bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Investigating online community portals for enhanced alumni networking
Authors: Barnard Zenia , Rensleigh Chris 
Published: September 2008

PurposeThe core purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which web portal technology and online communities could be successfully applied by the alumni offices of higher education institutions in South Africa (using the University of Johannesburg as a case study) to create information‐sharing with and amongst its alumni affinity groups, in order to build and maintain valuable relationships, networks and partnerships.Design/methodology/approachThis research project falls under Pasteur's quadrant of use‐inspired research. Using quantitative empirical research, a total number of 10,380 questionnaires was distributed to graduates of the University of Johannesburg at the Autumn graduation ceremonies in April 2006, thereby making it a self‐selecting, purposeful (purposive) and convenient sample.FindingsBased on the literature study, the results of the empirical research and the case study, the final conclusion made from this research project is that an online community portal can enhance to a large extent the networking of alumni in the South African higher education sector. In addition, the research data collection instrument is transferable to a number of other higher education settings. In particular, the user‐centric information resource questions provide useful insights into alumni information‐seeking behaviour and needs.Research limitations/implicationsDue to the University of Johannesburg Alumni being used as a case study for this research project, the research findings are tailored for implementation by this entity. However, the processes that were followed for this research project in terms of conducting a needs analysis with regard to the information needs of the alumni target audience and the types of questions that were posed could be guiding principles for other South African higher education sector (SAHES) institutions that want to develop such a tool for managing their alumni's information needs. In addition, the framework for the study predicts continuing alliances among academic services, placement services, library services, and fund development on higher education campuses.Originality/valueThe paper should prove useful to other academic institutions since it develops a helpful tool to assist in managing alumni networking behaviour, needs and resources.
The digital library as an enterprise: the Zachman approach
Authors: Abdullah Abrizah , Zainab A.N. 
Published: September 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the needs of digital library stakeholders and how a collaborative digital library might be designed to meet these needs. The collaborative digital library has been conceived to support secondary school students' information needs in conducting school‐based projects.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses the Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architecture as the approach to investigate the user requirements and define the digital library organization, resources, processes, technology and information flows In applying the Zachman Framework and to holistically control the study, the case study approach and multiple data collection techniques were adopted.FindingsInformation obtained from these data gathering techniques helps to populate the requirements of the top three layers (18 cells) in the Zachman Framework to ascertain the design details of the digital library's scope, business and system model. The framework requires the abstraction of the characteristics and features of the digital library based on Zachman's six dimensions – motivation, data, people, process, place and time – as well as explains their structures and processes from the perspectives of the planner, owner and designer of the digital library.Originality/valueThe paper is of significance in the field of collaborative digital libraries, since the perspectives and dimensions established from the framework comprehensively capture the user needs and context of use, and help ensure that everything relevant to the digital library enterprise is covered.
Digital divide and economic development: case study of sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Mutula Stephen M. 
Published: September 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the nexus between the digital divide and development and discusses attempts being made at continental, regional and country levels to bridge the digital divide in sub‐Saharan Africa.Design/methodology/approachAn analytical and comparative approach of global e‐readiness, digital opportunity, and information society indices is applied to infer the status of the digital divide in sub‐Saharan Africa.FindingsThe paper finds that there is a link between bridging the digital divide and economic development. However, there is as yet no unanimity as to whether the digital divide is narrowing or widening in developing countries including those in sub‐Saharan Africa. Nevertheless, countries in sub‐Saharan Africa are making tremendous strides, especially in infrastructure development and mobile phone connectivity, to bridge the digital divide.Research limitations/implicationsAn empirical study is needed to determine the impact of the surge in infrastructure and policy development in sub‐Saharan Africa with regard to bridging the digital divide.Practical implicationsHitherto, attempts to measure the extent of the digital divide between and within countries have largely relied on e‐readiness rankings and have rarely used other relevant indices that are available, such as e‐government, information society, and digital opportunity indices. The use of a wide range of indices to infer the breadth and depth of the digital divide between sub‐Saharan Africa and the developed world would provide a clearer picture of the extent of the divide.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates that several tools other than e‐readiness ranking can be used to measure the breadth and depth of the digital divide. The paper brings to the fore the importance of addressing sub‐Saharan Africa's digital divide peculiarities using extraordinary interventions.
Enhancing literary electronic books with logical structure: electronic work
Authors: Martínez‐Prieto Miguel A. , de la Fuente Pablo , Vegas Jesús M. , Adiego Joaquín , Cuesta Carlos E. 
Published: September 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to present the concept of electronic work, such as an e‐book integrator of concerns (logical structure, appearance and functionality), for representing literary texts available in electronic heterogeneous environments.Design/methodology/approachFrom the generic description of an e‐book and the descriptive requirements of the BiDiLiC project, the concept of electronic work is presented. These requirements involve a descriptive markup policy (based on TEI‐Lite) which defines the text's logical structure and is used for integrating the other concerns associated with the text: functionality and appearance. Finally, the article presents an example showing the integration of the previous concepts to achieve a functional implementation of the electronic work.FindingsThe electronic work covers the requirements of classic literary texts, while still allowing other types of texts to be represented easily. For this purpose, a robust logical structure based on TEI is defined, which offers an interchange norm for information stored in an electronic form. This representation, developed in XML, allows the logical structure of the text to be described generically, facilitating the integration (around it) of the service's functionality, as well as adapting its appearance for use in heterogeneous environments, such as the internet.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a new approach for interacting with electronic content. This approach is presented from conceptual basis to functional representation by way of theoretical reasoning and innovative technology.
Business administration students' perception of usability of the Business Source Premier database
Authors: Oulanov Alexei 
Published: September 2008

