scholarly journals Information transparency: How do Department of Library and Information Science students at South Valley University perceive the state’s dealing with the novel coronavirus outbreak?

2020 ◽  
pp. 096100062096568
Author(s):  
Essam Mansour
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Information Transparency ◽  
The Government ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

This study proposes to investigate the knowledge and perception of students in the Department of Library and Information Science at South Valley University in Upper Egypt about the state’s dealing with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 that has been detected in Egypt in February 2020. A quantitative research approach was adopted in the form of a survey. The target population of the study included students ( N = 295) of the fourth year of Department of Library and Information Science at South Valley University, of which 253 responded to the study questionnaire, representing 85.8% of the total number. The study found that there is no significant relationship between the students’ gender and other variables of the study according to the statistics used. It also showed that the most popular information sources mentioned by Department of Library and Information Science students to get information related to the coronavirus were social media and the Internet/Web. The publication/dissemination of information and its availability were badly perceived by the students. About one-third of them questioned the government’s ability to deal with the novel coronavirus. They highly believe in the role of information transparency in fighting both administrative and human corruption. The students emphasized the citizens’ right to criticize the government when it does not comply with the transparency, as well as the right to access any information owned by it in any formats at any time. They were dissatisfied with the government’s ability to retrieve information, organize, store, have legislations, and own a good database of citizens, as well as its capabilities, in terms of transparency, competence, benevolence, honesty, accuracy, efficiency/effectiveness, practicality, and confidence, in relation to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Finally, the study indicated that barriers, such as the spread of administrative and human corruption, security restrictions, and the fragility of the freedom to disclose government information, were highly significant by the surveyed students.

LMS for Information Science Students in an Open Distance E-Learning Institution in South Africa

2020 ◽  
pp. 266-285
Author(s):  
Lancelord Siphamandla Mncube
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Face To Face Instruction ◽  
The University

In an open distance e-learning (ODeL) environment, the lack of infrastructure causes certain obstacles that result in students not utilising the learning management systems (LMS). The aim of this study was to examine the usability and reliability of myUnisa as the LMS used for teaching Information Science at the University of South Africa (UNISA). In the particular context, a quantitative research approach was followed, and a questionnaire was designed and distributed as a web survey in an attempt to reach scattered respondents. The research findings show that the majority of students appreciate myUnisa as being reliable in for information science students. Also, students find learning on myUnisa more convenient than face-to-face instruction, as it offers more flexibility. This study recommends all students being provided with the internet as an access tool as well as the provision of free internet access or lower charges in data bundles to all registered UNISA students.

Exploring the need of knowledge management education within library and information science educational courses

2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 711-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabahat Husain ◽  
Mohammad Nazim
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Electronic Mail ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Core Elements

Purpose – The study aims to explore the relevance of knowledge management (KM) education within library and information science (LIS) educational courses in India. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a quantitative research approach. A Web-based questionnaire survey was designed and distributed through FreeOnlineSurveys.com for the collection of data. A link for attending the survey was sent via electronic mail to the teachers (95 in numbers) of 65 LIS schools. A total of 43 responses (approximately 45 per cent) were received. Findings – The findings show that there is a strong interest among LIS community towards the inclusion of KM education within LIS educational courses to impart the knowledge and skills related to KM among LIS students, and to facilitate their entry into the KM job market. Most of the respondents believe that a curriculum which embodies core elements of LIS, management and information systems and technology would best meet the needs of LIS students for their involvement in KM activities. Practical implications – Findings of the present study may be used as the groundwork for the revision of current LIS educational courses as well as the revision of LIS curricula to impart the knowledge and skills-related to KM among LIS students for working in KM environment. Originality/value – As no empirical study on the relevance of KM education to LIS professionals in India has been carried out before, this study closes this gap and provides a framework to modify existing LIS courses or curricula to fulfil the requirement of KM competencies of LIS students.

