Information and Knowledge Management
Gholamreza Jamei; Mohammad Rahim Rasouli Azad,; Zohreh Mirhosseini; Saeid Ghaffari
Abstract
Objective: This study was conducted with the aim of identifying the effective components on improving the quality of the student information service system at the information service desks of public universities in the country.Methodology: The present study is philosophically based on the pragmatism ...
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Objective: This study was conducted with the aim of identifying the effective components on improving the quality of the student information service system at the information service desks of public universities in the country.Methodology: The present study is philosophically based on the pragmatism model, which selected the components with a partial approach and finally selected the most effective ones by comparing them. In terms of purpose, it is an applied-developmental research. In order to achieve the goal, a mixed exploratory research design (qualitative-quantitative) was used. The population of participants in the qualitative section were information science and knowledge specialists and experienced managers of public universities in Tehran, who were selected using theoretical and purposeful sampling methods, and theoretical saturation was achieved by conducting 10 interviews. The statistical population of the quantitative section includes students of public universities in Tehran, whose sample size was estimated to be 384 people using the Cochran formula. The required sample size was provided by simple random sampling. Semi-structured interviews and a researcher-made questionnaire were used to collect data. The service desk pathology model constructs were identified using qualitative content analysis in Maxqda 20 software, and the final model was validated using partial least squares in Smart PLS 3 software.
Information and Knowledge Management
maryam rasi; Zohreh mirhosseini; Fatemeh Noshinfard
Abstract
This Study Aimed to Identify the Components of Knowledge Dissemination with a Digital Transformation Approach in the Libraries of Research Centers of Nutrition Sciences and Food Industries and is an Applied Study. The Approach of the Present Research is Qualitative and was Conducted Using Meta-Synthesis ...
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This Study Aimed to Identify the Components of Knowledge Dissemination with a Digital Transformation Approach in the Libraries of Research Centers of Nutrition Sciences and Food Industries and is an Applied Study. The Approach of the Present Research is Qualitative and was Conducted Using Meta-Synthesis and Delphi Methods. In the First Stage, The Meta-Synthesis Method was Used, which Found a Total of 351 Sources Related to the Research Topic, and Finally 50 Sources were Analyzed. After Identifying the Categories Using the Metasynthesis Method with the Delphi Method and Questionnaire and Survey Tools from 20 Experts, Validation and Presentation of Final Indicators were Carried out. In This Study, by Examining and Categorizing the Descriptive Codes Obtained from the Texts, 75 Subcategories were Identified and Classified into 29 Main Categories and 9 Dimensions According to Semantic Similarity and Affinity. Innovation (Value) in this Study Identifies the Components of Knowledge Dissemination in Libraries by Integrating a Digital Transformation Approach that is also Applicable to other Libraries. Digital Transformation in Libraries cannot be Achieved by Relying on Technology alone, But Requires a Combination of Strong Infrastructure, Skilled Human Resources, and User-Centered Strategies. Libraries that Implement these Solutions Can Act As Digital Knowledge Hubs in the Information & Communication Age.Keywords: Knowledge Dissemination, Information Dissemination, Knowledge Transfer, Digital Transformation, Nutrition and Food Industry Research Libraries.
Intelligent Recovery Systems
mahyar hamdami kashani; Zohreh Mirhosseini; saeed ghaffari; fatemeh Nooshinfard
Abstract
Purpose: The advancement of information and communication technologies and the capabilities of modern software have fundamentally expanded the use of various communication media across dimensions of form, time, and space, and have transformed the concepts of literacy, reading, and study. Among the major ...
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Purpose: The advancement of information and communication technologies and the capabilities of modern software have fundamentally expanded the use of various communication media across dimensions of form, time, and space, and have transformed the concepts of literacy, reading, and study. Among the major impacts of these technologies is the change in the nature of information resources from production to application. This study aimed to identify the evaluation criteria of Iranian e-reader software.Methods: This applied and descriptive research employed a documentary method and the Delphi technique. The statistical population consisted of 30 experts and faculty members. Ten of the most widely used Iranian e-reader applications—identified based on the number of downloads on Google Play—were examined. Data were collected through a two-stage questionnaire. In the first stage, 115 evaluation criteria were presented as items to the Delphi panel. Following expert feedback, 82 criteria were approved and then re-distributed among the panel members in the second round. Data analysis was conducted using principal component analysis and chi-square tests in SPSS version 26.Findings: The results revealed significant shortcomings across all examined components of Iranian e-reader software. These deficiencies highlight the necessity of developing strategies to enhance features and functionalities, improve accessibility, and foster user engagement and distinctive competencies.Conclusion: The findings indicate that Iranian e-reader software faces critical challenges in all evaluation criteria. Sustainable improvement requires reliance on standardized evaluation measures. Implementing strategies for capability development, accessibility enhancement, and creating distinctive and engaging features is essential to meet user needs.
