bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
European digital libraries: web security vulnerabilities
Authors: Kuzma Joanne 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the web vulnerability challenges at European library web sites and how these issues can affect the data protection of their patrons.Design/methodology/approachA web vulnerability testing tool was used to analyze 80 European library sites in four countries to determine how many security vulnerabilities each had and what were the most common types of problems.FindingsAnalysis results from surveying the libraries show the majority have serious security flaws in their web applications. The research shows that despite country‐specific laws mandating secure sites, system librarians have not implemented appropriate measures to secure their online information systems.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research on library vulnerability throughout the world can be taken to educate librarians in other countries of the serious nature of protecting their systems.Practical implicationsThe findings serve to remind librarians of the complexity in providing a secure online environment for their patrons and that a disregard or lack of awareness of securing systems could lead to serious vulnerabilities of the patrons' personal data and systems. Lack of consumer trust may result in a decreased use of online commerce and have serious repercussions for the municipal libraries. Several concrete examples of methods to improve security are provided.Originality/valueThe paper serves as a current paper on data security issues at Western European municipal library web sites. It serves as a useful summary regarding technical and managerial measures librarians can take to mitigate inadequacies in their security implementation.
An investigation of digital scholarship and disciplinary culture in Oman
Authors: Al‐Aufi Ali , Genoni Paul 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate disciplinary differences in the use of networked information for research and scholarly communication at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Oman. The paper produced quantitative data on how and why academics within different disciplines utilise networked information either made available internally through the university library, or externally through services accessed by the internet.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was conducted with academic staff at SQU.FindingsStatistical analysis found a number of significant differences between respondents in the science disciplines and those in the social sciences and humanities with regard to their use of, and attitudes towards, digital information services. While respondents from science disciplines show overall longer and more frequent use of networked information, respondents from humanities and social sciences indicated more positive attitudes towards library networked services.Research limitations/implicationsThe Arab country context presents a challenge in determining the degree to which results can be extrapolated to other environments, in that disciplines are also divided by language. Science disciplines teach in English, and the social science and humanities in Arabic.Originality/valueWhile similar studies have been undertaken in developed countries, this study is an attempt to establish some data for a developing Arab country.
International scientific collaboration among Iranian researchers during 1998‐2007
Authors: Hayati Zouhayr , Didegah Fereshteh 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe paper aims to investigate the rate of Iranian researchers collaboration with their colleagues in other countries in science citation index (SCI). In addition, it seeks to investigate the visibility of publications by Iranian researchers, and particularly the visibility of papers resulting from international collaboration.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs the survey research method to answer research questions. Any publication recorded in the SCI database from 1998 to 2007 with at least one Iranian author was recognized and transferred to a database in Excel. The total records were 33,813. This number mostly includes articles, letters, notes, and reviews.FindingsThe results showed that Iranian researchers have had scientific collaboration with 115 countries, and that their numbers have increased between 1998 and 2007. The results also showed that the number of domestic articles per year was 2‐3.5 times more than international ones. Investigating international collaboration in different subject areas revealed that geosciences had the biggest number of publications co‐authored internationally. Iran's main partners were the USA, Canada, and UK, respectively. European researchers were the main counterparts of Iranian researchers. In addition, Iranian researchers had mostly co‐published with their colleagues in advanced countries. Among Iranian universities and research institutions, the University of Tehran had the highest collaboration at the international level. The results revealed that the average number of citations received by international co‐authored publications was more than those received by domestic co‐authored publications.Originality/valueThe paper shows the situation of international collaboration among Iranian researchers and the impact of publications resulting from international collaboration.
Snapshots of laptop use in an academic library
Authors: Briden Judi , Marshall Ann 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to quantify recent changes in students' use of laptops in one academic library and to consider the potential role of new high‐tech library spaces on laptop use.Design/methodology/approachInstead of relying on standard library exit and entrance counts, this study was based on brief, structured observations of library spaces, including counts of laptop use. By conducting such observations over regular intervals in both new and pre‐existing library spaces, the authors were able to observe changes in laptop use across both time and type of library space.FindingsThe growth in laptop use dramatically exceeded expectations: 28 percent of students used laptops in existing spaces in 2005, while 62 percent of students used laptops in the same spaces in 2008. While a new, adjoining high‐tech space also had high laptop use, the opening of this new space coincided with growth in both laptop use and overall student presence in the pre‐existing library spaces. In addition, the paper posits a variety of potential causes for these changes, including available technology and hardware, university‐wide policy, and student behavior.Originality/valueThe changing use of laptops in libraries is important for administrative decision making at both the library and institutional level, including decisions about facilities, technology infrastructure and support, and security.