Social Media as Weapon of Mass Instruction in Training Library and Information Science Students

2015 ◽  
pp. 175-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwatomisin Temitope Akinola
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Survey Research ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Science Students ◽  
The Social ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
And Training

This chapter examines social media as a weapon of mass instruction in the training of library and information science students in Nigeria from the perspective of Library and Information Science (LIS) students. Survey research approach was adopted while the population comprised the Library and Information Science undergraduates selected from two universities offering LIS as course of studies. A self-designed questionnaire titled Social Media Instructional and Training Questionnaire (SMITQ) with r = 0.82 was used for the collection of data. Four research questions were developed and answered by the study. The results reveal that the majority of the undergraduate students were of the opinion that social media is very relevant in the training of library and information science students and can be used as weapon of mass instruction. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Wikis were the social media identified that can be used as weapons of mass instruction in LIS education.

Coronavirus: Towards controlling of the pandemic - Indian scenario

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 462-468
Author(s):  
Latika kothari ◽  
Sanskruti Wadatkar ◽  
Roshni Taori ◽  
Pavan Bajaj ◽  
Diksha Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Control Measures ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Medical Treatments ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
The Social ◽  
Asking Questions ◽  
The Government ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a communicable infection caused by the novel coronavirus resulting in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV). It was recognized to be a health crisis for the general population of international concern on 30th January 2020 and conceded as a pandemic on 11th March 2020. India is taking various measures to fight this invisible enemy by adopting different strategies and policies. To stop the COVID-19 from spreading, the Home Affairs Ministry and the health ministry, of India, has issued the nCoV 19 guidelines on travel. Screening for COVID-19 by asking questions about any symptoms, recent travel history, and exposure. India has been trying to get testing kits available. The government of India has enforced various laws like the social distancing, Janata curfew, strict lockdowns, screening door to door to control the spread of novel coronavirus. In this pandemic, innovative medical treatments are being explored, and a proper vaccine is being hunted to deal with the situation. Infection control measures are necessary to prevent the virus from further spreading and to help control the current situation. Thus, this review illustrates and explains the criteria provided by the government of India to the awareness of the public to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

scholarly journals The Library and Information Science (LIS) Profession and the Cameroon Development Vision 2035: A Perception Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemary M. Shafack
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Community Education ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Digital Information ◽  
Development Agenda ◽  
Accessible Information ◽  
The Government

The world faces immense challenges which range from people living in poverty and denied dignity, rising inequalities, unemployment, global health threats, natural disasters, spiraling conflicts, violent extremism, terrorism and related humanitarian crises leading to force displacement of people, the depletion of natural resources and environmental degradation and the resultant climate change problem, just to name these. Fortunately, there are recognized human rights in the context of the United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Right in Article 19 and the Africa Chatter. These problems have thus challenged the world’s organizations to think and reflect on the way forward and some of these ways are developmental plans which include the UN Post 2015 Sustainable Development Agenda, the African Union (AU) 2063 Development Agenda with 17 aspirations, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Strategy Plan and key initiative and the Cameroon Development Vision 2035 emergence programme. These agendas require a number of stakeholders to intervene if these challenges must be reduced for the benefit of humanity. One of such stakeholders is the Library and Information Science (LIS) Profession. The question that comes up with respect to the Cameroon context is, “Is the LIS profession in Cameroon able to meet its information role?” In line with this, three research questions were coined to guide data collection for this paper. The survey method was adopted with document analysis and interview schedule constituting the main data collecting instruments. The simple descriptive statistical method was used for data analysis. The information profession is critical in the development agenda, because it provides the platform for access to various information that enhance the progress of all human activities. The LIS profession drives the knowledge economy. Thus it is well placed to roll the information literacy programmes of any nation to help people have access to quality information, enhance community education, social, health and economic needs thereby improving lives and development. There is equally the shift from a print to a digital information environment as supported by the advent of new Internet technology such as mobile or broadband. This is changing the means and mechanisms of information delivery in libraries which have the potential to lead, improve and provide more relevant services and programmes for users. This profession has proven to be the most suitable with skills and mandate to pull together, organize and make available and accessible information in all forms and formats to all irrespective of their social, educational and physical status. From the study it is clear that the LIS profession in Cameroon is not able to play its role of collector and steward of human heritage, is not able to play its fundamental role in enhancing education through the different libraries and information services, is not able to enhance and ensure inclusive, equitable, quality education and promote lifelong learning and is unable to increase access to information and knowledge assisted by ICTs to support sustainable development to help Cameroon in its development agenda. The recommendation is that it will be unfortunate for a nation like Cameroon not to afford to accord an appropriate attention to the LIS profession which is a suitable developmental tool. The government needs therefore to provide the needed status for this sector and put it on its agenda and this will usher in a new spirit of information professionalism in Cameroon that will go a long way to enhance literacy that is needed if Cameroon must develop.

