JOURNAL OF EPISTEMOLOGY (LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
Year:2011 | Volume:3 | Issue:12|Papers Count:8

Purpose: The aim of this survey is to compare the structured abstracts of the articles of Journal of Librarianship Central Library and Documentation Center University of Tehran with the unstructured abstracts of the same articles of this journal.Methodology: This is an applied research which is done according to comparison method by the help of using three different tools:a: Quality control checklist scale,b: using Rudolph Flesch's Reading Ease Formula,c: An online Questioner The population of the research are two fold:  a: The structured abstracts published during 2007 to 2008 in Journal of Librarianship Central Library and Documentation Center University of Tehran and unstructured abstracts prepared and submitted by the writers of the same articles to their first drafts.  b: The academic members of the universities and their under graduate students.Findings: The results show that readers of the structured abstracts believe that they are easily retrievable and their readability rate is higher.Conclusion: At the end, preparing structured abstract for the articles in scientific journals and the evolution of this kind of abstracts is proposed.

Purpose: This study attempts to investigate the capability of the graduate students in using and accessing the electronic resources available at Mazandaran University.Methodology: This study used "Survey Method" which is accomplished by distributing questionnaires to gather the required data.Findings: The findings show that 55.6 percent of the graduate students know how to use a computer on a very average level and 52.6 percent are familiar with the use of online databases. These students have learnt how to use the data bases that don' t quite cover the information need of the student. Elsevier data base has had the most usage among the students. Most of the students use search engines more than subject-directories and metasearch engines for their information retrieval.Conclusion: These information searches are mostly performed by the students, as a basic source for their research and studies or for writing their papers and articles. Less than half of the students are hardly satisfied with the retrieved data for their studies and prefer to use more electronic resources.It is then suggested that along with the training courses, the university Facilities should be also increase.

Purpose: The aim of the present research is developing knowledge in the field of open-source code softwares of digitl libraries, and recognition of their strengths, weaknesses, similarities and differences. They include Greenstone, koha, Dspace, My Library, Eprint and OpenBibilo.The existing standards of digital libraries have been investigated and a checklist is prepared so that the best softeware for providing a suitable model could be introduced.Methodology: This research is a fundamental one. Comparative research method is used to collect the information and describe a feature of each open source code software of digital library.The checklist is used to compare them.Findings: According to the checklist, the findings show that among the softwares that are designed as integrated digital library open source code, the highest capability belongs to Koha, My library and Open biblio. Those which have been desgined for digital library materials according to the checklist are : Green- Stone, Dspace, and Eprints.Conclusion: Howeve, from the side of digital library materials, regardless of functional modeles (acquisition, catalouging, OPAC, circulation, serial control) the highest capability belongs to Greenstone, Dspace, Koha, Mylibrary, Eprint and Open biblio.

Purpose: The future web generation is the semantic web which creates interaction and cooperation between the man and the computer through mobilization of data with determined ontological elements. In other words, semantic web is a kind of coding and information retrieval in a way that the machines (computer) would manage to process and comprehend data.Methodology: In this article, information is collected by literature review regarding World Wide Web. Then, the necessity to create semantic web, advantages and problems of semantic web, using technologies such as eXtensible Markup Language (XML), Resource Description Framework (RDF), and web ontology, as the most important issues of semantic web, have also been taken into consideration.Findings: the results show that the ontologies are considered the spin of semantic web.Semantic web, using ontologies through providing conceptual structure for data, makes the ground work for correlated computers to intelligently find and furnish the researchers with the data.Conclusion: With the formation of semantic web, digital libraries can be based on meaning, and create major revolution in information retrieval. So access to online databases is provided.

