Open access institutional repositories in universities in East Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (11) ◽  
pp. 667-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Kakai ◽  
Maria G.N. Musoke ◽  
Constant Okello-Obura
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
East Africa ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Makerere University ◽  
Literature Searches ◽  
Further Development

Purpose Given that repositories were proposed as one of the routes to open access (OA), this study sought to establish the achievements universities in East Africa had attained in initiating institutional repositories (IRs), the challenges in providing OA and strategies for the way forward. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through literature searches, using the internet, journal databases and university websites in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda for information about OA and IRs in East Africa. Some of the findings were based on the author’s PhD “The management and accessibility of OA IRs in selected universities in East Africa”, which used face-to-face interviews with six librarians and self-administered questionnaires responded to by 183 researchers at Kenyatta University, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences and Makerere University. Findings Universities in East Africa were still in the intermediate stages of embracing OA, and only 40 libraries out of 145 universities had implemented IRs. However, most of the repositories had less than 1,000 items, with this challenge attributed to the absence of institutional and government/funder mandates that affected the collection/provision of OA, in addition to the lack of awareness of IRs among researchers. Originality/value The value in this research was establishing the extent of IR initiatives in universities in East Africa and their contribution to OA, which is regarded as more visible and accessible to scholars and government personnel who could leverage the information for further development in the region.

scholarly journals Possibilities of networked electronic theses in Japan

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 375-386
Author(s):  
Makoto Shuto ◽  
Takayuki Manaka ◽  
Satoshi Nakayama ◽  
Hideki Uchijima
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
One Stop ◽  
Future Direction ◽  
Metadata Harvesting ◽  
Open Archives ◽  
Theses And Dissertations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate/explore the possibilities of nationwide networked electronic theses in Japan. Design/methodology/approach – The main points of the revised degree regulations, the activities of related organizations corresponding to the revised degree regulations, and the future direction of networked electronic theses which can be realized due to the network of institutional repositories are described and explained. Findings – In Japan, following the revision of the degree regulations, nationwide electronic thesis networks will be formed, which are rarely observed in other countries, and an infrastructure will be constructed, by which institutional repositories in Japan can be harvested by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. A well-established community of institutional repositories has enabled this achievement to take place. Originality/value – Very few national laws and regulations oblige a person who has been conferred a doctorate to publicize the thesis through the internet. There are only a few countries where the standard for metadata was established and metadata harvesting using the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting is being performed, providing one-stop services through portal sites. Therefore, this case study on the possibilities of nationwide networked electronic theses attributable to policies and the innovations of the repository network in Japan can provide useful information not only for persons in charge of digitizing dissertations but also for those concerned about open access generally.

Change in the library: the viewpoint of a columnist

2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (11) ◽  
pp. 613-617
Author(s):  
Bruce Massis
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Communication Skill ◽  
Personal Communication ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Public ◽  
Human Touch ◽  
Customer Services ◽  
Over Time

Purpose The purpose of this study is to reflect on the author’s decade as a columnist for New Library World and Information and Learning Science. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides literature review and commentary on this topic that has been addressed by professionals, researchers and practitioners. Findings When a patron approaches a librarian with a question, and the resources are discovered that can aid and support that patron in finding a solution to his or her dilemma, the stock of the librarian rises, reminding the public that with all the changes around the profession since the advent of the internet, the human touch, that face-to-face interaction and personal communication skill, still remains a significant instrument in the librarian’s customer services toolkit. Originality/value The value in exploring this topic is for others to acknowledge that which has been gained over time by an experienced library colleague.

scholarly journals Digital preservation policies of the institutional repositories at Brazilian Federal Universities

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laerte Pereira da Silva Júnior ◽  
Maria Manuel Borges
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Digital Preservation ◽  
Information Policy ◽  
Institutional Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
Digital Material ◽  
Preservation Policy

