ACADEMIC LIBRARIANSHIP AND INFORMATION RESEARCH
Year:2021 | Volume:55 | Issue:4|Papers Count:6

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to identify the touchpoints in the customer journey map of electronic bookshops.Methodology: This study was an “applied research” and was conducted by analytical-survey method, the statistical population of this research were those who had the experience of purchasing a few books from online bookstores and was included 670 people. The documentary research method (library research method) and a survey questionnaire based was used to collect the data. Finally, using the SPSS software, data were analyzed. Calculation of descriptive statistics indices and reliability were performed by the SPSS software, and also Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, binomial distribution test and Kruskal-Wallis test, and Mann-Whitney test were conducted by the SPSS software.Findings: The extracted touchpoints were evaluated in three dimensions. Finally, 41 touchpoints were divided into three stages: pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase. According to the research results, only 10 of these 41 touchpoints were more important from the customers' point of view, which include the following items: 1. touchpoints in the pre-purchase stage include: virtual advertising, high ranking in search engines, reading of comments and ratings of previous customers of the store, popularity and commercial reputation of the store, design of the store website and instructions for using the store website; 2. touchpoints in the purchase stage include: interaction with the support unit of the store, and cash on delivery; and 3. touchpoints in post-purchase stage include: store notification for new products and after-sales service.

Objective: Due to the increase in natural disasters and its impact on the information production process, designing and development of sustainable information systems to facilitate information flow has become particularly important. Besides, feasibility studies of technological solutions presented in natural disaster information management (NDIM) are quantitatively and qualitatively poor. The present study aims to design a feasibility assessment framework (FAF) for assessing the feasibility of creating an open-access repository, (OAR) as a socio-technical system, in the context of natural disaster information management (NDIM-OAR) in Iran. Methodology: A Self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) was validated from the key components of an OAR with the proposed FAF dimensions adopted from TELOS, (Technological, Economic, Legal, Operational, Scheduling,) validated by the experts in the fields of information and technology management and natural disasters. The fuzzy Delphi method employed to analyze the data. Findings: The final FAF including Technological, Economic, Legal, Operational, Scheduling, Cultural and Behavioral (TELOS-CB) crossed with the 44 indicators of creating an NDIM-OAR (including 7 categories as collection provision,, information organization, storage and retrieval, security, application, stakeholder 's participation, and management) was validated and approved by experts of the field. Originality: The first proposed feasibility framework for creating an NDIM-OAR in Iran, through a systematically context-based design and validation. The developed framework, TELOS-CB, has been also proposed to the international research community in the field of information management and technology (NDIM/IT) as one of the dedicated tools for feasibility studies, as a reference framework to be employed, validated and adapted to similar contexts with considering adaptability rules.

Objective: The aim was to evaluate Skyroom’s user interface, and to find its strengths and weaknesses.Methodology: The study was an applied one. To evaluate the user interface, the heuristic method was used. In a heuristic study, 3 to 15 experts evaluate the user interface. In this study, 10 software expert evaluators from the Computer Center of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM) evaluated the Skyroom's user interface based on Nielsen criteria. Data collection tools included a checklist and a researcher-made questionnaire based on Nielsen’s ten criteria. In the study, after the checklist filled in by the researchers, and the questionnaire were filled in by the experts, an interview was conducted with them through Skyroom program. Its strengths and weaknesses were revealed in the interview. Findings: In the study, 12 major strengths and 17 major weaknesses were revealed in the Skyroom's user interface. The findings also showed that 66% of the criteria were met, but the severity of compliance with the criteria was 2.61 out of 5, which was at a moderate level with 95% confidence. Also, its user interface had a fundamental problem in the criteria of “error prevention (error correction)”, “flexibility and efficiency of use” and “documentation”, as well as "limiting the choices", "offering a choice", "creating history and content previously visited", "having shortcuts for professionals", "teaching shortcuts for newcomers to learn" and so on, and needs paying more attention.Originality: According to experts, the problems explored can be problematic for the program and may also cause user boredom, confusion and ultimately their non-use. Therefore, it is recommended that Skyroom developers solves the explored problems.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to study the concept of information through the lens of semiotics, especially the Peirce’s sign model.Methodology: This study is an analytical study of researches on the concept of information based on semiotics in the field of information science as well as a review of researches that has defined information in the context of information systems. Information science is an interdisciplinary field that has used the concepts, patterns, and theories of other sciences to explain some of the concepts in its subject areas. One of the sciences that is very similar to information science is semiotics: The purpose of this research is to study the concept of information through the lens of semiotics, especially the Peirce’s sign model.Results: An analytical study of researches that have used theories of semiotics in various fields of information science showed that among the concepts, patterns and theories in semiotics, " Saussure's dyadic model of sign and Peirce’s triad model of sign were the most widely used semiotic models in this field. Among these two models, Peirce’s triad model of sign was more used in information science.Conclusions: If information is considered as a sign, a better explanation of it can be provided based on the characteristics of the sign because the information is carried by a variety of signs. On the other hand, the definition of information from the lens of semiotics, in particular, Peirce’s Triad model of sign information divides into two types "passive information" and "active information". And thereby take into account both the ontology and the epistemology of information

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare the views of librarians of the university and public libraries in Tehran about information dissemination services and valid news during the epidemic in terms of services and tools used and influential factors and variables.Materials and Methods: In terms of purpose, this research has been applied with a descriptive-analytical approach using documentary and survey methods. The research community is librarians working in university and public libraries in Tehran. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics and statistical software "SPSS" version 26.Results: The average information services provided in academic and public libraries are between 3 and 4, and the average of virtual services provided in the context of social networks in academic libraries is higher than 4. In terms of tools used, social media tools in public libraries and database tools, social networks, and media in university libraries have an average higher than 4. Influential variables can be tracked in three parts of the organization and infrastructure, human capital, and active use. From the librarians' point of view, the average of the influential variables in the organization and infrastructure, human capital, and active using sectors is very high and higher than 4. In the area of organizational and infrastructure factors, for librarians of public libraries, the variable "working hours and number of manpower in the library" is a more effective factor in providing these services. In the active using section, the variables of literacy level and age group of users in academic and public libraries were less important than other variables. Conclusion: There is a significant difference between the attitudes of librarians of the university and public libraries in Tehran towards the indicators related to the human capital variable among the variables affecting valid information dissemination services.

Objective: Information and communication technology has led to the emergence of a new generation of libraries called digital libraries. These libraries need specialized and trained staff to provide services to users. In developed countries, independent curricula have been designed and implemented to train librarians. In Iran, medical librarians do not have the appropriate training to provide services in digital libraries.Method: This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive type. In this article, in order to meet the needs of medical librarians with a qualitative approach (comparative method and Delphi technique), the digital medical library program was designed.Results: The content of the digital library master's degree curriculum was first searched in Spain, Sweden, the United States and the joint international curriculum of Italy, Norway and Estonia. The content of the curriculum was studied. . The credits of each program and the amount of subscriptions and differences in each curriculum were determined. Then, the selected courses from these programs as well as the opinions of experts in this field were reached and ranked by the faculty members of the Iranian Library and Medical Information Departments by Delphi Durandeh.Originality of the work: Finally, inspired by the elements of the curriculum in the mentioned countries and the opinions of the faculty members of the curriculum, the digital medical library was designed. The results of this article can be a guide for curriculum designers in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education Be.Keywords: Digital Library, Curriculum , digital library