 1997; Stasz and Brewer, 1999; Overtoom, 2000; OECD, 2001a). A number of researchers have identified certain high-level competencies that appear to transcend other competencies (Linstead, 1991; Hyland, 1992; Nordhaug, 1993). These competencies (creativity, analysis, problem solving, communication, self-development and related learning skills) may either enhance other competencies or be important to their acquisition. Linstead (1991), Hyland (1992) and Nordhaug (1993) use for them the term meta-competencies (Cheetham and Chivers, 1996; 1998). However, a number of recent and ongoing OECD works seek to develop better definitions as well as an overarching theoretical framework for the identification of relevant skills and competencies and measures of skills: the International Adult Literacy Survey (OECD and Statistics Canada, 2000), the Programme on Definition and Selection of Competencies: theoretical and conceptual foundations (Gilomen, 2002), the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) survey, and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

    In this context, several reports have emphasized the importance of finding, evaluating and using information in the rapidly changing information and communication technology (ICT) environment (ERTI, 1995; 1997; OECD, 1996; 2000; 2001a; 2001b; 2001c; European Commission, 2000; O'Mahony, 2001; Coimbra Group of Universities, 2002; Virkus, 2003). Having the competence to use information effectively has been suggested also by management gurus as essential to organizational success (Drucker, 1993; 1994; Grainger, 1994; Senge, 1994). It seems that organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the value of information and its management for their competitiveness and success.

  • 7 - Virtual learning environments and Greek academic libraries

  • from THEME 1 - THE INTEGRATION OF LIBRARY SERVICES AND VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
    • By Emmanouel Garoufallou, Lecturer, Department of Library Science, Higher Technological Educational Institution of Thessaloniki, Greece, Rania Siatri, Librarian/Researcher, University of Macedonia, Greece, Dick Hartley, Professor of Information Science and Head of Department, Department of Information and Communications, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
  • Edited by Peter Brophy, Shelagh Fisher, Jenny Craven
  • Book:
    Libraries Without Walls 5
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 June 2004, pp 66-76

  • Summary

    Introduction

    This paper examines developments in Greek academic libraries using recent research data and the literature and considers whether Greek libraries are ready to support developments in the virtual learning environments (VLEs) of their institutions. To understand the current situation in Greek academic libraries it is necessary to appreciate the Greek higher education system. A description of this is given in the next section of the paper, followed by a summary of the current academic library position. This demonstrates the crucial impact on Greek academic library development of the European Union Second Community Support Framework (SCSF). This discussion leads naturally into the Third Community Support Framework (TCSF), which Greek universities are using to develop VLEs. We describe current developments at the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki as an example.

    Higher education in Greece

    Supervision of education in Greece is highly centralized. The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs controls every level of the educational system through numerous laws and government bodies. Schools, institutions and universities at every level depend financially on the Ministry, which pays all the staff. Furthermore it approves the curricula and controls institutions through a series of centralized bodies.

    Higher education in Greece is divided into two levels: the higher education institutions (HEIs), which comprise the universities (anotata ekpaideutika idrimata, AEI, in Greek) and the higher technological educational institutions (anotata technologika ekpaideutika idrimata, ATEI, in Greek), the latter having similarities with the old polytechnics in the UK. AEI concentrate on theoretical and scientific studies and traditional disciplines while ATEI focus on vocational, technological and technical studies. Greece has 34 HEIs (19 AEI, 14 ATEI and the Open University). Education provided by the Greek state is free at all levels and in HE includes free meals for most students and free accommodation for a minority of students.

    Educational practices in Greece follow a unique path. The Organization for Publishing Teaching Books (Organismos Ekdoseon Didaktikon Biblion, OEDB, in Greek), under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, publishes one book for each subject or unit for the school sector, and distributes them to schools across Greece. Teachers base their teaching solely on the lectures and exercises in these books. This practice continues at university level.

  • 20 - Research resources and the academic researcher

  • from THEME 4 - DESIGNING THE INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT: NATIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVES
  • Edited by Peter Brophy, Shelagh Fisher, Jenny Craven
  • Book:
    Libraries Without Walls 5
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 June 2004, pp 204-216

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The provision of high-quality research information delivered to researchers in a timely fashion is a prerequisite of internationally recognized research. But what information do researchers require? Has their use of library and information sources changed in recent years and do they envisage further changes in the future?

    The Research Support Libraries Group (RSLG) was established in 2001 with a remit to make proposals for a national strategy to ensure that all UK researchers continue to have access to world class information sources. The final report was published in Spring 2003 (RSLG, 2003) with the recommendation to establish the Research Libraries Network to develop, prioritize and lead a UK-wide strategy for research information provision.

    The report drew strongly on a national survey carried out by the Social Informatics Research Unit at the University of Brighton, Education for Change and the Research Partnership (Education for Change, Social Informatics Research Unit and Research Partnership, 2002). The aim of the study was to provide a picture of how researchers use libraries and other information sources in practice and how they predicted that this use would change over the next five years, especially as more material becomes available online (www.rslg.ac.uk/research). This paper presents key findings from the study, outlining the information needs and user patterns of the UK academic research community, and considers the implications for librarians seeking to provide services that meet the future needs of academic researchers.

    Research methodology

    The study was carried out between September 2001 and June 2002. The methodology included a literature review, a questionnaire survey of individual researchers and focus groups of researchers drawn from a range of institutions, disciplines and levels of seniority.

