HamidReza Mahmoodi; Mohammad Hassanzadeh
Abstract
PurposeUsers' mental image of public libraries reflects their living experience in these places. The accurate understanding of the mental image can help to make accurate and effective policies. This study sought to re-investigate the public library mental image from the perspective of Iranian users.Design/methodology/approachThis ...
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PurposeUsers' mental image of public libraries reflects their living experience in these places. The accurate understanding of the mental image can help to make accurate and effective policies. This study sought to re-investigate the public library mental image from the perspective of Iranian users.Design/methodology/approachThis research is qualitative research. Semi-structured interview method was used to collect data. In this study to analyze collected data the grounded theory has been considered as the main method. In total, 106 interviews with public library users were conducted in 11 provinces. The collected data were coded in 3 steps. The MAX QDA software was used to encode data. Sampling continued until saturation of the concepts, and finally, after receiving the 106th interview the sampling was completed.FindingsFrom the analysis of the interviews, 131 open codes, 49 primary categories, 20 categories, 10 axial codes were obtained. Results gained in this research shed light on users believe that the library is a place to acquire knowledge as well as a place to spend their leisure time. Also findings revealed the libraries space have not enough harmony. It seems that the negative alignment of user-librarian causes the user reluctance to go to the library. Originality/valueAlthough significant quantitative research has been done on user studies of public libraries, but the qualitative approach has been neglected. In addition, the emphasis on understanding the user's mental image distinguished this research from other research.
Emran Ghorbani; HamidReza Mahmoodi; Ebrahim Zarei; Mohammad Hassanzadeh; Majid Bashirzadeh; Nazila Mehrabi
Abstract
ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to determine the interaction of researchers with online information resources and provide solutions to increase the quality of information retrieval.MethodologyIn terms of purpose, the present study is a fundamental research that falls into the category of content ...
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ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to determine the interaction of researchers with online information resources and provide solutions to increase the quality of information retrieval.MethodologyIn terms of purpose, the present study is a fundamental research that falls into the category of content analysis research and is based on the underlying theory of Strauss and Corbin (1998) and has been done using Max QDA software. This research is one of the library researches that has used field techniques in terms of data collection method.15 researchers who have the most scientific products and naturally have more interaction with information and search for resources, were selected by judgmental sampling and They have been interviewed.FindingsIn this study, which was interviewed with 15 researchers, it was found that researchers mostly refer to Google search engine and databases of Science Direct, Web of Science and Scopus. They also use advanced search and simple search to find their information. They are also familiar with scientific social networks and have been the most visited and researched by Research Gate, LinkedIn and Academia. They were largely satisfied with the quality and accessibility of online resources, but wanted the information organization to have a single standard and order. ConclusionBased on the results of the interviews, we obtained a model that showed that researchers categorize the retrieved information into four components:1.Useful overt information 2. Useful hidden information 3. Useless overt information and 4. Annoying overt information
HamidReza Mahmoodi; Mohammad Hassanzadeh; Fatemeh Zandian
Abstract
Despite the breadth and richness of the subject and the variety of topics in the field of knowledge and information science facing researchers, the field suffers from theoretical poverty. The purpose of this study is to identify the theoretical barriers in information science and knowledge. This is a ...
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Despite the breadth and richness of the subject and the variety of topics in the field of knowledge and information science facing researchers, the field suffers from theoretical poverty. The purpose of this study is to identify the theoretical barriers in information science and knowledge. This is a qualitative research. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Members of the faculty of knowledge and information science at Iranian universities formed the statistical population of this study. Theoretical sampling method was used for sample selection. In total, 18 faculty members of Birjand, Tarbiat Modarres, Tabriz, Shahid Bahona and Shahid Chamran universities interviewed. The data were coded based on the grounded theory in three steps. MAX QDA software was used for data encoding. Finally 10 core categories were obtained. Among the 10 core categories, the categories of "shaky personality" and "belief system failure" were selected as the central classes. According to Glazer’s recommendation, the belief system failure was referred to the shaky personality class. In other words, the shaky personality class was identified as the central class. For the first time in Iran and outside Iran, the barriers of theorizing in knowledge and information science have been examined with a qualitative approach. Therefore, on the one hand, the subject under study and adopting a qualitative approach on the other hand, demonstrate its value and authenticity.
