MSc dissertations from Department of Information Studies http://hdl.handle.net/2160/603 MSc dissertations from Department of Information Studies, AU Fri, 06 May 2016 03:51:58 GMT 2016-05-06T03:51:58Z Matching Expectations: Use of an academic library by international nursing students alongside faculty expectations of their library use http://hdl.handle.net/2160/42812 Matching Expectations: Use of an academic library by international nursing students alongside faculty expectations of their library use Murray, Aoife The purpose of this research was to explore the academic library needs of international nursing students and the expectations of their faculty about their library use with the aim of developing recommendations for how the library can develop services to bridge gaps identified. A case study approach was adopted focussing on the students and academic staff of the Bachelor of Nursing (International) programme at St. Angela’s College, Ireland. A literature review established the study within the context of relevant research. A mixed methods approach to data collection was adopted. Quantitative data to establish students’ previous library experience and current library use was collected using a questionnaire. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with samples of students and faculty to establish their expectations, experiences and assumptions about students’ library use. A thematic approach to data analysis was used to compare findings. The research showed that both faculty and students believed students to be unprepared to meet faculty expectations for utilising library services, particularly for research purposes upon commencement of their studies. Students identified a lack of online research and academic library experience as the main barriers. Faculty, while acknowledging these factors, believed the reasons to be more complex citing language, professional and social culture and differing expectations of the teaching and learning relationship. Recommendations for library services to bridge these gaps centre on the development of specialised library user education services and the incorporation of strategies to overcome cultural and language barriers to student participation. Faculty were supportive of working collaboratively with the library to improve student outcomes by overcoming identified barriers to library use. Potential areas for further research include the development of an information literacy programme for international nursing students; the impact of specialised user education on international student outcomes and the role of smartphone technology in developing library services for international students from developing countries. Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2160/42812 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z Oral history: access and use http://hdl.handle.net/2160/42811 Oral history: access and use Clifford, David The purpose of this dissertation is to conduct and present research into the issues surrounding access and use of oral history in archives. Oral history has become a valued medium as a way of supplementing records of official transactions with those of experiences of the particular community. The aim of this research is to investigate the state of oral history in British archives, to explore access issues and the way oral history is being used, and to produce recommendations for further research. The research design combined a review of the relevant literature with the collection and analysis of empirical data. The data collection utilized a twin-methods approach of a web-based survey and case study. 30 archives were approached. Of the 28 who responded, 20 answered the survey questions: a response rate of 71%. The findings from the research provide evidence that archivists have concerns over the loss of control of unedited material placed online. There is double the number of in-house finding aids than for online use. The two largest user groups of students and academics, and local and family history researchers account for 85% of users. Institutions record a low frequency of attendance. And oral history is still primarily used in written contexts though audio usage in archives accounts for 25%. The main conclusions from this work are that archives prefer to encourage in-house access for their collections and content. And they take the issue of ethics seriously. This dissertation recommends further research on user expectations of finding aids and access; how oral history resources are used externally, why do archives prefer in-house access, and how does this conflict with the expectations of users; an in-depth survey of online provision; and experiences of specific groups. Keywords: access, ethics, finding aids, oral history, use Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2160/42811 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z An investigation in to demand for mobile library services at Shipley College http://hdl.handle.net/2160/42810 An investigation in to demand for mobile library services at Shipley College O’Connor, Emer The purpose of this research was to investigate demand for mobile library services at Shipley College. Users of mobile technology have been shown to have particular information needs and expectations, and a number of objections were employed to explore these issues and to answer the research question. The first objective was to gain knowledge of mobile device ownership at Shipley College and the second objective was to explore how these devices were being used. The third objective was to consider potential barriers to implementing mobile library services. The fourth objective sought to gauge student’s opinions of using their devices for library services, and subsequently, the fifth objective was to ascertain which would be the most viable services to implement. A quantitative research approach was identified as the most appropriate as it was considered necessary to obtain a large number of responses in order to predict likely take-up of services. It also enabled trends in mobile device ownership and use to be charted. The study employed a purposive sampling method in order to ensure that those being sampled were relevant to the research question. Questionnaires were distributed both online and in print, and contained a mixture of closed and open-ended questions. Respondents were found to be technologically well-equipped and, on the whole, were receptive to mobile library services. In particular, users showed a preference for instant messaging and services delivered via social networking sites. The need for the creation of mobile-friendly web content was also affirmed, but responses to SMS services were more mixed. Barriers to implementing mobile services were demonstrated, and the need to avoid these through effective marketing and user education was emphasised. A number of recommendations are made for implementing mobile services at Shipley College based on the findings. Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2160/42810 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z A matter of context: an investigation into the representaion of bias in social tags and Library of Congress Subject Headings http://hdl.handle.net/2160/42809 A matter of context: an investigation into the representaion of bias in social tags and Library of Congress Subject Headings Dash, Chloe Gisela Jane This study explores the representation of bias in social tags and Library of Congress Subject Headings, with a particular focus on the motivations of the layperson (the tagger) and the expert (the cataloguer). A mixed methodological approach was adopted. A framework for measuring bias was defined and constructed and this was applied via a simple coding scheme to a total of 500 social tags from LibraryThing and 175 Library of Congress Subject Headings from the Library of Congress online catalogue. These were harvested from a sample of 50 popular feminist fiction titles. The analysis demonstrated that, although there were a higher proportion of unbiased social tags than unbiased LCSH, issues of bias were found in both systems. The two systems displayed very distinct issues of bias, given the differing motivations of the tagger (personal) and the cataloguer (to allow subject access). The research demonstrated the idea that the concepts of bias and interpretation are inseparable; and (regardless of system and language), one cannot interpret anything without applying personal, cultural and leaned biases based on a particular worldview. Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2160/42809 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z
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