Information Services & Use - Volume 35, issue 1-2

Article Type: Other

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 1-1, 2015

Authors: Lawlor, Bonnie

Article Type: Other

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of the highlights of the 2015 NFAIS Annual Conference, Anticipating Demand: The User Experience as Driver , that was held in Crystal City, VA from February 22–24, 2015. The phrase “Content is King” can arouse hot debates over its relevance in a technology-dominated world. But the reality is that searchers are looking for answers to their questions. Information remains the Holy Grail. But the convergence of content, robust computing technologies and innovative devices has changed the search experience and elevated user expectations. The goal of the NFAIS conference was to take a look at how …content providers and librarians are building products and services that will not only provide the ultimate in today’s information experience, but will also raise that experience to a new level of satisfaction. Conference attendees used their smart phones throughout the meeting to give their opinions on key issues that were raised and the questions/responses are included at the end of each session. Show more

Keywords: NFAIS 2015 Annual Conference, user search experience, user demand, search platforms, scholarly communication, data mining

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150774

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 3-22, 2015

Authors: Leetaru, Kalev Hannes

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: We live in world today where the average citizen can zoom into the planet from Google Earth, walk down a virtual street in Google Street View, access live imagery and video on breaking events from remote regions via YouTube and Instagram, and search 100 petabyte indexes that learn and evolve to tailor themselves to hundreds of millions of individual users and even adjust the material returned based on our daily life patterns, calendar, and present location. Searches look across hundreds of millions of distinct archives and deliver their results via APIs and advanced analytics accessible through mobile devices while we …walk down the street. In this brave new world of information access, what does the information platform of the future look like and how does the user of the future think about, access, consume, and interact with this reimagined world of information? This transcript of the NFAIS 2015 keynote opening address explores the user of the future and what we can learn from current trends to reimagine how we think about information and how it is delivered. Show more

Keywords: User interface, information access, data mining

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150764

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 23-29, 2015

Authors: Leetaru, Kalev Hannes

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Over the course of the last two decades I have explored the informational undercurrents of the world’s information and the potential of mass data mining of libraries through a myriad of lenses, both technical and methodological. From founding my first Internet startup twenty years ago as an eighth grade middle school student, to running one of the world’s largest global monitoring platforms today, my work has debuted a myriad of new datasets, methodologies, and scales to the study of how we understand our global world. A central theme of that work has been around how creative “reimagining” of information through …the emerging world of massive computing power can offer powerful and unexpected new lenses onto the world around us, and the incredible future that awaits as libraries transition from being museums of artifacts to becoming conveners of information and innovation that empower a new era of access and understanding of our world. This paper offers a unique detailed view of what it looks like deep in the trenches of the data revolution, surveying a selection of my projects over the last two decades and the lessons they offer libraries and publishers moving forward into our data-driven future. Show more

Keywords: Data mining, libraries, information access

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150767

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 31-50, 2015

Authors: Shumaker, David

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: All of us – scholars, publishers, librarians – are being pulled apart by the forces of two concurrent revolutions in information access and processing. Every day, we are reminded that Stewart Brand was right: “Information wants to be free, and information wants to be expensive”. Meanwhile, smart appliances and self-driving cars show the way to the Internet of Things in which information is not just for human consumption, while people crowdsource, crowdfund, and share everything from lolcats to regime change. These twin revolutions have already driven fundamental changes in publishing and in library services, and more changes will be coming. Meanwhile, the …scholar’s limited time and attention are overwhelmed by the rapid changes taking place. By shifting their focus to the scholar’s personal information management needs, librarians and publishers can collaborate to deploy new solutions and improve the scholar’s information environment. Show more

Keywords: Personal information management, embedded librarianship, scholarly work

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150768

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 51-56, 2015

Authors: Altman, Micah | Avery, Marguerite

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The increasing volume and complexity of research, scholarly publication, and research information puts an added strain on traditional methods of scholarly communication and evaluation. Information goods and networks are not standard market goods – and so we should not rely on markets alone to develop new forms of scholarly publishing. The affordances of digital information and networks create many opportunities to unbundle the functions of scholarly communication – the central challenge is to create a range of new forms of publication that effectively promote both market and collaborative ecosystems.

Keywords: Information, economics, scholarly publishing, affordances

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150775

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 57-70, 2015

Authors: Humphreys, Alex

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: To build a platform for (high, sustainable) use, we need to know what will thrill users. Finding the right concoction of technology, functionality and design to delight users takes a thousand decisions, pivots and changes. The JSTOR Labs team has been using Flash Builds – high-intensity, short-burst, user-driven development efforts – in order to prototype new ideas and get to a user saying “Wow” in as little as a week. In this paper, a distillation of a presentation I gave at NFAIS 2015, I will describe how we have done this, highlighting the partnerships, skills, tools and content that help us innovate.

Keywords: Flash builds, innovation, labs, user-centered design, lean startup, minimum viable product

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150763

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 71-75, 2015

Authors: Camlek, Victor

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Healthcare Professional Social Networks (HCPSNs) have become a global resource. There are numerous networks visible in countries around the world. This research looks at a selected sample of global HCPSNs with a particular focus on the potential of these emerging networks to become a growing source of professional content. The research evaluates the content offerings of six networks, Sermo , Doximity , QuantiaMD , Neuros , DXY and Networks in Health . First, there is a brief discussion of trends in the membership dynamics of these organizations. The next section summarizes the content services available from each network at …a high level. The findings reveal that HCPSNs offer their members an opportunity to be content producers, as well as an available audience for various forms of educational and promotional forms of content. The presentation offers a view of the impact of these networks on the STM publishing industry, including professional medical societies. Show more

