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The purpose of this research is to examine the hypothesis that under‐representation of women in Australian universities reflects barriers in the academic promotion process.

This study uses three complementary approaches. Promotion policies and guidelines are examined using content analysis of documents from all Australian universities. A sample of 17 universities was selected for interviews with key gatekeepers to examine promotions practice. Data on promotions by level and gender were analysed for 16 of these universities 2000‐2002.

The analysis of promotions policies and guidelines established a range of practice. Policies supporting women's participation and success in promotions included explicit consideration of part‐time and non‐traditional careers, clear equity statements, and gender representation on promotions committees. Interviews emphasised the importance of support for and identification of female candidates, and the need for the establishment of institution‐wide and performance targets for senior managers. Implicitly, most interviewees accepted the premise that women experienced barriers in the promotion process, including reticence in applying and stereotypically gendered notions of merit. However, the analysis of promotions data showed a more encouraging picture. Application rates and success rates for women are similar to men's and, at professorial level, slightly higher. Nonetheless women remain under‐represented at senior levels, comprising only 16 per cent of the professoriate.

The study provided a report to the Australian Vice‐Chancellors' Committee (AVCC) with a number of recommendations for improving University promotions policies. These recommendations are available on the AVCC website and have applicability beyond the Australian university sector.

This study is an original study across all Australian universities which has international applicability and policy relevance.

The first article in the series (The Electronic Library, 3, 3, July, 1985 pp. 200–209) introduced the reader to microcomputer terminology and to the main components—hardware and software—of a microcomputer system. This second article is largely devoted to more detailed description of the main hardware components: processors, internal memory, buses, external memory, printers and communications hardware. The importance of ergonomic factors in vdu and keyboard design is stressed. Multi‐user and network configurations are compared. Finally, the discussion of the role of the operating system, introduced in the first article, is extended.

This is the first of a series of six articles, to be published in successive issues of The Electronic Library, the series forming an introduction to micro‐computer applications in libraries with particular emphasis on smaller libraries. The series is written from the viewpoint of the librarian faced with a rapidly changing technology which currently offers more possibilities than proven operational applications. The intention is to provide an appreciation of the possibilities for using microcomputers in libraries and the factors which influence performance and hence choice of system. The second article will consider hardware and operating systems. The next three will deal with soft‐ware for different functions. The final article discusses implementation and the likely longer term effects of microcomputers on library operations. This first article introduces readers to the terminology and overviews the subject matter of the series and some of the key issues which will be raised.

The bibliographic record is the link between the software packages discussed in this article: cataloguing and acquisitions. Cataloguing software ranges from sophisticated online public access catalogues to cheaper and simpler software designed to produce catalogue entries for an existing manual system (e.g. cards). The range of acquisitions software is equally wide encompassing packages which simply print an order from data which is keyed in to those which incorporate the whole process of acquisitions from the recommendation stage through to receipt and full fund accounting. This article, the fourth in the series, describes the different features with examples, and concludes with a discussion on the nature of integrated systems.

The purpose of this study was to examine the information needs and sources of electorates in Nigeria and identify challenges electorates faced when obtaining electoral information and news.

The study adopts the description survey design and hypothesized the information needs and sources on demographic variables such as age, sex and academic qualification. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. A quantitative approach used based on a questionnaire completed by 236 respondents and a snow ball nonprobability sampling technique was used in this study. The research adapted Wilson 1999 theory of information seeking behavior.

The findings identified five information needs that are of interest to the electorates: registration of voter, level of security, right as a voter, manifestoes and candidate profile. It was discovered that WhatsApp, Facebook and friends were sources electorates used most in obtaining election-related news and information. The research went further to streamline the number of times such election-related news and information items were sought in a day and week; it was discovered that the manual system still dominated with the print newspaper rather than Twitter, WhatsApp, friends and colleagues and Facebook. The young person used social media most as source of information compared to aged respondents in Nigeria. Thekre is increasing in women participating in political and electoral information. Formal education does not have significant impact on the usage of election information and news. Language barrier, erratic power supply, expensive network service and no knowledge of where to source for information proved to be challenges electorates faced when seeking election-related news and information.

This research will help to keep abreast of the information electorate needs and how they get such information. This research is limited to small group of electorates.

This paper includes more information about the electorates and political parties information needs.

The finding was drawn from limited respondents that were ready to participate in the research by responding to various questions in the questionnaire. Therefore, there is need for further study to consider a wider population scope on information-related research of electorate in Nigeria.

This research was carried out by Ayinde Lateef; Keriafe D.E. and Fatima Ghayen.

There has been a sharp rise in recorded crime in post‐war Britain: since 1960 known offences have increased by an average annual amount of at least 6 per cent. Most analysts, of course, believe this reflects changes in policing and in public reporting behaviour as much, if not more, than it indexes real trends in offending. Nevertheless, there are now more than 3m offences committed annually in England and Wales alone; and between 1980 and 1985, domestic burglary increased by over 150 per cent. Residental burglary and vandalism are a major component of the modern crime problem, accounting for 13 per cent and 15 per cent respectively, of known offences in 1985 (if thefts from dwellings were added, residential property crime would account for an even greater proportion of the total). This is, in itself, a sobering thought. Equally disturbing are the increasing expenditure on policing that crime trends have encouraged (40 per cent since 1979); the real cost of solving burglaries (which is currently estimated at £1.2bn per year in England and Wales); and the amount of property stolen or damaged (which was estimated at £35m in 1983 for one Northern police force area alone). Add to this the discovery of the British Crime Survey (conducted for the first time in 1982, and repeated two years later) that as few as two‐thirds of the burglaries and one‐fifth of the incidents of vandalism experienced by private victims ever comes to the notice of the police and it is obvious why residential crime is causing such concern among both politicians and the public.

We learn with interest and pleasure that, by the unanimous vote of the Council, the position of Executive Officer to the Library Association has been given to Mr. Guy Keeling, B.A. We understand that over one hundred applicants were considered for the post, and that it was felt that by education and experience Mr. Keeling was eminently qualified for the work which lies ahead of the Association. Mr. Keeling is a Cambridge man, Still on the sunny side of forty, whose pleasing personality is known to many librarians who have met him at conferences of “Aslib” or at meetings of the London and Home Counties Branch. As for his work as secretary of Aslib, it has proved him to be a man of most efficient organizing capacity. We offer him a welcome to the larger sphere of librarianship and we feel sure that all our readers will do the same, and, what is better, will support him in all his efforts in it.

VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the UK. It is edited and substantially written by the Information Officer for Library Automation based in Southampton University Library and supported by a grant from the British Library Research and Development Department. Copyright for the articles rests with the British Library Board and opinions expressed in VINE do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the British Library. The subscription for 1984 to VINE is: £23 for UK subscribers, £26 to overseas subscribers (including airmail delivery). Second and subsequent copies to the same address are charged at £14 for UK and £16 for overseas. VINE is available in either paper or microfiche copy and all back issues are available on microfiche.

History, culture and geography have linked the regions of Hampshire and Lower Normandy for many centuries. Only the English Channel separates the two regions, but with the advent of the Single European Market, links are currently being strengthened through the Hampshire/Basse‐Normandie Accord.