Information Services & Use - Volume 30, issue 1-2

Authors: McMahon, Brian

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The Proceedings of a one-day Workshop are described, in which publishers, publishing service providers, librarians, editors and authors met under the auspices of the International Council for Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI) to survey new developments in interactive scholarly publishing, and to begin to identify the necessary infrastructure for including such interactive content within the long-term record of science.

Keywords: Electronic publishing, data visualization, interactive content, digital preservation, semantic processing

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-2010-0607

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 30, no. 1-2, pp. 1-16, 2010

Authors: Siegel, Elliot R. | Lindberg, Donald A.B. | Campbell, Glen P. | Harless, William G. | Goodwin, C. Rory

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: A unique collaborative project to identify interactive enhancements to conventional-print journal articles, and to evaluate their contribution to readers’ learning and satisfaction. Hypothesis: It was hypothesized that (a) the enhanced article would yield more knowledge acquisition than the original article; (b) the interactivity aspects of the enhanced article would measurably contribute to the acquisition of knowledge; and (c) the enhancements to the original article would increase reader acceptance. Methods: Fifteen SNMA medical students, assumed to have a greater generational familiarity and comfort level with interactive electronic media, reviewed 12 articles published in three Elsevier clinical …and basic science journals. They used the Student National Medical Association’s asynchronous online discussion forum over a four month period to suggest desired enhancements to improve learning. “Prognostic Factors in Stage T1 Bladder Cancer”, published in the journal Urology was selected by the investigators as presenting the best opportunity to incorporate many of the students’ suggested interactive and presentational enhancements in the limited timeframe available prior to the established test date. Educational, statistical, and medical consultants assisted in designing a test protocol in which 51 second to fourth year medical students were randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions, and were administered either the original or enhanced interactive version of the article on individual computer workstations. Test subjects consisted of 23 participants in the control group (8 males, 15 females) and 28 participants in the experimental group (9 males, 19 females). All subjects completed pre- and post-test instruments which measured their knowledge gain on 30 true-false and multiple-choice questions, along with 7 Likert-type questions measuring acceptance of the articles’ format. Time to completion was recorded with the experimental group taking 22 min on average compared to 18 min for the controls; pre- and post-test times were 6 and 7 min, respectively. Statistical comparisons were based on change scores using either the Student t -test or the Two Way Analysis of Variance or Covariance. Significance was set at α = 0.05 or better. Results: Results on the dependent measure of knowledge acquisition showed no difference overall on the 30 questions, but learning gain was statistically significant for the subset of 10 questions that measured gain on content that was accessible by the user-invoked interactive features of the enhanced article. Further analyses revealed significant interactions by student year and gender. Second year students (11 in the control group, 8 in the experimental group) were the best performers in terms of knowledge acquisition from both articles. The female medical students received a larger learning gain from journal enhancements and interactivity components than their male counterparts. Acceptance overall was greater for the experimental group who rated the experience more favorably than the controls. Conclusions: Failure to consider human factors such as gender and learning style may obscure underlying differences and their impact on the interactive aspects of scientific publications. Preliminary findings suggest the need for further study to include a heavier focus on interactivity apart from presentational enhancements; a more rigorous treatment of time as a specific variable; and an expanded experimental design that evaluates acquisition, understanding, integration and acceptance as dependent measures. Show more

Keywords: Electronic publishing, multimedia, graphics, computer, learning, information theory, medical students

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-2010-0608

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 30, no. 1-2, pp. 17-30, 2010

Authors: Helliwell, John R. | McMahon, Brian

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Crystallography is presented as a case study of a scientific discipline where the experimental data that underpin research results can be integrated into the scientific record. Among other advantages, this maximises the degree of trust in science, since published results can thereby always be validated independently.

Keywords: Data validation, digital archiving, electronic publishing

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-2010-0609

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 30, no. 1-2, pp. 31-37, 2010

Authors: Ackerman, Michael J. | Siegel, Elliot | Wood, Fred

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Interactive Scientific Publishing (ISP) has been developed by the Optical Society of America with support from the National Library of Medicine at NIH. It allows authors to publish papers which are linked to the referenced 2D and 3D original image datasets that can then be viewed and analyzed interactively by the reader. ISP provides the software for authors to organize and publish source data while offering readers the viewing and analysis tools. The ultimate goal of ISP is to improve learning and understanding of the information being presented. The results reported here are intermediate in reaching the ultimate goals. …Goals: Implement and evaluate online user access to interactive datasets that complement online scientific papers. Methods: Software development; website evaluation, including web log data monitoring, online user survey. Results: An expert group of respondents found the interactive data component to have positive impacts on understanding and discovery. However a significant minority reported that the software interface, instructions, and/or download presented a barrier to effective use of the interactive data functionality. Conclusions: This exploratory study indicates that interactive datasets offer potential benefits as a complement to published papers, but that further software improvements and more in-depth evaluation are needed to best discern future directions. Show more

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-2010-0612

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 30, no. 1-2, pp. 39-50, 2010

Authors: Groth, Paul | Gibson, Andrew | Velterop, Jan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: As the amount of scholarly communication increases, it is increasingly difficult for specific core scientific statements to be found, connected and curated. Additionally, the redundancy of these statements in multiple fora makes it difficult to determine attribution, quality and provenance. To tackle these challenges, the Concept Web Alliance has promoted the notion of nanopublications (core scientific statements with associated context). In this document, we present a model of nanopublications along with a Named Graph/RDF serialization of the model. Importantly, the serialization is defined completely using already existing community-developed technologies. Finally, we discuss the importance of aggregating nanopublications and the role …that the Concept Wiki plays in facilitating it. Show more

Keywords: Semantic Web, rich RDF-triples, disambiguation, publication

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-2010-0613

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 30, no. 1-2, pp. 51-56, 2010

Authors: Staley, David J. | Malenfant, Kara J.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: For academic librarians seeking to demonstrate the value of their libraries to their parent institutions, it is important to understand not only the current climate. We must also know what will be valued in the future so that we can begin to take appropriate action now. This document presents 26 possible scenarios based on an implications assessment of current trends, which may have an impact on all types of academic and research libraries over the next 15 years. The scenarios represent themes relating to academic culture, demographics, distance education, funding, globalization, infrastructure/facilities, libraries, political climate, publishing industry, societal values, students/learning …and technology. They are organized in a “scenario space” visualization tool, reflecting the expert judgment of ACRL members as to their expectations and perceptions about the probability, impact, speed of change and threat/opportunity potential of each scenario. Finally, the study draws out implications for academic libraries. For scenarios which have been identified as high impact with a high probability of occurring, it is incumbent upon library directors and those who set strategic agendas for academic libraries to plan to act now upon these scenarios. This report reinforces the notion that academic libraries are part of a larger ecosystem, and librarians should be consistently scanning the environment to look for signs of the changes that may come. It includes an appendix with a suggested activity to engage library colleagues in stretching your imaginations and considering possible futures. This can build capacity to engage in strategic thinking and planning, supporting librarians in making better decisions now that can address a variety of possible futures. Show more

Keywords: Academic libraries, librarians, futures research, scenario space, data visualization

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-2010-0614

Citation: Information Services & Use, vol. 30, no. 1-2, pp. 57-90, 2010