PurposeThe current article is a research study examining user perception of the usability of an online information system used by business administration students. The online database which it aims to examine is Business Source Premier, which is incorporated in a larger platform of databases called EBSCO. The findings of this research will help with the efficient management of this information service as well as improve the application of this database in an academic library setting.Design/methodology/approachConvenience sampling procedure was used for recruiting participants. The entire class of 22 students taught at Medgar Evers College of CUNY participated in this survey. Users evaluated this database using Oulanov's usability tool, which entails the following eight criteria: Affect, Adaptability, Control, Helpfulness, Efficiency, User Effort, Measures of Effectiveness, and Retrieval Features.FindingsBusiness Source Premier was rated highest in terms of efficiency. Some improvement might be necessary to increase the helpfulness of the system. User effort is another usability criterion that scored lower than the others. Other usability components, including affect, adaptability, control, measures of effectiveness, and retrieval features, were rated highly. The overall performance of Business Source Premier is high and possible paths for improvement are likewise offered.Originality/valueThis case study provided usability assessment of an online business information system used by business administration students, identifying its strong and weak points. This investigation showed that Business Source Premier is efficient and effective tool for conducting research in the field of business administration.
The influence of traditional reading habits on the construction of digital libraries in developing countries
Authors: Songhui Zheng 
Published: September 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the traditional reading habits of library users which were ignored when digital libraries were constructed in developing countries. It provides advice on how to solve the problem of the reading habits of library users in developing countries and how rapidly needs of readers with libraries are adopting alternatives to locally held print sources in order to meet the traditional reading habits.Design/methodology/approachThrough reading and studying the related reference materials and literatures by searching in CNKI and checking web sites, the paper provides general tactics on how to develop digital libraries in developing countries. The paper first analyzes the definition and features of the digital library, and is followed by an introduction to libraries in developing countries, confronted with the problems caused by traditional reading habits. Before discussing digital resources and their applications, a brief introduction is presented to the development of digital libraries in mainland China.FindingsThe functions of digital libraries in developing countries are seriously diminished due to traditional reading habits. Libraries in developing countries should offer comprehensive services and take due account of the needs of the traditional readers when developing digital libraries. For many years, documents that the library has collected have mainly been various kinds of printed materials. Printed documents are an advantage of the library for traditional users because digital documents cannot totally replace them. It is also unnecessary to digitize all the collected documents of the traditional library. As digital libraries are developed, traditional libraries must continue to provide an excellent service in meeting the needs of users with traditional reading habits.Originality/valueThis paper provides some observations and insights into the design and development of digital libraries in developing countries. All of the above attracts the attention of the digital library in developing countries to the traditional users. To try to get the most appropriate architectural space, facilities and management, efficient service, comfortable environment and modern equipment to enable the libraries to offer the fastest information service for all the readers, the traditional users or modern users.
Can I help you? Implementing an IM service
Authors: Hvass Anna , Myer Sue 
Published: September 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report the results of a case study evaluating the introduction of an instant messaging (IM) reference service.Design/methodology/approachDuring November 2006, an IM chat service was introduced at the University of Teesside in the UK. A review of the literature informed the introduction of the new service. An evaluation of the service, based on usage statistics and impressions from staff and students, has been taking place.FindingsThe paper finds that it is possible to set up an IM service without the need for the purchase of hardware or software. There have been some issues fitting the IM service into the existing range of help services, and there are concerns about the relatively small number of queries, although usage of the service is growing. But users of the service have been delighted with it.Research limitations/implicationsThe IM chat service has been in operation for only four hours per day, Monday to Friday, with limited marketing of the service. It is not known how much more popular a more extensive service would be.Practical implicationsThe authors believe that the University of Teesside has introduced a quick and easy way for students to communicate with them, and recommend that other libraries consider IM‐based services.Originality/valueThere is a shortage of publications that report the results of the use of IM for chat, especially in the UK.
E‐government web site enhancement opportunities: a learning perspective
Authors: Huang Jen‐Hung , Huey‐Pyng Shyu Stacy 
Published: September 2008

