Open Access Published by De Gruyter Open Access

Volume 1 Issue 1

June 2017

Issue of Open Information Science

Contents
Journal Overview

Open Access September 2, 2016

Can There be Too Many Information Science Journals?

Paul Sturges

Page range: 1-2

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Open Access June 27, 2017

Factors Affecting Students’ Privacy Paradox and Privacy Protection Behavior

Maor Weinberger, Dan Bouhnik, Maayan Zhitomirsky-Geffet

Page range: 3-20

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Abstract

In this exploratory study, we investigate the factors affecting two opposite types of online privacy behavior: 1) online privacy paradox, i.e. a mismatch between users’ online privacy attitudes and their online privacy behavior; and 2) online privacy protection. To assess these two types of behavior, we devised a new direct scale comprising 25 items explicitly highlighting benefits and risks of the examined behavior. Various factors related to online privacy and anonymity were considered in light of the existing theories on online privacy behavior. To this end, 169 students from different fields of study in Israeli academia were administered closed-ended questionnaires. The multivariate linear regression analysis showed that information science students had a significantly lower tendency toward privacy paradox behavior compared to other students. In addition, we found that as the participants’ privacy concern and online privacy self efficacy increase, their tendency toward privacy paradox behavior decreases. However, surprisingly, there was no significant association between privacy protection behavior and high technical skills or online privacy literacy. This research has social implications for academia and the general public, as it shows that the protection of online privacy does not depend on technical knowledge or complicated tool usage, but rather can be achieved by raising users’ online privacy concern and self-efficacy.

Open Access July 14, 2017

The Information Practices of the Fishermen in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh

Nafiz Zaman Shuva

Page range: 21-40

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Abstract

Utilizing de Certeau’s concepts of “tactics” and “strategies,” and Chatman’s “information poverty,” this study examines the information practices of the fishermen in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. Using faceto- face surveys, this study gathers data from 102 fishermen in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. The findings of the study reveal that the majority of fishermen (“fisher folks”) studied regularly need information on weather, fish buying and selling prices, daily consumable products, entertainment, and religion. Fisher folks in this study heavily rely on their informal information networks (e.g., family and friends) to meet their diverse information needs. The study also reports various information challenges faced by the participants. It is evident in this study that fisher folks, due to unwelcoming information environment of strategic institutions (e.g., various government agencies), tactically avoid services and information provided by them. A call for radical change in “information service culture” (i.e., offering information to only educated, the dominant group of the society) has been emphasized by the author of the paper. The study also highlights the importance of offering appropriate, need-based, welcoming information services to rural communities by various government information agencies including public libraries. It is expected that this study will help researchers design studies aimed at exploring the “tactical information practices” of various unprivileged groups such as victims of domestic violence, ready-made garments worker, sex workers, etc., who have diverse socioeconomic and political backgrounds.

Open Access September 2, 2017

Improving Research Impact Through the Use of Media

Eva Czaran, Malcolm Wolski, Joanna Richardson

Page range: 41-55

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Abstract

Increasingly researchers and academic research institutions are being asked to demonstrate the quality and impact of their research. Traditionally researchers have used text-based outputs to achieve these objectives. This paper discusses the introduction and subsequent review of a new service at a major Australian university, designed to encourage researchers to use media, particularly visual formats, in promoting their research. Findings from the review have highlighted the importance of researchers working in partnership with in-house media professionals to produce short, relatable, digestible, and engaging visual products. As a result of these findings, the authors have presented a four-phase media development model to assist researchers to tell their research story. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for the institution as a whole and, more specifically, libraries.

Open Access September 6, 2017

Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia’s presence in The Directory of Open Access Repositories (DOAR) and The Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR): A comparative study of their ratio of open access material

Samir Hachani

Page range: 56-70

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Abstract

Open access has seen a great many developments since its inception some twenty five years ago. From an individual initiative it evolved into an institutional then a governmental action that gave it more weight. These initiatives that took place in the last decade of the twentieth century, and are still going on, have coincided with a revolution that has impacted our daily lives and more precisely our lives as researchers: the Internet which changed our ways of doing scientific research and whose influence could be seen live under our own eyes. While open access in the developed world has thrived, in the developing world to which Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia belong it seems to lag behind. As an example of this, the three countries have together only fifteen and thirteen open repositories in The Directory of Open Access Repositories (DOAR) and The Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR) respectively. Beside this quantitative weakness, these open repositories do not seem to implement a clear open access policy as most of them do restrict access to registered users with an account and a password which contravenes the most primary open access philosophy allowing access to scientific literature pending only an Internet connection. Additionally, previous studies have shown that the most basic open access concepts seem to be misconstrued by those in charge for a national open access policy. In consequence, this has impacted negatively on the performance of these open repositories and the ratio of its open access literature. It is suggested that bigger importance and means be given to the question by the people in charge. Cooperative projects such as ISTeMAG should be encouraged and should be the basis of a sound open access policy and allow these countries to attain the much coveted title of The Information Society.

Open Access September 8, 2017

Land Developers and Archaeological Information

Isto Huvila

Page range: 71-90

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Abstract

Land developers are significant stakeholders of archaeological work in the developed world. A better understanding of their information practices is crucial for the preservation and management of archaeological heritage. This study investigates land developers’ use, needs and conceptions of the usefulness- value of archaeological information and their views of development-led archaeological process. The findings are based on a survey of Finnish and Swedish land developers (N=34) that have contracted and financed archaeological fieldwork. The results show that the most useful information for land developers is data on the spatial location of archaeological sites but that the situation is much more nuanced than often suggested. Even if the most of the respondents were rather satisfied with the current situation, the lack of information can have major consequences and there are several obstacles to obtain relevant information. Extensive reliance on people sources can be seen both a symptom of the current problems and an indication of the importance of closer collaboration between archaeologists and land developers. Further, the study shows that the different levels of the perceived usefulness of specific types of archaeological information can be explained by the different regimes determining their worth in the two communities.

About this journal

Open Information Science is an international, open access, cross-disciplinary, single-blind peer-reviewed journal that presents original research on all areas of library and information sciences. It aims to publish the research papers on the most recent issues and developments in the field. Open Information Science is particularly interested in the dissemination of the intellectual efforts of the global academic community in this field. This journal is going to be helpful for researchers, specialists, teachers and practitioners of librarianship.

Aims and scope

Scope of the journal includes, but is not limited to:

library and information science - theory and practice

management of library and information systems

organization of knowledge

information technology

research methods

information behavior

information and media literacy

health information seeking behavior

information management

information governance

digital libraries and information systems

school and academic libraries

scholarly communication

library education

public libraries

archival science

cultural heritage

preservations

media studies

media education

social media

e-infrastructures

electronic communications

mass communication

networking

open access

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