The emergence of electronic books publishing in Spain
Authors: Cordón García José Antonio , Alonso Arévalo Julio , Martín Rodero Helena 
Published: September 2010

PurposeIn Spain, recent experiences by publishing houses are related to the new market of electronic books and they will change the current publishing scene in no time. The paper aims to discuss some of them and to give an outlook of future developments in the sector and in the libraries.Design/methodology/approachIn order to develop the current situation of electronic publishing and the research on the initiatives of production and sales of electronic books, the authors used statistical and business sources, as well as bibliographic and reference databases. They assessed the experiences that have been developed in the libraries regarding the lending and use of electronic books, by means of a survey that considers these points.FindingsThere are several working experiences with electronic books, mainly through the subscription of collections in university and research libraries. However, the latest innovation is represented by the appearance of initiatives for the production and creation of publishing contents in Spain. The publication of electronic books in Spain has gone from being a mid‐term possibility, calmly accepted by the publishing sector, to being an unstoppable reality that has forced the main actors in this field to take their positions and to adopt immediate initiatives.Originality/valueThis is the first time that an analysis of the sector of electronic books in Spain and their implications for library and publishing sector is done.
Bloggership, or is publishing a blog scholarship? A survey of academic librarians
Authors: Hendricks Arthur 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to gauge how academic libraries treat publishing a blog.Design/methodology/approachAs blogging becomes more popular, the question arises as to whether it should count as scholarship or a creative activity in academic promotion and tenure. To find out, the author sent a link to a questionnaire to several e‐mail lists, inviting academic librarians to answer a short survey.FindingsIn total, 73.9 percent of respondents indicated that their institution expects them to engage in scholarly activities and/or publish scholarly articles, 53.6 percent indicated that their performance review committees do not weigh a blog the same as an article published in a peer‐reviewed journal.Research limitations/implicationsAs technology changes, policies will need to change.Practical implicationsLibraries may need to adapt to new forms of scholarship. Electronic scholarship needs a mechanism for peer‐review.Originality/valueThe paper is original – the author did not find any other surveys regarding blogging as scholarship in the library literature.
Exploring copyright solutions to online‐sharing of scientific literature
Authors: Xianrong Huang , Xiao Li 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the effective mechanisms to balance the “sharing online” and the “copyright protection” of scientific literature in the digital environment, under the existing legal systems in China.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is through scrutinizing the legal provisions referring to fair‐use, statutory licensing, collective administration of copyright, and information dissemination by a library or through a computer network in current laws of the People's Republic of China, as well as through examining the successful copyright solution in China.FindingsThe paper concludes that statutory licensing plus common‐use licensing is the proper and effective approach in the current situation, while collective management should be enhanced, and technological measures should be strengthened without prejudice to the public interest.Practical implicationsThe exploration of copyright solutions could raise law and policy debates, in order to realize scientific literature sharing online and facilitate scholarly communication in the digital age.Originality/valueThe paper describes the possible legal room from scattered provisions of laws and regulations, lists the schemes for scientific information dissemination online in sequence, provides insight into noticeable licensing models and summarizes good experience, and discusses the technological measure issues while giving adaptive suggestions. It is, therefore, of use to scholars, librarians, and practitioners in the library and information field. The suggestions can help modify the copyright laws and the policies as further step.
Service quality dimensions of hybrid services
Authors: Ganguli Shirshendu , Roy Sanjit Kumar 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the dimensions of service quality in the case of hybrid services.Design/methodology/approachThe service quality dimensions are identified using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Next the reliability and validity of the factors are established through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using AMOS.FindingsThe paper identifies nine service quality dimensions in the hybrid services – customer service, staff competence, reputation, price, tangibles, ease of subscription, technology security and information quality, technology convenience, and technology usage easiness and reliability.Practical implicationsThe various dimensions of service quality should be viewed as the levers of improving perceived service quality in the minds of its current customers. Identifying the service quality dimensions in hybrid contexts can offer service providers valuable insights regarding on which aspects of the service to focus in order to improve customer satisfaction, loyalty, and commitment to the firm.Originality/valueThis paper introduces the concept of hybrid services, wherein a mix of technology and human interaction is used to produce and deliver services. Furthermore, since hybrid services have received little attention in the literature, the study addresses this gap by identifying a set of dimensions that are relevant for measuring service quality in hybrid contexts.