PurposeThis study seeks to develop a framework of analysis that categorizes features of e‐government web site design in a matrix of knowledge‐acquiring process versus learners' values. The proposed framework supports a development plan for a cyber governmental web site that may involve all aspects of a learning process.Design/methodology/approachA framework for analysis is first proposed. Data were obtained from 137 part‐time students during a class. Participants were requested to enter the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) web site to learn a subject of their choice in a computer lab. The instruments used for obtaining their opinions were open‐ended questionnaires. Two focus group interviews were also conducted. An iterative analyzing strategy based on grounded theory was employed to obtain the results.FindingsAnalytical results of the data based on the framework reveals many insights. Participants indicated that navigational aids, knowledge contents and other designs related to interactive knowledge sharing are important. Nevertheless, e‐government webmasters often ignore these important features. The proposed framework is a valuable tool for web site development and maintenance.Originality/valueAlthough many theories about the usability of e‐government web sites have been proposed, the needs of individual learners have seldom been addressed. Since learning is critical to economic prosperity and social cohesion, the factors that make an e‐government web site supportive for learners should be explored. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to examine an e‐government web site from a learner perspective. Furthermore, this investigation presents a framework that facilitates analyzing and improving e‐government web sites.
Design of a model of publication sharing and harvesting
Authors: Yu Shien‐Chiang 
Published: September 2008

PurposeThis study aims to discuss a system constructed to satisfy scholars' personal information management requirements when collecting e‐documents, and to include generation of a citation format that can aid paper writing. The system compiles records and personal publications of specific domains collected by individual scholars to form a knowledge set for other scholars to use as a reference. It not only simplifies the data collection process, but also increases the visibility of scholars themselves, along with their papers.Design/methodology/approachThis study analyzes the mechanism of increasing cited frequency of scholars' publications and aggregating relevant documents. It then enables the design of feasible system structures based on this mechanism to form a knowledge set by combining scholars' publications within specific academic domains. In addition, it expedites the gathering of relevant documents by scholars in order to create an accessible archive for subsequent researchers.FindingsBy way of an effective system for publication sharing, and not merely offering a reference for scholars in other relevant fields, this system can also improve the visibility of scholars' publications and further enhance the cited frequency of publications.Originality/valueCombining collected documents and personal publications and sharing those with other scholars for reference can establish a highly effective personal research domain. It not only simplifies the data collection process, but also increases the visibility of personal academic works.
Evaluation of information providers and popular search engines on the base of postgraduate students' perspectives
Authors: Riahinia Nosrat , Zandian Fatimah 
Published: September 2008

