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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 December 2020

Stefan Dreisiebner, Anna Katharina Polzer, Lyn Robinson, Paul Libbrecht, Juan-José Boté-Vericad, Cristóbal Urbano, Thomas Mandl, Polona Vilar, Maja Žumer, Mate Juric, Franjo Pehar and Ivanka Stričević

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the rationale, technical framework, content creation workflow and evaluation for a multilingual massive open online course (MOOC) to…

2076

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the rationale, technical framework, content creation workflow and evaluation for a multilingual massive open online course (MOOC) to facilitate information literacy (IL) considering cultural aspects.

Design/methodology/approach

A good practice analysis built the basis for the technical and content framework. The evaluation approach consisted of three phases: first, the students were asked to fill out a short self-assessment questionnaire and a shortened adapted version of a standardized IL test. Second, they completed the full version of the IL MOOC. Third, they were asked to fill out the full version of a standardized IL test and a user experience questionnaire.

Findings

The results show that first the designed workflow was suitable in practice and led to the implementation of a full-grown MOOC. Second, the implementation itself provides implications for future projects developing multilingual educational resources. Third, the evaluation results show that participants achieved significantly higher results in a standardized IL test after attending the MOOC as mandatory coursework. Variations between the different student groups in the participating countries were observed. Fourth, self-motivation to complete the MOOC showed to be a challenge for students asked to attend the MOOC as nonmandatory out-of-classroom task. It seems that multilingual facilitation alone is not sufficient to increase active MOOC participation.

Originality/value

This paper presents an innovative approach of developing multilingual IL teaching resources and is one of the first works to evaluate the impact of an IL MOOC on learners' experience and learning outcomes in an international evaluation study.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 77 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 January 2014

Manca Noč and Maja Zumer

The purpose of this research was to examine the number and type of sources cited by featured articles from the Slovene Wikipedia with the purpose of assessing their quality. A…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to examine the number and type of sources cited by featured articles from the Slovene Wikipedia with the purpose of assessing their quality. A sample of random articles was also procured in order to give a clearer picture of the content of the Slovene Wikipedia.

Design/methodology/approach

A research was conducted on 122 featured articles from the Slovene Wikipedia from 2009, 2010 and 2011. The following aspects of the articles were analyzed: topic and originality of the article and number, language and type of sources cited.

Findings

The results have shown that most of the featured articles are adapted from the English Wikipedia, the most common topics being science, sports and history. Based on these results the authors have concluded that despite some deficiencies the featured articles on the Slovene Wikipedia are of much higher quality compared to random articles.

Research limitations/implications

The biggest research limitation is the ever changing nature of Wikipedia and its articles, which hinders the process of analyzing results and relying on these results to be relevant in the future.

Originality/value

This is the first such research of the Slovene Wikipedia that deals specifically with citation analysis of featured articles. Results of this research offer valuable information to both editors of featured articles and users, as they point out certain deficiencies, which can be eliminated.

Details

Program, vol. 48 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0033-0337

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2005

Polona Vilar and Maja Žumer

Aims to present a comparison and evaluation of four user interfaces of web‐based e‐journals (Science Direct, ProQuest Direct, EBSCO Host and Emerald).

2344

Abstract

Purpose

Aims to present a comparison and evaluation of four user interfaces of web‐based e‐journals (Science Direct, ProQuest Direct, EBSCO Host and Emerald).

Design/methodology/approach

The systems were assessed in an expert study according to accepted guidelines regarding user friendliness and functionality. User friendliness features studied were: language(s) and type(s) of interface; navigation options; personalization; and screen features. Functions inspected were: database selection; query formulation and reformulation; results manipulation; and help.

Findings

Many similarities were found, but some differences among the systems were also discovered and analysed in detail. The greatest differences were found in the area of query formulation, and between the interface languages and types.

Research limitations/implications

The user interfaces of four full‐text IR systems offering e‐journals which are accessible at the University of Ljubljana are surveyed.

Practical implications

The interfaces are surveyed and assessed in order to discover their characteristics, advantages, and potential downsides and/or mistakes which may hinder use by an average user.

Originality/value

The study serves as a basis for a subsequent user study of the information behaviour of the users of these systems.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 61 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 October 2008

Polona Vilar and Maja Žumer

The paper aims to present a part of a wider study, performed at the Department of LIS&BS at the University of Ljubljana (UL). The study investigated the perceptions of user…

1823

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to present a part of a wider study, performed at the Department of LIS&BS at the University of Ljubljana (UL). The study investigated the perceptions of user friendliness of information retrieval (IR) systems.