scholarly journals Mobility-Guided Modeling of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Metro Manila

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Egwolf ◽  
O.P. Nicanor Austriaco
Keyword(s):  
The Philippines ◽  
The Novel ◽  
National Capital Region ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
Mobility Data ◽  
National Capital ◽  
Metro Manila ◽  
The Government ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The City

ABSTRACTCOVID-19 is a novel respiratory disease first identified in Wuhan, China, that is caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. To better understand the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, we have used real-time mobility data to modify the DELPHI Epidemiological Model recently developed at M.I.T., and to simulate the pandemic in Metro Manila. We have chosen to focus on the National Capital Region, not only because it is the nation’s demographic heart where over a tenth of the country’s population live, but also because it has been the epidemiological epicenter of the Philippine pandemic. Our UST CoV-2 model suggests that the government-imposed enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) has successfully limited the spread of the pandemic. It is clear that the initial wave of the pandemic is flattening, though suppression of viral spread has been delayed by the local pandemics in the City of Manila and Quezon City. Our data also reveals that replacing the ECQ with a General Community Quarantine (GCQ) will increase the forecasted number of deaths in the nation’s capital unless rigorous tracing and testing can be implemented to prevent a second wave of the pandemic.

scholarly journals Political Discourse on China's Stigmatization in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-46
Author(s):  
I. I. Arsentyeva
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Political Discourse ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
World Politics ◽  
World Health ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
The Novel ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased interest in studying social stigma. The concept of stigma is also included in political discourse, as evidenced, among other things, by Xi Jinping’s speeches, in which the Chinese President urges to abandon further politicization and stigmatization of COVID-19. In this regard, the main aim of the article is to analyze the correlation between the novel coronavirus and stigmatization, not only from the traditional point of view (stigma associated with certain diseases), but also in terms of world politics. To explain the nature of social stigma, the author relies on evolutionary psychol- ogy, terror management theory and social identity theory. To analyze ongoing processes in international relations, some provisions of “rogue states” concept, leadership theories, and biopolitics are applied. The primary sources are documents of the World Health Organiza- tion (WHO) and the Group of Seven (G7), statements by UN and WHO officials, speeches of Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, public opinion polls, and media publications. During the course of the study, the following scientific results were ob- tained: the works on COVID-19-related stigma have been systematized, the issues consid- ered in them and research gaps are highlighted; the consequences of stigma due the novel coronavirus have been summarized; some differences between stigma during the pandem- ic and stigma associated with other diseases are also identified; it is suggested to consider COVID-19 stigma not only at the level of interpersonal interactions, but also in international relations; the possible impact of the pandemic on the China’s role on the world stage has been revealed. It is concluded that this research approach allows to take a fresh look at the possibility of restoring ties between states and their citizens in a post-COVID-19 world, as well as to assess the likelihood of a change of global leader. In the final part of the article, possible ways of further development of the situation are predicted and prospects for study on the issue are outlined.

Students’ academic reading preferences: An exploratory study

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noa Aharony ◽  
Judit Bar-Ilan
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Electronic Materials ◽  
Relative Advantage ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Science Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Academic Reading ◽  
Personal Variables ◽  
Printed Materials

The e-book reader revolution is already here. The questions we asked ourselves were: What are the reading preferences of Information Science students at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century? How do different variables, such as relative advantage, comprehension, and learning strategies affect students’ reading preferences? The research was conducted in Israel during the first semester of the 2015 academic year and encompassed 177 Library and Information Science students in an Information Science Department in Israel. Three questionnaires were used: personal details, relative advantage, and learning strategies, and two further questions that focused on reading habits. The study showed students’ preferences for printed materials. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of two personal variables that may affect students’ will to read electronic materials: relative advantage and comprehension.

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