Purpose This paper aims to verify the implementation of digital preservation policies at the institutional repositories (IRs) of Brazilian Federal Universities. Design/methodology/approach The methodology used involved the verification of the information available in the Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) and on the websites of the IRs, to confirm the existence of published digital preservation policies. In this study, a sample of the 26 IRs of Brazilian Federal Universities registered with OpenDOAR, which represents 68 per cent of these repositories, was used. Findings The main conclusion is that the IRs of these universities do not have any published digital preservation policies, even though some repositories state their intention of preserving digital material in their institutional information policy. Originality/value The stakeholders of IRs need to implement a programme to guide their activities to preserve digital materials in the long term. In fact, similar to examples worldwide, this programme should take the form of an institutional commitment outlined in a digital preservation policy. IRs at Brazilian Federal Universities still have a long way to go to guarantee access to digital materials in the long term.

The value of guarantee in service e-commerce

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haichao Zheng ◽  
Jui-Long Hung ◽  
Zhangxi Lin ◽  
Jing Wu
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Service Guarantee ◽  
Effective Choice ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is investigating the value of service guarantee (SG) program in Service e-Commerce (SeC) which is one resolution to promote service transactions. SeC is emerging as a booming form of e-commerce where various services are contracted, managed, sold and even delivered via the Internet. However, the uncertainty of service quality and the heterogeneity of buyer preferences have been major challenges to sustainable development of SeC. Design/methodology/approach – This study uncovered the value of SG in SeC by empirically analyzing the data collected from zhubajie.com, a well-known service e-marketplace in China, to classify the service providers, to indentify the predictors for SG subscription and to study the effects of SG on service providers’ business performance and service quality. Findings – The authors found that the distribution of service provisions is diversified in terms of low-success, mid-success and high-success providers, while proactive or high ability-ranking providers consistently tend to subscribe to SG program. The study revealed that SG has diverse effects on business performance for low-success and mid-success providers. For high-success providers, it seems to not be an effective choice for transaction promotion. Finally, the results showed that SG marginally improved service quality. Practical implications – This research provides some practical implications for SeC markets to improve SG program. In addition, the results also help service providers to understand the value of SG in depth. Originality/value – This article extended the research of SG from the traditional offline market to the online market, as with SeC, in which transactions are conducted without face to face contact.

scholarly journals UK theses and the British Library EThOS service: from supply on demand to repository linking

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Gould
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
British Library ◽  
Online Service ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
On Demand ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Research Organisations ◽  
Research Funder

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the transition of EThOS, the British Library’s E-Theses Online service, from its original role as a transactional document supply service to the service seen today where it forms part of the UK’s network of institutional repositories, open access and still-developing research funder mandates. Design/methodology/approach – The constituent parts of the EThOS service are described, and an analysis is given of the development of open access repositories, electronic theses and the way that PhD theses have become an important resource for cutting-edge research content for researchers worldwide. Findings – The value of doctoral theses for researchers continues to grow and be recognised. Many UK institutions have moved to mandatory open deposit of electronic theses, and many are digitising their older print thesis collections. Public funders are starting to track open deposit of the theses they fund; and research organisations are analysing the full UK metadata collection to understand trends in PhD research areas.

Exploring research data in Indian institutional repositories

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hanief Bhat
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Teaching Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
Conference Papers ◽  
Journal Papers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore various types of research materials in Indian institutional repositories. Design/methodology/approach – The repositories are identified from the Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR). The repository sites were visited to collect the data necessary for the study. Findings – The present study reveals that barring a few repositories the collections of most of the repositories are very low. The percentage of archived materials is high for journal papers, and moderate for conference papers/thesis. However it is very low for preprints/working papers, teaching resources and patents. Originality/value – The study provides an overview of archived material in institutional repositories in India.