Intelligent Systems Recovery
Fereshteh Bayanlou; Zohreh Mirhosseini; Zahra Abazari
Abstract
IntroductionCybernetics, a science that emerged in the 20th century, has rapidly grown and penetrated various disciplines. Since its inception, cybernetics has experienced significant and continuous growth, with communication and the concepts of message and feedback at its core. Today, cybernetics is ...
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IntroductionCybernetics, a science that emerged in the 20th century, has rapidly grown and penetrated various disciplines. Since its inception, cybernetics has experienced significant and continuous growth, with communication and the concepts of message and feedback at its core. Today, cybernetics is recognized as an independent yet interdisciplinary field, grounded in information theory and focused on methods of information processing. According to Baum (2003), the cybernetic model effectively organizes the activities of academic systems in the modern era. This model relies on complex social systems and cybernetic monitoring, where self-correction mechanisms oversee organizational functions. Consequently, individuals are not the final decision-makers; instead, continuous activities are carried out to improve different parts of the organization. The cybernetic library aims to achieve specific goals. When deviations occur, individuals or groups within the library become active to restore desired levels. The complexity of the cybernetic library also involves parts responsible for identifying adverse events and reporting them to higher levels. In this research, cybernetics refers to the optimal use of cybernetic patterns in university libraries. This study aims to provide a suitable model for the optimal use and management of system information by measuring the status of cybernetic components in academic libraries. Literature Review Zamnopoulos and Alexio emphasized that control is an inevitable part of any organization. Supervisors and colleagues highlighted the desirability of monitoring and control components, although slight differences exist in their sub-components. Regarding intra- and extra-systemic links, extra-systemic links were found to be more appropriate, with a focus needed on strengthening intra-systemic links. Hashem Beik et al. noted the status of loose and tight links at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The hierarchy component's sub-component scored higher, emphasizing its importance in the cybernetic model. Nechansky demonstrated that cybernetic structures can adapt to their environment. In decision-making, the decision-making resources sub-component scored higher. The effective management and leadership component, examined in five dimensions, showed that participatory leadership was more appropriate than other dimensions. Brinbaum stressed the importance of interaction among different academic systems and recognized the coordinating role of leadership in academic libraries. MethodologyThis quantitative study investigated the status of cybernetic model components for optimal management of university libraries. The statistical population included experts and specialists in information science and epistemology, as well as managers of central libraries at type 1 medical sciences universities in Iran. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 97 professors and librarians, and the results were analyzed. Results The study included 42% men and 58% women. Among the participants, 25% had a bachelor's degree, 45% had a master's degree, and 30% had a doctoral degree. Most respondents (65%) had over ten years of work experience, while only 3% had less than ten years. The average scores for the monitoring component in the structural and social dimensions were 29.43 and 33.14, respectively. The system link component scored 18.41 for extra-system links and 14.52 for intra-system links. The hierarchy component scored 11.23 for the divided system dimension and 11.66 for the hierarchy dimension. The interaction quality component scored 11.78 for the non-linear dimension and 11.53 for the causal dimension. The decision component scored 14.91 for decision resources, 15.07 for decision type, and 14.73 for decision criteria. Discussion The findings indicate that the monitoring and control components in the cybernetic management model of academic libraries are appropriate and have a tangible impact on the model's structure. Extra-systemic links were found to be more effective than intra-systemic links, highlighting the need to strengthen the latter. The hierarchical sub-component scored higher within the hierarchy context, and participatory leadership was more effective than other dimensions. Conclusion The research findings suggest that the components of the cybernetic model are well-placed in the libraries of medical sciences universities. This reflects the awareness of university library managers regarding the structure, goals, tasks, services, and functions of academic libraries. However, this knowledge is not equally appropriate across all dimensions, leading to an imbalance in the state of dimensions and components. Consequently, the progress and effectiveness of the models are not as impressive. Therefore, it is recommended to focus more on the social role of library users in interactions and guidance, and to maintain a balanced approach to the quantitative and qualitative growth of all dimensions in library management.
Information Storage and Retrieval
Nahid Safari; Zohreh Mirhosseini; Zahra Abazari
Abstract
This study investigated the information-seeking behavior of art researchers in the process of searching for information on the web. This study is semi-experimental. It was conducted using observation, interview, and statistical analysis methods. The statistical population consisted of 48 art researchers ...
