Iranian Journal of Information Processing & Management
Year:2009 | Volume:24 | Issue:4 (58)|Papers Count:8

Research within Library and Information Sciences bespeaks of the significant tendency of (expert and non-expert) users towards informal information sources. Nevertheless, it seems that the literature have not dealt adequately with causes and factors affecting such tendency. The present paper provides a retrospect on some of the researches conducted with respect to the typology of information resources used by searchers. It further attempts to enunciate the most important reasons for users preference toward informal information sources. The author maintains that the very social nature of man, the principle of least effort, human sense of credulity, economic considerations as well as information overloads are among the most important reasons for using informal resources. Author maintains that the increasing tendency of users towards informal sources would in not too distant future result in user apathy towards such traditional information sources as book and library.

In step with introduction of ICT in Educational system and equipping schools with computers and training teachers to use it, there is a question of why ICT application in schools is just inching ahead? It seems that the role of high school principles, their attitude as well as regulations pertinent to ICT implementation could be very effective in using computers at schools. The present investigation intends to study this. A Survey was carried using a 37 member sample randomly drawn from principles of high schools situated in the city of Isfahan that had an ICT lab. Findings indicate that principles use computer more as an office tool than a learning facilitator. Moreover, due to paucity of clear and explicit regulations governing ICT use, computer usage in schools has stumbled. This is especially so in schools where in the absence of a full time computer administrator, the existing facilities are under used. Meanwhile, principles’ attitude towards ICT was gauged as being positive.

Expansion of search query is aimed at improving the relevant [search] results or acquiring appropriate sources for current or future research. It takes place when users are dissatisfied with their search results or have obtained insufficient results. Vocabulary control tools headed by online thesauri are among the resources used for expanding search query. The present paper attempts to empirically demonstrate the impact of using terms from ERIC Online Thesaurus [ERICOT] in expanding search queries. Comparison of searches conducted by both test and control groups during pre- and post-test demonstrated that using ERICOT played a significant role in improving the search questions and duration. Using broader, narrower and related terms found in the thesaurus altered the precision of retrieval. Using broader and related terms increased the search time.

Scientific cooperation is an ongoing area of scientometric investigations that had been embraced by many researchers. International collaboration among scientists is an expanded form of scientific participation the importance and advantages of which has been corroborated by the investigations conducted. The present investigation was carried out in order to study collaboration between Iranian and ASEAN scientists. In the past 34 years, Iran had scientific collaboration with eight ASEAN countries with Malaysia standing out as principle collaborator. During the period studied, Iran-ASEAN collaboration had been on the rise. There had been a significantly positive correlation between scientific output in these countries with scientific collaboration with Iran. The highest number of coauthorships with ASEAN had been in chemistry. Shahid Beheshti University was the foremost Iranian institute of higher learning collaborating with ASEAN. Moustafa Amini had the highest coauthorships.

The present study investigates the link between various users’ mental state while searching information systems with the outcome of the resulting documents retrieved. Various factors such as user knowledge, search skills, motivation and aims influence the decisions and evaluation of users regarding documents retrieved. MMPI instrument was used to identify users’ mental states. The sample was drawn from female senior students of librarianship, using systematic random sampling. The findings indicated that anxiety and depression have significant inverse relationship to the rate of relevancy identification of the documents retrieved by the users.

Dissertations and theses that are generated in course of research at PhD and Masters levels are considered to be important scientific documents in every country. Data description and analysis of such documents collected together, could automatically - especially when compared with data from other resources - provide new information that is very valuable. Nevertheless, no comprehensive, integrated pattern exists for such description and analysis. The present paper offers the findings of a research conducted for devising an information analysis pattern for dissertations and theses. It also puts forward information categories derived from such documents that could be described and analyzed.

It is generally assumed that distance learning is considered as an inescapable step forward for developing countries. Traditional education in developing countries can no longer respond and bend to the demands due to explosive population growth, economic constraints and over-demand for education. Given the pressure brought to bear on these countries to join the developed and information-rich world, it seems that distance education would provide a better education for a larger number of people at lower cost. The present paper attempts to investigate the status of distance education in Library and information science, expand on the challenges and opportunities it poses for the educational systems in the developing countries and to provide a more realistic link between education and development in such communities.

E-Business is one of the most fascinating areas of information Technology. Managers should seek out means for making decision towards optimizing resource development in this area in order to control their expense and capital allocations at a higher, strategic level. To do this, manager must first identify their level of e-business development and plan to improve the status quo by identifying factors contributing to the growth in this approach. The present paper aims to construct and develop intelligent models for determining the organization status quo and management decision-making towards improving the situation using fuzzy [logic] tools. Thus for modeling these factors and their impact, the contributing factors in development of e-business approaches were identified by literature survey. These were later categorized using Delphi Method. Furthermore the FCM model was used to graphically illustrate the causal relationships among factors, including the mode and means of their mutual impact.