Purpose: The present research aims to assess performance quality of libraries of Medical Science University in Kermanshah through LibQUAL.Methodology: The research has used the LibQUAL standard checklist.195 Library users completed the checklist.Findings: The research findings show that although the overall services of the Medical libraries meet the users, Minimum expected level of service (adequacy gap=0.12), there is a significant gap between the perceived level of library services and the users, desired level of service (Superiority gap=-2.22). Other findings reveal that in some cases, the Medical libraries services did not meet the user's Minimum expected level of service. These cases include: accessibility of electronic resources from the user's home or office, space for group learning and group study, a quiet space for individual work, a library website enabling users to locate information on their own, providing the e- resources users need, and easy-to-use tools that allow users to find things on their own. The user's Minimum expected level of service was met in the "affect of Service" dimension, while it was not in the two other dimensions ("Information Control" and "Library as Place").Conclusion: The results show that the performance of College of Health Library is better than the other Libraries and the Performance of College of Medicine Library is very Weak.

Purpose: With respect to the key role of the manager in managing the academic library, this research introduced the effective role of library and professional managers in achieving their optimal performance to management of academic libraries in comparison with non librarian managers.Methodology Research methodology is descriptive - survey. Data collection was conducted through questionnaires. The research community involved managers and academic staff consists of 15 universities. In this research, managers in five practice areas: planning, organization, guidance, controls and organizational activities (specialized) libraries has been studied. In this study two main questions were posed which are: 1. Is there Specialties managers between academic libraries and their good performance exist significant relationship in managing.2. Has Demographic Factors such as gender, work experience and academic degrees a significant effect on the performance of managers.While using SPSS16, to investigate the first hypothesis T test and the second hypothesis test, two factors ANOVA was used.Finding: The results of research identified between librarian managers practice and non librarian managers practice there is a significant difference, so the first question if researcher (including five field) based on performance expertise of librarian managers was confirmed.Meanwhile, the second question (including three factors) concerning the effect of demographic factors on the performance of managers (librarians and non librarian) was not approved.Conclusion: This research confirms the main roll of profesional librarians in optimal performance of academic libraries' management.

Purpose: This study attempts to evaluate the scientific publications of Islamic Azad University of Iran in 2007 to 2008 in some dimensions such as "types of documents", "languages", "subject areas", "sources" & "Scopus Covered Journals".Methodology: To do this, ‘Documentary’ and ‘Citation Analysis’ methods were used.Also, "comparative" method was used to Analyze.Findings: Therefore, "types of documents" and "languages" of Islamic Azad University’scientific productions permanently have been increasing in 2007 to 2008. The university’s share in some subject areas such as "Multidisciplinary Chemistry and other chemistry areas", "Applied mathematics", "Pharmacology and Pharmacy", "Food science & Technology", "Veterinary", "Agricultural Science, Plants and animals" and "Environmental sciences" were more than other subject areas in Scopus. Also, there is only one indexed journal from Islamic Azad University, Branch of Tehran Science and Research entitled: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. The Journal published 0/61 percent of Indexed Scientific Productions of that university in Scopus.Conclusion: The results show that scientific productions of Islamic Azad University in 2008 were more than 2007 So That it has had 62 percent growth.

Purpose: By using content analysis of digital reference desk of the world superior universities, the current study aims to provide a model for Digital reference desk of Iran university libraries.Methodology: Digital reference desk of 16 world top universities were examined by applying content analysis and after removal of matches and Synonyms, a total of 30 features were extracted which through the Delphi method experts were poll about them. Finally, imposing a minimum average of 4, 26 features were selected in order to apply in designing the reference desk in the proposed model. Meanwhile 13 Iranian university libraries which had Digital reference desk were examined by using above mentioned list.Findings: Results showed that five substantive features "user name, phone number, email address, user questions, to questions submitted by telephone, mail, interview (verbal communication) " 100 percent with the highest percentage and two feature content "fax number, username and password provided by the library user access to information that have large volumes" with 12.5 percent of the lowest percentage in all of Digital reference desk was the world’s top academic libraries. Two features "of Digital reference desk Guide" and "User FAQ" with mean 4.80 and features the highest average "User Address" mean 3.47 lowest in importance among the features selected for the reference desk has.Conclusion: According to research findings, it can be inferred that such a very small percentage of university libraries in Iran have a digital reference desk and this number also in terms of having content characteristics are not in good condition. Hence it is necessary That university libraries starting Digital reference desk so that users can benefit the broader library services.