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The purpose of this paper is to explore students' perceptions and views of the instructors, in relation to information and communications technology (ICT) education in library and information science (LIS) programs.

A questionnaire survey was carried out among students from the two LIS departments in Kuwait. A focus group was conducted with faculty members of the two institutions, who provided qualitative input about the instruction of ICT, needed changes, and relevance of market needs.

Participants showed dissatisfaction with the currently available ICT courses in the LIS programs. Students pointed out deficiencies and inadequacies in ICT resources and facilities, and suggested upgrading software and hardware. They appeared to be satisfied with the ICT skills being targeted by LIS programs. They also appeared to be satisfied with the ICT instructors. The study pointed out a need for collaboration with professional forums for continuing education programs and the need for revisions in curricula to introduce more focused courses that meet the needs of the ever‐changing market requirements and give the students access to professional bilingual materials. The faculty members noted the demands of the job market and proposed measures for addressing them through enhanced course content and improved opportunities for hands‐on instruction.

Earlier studies reported in the literature have discussed ICT education in broader terms. This study reports the situation of ICT education in IS programs in Kuwait, focusing on specific areas such as resource, curricula, and instructors.

This study aims to explore the attributes of an effective accounting faculty from the student perspective. It also examines similarities and differences in the perceived importance of these attributes between bachelor’s and associate’s accounting degree students in two public higher education institutions in Kuwait, namely, Kuwait University (KU) and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET).

A questionnaire was developed to identify ideal accounting faculty attributes. It was administered to a sample of accounting students at the two institutions in the 2014-2015 academic year. Descriptive statistics were collected and independent samples t-tests were run.

The most highly ranked attributes related to instructor characteristics and class delivery. Significant differences were found between KU and PAAET students in the perceived importance of attributes. KU students ranked class preparation and delivery attributes significantly higher than PAAET students. In contrast, PAAET students ranked attributes related to instructor characteristics and evaluation methods significantly higher than KU students.

These findings provide an insight into the attributes of an effective accounting faculty from the students’ perspective. A direct implication is that accounting faculty can incorporate the most important attributes into their course design and delivery. This may improve teaching effectiveness and ultimately student learning.

This research is timely because the College of Business Studies at PAAET has applied for accreditation with the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. As teaching effectiveness is a major consideration in the process, these findings may help it to enhance its performance and improve the chances of its accreditation application being successful. The study bridges a gap in the literature on teaching effectiveness because there appears very little, if any, research into the attributes of effective accounting teaching.

The purpose of this study is to describe the usage of Social Networking Sites (SNSs) by the faculty members of the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS), at the College of Basic Education, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), Kuwait.

A survey conducted to collect data from 33 faculty members of whom only 21 members were using SNSs, representing 63.6 per cent of the total sample, and 12 members were not using SNSs, representing 36.4 per cent of the total sample. This study revealed that SNSs are used moderately by the faculty members.

This study showed that faculty members who were using SNSs tend to be males, aged between 41 and 50 years, PhD holders, ranked as assistant professors, full-time members, specialized in information technologies with a relatively new experience of teaching ranged from one to five years, and most of the faculty members who were not using SNSs tended to be also males, aged between 41 and 60 years, PhD holders, ranked as lecturers, full-time members specialized in organization of information with a teaching experience ranged from 16 to 20 years. More than half of the faculty members were using SNSs for three years to less than six years, and a large number of them were using SNSs several times a week and were accessing these sites more from their school office, home and school laboratory. There are no any statistical significant differences between the demographic data of participants (gender, age and education level) and either their use or non-use of SNSs. There are no significant differences between the academic rank, teaching status and teaching experience of faculty and their use of SNSs. However, there is a significant relation between the faculty’s area of teaching and their use of SNSs. Faculty members were interested in the use of SNSs. YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and blogs respectively were used mostly by faculty members, but Twitter, Facebook and YouTube were the most famous SNSs they have profiles on. Faculty members have adopted SNSs mainly for the purpose of communicating with others, finding and sharing information with peers and students as well. Tasks on SNSs made by faculty members were mostly to make communication, send/receive messages and find general and specific information. Faculty members’ profiles on SNSs were mostly on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, wikis and podcasting respectively. Faculty members confirmed that the use of YouTube, Facebook, blogs, Twitter, wikis and podcasting respectively was at least effective and the use of YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and Wikis respectively was at least fairly useful fairly easy to them. Faculty members are in general agreement about the effectiveness of SNSs especially for disseminating and sharing information, communication and informal collaboration. The study showed also that there is no gender-related difference among the faculty in terms of their usage of SNSs. The study revealed also that the time was the most important barrier both SNSs users and non-users faced at PAAET’s SLIS. Other barriers like trust about SNSs, training and skills were significant to SNSs users in this study, and barriers like interests in SNSs, awareness of them and trust about them were respectively the most important barriers to SNSs non-users. The study recommended that a further research is needed to examine more additional aspects of using SNSs among faculty members that may affect their use like the technical, legal, ethical and intellectual aspects. More information is needed to investigate why some faculty members do not use SNSs especially for educational purposes. A qualitative study of the perception and opinions of faculty members would provide much important data about that. A further research is also needed to specify the relation between the use of these sites and each area of study separately. Due to the lack of awareness and knowledge about the use of SNSs, shortage of language skills and training, this study recommended that SNSs non-users should be provided with necessary assistance to foster their skills towards such usage. A future study is needed to compare experiences of faculty members and students regarding the use of SNSs in educational practices and may look at how communicational uses of these sites have influenced educational uses.

