Research Paper
Ali Shaghaghi; Saeid Asadi; Ali Sharafi
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this research is to study the place of Middle Eastern countries and to determine the informationally powerful, dependent, and weak states, based on the scientific production and cooperation quartile, in the geopolitics of information. Method: This research is a scientometric one ...
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Aim: The aim of this research is to study the place of Middle Eastern countries and to determine the informationally powerful, dependent, and weak states, based on the scientific production and cooperation quartile, in the geopolitics of information. Method: This research is a scientometric one and objectively applied which has been conducted using documentary methods and content analysis. The research community consists of 16 Middle Eastern countries which have been studied based on their regional and trans-regional scientific production and cooperation between the years 2008 and 2017. The data was extracted from the scopus, the world bank and the Palestine center for statistics databases, and Excel and SPSS software were used for the data analysis. Findings: According to the findings, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Egypt, respectively, are placed the first to fourth in the Middle Eastern geopolitics of information, and by allocating more than 75% of the quartile (Q3) indicators are among the most powerful information countries. The countries, Israel, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, and Palestine respectively, are placed fifth to twelfth in the Middle East, and with allocating 25 to 50 percent of the quartile (Q2) indicators make up the community of dependent countries. The four countries of Lebanon, Bahrain, Yemen and Syria, ranked thirteenth to sixteenths in the Middle Eastern geopolitics of information, with assigning 25 percent of the quartile (Q1) indicators form the Middle Eastern weak countries. The findings also show that there is a huge gap between the status of powerful, dependent, and weak Middle Eastern information countries (between the first, second, and third quarters) in the geopolitics of information. Innovation/ value: The value of this research is in determining the powerful, dependent and weak Middle Eastern information countries in the geopolitics of information in terms of innovation and also in being the beginning point of attracting the attention of politicians, researchers and specialists in fields of information science and knowledge, scientometrics, political science, communication science, management, and sociology to conduct better research in the field of geopolitics of information and to identify its components.
Research Paper
Somayeh Farzadi; Esmat Moemeni
Abstract
Advancing the activities, functions, and structure of each organization are related to information. On the other hand, in the era of innovation, exchanging information with the surrounding environment causes change, transformation, and even evolution. The purpose of this study was to draw the flow of ...
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Advancing the activities, functions, and structure of each organization are related to information. On the other hand, in the era of innovation, exchanging information with the surrounding environment causes change, transformation, and even evolution. The purpose of this study was to draw the flow of information on the uploading of standard resources in the internal library network of Razi Metallurgical Research Center, as well as validating it using the rate of standard resources usage. The present study is an applied one and the method is system analysis with a hybrid approach. Also, by maintaining the reliability criterion, the scientific accuracy of the research is guaranteed and a criterion for the validity and reliability of the research is shaped. The statistical population includes the national and international standards used in the laboratory and the sample equals each component or element of the statistical community. Data gathering was done by observing the process of work, documentary, and library studying as well as interviewing experts. Finally, with the help of the Microsoft Visio software, the information flow diagrams were plotted and then validated with the rate of standard sources used in the library network of the Razi Metallurgical Research Center. The findings show the process of information flow and the usage rate of the loading of standard resources. The process and the method of exchanging information with the internal and external components of the organization are systematically depicted and designed in the Razi Metallurgy Research Center in three stages including analyzing the existing processes, coding the processes and validating the programmed processes regarding requesting the standard, identifying the need of the customer, inserting the standard in the valid standard folder, and purchasing the required standard. Then throughout a year, the usage rate of the loading of standard resources in the created network is reported. Thus, after the systematic process in the internal library network of the Razi Metallurgy Research Center, the lab staff will send their standard request to the information department if needed, then, the standard will be placed in the center's internal network for a quick and timely access.
Research Paper
Leila Bazrkar; Fariba Nazari
Abstract
Aim: The present study aims to measure the satisfaction of active members of the central library of Khuzestan province in the quality of services by using Kano-LibQUAL model.Research Methodology: This study has been conducted by using the survey method; the data collection tool was the standard questionnaire ...
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Aim: The present study aims to measure the satisfaction of active members of the central library of Khuzestan province in the quality of services by using Kano-LibQUAL model.Research Methodology: This study has been conducted by using the survey method; the data collection tool was the standard questionnaire of LibQUAL and Kano (1984) and the statistical population consisted of all active members of the central library of Khuzestan province with the total number of 600. The sample size was 135 based on the Cochran formula and finally, 97 questionnaires were gathered. Also, the simple random sampling method was used in this study.Findings: The findings showed that there are gaps between the maximum expectations and perceptions of active members of central library of Khuzestan province, in dimensions of the impact of services, information control, and library as a place, and the overall quality variable. The average of the maximum of expectations is more than the status quo of perceptions thus, there exists dissatisfaction in these dimensions. However, there is no gap or difference between the minimum expectations and perceptions of active members of central library of Khuzestan province.Conclusion: The results of Kano model analysis indicated that the items “employees who understand your needs” and “the existence of a website for the library” and “the existence of electronic resources” are respectively in the top three priorities, the item of “library space for learning and studying” was the last priority.
