Research Collaboration in Asia LIS
Schools -- Experience of the Asia Libraryand Information Research Group (ALIRG)
Hao-Ren Ke
Professor and Chairperson ofGraduate Institute of Library and Information Studies,
National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU)

1

Outline
Introduction
Workshop Review
Research Collaboration Outcomes
Keys to International Research Collaboration
Conclusion

2

INTRODUCTION

3

BackgroundWe know a lot about our western LIS
colleagues, but how about our Asiancolleagues?
Similar culture, society, value systems, …

Taiwan-Singapore-Thailand LIS ResearchGroup
Taiwan: National Taiwan Normal University
Singapore: Nanyang Technological University
Thailand: Khon Kaen University, Mahasarakham
University
4

Background (Cont.)

5TST LIS Workshop
The Taiwan-Singapore-Thailand Workshop
series on Library and Information Science(LIS) Research
1st: National Taiwan Normal University (Sep 2008)
2nd: Khon Kaen University (Thailand) (Nov 2009)
3rd: Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)(Jan 2011)
4th: National Taiwan Normal University (Mar 2012)

Change name to Workshop of the Asia
Library and Information Research Group from2012
6

Objectives
To initiate and carry out regional collaborative
projects
To establish regional library and information
research groups
To obtain expert feedback on current
research studies
To provide an opportunity for PhD students tonetwork, and to obtain feedback on theirresearch

7WORKSHOP REVIEW

9st

1 Workshop – Subject
Coverage Total = 153332.522221.5
111

10.5
010

st1 Workshop – Collaborative
Group
Information/knowledge organization, Digital
Library and archives
Education & e-learning
Research communities (ScholarlyCommunication & Collaboration)
Library management, service and system

11

st

1 Workshop – Participants
Total = 34
30
25

24

20
15
1065310Taiwan

Singapore

ThailandIndia
12

stPhotos of 1 Workshop

13nd2Workshop – Subject
Coverage Total = 20

3.5

332.521.5123212122110.5
014

nd2

Workshop – Collaborative
GroupE-learning / teaching methods in LIS
Digital libraries / archives
Reading / information literacy
Scholarly Communication
Knowledge management / organization

15

nd2

Workshop – Participants
Total = 115

1009590
80
7060
50
4030
20
10

148
1

1

India

Kuwait0
TaiwanSingapore

Thailand16

Photos of 2ndWorkshop

17

rd3 Workshop – Subject
Coverage Total = 2765543244333321018

3rd Workshop – Collaborative
GroupReading
Knowledge Management
Developments in Information Service
E-Learning & Education
Publishing & Scholarly Communication
Heritage Informatics
Information Literacy
Digital Libraries

19rd3 Workshop – Participants
Total = 59
3530

30
2520

1715
1010511Japan

Malaysia

0
TaiwanSingapore

Thailand20

rd

Photos of 3 Workshop

21

th4 Workshop – Subject
Coverage
Total = 3076654325443332

1022

4th Workshop – Collaborative
GroupDigital Libraries
Reading & Information Literacy
Information Societies
Knowledge Organization
Heritage Informatics
Open Access & Scholarly Communication
Web 2.0 in Information Services
Knowledge Management23

th4 Workshop – Participants
Total = 896055

50403025

2010243JapanMalaysia

0TaiwanSingapore

Thailand24

thPhotos of 4 Workshop

25

Project Reports / Regional
Collaboration Proposals
1816161514121086666442

3rd4th220
Project Reports

Proposals

PhD
Symposiums

ResearchPapers
26

RESEARCH COLLABORATIONOUTCOMES
27

Research Collaboration
Factors affecting re-usability of learning
objects: a collaborative case study of two
subject areas in LIS
Kuwait, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand

The information needs of end-users ofdigitized collections of cultural heritage
resources
Singapore, Thailand

28

Research Collaboration (Cont.)
Metadata Schema Development for Digital
Thai Ancient Document Collection
ManagementJapan, Thailand

Launching of a New OA Journal in LIS: A
Case of Asia Pacific Journal of Library andInformation Science (APJLIS)
Thailand13 editorial board members from India, Malaysia,
Singapore, Thailand, USA
29

Asia Pacific Journal of Libraryand Information Science30

Keys to International Research
Collaboration (IRC)31

Research Collaboration
Within the last decades knowledge production
underwent radical changes
Research collaboration (RC) has become anecessity due to the enormous pressurescientists, institutions or even countries facein their daily struggles to meet the required
publication output requirements
The number of internationally co-authoredpapers is abruptly increasing, and an
intensification of RC is reported at all
aggregation levels
Maria Benavent-Perez, Juan Gorraiz, Christian Gumpengerger, Felixde Moya-angegon (2012)32