Critical factors for effective implementation of ISO 9001 in SME service companies
Authors: Psomas Evangelos L. , Fotopoulos Christos V. , Kafetzopoulos Dimitrios P. 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the critical factors for the effective implementation of the ISO 9001 standard in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in the services sector.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study is conducted with a sample of 93 ISO 9001:2000‐certified Greek service companies. Data are obtained by a questionnaire survey of the managers responsible for quality in each of the sample firms. Individual critical factors for ISO 9001:2000 implementation are assessed for importance by simple descriptive statistics. Exploratory factor analysis is then applied to refine these individual critical factors into five latent constructs.FindingsAll of the individual critical factors examined in the study are assessed as being of some importance with regard to their contribution to ISO 9001 effectiveness. The five latent constructs of the underlying structure of these critical factors are (in descending order of importance): “internal motivation of company”; “attributes of company”; “employee attributes”; “requirements of the quality system”; and “attributes of the external environment”.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited by the small size of the whole sample and sub‐samples of SMEs. Future research could utilise a broader sample of private SME service companies.Practical implicationsThis study provides practical guidance for SME service companies that wish to implement the ISO 9001:2008 standard effectively.Originality/valueSeveral authors have noted that more research is required into the critical factors for effective implementation of the ISO 9001 standard, especially in SMEs. In addition to assessing the importance of various critical factors, the present study defines their underlying structure in terms of latent constructs, thus identifying the broad critical areas that require attention for effective implementation of the quality standard.
Updating service operations
Authors: Sulek Joanne S. , Hensley Rhonda L. 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to develop a customer‐oriented systems approach to updating a service operation. The approach will allow managers to gather information, make changes in service delivery and then assess the effects of these changes.Design/methodology/approachA survey was developed and administered at intervals in the same service setting; data from these survey results were used to illustrate the proposed systems‐based approach. Data from the open‐ended survey question were analyzed using content analysis. Based on that analysis, changes were made in service delivery. The impact of these changes was assessed as part of the second survey.FindingsInitial data analysis showed that customer perceptions of the quality of the core service offering, the physical setting and service intangibles differed. Content analysis identified areas for improvement and changes were made in the three areas. Analysis of the second survey showed improvements in customer satisfaction with the service setting and the service intangibles.Research limitations/implicationsThe research approach utilizes immediate feedback from customers who experience an actual – rather than hypothesized – service. Measurement of customer satisfaction with service delivery occurs longitudinally – rather than at a single point in time.Practical implicationsThe methodology could be used by service managers in an ongoing effort to identify service attributes that may warrant improvement.Originality/valueThis paper provides a structured approach to updating service delivery and illustrates its use in an actual service setting.
A comparative study of truck cycle time prediction methods in open‐pit mining
Authors: Chanda Emmanuel K. , Gardiner Steven 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare the predictive capability of three methods of truck cycle time estimation in open‐pit mining: computer simulation, artificial neural networks (NNs), and multiple regressions (MRs). The aim is to determine the best method. The most common method currently used is computer simulation.Design/methodology/approachTruck cycle times at a large open pit mine are estimated using computer simulation, artificial NNs, and MRs. The estimated cycle times by each method are in turn compared to the actual cycle times recorded by a computerized mine monitoring system at the same mine. The errors associated with each method relative to the actual cycle times are documented and form the basis for comparing the three methods.FindingsThe paper clearly indicates that computer simulation methods used in predicting truck cycle times in open‐pit mining underestimate and overestimate the results for short and long hauls, respectively. It appears that both NN and regression models are superior in their predictive abilities compared to computer simulations.Research limitations/implicationsThe cycle time prediction models developed apply to a specific mine site and one has to be careful not to directly apply these models to other operations.Practical implicationsThe paper describes the implementation of regression and NN modelling. An opportunity exists for mines to utilise the large volumes of data generated to predict truck haulage cycle times more accurately and hence, improve the quality of mine planning.Originality/valueThe paper addresses an area of need in the mining industry. Accurate prediction of cycle times is critical to mine planners as it impacts on production targets and hence, the budgets.