Research Paper
Fateme Zandian; Maryam Janm Mohammady; Mohammad Hassanzadeh
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the management style of Tehran University libraries from the viewpoint of managers and staff and also to explain the relationship between the leadership style of managers and their creativity. A survey research was used to evaluate the mentioned components. ...
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the management style of Tehran University libraries from the viewpoint of managers and staff and also to explain the relationship between the leadership style of managers and their creativity. A survey research was used to evaluate the mentioned components. The statistical population included all the staff and directors of affiliated libraries of University of Tehran located in Tehran with 110 staff and 18 managers from 23 libraries. The required data was collected using questionnaires. The Leadership Style Questionnaire of Likert was used to determine the leadership style of the managers and the organizational creativity questionnaire was used to determine the managers' creativity. The Likert leadership style questionnaire was used to examine eight organizational indicators. The results of the analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the views of managers and staff about the leadership style of the Tehran University libraries. Managers rated their leadership style, according to the four Likert styles, as the third style and very close to the fourth (collaborative) style, while the staff assessed their managers’ leadership as the third Likert style, namely, advisory and leaning towards the second (Dedicative-Benevolent) style. Conducting the Kruskal-Wallis test confirmed a significant difference between the leadership styles of managers in different libraries. Also, the Pearson correlation coefficient showed that there was no significant relationship between the leadership style of managers and their creativity. The latest finding of the research shows that there is no significant difference between the level of creativity in library managers with a faculty member position and library managers with a librarian's position.
Research Paper
Payam Hanafizadeh; Alihosein Noorafrooz
Abstract
Purpose - Activities of academic libraries, like other areas and fields, have been greatly influenced by new technologies. Thus, libraries need to be at a suitable level of e-readiness to offer effective services according to the present era. This research aims to develop a primary conceptual model for ...
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Purpose - Activities of academic libraries, like other areas and fields, have been greatly influenced by new technologies. Thus, libraries need to be at a suitable level of e-readiness to offer effective services according to the present era. This research aims to develop a primary conceptual model for evaluating the e-readiness of academic libraries.
Methodology - Documentary library researching and analytical surveying were the methods used in this study. Initially, through in-depth study of e-readiness literature, as well as information and communication technology in libraries and information centers, suitable indicators for assessing the e-readiness of university libraries were identified and extracted. Then, these indicators were limited to 66 indicators with several stages of refinement and correction. At the next stage, these suggested indicators were classified in next levels and components (main areas and sub-areas). The data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire that used experts' opinions for the importance of the indicators and their weighting. In order to ensure the validity of the instrument, structural equation models (confirmatory factor analysis) were used.
Findings - The model of evaluating the e-readiness of academic libraries includes 4 dimensions, 12 components, and 64 indicators, which were developed based on the research literature and expert opinion. The proposed model was launched as a case study for evaluating the electronic readiness of the libraries of one of the largest Iranian universities (Allameh Tabataba'i University). The analytical report of the digital gap in these libraries is also presented.
Originality – An e-readiness literature review revealed that there is no comprehensive model with various dimensions for evaluating the electronic readiness of academic libraries and determining their digital gap. Therefore, developing such a model is the result of the present study. Determining the digital gap through this model makes it possible to discover the reasons for this gap, and also to plan for developing and enhancing the indicators of e-readiness in academic libraries.
Research Paper
Atiyeh Jafarinia; Farnoosh Azimi Khabbazan; Mohammad Reza Abazari
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between comprehensive quality management and the loyalty of library users of the Hozavi Masoumiyeh Institute of Higher Education.
Methodology: This descriptive research is of correlation type. The statistical population includes ...
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Purpose: The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between comprehensive quality management and the loyalty of library users of the Hozavi Masoumiyeh Institute of Higher Education.
Methodology: This descriptive research is of correlation type. The statistical population includes the library users of the Masoumiyeh Higher Education Institution in Qom, from which 264 people were selected using Cochran's formula by simple random sampling. The data gathering tool was a questionnaire and descriptive statistical methods and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data.
Findings: The findings indicated that among the components of comprehensive management, the "Customer-based concentration" factor was the highest with an average of 2.37. The other components "process management", "leadership" and "human resource management" are in the next places, respectively. In the components of user loyalty, the "attitudinal" component with an average of 2.21 was higher than the "behavioral loyalty" component with an average of 1. 91
Conclusion: The results of the research indicate that there is a direct and meaningful relationship between the comprehensive quality management and user loyalty in the library of the Higher Educational Institution of Masoumiyeh Institute. There is also a direct and strong relationship between the components of two variables; which "Customer-based concentration" as compared to other components of comprehensive quality management had the strongest relationship with the user loyalty components.