    The evidence of the research survey, supported by the literature and focus group views, is the principal source for this paper. The survey questionnaire was designed to gather evidence relating to the following broad issues:

  • • the nature, range and volume of material researchers required in different disciplines

  • • the nature of access required and how they currently use the material in their research

  • • the implications for the research process of where materials are located and what achievable patterns of location and accessibility of information sources are optimal

  • • the extent to which researchers currently access research materials on line, and the perceived advantages and shortcomings of accessing materials in this way

  • 18 - Disintermediation via web services in Portuguese public libraries

  • from THEME 4 - DESIGNING THE INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT: NATIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVES
  • Edited by Peter Brophy, Shelagh Fisher, Jenny Craven
  • Book:
    Libraries Without Walls 5
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 June 2004, pp 184-194

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Libraries are changing through the implementation and use of information technology. The world wide web has transformed the processes of disseminating information and is being increasingly used as a delivery vehicle for information services (Brophy, Fisher and Clarke, 2002). Library online services have been implemented throughout the world to meet the needs of a growing community of users. As a consequence, library users are reaping the benefits of being able to use library services independently at libraries, at home or at work.

    In this context, an evaluation study was undertaken in the Department of Information Studies of the University of Sheffield aimed at investigating the use of internet services by Portuguese public libraries that are members of the Portuguese National Network of Public Libraries (NNPL; www.iplb.pt). This evaluation study was based on the emerging concept of disintermediation of information, which has triggered the change in the nature of work in public libraries using the internet (Hooper, 2001). This paper presents the results and findings of this study, by presenting and identifying the current state of the web presence and services of Portuguese public libraries and reporting on the impact of disintermediation. Furthermore, the paper also presents a critical review of how these libraries are meeting the challenges presented by the information society and aims to contribute to development of this field in Portugal while taking part in the expanding research into disintermediation.

    Background and context

    The information society and its main challenges

    Portugal is a southern European country which, for historical reasons, has long been characterized by significantly low levels of literacy and access to information technology when compared with other European Union (EU) countries. This situation was clearly addressed in the Portuguese Green Book for the Information Society:

    in the majority of homes, and even in many schools, books are scarce and the computer is not yet an easily accessible tool. Public libraries must be and should be the open door to the new world of digital and multimedia information, the access point to cyberspace for those who, due to socio-economic and cultural reasons, have not, in principle, ways of doing it at home (Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia, 1997, 28).

  • 11 - Information literacy – who needs it?

  • from THEME 2 - THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN USER NEEDS, INFORMATION SKILLS AND INFORMATION LITERACIES
    • By Gill Needham, Learner Support Services Manager, the Open University Library, UK
  • Edited by Peter Brophy, Shelagh Fisher, Jenny Craven
  • Book:
    Libraries Without Walls 5
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 June 2004, pp 109-120

  • Summary

    Introduction

    There is a set of skills and some underpinning knowledge that librarians and an increasing number of other people call information literacy. In the UK, policy in further and higher education is beginning to acknowledge a need for these skills to support the development of lifelong learners, but, in this respect, we lag far behind our colleagues in Australia and North America. While we may never catch up with them, we are extremely fortunate in being able to learn from their experience and be inspired by their success. However, an audit of higher education and further education institutions in the UK in 2002 reported that 57% of participating institutions included information literacy in their learning and teaching strategies, which is most heartening (Big Blue, 2002). In other words, according to librarians and education policy-makers, learners need information literacy.

    The last five years in the UK have seen valuable exploratory work carried out by both the Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL) Advisory Committee on Information Literacy and the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)-sponsored Big Blue project. Both report that, despite excellent examples of good practice, there is still confusion, patchy provision and a lack of nationally accepted definitions and guidelines. Indeed our professional body, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), held an expert seminar as recently as June 2003 to try and agree an ‘official’ definition of information literacy.

    Given this background it is hardly surprising that the holy grail of information skills integrated throughout the curriculum in UK further and higher education can appear elusive. Similarly, a study of information literacy in third level undergraduate education in the Republic of Ireland found that ‘examples of successful initiatives are comparatively rare (although increasing), and non-existent in some contexts’ (McGuiness, 2003, 245).

    Experience at the Open University

    The Open University (OU) is a large distance teaching university with around 200,000 registered students dispersed around the UK and worldwide. Like many other universities we have a major objective to ‘integrate [information literacy] skills into the curriculum’ (Open University Library Information Literacy Unit Strategy, 2003) and we are monitoring our progress carefully.

Building an Electronic Resource Collection
  • A Practical Guide
  • Stuart D. Lee, Frances Boyle
  • Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    15 June 2004
  • All library and information professionals involved with collection development are currently confronting the challenge of how to make informed decisions in the face of the bewildering array of electronic resources available. This practical book addresses the situation by guiding the information professional step-by-step through building and managing an electronic resource collection. It outlines the range of electronic products currently available in abstracting and indexing, bibliographic, and other services and then describes how to effectively select, evaluate and purchase them. Electronic resources are a fast moving area so the new edition of this invaluable guide has been brought completely up to date; emerging new areas such as Virtual Learning Environments and reading/resource list software are considered, and the helpful bibliography of sources is expanded. This invaluable guide identifies best practice and highlights the pitfalls involved in building an electronic resource collection, and the case studies and models used are fully international in their application. This is an essential book for the professional or student new to e-collection development, as well for the experienced practitioner.

Page 284 of 293