GREEN OPEN ACCESS IN KENYA: A REVIEW OF THE CONTENT, POLICIES AND USAGE OF INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORIES

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 25-54
Author(s):  
Wanyenda Leonard Chilimo
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Google Scholar ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
Current State ◽  
Theses And Dissertations

 There is scant research-based evidence on the development and adoption of open access (OA) and institutional repositories (IRs) in Africa, and in Kenya in particular. This article reports on a study that attempted to fill that gap and provide feedback on the various OA projects and advocacy work currently underway in universities and research institutions in Kenya and in other developing countries. The article presents the findings of a descriptive study that set out to evaluate the current state of IRs in Kenya. Webometric approaches and interviews with IR managers were used to collect the data for the study. The findings showed that Kenya has made some progress in adopting OA with a total of 12 IRs currently listed in the Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) and five mandatory self-archiving policies listed in the Registry of Open Access Repositories Mandatory Archiving Policies (ROARMAP). Most of the IRs are owned by universities where theses and dissertations constitute the majority of the content type followed by journal articles. The results on the usage and impact of materials deposited in Kenyan IRs indicated that the most viewed publications in the repositories also received citations in Google Scholar, thereby signifying their impact and importance. The results also showed that there was a considerable interest in Swahili language publications among users of the repositories in Kenya.

scholarly journals Options for putting CDS/ISIS databases on the internet

2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 286-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Buxton
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Programming Languages ◽  
Operating Systems ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type

PurposeTo review the variety of software solutions available for putting CDS/ISIS databases on the internet. To help anyone considering which route to take.Design/methodology/approachBriefly describes the characteristics, history, origin and availability of each package. Identifies the type of skills required to implement the package and the kind of application it is suited to. Covers CDS/ISIS Unix version, JavaISIS, IsisWWW, WWWISIS Versions 3 and 5, Genisis, IAH, WWW‐ISIS, and OpenIsis.FindingsThere is no obvious single “best” solution. Several are free but may require more investment in acquiring the skills to install and configure them. The choice will depend on the user's experience with CDS/ISIS formatting language, HTML, programming languages, operating systems, open source software, and so on.Originality/valueThere is detailed documentation available for most of these packages, but little previous guidance to help potential users to distinguish and choose between them.

Perceptions of time at work

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aristides Isidoro Ferreira ◽  
Joana Diniz Esteves
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Working Day ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – Activities such as making personal phone calls, surfing on the internet, booking personal appointments or chatting with colleagues may or may not deviate attentions from work. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to examine gender differences and motivations behind personal activities employees do at work, as well as individuals’ perception of the time they spend doing these activities. Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained from 35 individuals (M age=37.06 years; SD=7.80) from a Portuguese information technology company through an ethnographic method including a five-day non-participant direct observation (n=175 observations) and a questionnaire with open-ended questions. Findings – Results revealed that during a five-working-day period of eight hours per day, individuals spent around 58 minutes doing personal activities. During this time, individuals engaged mainly in socializing through conversation, internet use, smoking and taking coffee breaks. Results revealed that employees did not perceive the time they spent on non-work realted activities accurately, as the values of these perceptions were lower than the actual time. Moreover, through HLM, the findings showed that the time spent on conversation and internet use was moderated by the relationship between gender and the leisure vs home-related motivations associated with each personal activity developed at work. Originality/value – This study contributes to the literature on human resource management because it reveals how employees often perceive the time they spend on non-work related activities performed at work inaccurately. This study highlights the importance of including individual motivations when studying gender differences and personal activities performed at work. The current research discusses implications for practitioners and outlines suggestions for future studies.

A four-step blueprint for digital reinvention

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 18-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saul J. Berman ◽  
Peter J. Korsten ◽  
Anthony Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Internet Of Things ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Ways Of Working ◽  
Partner Relationships ◽  
Strategic Focus ◽  
The Internet Of Things ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Customer Need

Purpose Digital reinvention helps organizations create unique, compelling experiences for their customers, partners, employees and other stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach Digital reinvention combines the capabilities of multiple technologies, including cloud, cognitive, mobile and the Internet of Things (IoT) to rethink customer and partner relationships from a perspective of fundamental customer need, use or aspiration. Findings The most successful digitally reinvented businesses establish a platform of engagement for their customers, with the business acting as enabler, conduit and partner Practical implications For successful digital reinvention, organizations need to pursue a new strategic focus, build new expertise and establish new ways of working. Originality/value The article offers a blueprint for digital reinvention that involves rethinking customer and partner relationships from a perspective of fundamental customer need, use or aspiration.

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