Design/methodology/approach

An expert study and a user study were performed. The user study was based on the results of the previous expert study, which surveyed the interfaces of four e‐journal IR systems (Science Direct, Proquest Direct, Ebsco Host and Emerald) and has been published separately. In the user study three of these interfaces were used: Science Direct, Proquest Direct, and Ebsco Host. A pilot study with ten subjects and a main study with 61 subjects, all postgraduate students of the UL, was performed. Questionnaires and observation were used for data collection. The users' perceptions of user interfaces were investigated and compared to the findings of the expert study.

Findings

It was found that users do not show high appreciation of auxiliary functions (such as search history, indexes, etc.) and do not use them to a great extent. They also do not prefer to have available different full‐text formats. Perceptions of user friendliness of elements and functions were different in each interface. For each interface it was also established that different functions and elements were influential in the overall perceptions of the interface friendliness. In comparison of the findings of the expert and user study it was found that the expert study was in some cases too detailed and investigated aspects not perceived by the users. For this reason, certain findings of both studies were not appropriate for comparison.

Research limitations/implications

The methodology of data collection was rather demanding and lengthy, and influenced the type and size of sample. Because of that it may not be possible to generalise the result to all users of e‐journals. Also, large quantities of data were collected which could be studied further.

Practical implications

The results of the study are relevant for the design of the user interfaces of IR systems. They also have implications for other areas, e.g. user education and training.

Originality/value

The study investigates the users' own perceptions of user friendliness of the e‐journal interfaces and also compares them to the findings of the expert study. This gives a valuable insight and provides many different viewpoints in regard to user friendliness, which in itself is a demanding concept.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 64 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 July 2011

Polona Vilar and Maja Žumer

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of an empirical study of information behaviour of young Slovenian researchers.

1437

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of an empirical study of information behaviour of young Slovenian researchers.

Design/methodology/approach

Built on some well‐known models of scholarly information behaviour the study complements a previously conducted study of the same population, which focused on the aspects of user friendliness. This second study is an attempt to shape a more detailed picture of the investigated user group. Presented are types of scholarly information behaviour, enriched by some complementary issues regarding their behaviour as digital users.

Findings

The respondents were found to express many of the features of both digital scholars and other users of digital technology. Direct searching and power browsing are most often expressed searching behaviours; also common are probing and accessing. Collecting behaviour is mostly expressed through “squirrelling”, and sometimes gathering. Satisfaction with the system and with search results is very influential, but sometimes not decisive, for the user to stay with the system, since attention to the content of the results is also very strong.

Practical implications

The rationale for the study was that understanding users' information behaviour is crucial in the design of their information tools.

Originality/value

Scholarly information behaviour has been extensively studied in Western countries, however, studies of this nature are not so common in Slovenian scholarly literature. As such, this study is one of the first to tackle this issue.

Article
Publication date: 9 May 2016

Tanja Merčun, Maja Žumer and Trond Aalberg

Despite the importance of bibliographic information systems for discovering and exploring library resources, some of the core functionality that should be provided to support…

1140

Abstract

Purpose

Despite the importance of bibliographic information systems for discovering and exploring library resources, some of the core functionality that should be provided to support users in their information seeking process is still missing. Investigating these issues, the purpose of this paper is to design a solution that would fulfil the missing objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on the concepts of a work family, functional requirements for bibliographic records (FRBR) and information visualization, the paper proposes a model and user interface design that could support a more efficient and user-friendly presentation and navigation in bibliographic information systems.

Findings

The proposed design brings together all versions of a work, related works, and other works by and about the author and shows how the model was implemented into a FrbrVis prototype system using hierarchical visualization layout.

Research limitations/implications

Although issues related to discovery and exploration apply to various material types, the research first focused on works of fiction and was also limited by the selected sample of records.

Practical implications

The model for presenting and interacting with FRBR-based data can serve as a good starting point for future developments and implementations.

Originality/value

With FRBR concepts being gradually integrated into cataloguing rules, formats, and various bibliographic services, one of the important questions that has not really been investigated and studied is how the new type of data would be presented to users in a way that would exploit the true potential of the changes.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 72 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 20 April 2012

Maja Žumer

299

Abstract

Details

Program, vol. 46 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0033-0337

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 26 April 2011

Maja Žumer

228

Abstract

Details

Program, vol. 45 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0033-0337

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 13 February 2009

Maja Žumer

203

Abstract

Details

Program, vol. 43 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0033-0337

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 15 February 2011

Maja Žumer

451

Abstract

Details

Program, vol. 45 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0033-0337

Keywords

1 – 10 of 36