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1 – 10 of over 2000B. Jane Scales and Mary M. Gilles
In the fall of 1993, Washington State University (WSU) Libraries decided to subscribe to Mead Data's Lexis‐Nexis to support pre‐law and criminal justice research. Two passwords…
Abstract
In the fall of 1993, Washington State University (WSU) Libraries decided to subscribe to Mead Data's Lexis‐Nexis to support pre‐law and criminal justice research. Two passwords were acquired. The introduction of Lexis‐Nexis to the Washington State University community was facilitated by a small group of librarians, who served as a task force concerned with issues of the implementation and instruction of the database. Lexis‐Nexis is an online information retrieval system providing access to a wide range of sources including full‐text legal information and full‐text and abstracted information from newspapers, magazines, company annual reports, news and business magazines, newsletters, wire services, government documents, broadcast transcripts, and other sources. Because of the complex nature of the database, the process of implementing Lexis‐Nexis in a public service area was more involved than our previous experiences with other online or CD‐ROM services.
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B. Jane Scales and Marilyn Von Seggern
The aim of this paper is to report on the development and assessment of a government document information literacy curriculum by librarians at Washington State University. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to report on the development and assessment of a government document information literacy curriculum by librarians at Washington State University. The pedagogical and assessment goals are described, and the learning outcomes by participating sophomore and junior English composition students are explored.
Design/methodology/approach
Instruction librarians adopted ACRL standards to government information in order to address difficulties undergraduates have in identifying and evaluating common federal government resources. Learning outcomes are measured with a mixed-methods approach including pre- and post-tests, in-class worksheets, and student bibliographies.
Findings
Overall, the project improved government document information literacy in the student groups that participated.
Research limitations/implications
There are many questions the project raises that the authors cannot address. Does the curriculum have any long-term impact on the students? Will it make students who participated more likely to use government information when job seeking, or when making important decisions?
Originality/value
The project uniquely targets a population for which there has been little research on regarding government information literacy – undergraduates who have already received introductory library instruction, but who are not yet researching upper-division, discipline-specific topics.
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The purpose of this paper is to review the basic principles of qualitative analysis, and examine the practical application of these principles to analyze student assignments using…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the basic principles of qualitative analysis, and examine the practical application of these principles to analyze student assignments using the ATLAS.ti software.
Design/methodology/approach
Student comments from an assignment are prepared for import into ATLAS.ti. The comments are coded, and then analyzed for patterns using ATLAS.ti and its mechanisms for exploring data and data patterns.
Findings
ATLAS.ti offers myriad analytic tools that allow the researcher to quantify qualitative information through coding, data query, cross‐tabulation, and networked visualization of project design. By developing both technical expertise with the software, and developing familiarity with qualitative methodology, librarians can wield an effective means to assess and evaluate text‐based data, such as student assignments or surveys.
Research limitations/implications
Because the ATLAS.ti software, and the qualitative analysis process itself is so complex, this article can only outline the most prominent aspects of the tool.
Practical implications
The document can serve as a “jumping‐off” point for other researchers wishing to either explore the qualitative analysis process, particularly as conducted with ATLAS.ti. The reader will become more familiar with the basic concepts of qualitative analysis as reflected in the organization and functions of the ATLAS.ti, as well as the process of preparing and analyzing textual information with ATLAS.ti.
Originality/value
Because there is a general lack of literature on setting up a project with the software, the article is potentially valuable to anyone wishing to expand and improve their evaluative skills using ATLAS.ti or similar tools.
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The following is an annotated list of materials dealing with information literacy including instruction in the use of information resources, research, and computer skills related…
Abstract
The following is an annotated list of materials dealing with information literacy including instruction in the use of information resources, research, and computer skills related to retrieving, using, and evaluating information. This review, the twenty‐second to be published in Reference Services Review, includes items in English published in 1995. After 21 years, the title of this review of the literature has been changed from “Library Orientation and Instruction” to “Library Instruction and Information Literacy,” to indicate the growing trend of moving to information skills instruction.
A ‘World Wide Web search engine’ is defined as a retrieval service, consisting of a database (or databases) describing mainly resources available on the World Wide Web (WWW)…
Abstract
A ‘World Wide Web search engine’ is defined as a retrieval service, consisting of a database (or databases) describing mainly resources available on the World Wide Web (WWW), search software and a user interface also available via WWW. After intro ducing early Internet search engines, which are pertinent as precursors for the current range of WWW search engines, the problems of searching the WWW (link persistence, lack of integrated search software) and the resulting search engine types (keyword or directory) are analysed. Search engines of all types are then compared across their generic features (database content, retrieval software, and search interface), rather than on a search engine by search engine basis. Finally, wider information access issues aris ing from the nature of the Internet and web search engines are considered, and a general strategy for using web search engines is proposed.
Martha E. Williams and Linda C. Smith
This is the twelfth article on science, technology, and medicine (STM) databases in a continuing series of articles summarizing and commenting on new database products. Two…
Abstract
This is the twelfth article on science, technology, and medicine (STM) databases in a continuing series of articles summarizing and commenting on new database products. Two companion articles, onecovering social sciences, humanities, news, and general (SSH) (Online & CD‐ROM Review, vol. 22, no. 5) and the other covering business and law (BSL) (Online & CD‐ROM Review, vol. 22, no. 6) will appear in the next issues of this journal. These articles are based on the newly appearing database products in the Gale Directory of Databases. The Gale Directory of Databases (GDD) was created in January 1993 by merging Computer‐Readable Databases: A Directory and Data Sourcebook (CRD) together with the Directory of Online Databases (DOD) and the Directory of Portable Databases (DPD).
Not many weeks back, according to newspaper reports, three members of the library staff of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies in London were dismissed. All had…
Abstract
Not many weeks back, according to newspaper reports, three members of the library staff of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies in London were dismissed. All had refused to carry out issue desk duty. All, according to the newspaper account, were members of ASTMS. None, according to the Library Association yearbook, was a member of the appropriate professional organisation for librarians in Great Britain.
Amy M. Hageman and Dann G. Fisher
Tax professionals in public accounting firms must meet professional standards in working with their clients, but may also face pressure from both their clients and firms when…
Abstract
Tax professionals in public accounting firms must meet professional standards in working with their clients, but may also face pressure from both their clients and firms when making ethical decisions. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of client factors on tax professionals’ ethical decision-making. Furthermore, we also investigate how client service climate and different ethical climate types affect these ethical decisions. Based on an experimental design with 149 practicing tax professionals, results indicate that tax professionals are not swayed by client importance or social interaction with the client when making ethical decisions. However, tax professionals are more likely to engage in ethical behavior when their own accounting firm monitors and tracks the quality of client service, whereas unethical behavior is more common when public accounting firms emphasize using personal ethical beliefs in decision-making. The results of the study suggest the importance of strong policies and procedures to promote ethical decision-making in firms.
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