PurposeThis study seeks to examine the postgraduate students of two universities (Tarbiat Moallem and Tarbiat Modares) in Tehran to discover how they use online databases and general search engines.Design/methodology/approachThis study was carried out focusing on postgraduate students' use of online databases provided by information providers (IPs). A sample population was selected among some postgraduate students, as patrons of central libraries of two universities in Tehran. The study was performed by means of a questionnaire given to the participants. Initially, on the basis of a sample pre‐test multi‐choice questionnaire, four information providers were selected as information hosts that were well known to the sampled students. Afterwards, the main questionnaire was developed and distributed among participants. Both participating libraries had a separate e‐databases hall for postgraduate students, so, when coming to use the online computers to search the databases, students were asked to fill out the questionnaires according to their experiences on using online resources. The study was implemented during October to December 2006 and the sample population were those postgraduate students who used the central libraries' e‐resources in campus during the period.FindingsThe results show that 63.4 per cent of respondents use online databases, followed by search engines (24.3 per cent), and print materials (11.3 per cent). Participants ranked Google as the most favourable search engine. In a comparison to using databases versus search engines, 58.4 per cent of respondents stated that they use online databases for seeking scientific information, while 33.6 per cent use search engines.Originality/valueThe originality of this study lies in the fact that it reveals postgraduate students' evaluation of four online IPs that are well known to most of the students in this study.
Networking inside the organization: a case study on knowledge sharing
Authors: Rolland Nicolas , Kaminska‐Labbé Renata 
Published: September 2008

PurposeThis paper illustrates, on the basis of a case study of a multinational corporation, the positive impact of intra‐organizational networking on the capacity to sustain competitive advantage in a highly volatile environment. It aims to provide researchers, consultants and managers with insights on how to design an organization leveraging internal resources and capabilities.Design/methodology/approachOne original case is presented, along with a series of analytical points drawn from this study. The research design is based on action research methods (one author participated in designing and implementing the “networking attitude” project) as well as primary (interviews) and secondary data (internal documents). The paper makes several basic points on the relationship between inter‐unit knowledge sharing and renewing competitive advantage in multinational corporations.FindingsThe critical findings relate to the importance of creating effective inter‐personal networks for enhancing knowledge sharing, and to the direct positive impact on overall strategic performance of transferring knowledge across organizational units. The bottom line is that knowledge is detained by people and it cannot be coordinated in a top‐down centralized manner, but rather requires organizational designs based on greater autonomy, efficient incentive systems and strategically coherent organizational cultures.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of the paper are based on a single case study of a firm that successfully managed to create intra‐organizational knowledge‐sharing networks that resulted in significant improvements in overall performance, and hence generalization and robustness of the results would require the analysis of additional – successful and unsuccessful cases.Practical implicationsThe paper provides insights on the creation of effective knowledge‐sharing networks in multinational corporations.Originality/valueThe data, approach, and analysis are all original. This paper enriches the existing theory on knowledge management and strategy formation by highlighting the direct link between leveraging internal resources and improved performance. It addresses the problem of knowledge sharing in multinational corporations and emphasizes the importance of interpersonal links and autonomy in organizations. The model of knowledge sharing described in the paper can easily be adapted in different contexts and should therefore be of value to managers. To researchers it offers a comprehensive framework integrating internal capabilities and strategy implementation perspectives.
From knowing to doing: experience and flexibility make the difference
Authors: Gelb Betsy D. , Geiger‐Oneto Stephanie , Gelb Gabriel M. 
Published: September 2008

PurposeWhile managers have many opportunities to learn about strategic principles, this article investigates how managers understand and use them. Focusing on principles from the writing of Peter F. Drucker, described by many as “the man who invented management,” the purpose of the study is to test the relationship of organizational flexibility to implementing his principles and also to explore how they are implemented.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conduct an online survey of senior managers about their familiarity with each of five of Drucker's ideas, their agreement with each, and how they are implemented. The respondents also report how management ideas are put into practice in their organization.FindingsAs expected, we find that implementation of strategic concepts is likelier given greater organizational flexibility, a willingness to try something new. As Drucker posited, the way an organization is organized and motivated affects whether it will implement profitable strategies.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a study of 100 executives who responded to an academic inquiry. The authors do not know whether the respondents were affected by the academic focus. Further, since the respondents are employed in a wide variety of industries, the conclusions are necessarily broad and may not reflect any one industry's values.Originality/valueIt is well known that enterprises develop cultures that either welcome or repel new ideas. This paper may motivate managers to consider the flexibility of their own organization in reacting to and assimilating “not invented here” possibilities.