Comparative analysis of operational coefficients' impact on excavation operations
Authors: Panas A. , Pantouvakis J.P. 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe paper aims to provide a structured framework for comparing different productivity estimation methodologies and evaluate their sensitivity to operational coefficients variation for excavation operations.Design/methodology/approachTwo process‐oriented methodologies were analysed in a deterministic fashion in terms of their input requirements and their respective outputs. A phase‐oriented framework was presented to enable their comparison. The research methodology allows the estimation of excavation productivity in relation to the selected operational coefficients.FindingsThe system productivity is significantly influenced by operational conditions, such as the digging depth and the swing angle from the excavation front to the dumping position. Each methodology presents a differing sensitivity to every operational factor. Since the excavator is considered as the system's leading resource, the variation on productivity has direct implications for the truck fleet size and the unit cost of operations.Originality/valueThe proposed approach is useful in analyzing process‐oriented productivity estimation methodologies under a given set of operational coefficients when no historical data is available. Thus, it provides an alternative to intuitive estimates based solely on personal judgment. The concept of “baseline reference” conditions is introduced, so as to enable the transformation of any operational scenario into equivalent mathematical models that allow comparisons between different estimation methodologies and computational approaches.
Case study analysis of construction excavator H&S overturn incidents
Authors: Edwards David J. , Holt Gary D. 
Published: September 2010

PurposeConstruction plant and equipment harbour significant health and safety hazards. One particular item, the mini‐excavator, presents a hazard from its inherent instability and tendency to overturn during use. The purpose of this paper is to investigate turnover incidents to observe prominent factors and contribute to development of best practice guidance for improving health and safety relating to mini‐excavator use.Design/methodology/approachComprehensive documentary data from eight case study incidents, along with anecdotal data from a further three, were qualitatively analysed in terms of: machine weight, machine activity, ground type/topography, operator competence, type of overturn, damage to property, and injury to person(s). Results were presented to experts in the field for comment and conclusions/recommendations accordingly developed.FindingsObserved prominent casual factors include: inadequate assessment of risk and non‐adherence to safe working practice, working on poor ground, and working on inclined surfaces. The use of sealed operator cabs and proprietary seat restraint mechanisms seem to mitigate risk of personal injury to operators during overturn incidents. A need for cyclic training to reiterate good operator and banksman practice is emphasised, while construction managers should also be aware of the risks, and help implement risk controls.Research limitations/implicationsFindings will inform construction plant management research generally, and the subject of mechanised workplace transport stability specifically.Practical implicationsBest practice protocol will inform health and safety management of mini‐excavators at the workplace.Originality/valueAcademic research into mini‐excavator stability is embryonic; this paper furthers evolving knowledge in the field.
Determinants of FDI in emerging markets: evidence from Brazil
Authors: Felisoni de Angelo Claudio , Eunni Rangamohan V. , Manoel Martins Dias Fouto Nuno 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe paper aims to evaluate the relative importance of various factors that influenced the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Brazil in recent years. Analysis of empirical data indicates that evolution of the consumer market and strength of consumer sales are more important in explaining capital movements into Brazil than other frequently offered explanations such as exchange rates and country risk.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses two‐stage least squares regression to estimate the coefficients of a system of simultaneous equations relating FDI flows into Brazil to various influential factors.FindingsThe results indicate that internal market growth represented by aggregate consumer sales was a significant determinant of FDI into Brazil. Increase in interest rate on consumer financing was negatively related and the attractiveness of the Brazilian market had no impact on FDI flows during the captioned period.Research limitations/implicationsWhile factors such as inflation and exchange rates might be more important for smaller, less stable markets, in the case of larger emerging markets such as Brazil, multi‐national firms might be less concerned with short‐term fluctuations and more guided by internal market growth that affords greater opportunities to achieve economies of scale and scope.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that policy planners in big emerging markets should try to stimulate their internal markets rather than tweak fiscal and monetary policies to attract FDI.Originality/valueThe paper extends and expands the knowledge of international capital flows and provides a more nuanced understanding of the importance of internal market dynamism in attracting FDI into emerging markets.