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This study investigated the information-seeking behavior of art researchers in the process of searching for information on the web. This study is semi-experimental. It was conducted using observation, interview, and statistical analysis methods. The statistical population consisted of 48 art researchers who were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through Camtasia software to record the search process, semi-structured interviews to examine cognitive strategies, and a standard information-seeking behavior questionnaire to measure related variables. Two search tasks were assigned to the participants: easy (finding a Latin article about Iranian art) and difficult (finding a related job opportunity abroad), and data analysis was performed using the Chi-square test. The findings showed that in easy searches, participants mainly used faster and more superficial strategies such as extensive use of the Google search engine (with a frequency of 976) and formulating search terms from general to specific. In contrast, in difficult searches, researchers resorted to more advanced analytical methods such as repeated modification of search terms, use of Boolean operators, and reference to specialized databases. The statistical data analysis showed that the total number of strategies adopted in the second task was 976 in the easy style and 959 in the difficult style, for a total of 1935 strategies, indicating that the level of complexity of the search tasks has a direct impact on the strategies used by researchers. This highlights the need to optimize information retrieval systems based on the needs of users and the level of complexity of their searches.IntroductionThis study examines the information-seeking behavior of art researchers when dealing with simple and complex search tasks. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the field and the need for multimedia resources, researchers face specific challenges in accessing information. Using a semi-experimental approach and employing observation, interviews, and questionnaires, the study aims to contribute to the development of more efficient information systems and specialized training for this user group. Literature ReviewInformation seeking behavior is a key concept in information science and human interaction with information sources that has attracted significant attention from researchers in interdisciplinary fields, especially art, in recent years. Previous studies have shown that various factors, such as the complexity of search tasks, users' previous experiences, cognitive styles, and familiarity with tools and databases have a significant impact on the way people search for information (Savolainen, 2018; Mitsui et al., 2017; Humbhi & Tareen, 2022). In this context, information-seeking behavior in the field of art is associated with specific challenges such as the need for non-textual sources, multimedia content, and interdisciplinary approaches that have been less systematically studied (Pergantis et al., 2023; Masinde et al., 2020). In addition, examining the role of psychological variables such as self-efficacy, anxiety, and metacognitive strategies in the information seeking process has also been considered in some studies (Noorzadeh and Noormohammadi, 1400). Recent findings emphasize the need for a deeper analysis of researchers' interaction with information retrieval systems and the factors affecting the choice of search strategies.MethodologyThis study employed a semi-experimental design to investigate the information-seeking behavior of 48 purposively selected art researchers. Data collection included search file analysis, event recording, and behavioral observation using Camtasia Studio. Participants, all holding a master’s or doctoral degree in an art discipline and with prior research experience, were assigned two tasks: a simple search (finding a Latin article on Iranian art) and a complex one (finding an international job related to their field). Selection criteria also included adequate computer skills and willingness to participate.ResultsIn order to conduct the research, the researcher assigned two types of search tasks to the subjects and observed and analyzed their behavior and perspectives during the information search and retrieval process. The methods of observing the respondents' information search and retrieval behavior and search tasks are as follows:a) Search tasks: In this study, search tasks are divided into two categories: easy and difficult. In the easy task, the user searches for general information about a general topic, and in the difficult task, the user seeks specialized information about a specific topic. The easy search task is usually accompanied by the continuous use of browsing, while the difficult search task requires the use of analytical search strategies. In the present study, these two tasks were characterized by general and specialized levels. Therefore, in the easy task, the minimum level of complexity was considered, and in the difficult task, there is more complexity. All searches performed by users were recorded with the help of computer screen capture software (Table 1).b) Observation: It refers to the process of identifying, recording, naming, comparing, and analyzing what is happening. The key point in conducting an observation is to accurately and completely define the subject being observed.The entire process of searching and retrieving information by each subject was recorded using screen capture software. Necessary notes were taken of each subject's searching process by reviewing the captured files several times and taking notes of the searching and retrieving information process.DiscussionThis study explored how art researchers adapt their search strategies based on task complexity, revealing that simpler tasks led to basic, fast-paced techniques (e.g., broad queries via Google), while complex tasks triggered more advanced approaches like iterative refinement and the use of specialized databases. Although strategy frequency was similar across tasks (976 for simple, 959 for complex), statistical analysis confirmed significant behavioral differences linked to task difficulty. The findings highlight the need for adaptive, user-centered search systems and targeted training in digital literacy. Consistent with prior research, the study emphasizes the influence of cognitive and experiential factors, advocating for further inquiry into psychological variables and intelligent search system design to better support art researchers.ConclusionThis study concludes that task complexity significantly influences the search strategies of art researchers, with simple tasks leading to intuitive methods and complex ones requiring more analytical approaches. The results stress the need for adaptive, user-focused information systems and specialized training to strengthen digital search capabilities. Future research should consider cognitive and psychological aspects to deepen insights into search behavior and improve information retrieval in the arts.AcknowledgmentsI extend my deepest appreciation to Dr. Zohreh Mirhosseini for her exceptional guidance, insightful feedback, and unwavering support, which played a pivotal role in the successful completion of this study.