International ResearchCollaboration
International research collaboration is a
crucial , complex, and fragile process
Effective strategies are needed to manage theinevitable conflicts that arise
Promoting collaborative dialogue, taking time,and developing trust are discussed asstrategies to support a fuller international
engagement

Dale Bagshaw, Margret Lepp, Cecelia R. Zorn (2007)33

IRC Roadblocks and Strategies

Dale Bagshaw, Margret Lepp, Cecelia R. Zorn (2007)34

IRC Roadblocks and Strategies(Cont.)

Dale Bagshaw, Margret Lepp, Cecelia R. Zorn (2007)35

Inter-organizational collaborative
Capacity (ICC) Model

Susan Page Hocevar, Erik Jansen, and Gail Fann Thomas (2011)36

Inter-organizational collaborative
Capacity (ICC) Model (Cont.)

Susan Page Hocevar, Erik Jansen, and Gail Fann Thomas (2011)37

Five Domains of ICC Model
Purpose & Strategy
Structure
Incentives and Reward Systems
Lateral Mechanisms
People38

Factors of ICC Model
People & Strategy
Felt need to collaborate Recognition of interdependence with others
 Acknowledged need to collaborate in order to effectively
accomplish its mission and goals

Strategic for collaboration
 Goals for collaboration
 Demonstrated senior leadership commitment
 Willingness to consider other organizations’ interests inplanning

Resource investment
 Personnel and budget
39Factors of ICC Model (Cont.)
Structure
Structural flexibility for collaboration
Support for individual collaborative efforts
 How clearly individual collaborative work is structured interms of clear goals, constraints, and authorities
 The strength of the link between personnel in boundary
spanning roles working directly with other organizations
and the strategic leadership of their own organization

Metrics for assessing outcome
Collaboration structures
 Liaison roles
 Task forces Roles for each participating organization
 Internal process enabling collaboration40Factors of ICC Model (Cont.)
Incentives and Reward Systems
Lateral Mechanisms
Social capital for awareness and trust building
Collaborative tools & technology
 Interoperable information systems and collaborativeplanning tools

Collaborative learning Joint learning, workshop,

Information sharing

PeopleIndividual collaborative capacities
41

CONCLUSIONS

42

Conclusions
Preliminary Achievements
Develop the most important ingredients of IRC:
trust, friendship, hospitality, social skill
The number of presentations has doubled
A small number of regional collaboration projects
Increasing number of Ph.D. students join theworkshop to present and build their social ties

The future…

43

Future of ALIRG
5th: Mahasarakham University (Thailand) (Jul2013)
Actions
Communicate via social media
 Mailing list ('LI_RESEARCHGROUPS@MLIST.NTU.EDU.SG‘) Facebook group

Experienced faculty should encourage young
faculty and Ph. D. students
Sign student/faculty exchange
Start to read and cite papers from our Asiancolleagues
44Suggestions for ALIRG
From Rama Reddy Enukonda

Encouraging and bringing the Research
Scholars in LIS together at the ALIRG
workshop platform.
The peer interaction, communication,
establishing trust, understanding areas ofinterest, and understanding information
gathering and management.
Identifying the common areas of interest,
creating road map and timeline forcollaboration.
Sharing the responsibilities, constantinteraction while following the road map.

45

Suggestions for ALIRG (Cont.)
Collaborative research can be initiated at
individual level or institutional level.
Collaborative authorship within and between
the nations is the future of research In LIS
Funding agencies will support such proposals
Asia LIS Research activities should be visible
to the rest of the World which could open up
collaborations at Global level
Asia Research visibility rests on thesubmission of publications in Open Accessjournals/platforms

46

47

ReferenceDale Bagshaw, Margret Lepp, Cecelia R. Zorn (2007).
International research collaboration: building teams
and managing conflicts. Conflict resolution quarterly,24 (4) 433-446.
Maria Benavent-Perez, Juan Gorraiz, ChristianGumpengerger, Felix de Moya-angegon (2012). The
different flavors of research collaboration: a casestudy of their influence on university excellent in fourworld regions. Scientometrics. 93:41-58.
Susan Page Hocevar, Erik Jansen, and Gail FannThomas (2011). Inter-organizational collaboration:
addressing the challenge. Homeland security affairs
7, 9/11, 1-8.
48