LIBRARIANSHIP AND INFORMATION ORGANIZATION STUDIES (JOURNAL OF NATIONAL STUDIES ON LIBRARIANSHIP AND INFORMATION ORGANIZATION)
Year:2016 | Volume:27 | Issue:3|Papers Count:11

Purpose: To describe four epistemological positions of empiricism, rationalism, historicism, and pragmatism in knowledge organization domain and explaining and analyzing six approaches to knowledge organization (automatic versus human classification, user-based and cognitive classifications, facet classification, bibliometric classification and domain-analytic classification) based on Birger Hjørland’s theory.Methodology: Theoretical analysis.Results: Empiricist position results in classification according to formal similarities of resources. Rationalism led to systems with facet classification. Historicism driven systems deal with knowledge development and communities and systems holding practical approach take cultural background and critical classification. Hjørland’s theory analysis reveals the mutual relationship between automatic and human classification, compatibility among searcher and knowledge organization system, subject retrieval improvement, guiding specialized activities of the field, employing bibliography methods and so on.Conclusion: Taking epistemological position in knowledge organization domain helps in analyzing issues of the field and provides theoretical basis for judgment.

Purpose: To identify the validity of factors affecting the "Brand" of National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI) from the viewpoints of staffs and clients.Methodology: Survey using a self-designed questionnaire. The population consisted of 214 staff and 285 clients of the NLAI.Results: Producing national bibliography (mean 4.3) and being open in holidays and nights (mean 4.66) were the most important factors regarding staffs and clients’ views respectively. Considering services, staff believed that having RASA software (mean 3.52) is important and clients preferred access to digital version of theses (mean 3.52). Also, having faculty members affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (mean 4.1) was on top of services’ advantages category according to staffs’ views and access to hot meal and drink (mean 3.44) in client’s standpoint.Conclusion: Staffs and clients viewpoints about factors affecting NLAI brand was highly credential except for service factor, which reveals the need for promoting services.

Purpose: To explore book awards in Iran during 1954-2013 and the similarities between awarded titles.Methodology: Historical method is used with a descriptive approach. The population consists of all governmental awards including 165 winners of royal book award and 539 winners of annual book award. A self-designed checklist based on references is used as the research tool.Results: Considering royal book award, 94% of winners were men, 4% women and 2% organizational entities. Regarding the subject, applied science works won the most (23%) and art the least (6%) number of awards. University of Tehran stands out as the top publisher winning 24.8% of all awards. Also, 90% of awarded works were published in Tehran. Considering annual book award, 89.6% of winners were men, 6% women and 4% governmental organizations. Among subjects, applied science was on top gaining 22.6% of all awards and among publishers, university publishing center with 13.2%. Also, 84.2% of awarded books were published in Tehran.Conclusion: Book award trend in Iran has seen a fluctuation over the years and was affected by political and social situations of the time. So, a written rule can make the process more regulated.

Purpose: To investigate the barriers to share Persian name authorities in the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) based on National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI) data.Methodology: Using survey, name authority experts in NLAI were interviewed to realize the barriers to share name authority data in VIAF. Then using qualitative content analysis, 699 name authority records were selected by stratified random sampling and analyzed for being shared in VIAF.Results: According to name authority experts of NLAI, it is necessary to share NLAI data in VIAF. However, there are some barriers in human resources, management, research and education, software, hardware and data validity. Investigating NLAI name authority sample data indicated that: 1) there is no link between name authorities’ database and bibliographic records, 2) differences in spelling similar names may be a problem for retrieving, 3) Almost half of NLAI name authority records are incomplete 4) There are more than one authorizd name record for a single author name, 5) Only 50% of NLAI name authorities matched to the Library of Congress Name Authority File.Conclusion: It is essential to optimize and correct NLAI name authorities in order to be shared in VIAF.

Purpose: To explore the extent to which National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI) is ready to become a learning organization.Methodology: The survey method is employed using a self-designed questionnaire based on Wick and Leon five elements. The population consists of all staff holding a BS degree and having at least 10 years work experience.Results: NLAI readiness to become a learning organization evaluated significantly high regarding vision based leadership. Irrational expectations for work's outcome got mean rank of 3.62 and existence of a written and clear plan for attaining organization's goals and mission got 3.32. Staff tendency toward improving and updating their knowledge was the highest with 3.63 mean rank and information flow without paperwork and bureaucratic restrictions was the lowest. Innovation and creativity has been evaluated to be low and organization administration in an average level.Conclusion: NLAI is in a middle range of readiness to become a learning organization. There needs to be more consideration toward innovation, creativity and administration in NLAI. However, other components have not been also fully accomplished.

Purpose: To study the significance of Music Information Retrieval (MIR), the differences between text and music storage and retrieval, MIR systems’ tasks and other challenges.Methodology: Theoretical analysis.Results: There are different search engines and databases for MIR, like LastFM, Pandora and Muggle. Similarity, classification, transcription, rhythm and pitch recognition and Query-by-Humming (QBH) are the main tasks of MIR systems.Conclusion: Because of the differences between text and music qualities, text retrieval and MIR are different. To properly perform, each MIR system needs to consider: incorrect melody singing in QBH, difficulties of transcribing polyphonic music, genre’s dependency to several classes, the lack of clear sense among tags and similarities in various pieces of music.

Purpose: To prioritize the needs of the National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI) clients in uncertainty situation.Methodology: Data gathered through data mining and Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) based on Kano model.Results: Factors affecting client’s satisfaction are clustered in 6 groups and then in 5 clusters based on their demographic properties. Each cluster’s members had different priorities according to their demographic characteristics and needs.Conclusion: There is diversity in client’s needs and priorities. To address each need, library needs to employ that need’s specific strategy. Since fulfilling all the needs is not possible, first must-be needs and then one-dimensional and attractive needs must be regarded.

Purpose: Historically reviewing and criticizing the trend of qualitative research in the field of knowledge and information science (KIS).Methodology: Literature review.Results: Quantitative research techniques have been focused for many decades as the best and sometimes the only appropriate methodology in KIS. The historical review of the field shows the weakness of qualitative research approaches and reveals that positivistic approach is still at work. Therefore, focus on instrumentation and ignorance of theory-building is seen in the field.Conclusion: It is suggested that subjects that help in expansion of theory-building are considered when stating research problems.

Purpose: The application of patent co-word map analysis in disclosure of technical knowledge associated with the electrical field of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV).Methodology: It is a descriptive research. The co-word analysis technique is used to map AUV and Delphi method to obtain experts’ views. The patents containing the term “Autonomous Underwater Vehicle” were retrieved from Google patent and Lens. To find related patents, keyword and class were searched together. Finally, 223 patents were retrieved.Results: Subjective maps help in better understanding and act as an introduction to electrical aspects of AUV. To experts with a previous knowledge of the field, the maps can be used as a starting point to learn technical knowledge. Also, the maps can be useful if they turn to a road map, otherwise they are not applicable in promoting experts’ knowledge.Conclusion: Maps derived from co-word analysis must be regarded from two viewpoints of novices and experts.

Purpose: To assess cultural factors in National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI) as an opportunity to increase job satisfaction of the staff.Methodology: It is a survey and data was collected through two cultural elements questionnaires (Robbins) and job satisfaction questionnaire (Smith, Kendall, and Hulin). The population consisted of 290 staff, 250 of which filled the questionnaire.Results: Creativity, identity, integration, contradiction and control factors among staff were relatively desirable. Moreover, staff job satisfaction was above the average (3. 5.5).Conclusion: Test results for all cultural factors were significant, so cultural factors can be effective as an opportunity to increase job satisfaction more than an average level.