Keywords: Social media, health care social networks, professional social networks

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150766

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 77-87, 2015

Authors: Lawrence, Kate

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This paper examines the research habits and behaviors of today’s college students. With each technological evolution, students develop increasingly efficient strategies, becoming experts in time management for personal and academic purposes. With demands for their time that include school assignments, social media and ‘me time’, today’s students are rejecting previously-held beliefs about how to conduct research and forging their own unique path towards scholarship. Starting with uncovering what one student called “the Google and Wikipedia cat and mouse game”, a team of EBSCO researchers discovered that for academic research, traditional rules don’t apply, and strategies for conducting research are as …diverse as the students themselves. Show more

Keywords: College students, university students, search habits, research habits, information-seeking behavior

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150765

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 89-93, 2015

Authors: Montagano, Pierre

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This article illustrates the importance of harvesting usage analytics to improve user experience on a platform. In the shift from print to digital, user engagement has replaced content as the key contributor of growth. Visualizing end-user workflows through a content platform allows organizations to understand what features contribute to higher engagement or just clutter the interface and negatively affect usage.

Keywords: Analytics, usage analytics, end-user workflows, visualization, path analysis

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150770

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 95-98, 2015

Authors: Collins, Tim

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Much has changed during my thirty years in the information industry. I will review changes in the areas of end-user experience, business models, library workflow, and competitive landscape and describe what I see as the key drivers behind these changes, focusing on the academic research process. I will share my perspective on the role that EBSCO has played in these changes and the evolution of the marketplace. I will also share my thoughts on some changes that I think we will see in the future.

Keywords: EBSCO, library industry, subscription services, research, databases, discovery

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150771

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 99-107, 2015

Authors: Teytelman, Leonid | Stoliartchouk, Alexei

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The way life scientists communicate has hardly changed since the days of Gregor Mendel. Even though mobile and Internet technology has transformed a wide array of communication channels, academic publishing has largely resisted change. As a consequence, it is impossible to stay up-to-date with the rapidly evolving methodology in the life sciences. Most corrections and optimizations of previously-published methods are never properly communicated beyond the confines of a given laboratory. Researchers are constantly re-discovering knowledge simply due to the lack of an efficient system to communicate such findings. Protocols.io is a central platform that leverages modern web and mobile …technology to facilitate easy discovery and sharing of this scientific knowledge. Show more

Keywords: Scholarly communication, publishing, methods, protocols, protocol repository

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150769

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 109-115, 2015

Authors: Kenneally, Christopher | Russell, Judith | Whittaker, Martha | O’Leary, Brian F.

Article Type: Discussion

Abstract: Satisfying user needs and expectations requires that information polices be current, flexible, and in alignment with those needs and expectations. Publishers and librarians must develop the policies, practices, and procedures that will facilitate – not inhibit – the use of their information and maximize its value to the user. They need to move beyond the “this is how we have always done it” mindset and re-evaluate policies on a regular basis. This interactive panel discussion was organized to take a look at some of the issues that concern content providers and librarians, such as the re-use, replication and sharing of data, social …media, data mining, and others. Show more

Keywords: User experience, libraries, open access, public policy, mass digitization

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150772

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 117-134, 2015

Article Type: Research Article

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 135-135, 2015

Authors: Koch, Wolfram

Article Type: Other

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-140762

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 137-140, 2015

Authors: Holden, Lynne | Berger, Wallace | Zingarelli, Rebecca | Siegel, Elliot

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Mentoring in Medicine (MIM) addresses an urgent national need for minority health professionals and promotes careers in health care for urban youth. The MIM After-School Program (ASP or The Course) has as its primary objectives to provide academic enrichment in human biology and motivate disadvantaged youth to pursue a career in the health professions. Secondary objectives of The Course, although not evaluated here, are to improve students’ health literacy and knowledge of healthy living behaviors. Since 2009, over 1500 middle and high school students have completed the New York City based Course, which is offered once a week over a …10 week semester in an out-of-school venue. This study assesses the success of The Course in achieving its primary objectives with 84 students at five New York City high schools during the fall 2014 semester. The Course curriculum was created especially for MIM, comprises the body’s 11 organ systems, and is presented in discrete modules (one each semester), along with complementary educational activities, including field trips and class projects. This study reports on a formal evaluation using quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative evaluation found that the students significantly increased their knowledge of the Gastrointestinal System. Students across the academic spectrum appeared to have learned the MIM ASP Course content – high school GPA was not a predictor of knowledge acquisition. The students also reported that The Course significantly increased their self-confidence in their ability to succeed (self-efficacy). The students expressed a significant increase in five health care related attitudes and an additional increase in their ability to overcome personal issues to succeed in their career and significantly improving their feeling toward, and likely pursuit of, a health career. The students stated that The Course significantly increased their interest and intent to seek out more information about health care, participate in health care activities, and take more health care courses in high school. The qualitative evaluation found that the students and their parents were pleased with the MIM ASP Course’s composition, presentation and effectiveness. With a large majority of the parents stating that their child got out of The Course what they had hoped for and that The Course made it more likely that they would recommend a health career for their child. The students and instructional staff also identified The Course elements that they felt were most and least effective. Best practices that were used in designing and conducting The Course were identified. The MIM ASP Course appears to have achieved its principal educational objectives of providing academic enrichment in human biology and improving attitudes towards a health career for a self-selected population of disadvantaged, underrepresented minority high school students in an urban setting. Show more

Keywords: Mentoring in Medicine (MIM), urban youth, health careers, underrepresented minority students, health workforce pipeline, STEM, youth development, parental influence, information and computer technology, After-School Program, Course Evaluation

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-150773

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 141-160, 2015