INFORMATION SYSTEMS & SERVICES
Year:2012 | Volume:1 | Issue:1|Papers Count:8

Purpose: This research aims at evaluating thesaurus softwares in Iran. Methodology: To evaluate eight thesaurus management softwares (TMS), a checklist covering three categories of criteria (general, functional and managerial) was designed. Then, 5 Iranian TMS including Islamic Science Thesaurus, ParsAzarakhsh, Thesaurus Builder, Qamoos, and Nosa were compared using the checklist. Findings: In terms of enjoyment and conformity, the most observed criteria were functional, managerial, and general criteria, respectively. ParsAzarakhsh TMS gained the highest score and Islamic Science Thesaurus and Thesaurus Builder, Qamoos and Nosa were the next ones. Conclusions: Although, in each of criteria, there was a difference between softwares, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test indicated that the difference was not statistically significant.

Purpose: The present study attempts to determine the application of knowledge management (KM) between the central, faculty, and hospital libraries' staff at Medical Sciences University of Isfahan's libraries based on Hissig Model. Methodology: The research method used was descriptive-survey. The statistical population included all of the listed Universities' libraries' (15 cases) staffs (79 persons) in 2010. Krejcie and Morgan's table was used to determine the sample size (65 numbers). Totally, 52 questionnaires were returned. Sampling method was proportionate stratified random sampling. Results: It was found out that four main components of KM namely "knowledge creation", "knowledge application", "knowledge storage", and "knowledge dissemination" were averagely used 3.012, 2.96, 2.51, and 2.71, respectively. Moreover, the application of KM based on Hissig Model among the library' staff at Medical Sciences University of Isfahan with an average 2.80 is totally lower than average level.Conclusions: The tacit knowledge is transferred via communication between people especially informal communication occurred in libraries. So, libraries should support from informal communication at library staff.

Purpose: The present research aims to assess the role of information technology on the information literacy of high school students in Hamedan. Methodology: The method used is experimental research with posttest-only control group design. The research society consists of 364 persons of high school students in Hamedan at 2 groups of test and control in 2 kinds of ordinary and technology-haves high schools. To collect needed data, a questionnaire which is based on American Library Association's Information Literacy Standards and ACRL standard (Information literacy competency standards for higher education) was designed. Findings: The results show that information literacy was totally low among all students. But, in terms of information literacy, the state of ordinary schools' students at 3 groups (female, male, and both) is weaker compared to students of technology-haves schools. Also, it was found that female students' information literacy in technology-haves schools is more than male students' information literacy in the same schools. Conclusions: Based on the findings, it is suggested that lesson "Research Method" is offered in high schools, related teachers are appointed for teaching this lesson, and factors inhibiting the production and dissemination of information among high school students are investigated.

Purpose: The aim of this research was to investigate the organization patterns of information categories and menus in some Iranian academic library websites based on Norman and Chin model. Methodology: 10 university central library websites were observed and examined regarding the five existing patterns for organizing menus (decreasing, increasing, convex, concave, and constant). Two different research methods i.e., observation and structural analysis were applied using a checklist for gathering information. Findings: The structural analysis indicated that, among the five existing patterns of organization of menus (decreasing, increasing, convex, concave, and constant), universities' central library websites used the decreasing and concave patterns more frequently. Unlike other patterns, the concave pattern reduced the users' errors and uncertainty in the menus. Conclusions: The depth of menu decreased the predictability of sub-categories under each category while it increased the length of time for finding relevant information.

Purpose: This research aims to study the experts' view about the features and components of children digital libraries (DLs) user interface and propose a model in this respect. Methodology: To do this descriptive survey, the related texts were reviewed and consulted. Then, criteria and components of children DLs user interface were extracted and designed in the form of a Likert's five-point checklist. The checklist was sent for professionals, faculty members, and authors of DLs texts. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. To determine the threshold score for acceptance of each component in the model, T-score was used. Findings: Among the criteria of the study, the experts rated ‘the error message' with T scores 4.7 (94%) as the highest ranked component and 'personalization of the texts' with T-score 3.72 (74.4%) as the lowest ranked one. 'Personalization of resources retrieved from the library' with a standard T-score of 4.55 (91%), and "variety of available resource formats in the library" with a T score of 4.53 (90.6%) got the second and third ranks, respectively. Finally, based on those criteria which achieved the accepted scores by the experts, a model (consisting of 15 criteria and 98 sub criteria) for children DL user interface in Iran was proposed. Conclusions: It is concluded that despite the different opinions of experts regarding the components and criteria, it is possible to propose a unique and common set of criteria for children DLs in Iran.

Purpose: This study investigates the correlation between journal self–citation and impact factor of journals in the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) indexed in the journal citation reports (JCR) of Web of Science (WoS) during 2006 to 2008. Methodology: Citation analysis is used to conduct the research. It studies the LIS journals indexed by Thomson Reuter's database during years 2006 to 2008. Findings: The results indicate a significant correlation between impact factor and journal self-citation in the level of 0.001 in LIS from 2006 to 2008. This means that with increasing self-citation, the impact factor of journals has also increased. The relation between the number of articles and impact factor in the three years showed several results, for example, in 2006 and 2008, this relationship is very weak. This reflects the influence of impact factor in the number of articles. Findings also show that synchronous self-citation rate has ascending process but diachronous self-citation has a descending process.Conclusion: Self-citation is a natural phenomenon, but this factor affects the impact factor and thus the real stand of scientific journals. Hence, its role should be cautiously considered in the future evaluations.

Purpose: The purpose of present study is to measure users' satisfaction with the services provided at Central Library Of National Iranian Gas Company. Methodology: The study was performed by survey method. The sample population of study was 88 users of the library who answered the questionnaire. Findings: User satisfaction rate of physical and welfare facilities dimension is between high and very high. User satisfaction rate of kinds of information resources dimension is average. User satisfaction rate of Library services dimension is between average and high, and User satisfaction rate of Library staff characteristics is high. General user satisfaction of the library is evaluated between average and high.Conclusions: The most satisfaction rate is between high and very high which is related to indicators of space, ventilation, lighting, cleanliness, sound prevention, staff attitudes to answer questions, staff behavior, staff availability, and staff patience about the education of using reference materials. The lowest satisfaction rate is between low and average that is related to English periodicals, training CD-ROM and databases indicators. Finally, in line with the findings, some suggestions have been offered for improving Gas Library performance.

Purpose: The main goal of this study is to determine the level of information literacy of fourth-year graduate students at Razi University of Kermanshah. Methodology: The descriptive survey method was used to gather the needed information through a questionnaire. The research population includes 332 fourth-year graduate students (198 females and 134 males). Findings: The findings show that the mean of comments about familiarity with print and electronic information resources is 3.38, while such mean regarding their use is 3.16. Also, 12% of the students do not make any use of online or traditional services to access their needed information. 15.6% of the research population benefit from different technologies to meet their information needs at high and very high rates. The findings on the students' skill in assessing the usefulness of retrieved resources indicate that only 12.9% of them are skillful at high and very high rates. Conclusions: The research results demonstrate that the level of information literacy in the students of different fields is different. Since the average level of information literacy at these students is 3.27 (lower that 3.5), it is concluded that they have information literacy less than average level.