This study involved a single and certain academic institution, namely PAAET. Therefore, findings, conclusions and recommendations may not be applicable and reasonable to be generalized on all Kuwaiti academic institutions.

This paper provides valuable insight into the usage of SNSs by a very important client group.

This study is the first one of its kind conducted about the usage of SNSs by faculty members at a library school of one of the two public academic institutions in the state of Kuwait to examine and investigate more specific information about SNSs and related innovative topics.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate road users attitudes and preferences towards accidents and safety measures in Kuwait. The paper also quantifies impacts of user’s attitudes on the perception of being safe while using roads in Kuwait.

In this paper, a review of relevant literature, has been carried out, then a questionnaire has been piloted and implemented to collect data. The main survey was carried out in 2013. A total of 700 distributed questionnaires resulted in the return of 427 completed questionnaires.

Results show that socio economic, attitudes and work commitment factors, all contribute to the behaviour and attitudes of road users in Kuwait.

Data are limited due to time constraints.

There is very little knowledge of modelling and analysing factors which affect drivers’ behaviour towards safety in Kuwait.

The purpose of this paper is to review the integrated systems applications in Kuwaiti academic libraries with a particular emphasis on their profiles, procurement, implementation, management and service aspects.

The survey method was employed for the study. Procedures used were as follows: identification of Kuwaiti academic libraries; preparation and testing of survey instrument; physical visits and administration of the instruments; interpreting the instruments and having them filled out in one‐to‐one encounters; analysis of data; and write‐up and reporting.

Three of the six Kuwaiti higher education institutions were established during the last decade. Five of the six academic libraries are using an integrated system. Cataloging applications are almost complete in all the surveyed libraries. The circulation module has not been in use in the largest university library. Serials management is not optimally utilized in the surveyed libraries. The library managers are mostly satisfied with hardware/software, vendor support, physical facilities, and funding opportunities. There are opportunities for networking, system‐integration, and full utilization of management reporting aspects of these systems.

The study does not assess the technical aspects of automated systems. Portals and digital library initiatives have not been covered in this study.

Academic libraries in the region may take useful clues from these findings for developing and managing their automated systems.

Since no similar study has been conducted in Kuwait, it enhances the understanding of the prevailing situation about the use of integrated systems and their applications in the country.

The Library and Information Science (LIS) discipline face challenges such as technology applications and information overload in its effort to remain relevant in the challenging job market. This study aims to determine the skills and knowledge needed for LIS professionals in the job market to rethink the current syllabus and offer better future employability.

The research used a survey method to collect data concerning personal information, LIS employment opportunities, job titles and skills needed. Content analysis followed to determine librarianship job listings and the need for LIS graduate jobs in Kuwait.

The findings suggested difficulties and challenges; they also compiled a comprehensive list of skills needed and recommended courses and institutions hiring LIS graduates. The research improves decision-making in syllabus development and experiences recommended by employers.

Academic departments can follow this research to develop and update their syllabuses according to the requirements of the job market, thus offering better future job opportunities.

As LIS graduates are provided with better education, the updating of their employability skills will help them socially by recognising their employment status and economically by raising their pay.

The research is the first in Kuwait to collect LIS job titles and analyse employability needs.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the pervasiveness of mobile devices in ubiquitous access of information. Moreover, the study tries to ascertain the growing demands of mobile devices in library settings.

A survey was administered to gain in-depth information regarding the use of mobile devices and their use in information access. Further, it investigated the general uses of mobile devices in day to day life. The survey also contained some questions aimed at obtaining more comprehensive information about the impediments faced by the students in library settings and the way out.

The study highlights the rapid growth of mobile device usage among students at the College of Basic Education, Public authority for Applied Education and Training, Kuwait, and indicates the urgent need of libraries to the embrace mobile web.

The use of mobile devices in comfort zones demands libraries to disseminate information anytime, anywhere. This study examines the academic library users’ insistence for such services and the competence of libraries to provide services “on the go”.

This paper aims to find out how people use hashtags as a medium of information retrieval and dissemination, and how they are used in social media tools, such as Instagram.

A quantitative question estimated the participants’ use of the hashtags during the workshop. Statistical data of the participants and their posts were collected from social network analysis tools. The posts that included the workshop’s designated hashtags were retrieved, recorded, coded and analysed to collect qualitative data.

In total, 74 (46 per cent) participants used the workshop’s hashtags to share posts, the retrieval of the hashtags declined by time and Google search engine retrieved the maximum results. It was found that a hashtag would be common when associated with descriptors, and that its use depends on its popularity, followers and its survival time. Finally, hashtags connect people, allow them to express their enthusiasm to reveal common interests and networks them through social media tools such as Instagram.

The research limitations were in relation to the participants’ demographic information, the non-identification of their gender and hashtags being misspelt.

The research project summarises the experiences that social media has made connecting easier through the right use of hashtags by providing 24/7 free feedback, the possibility to exchange ideas and by their involvement in promoting and organising events. It also indicates interaction among people sharing the same interest by retrieving subject-based hashtags.

When retrieving information related to hashtags, it is recommended that multi-retrieval systems, social media tools and search engines should be consulted and not depend on a solo system or tool. Future research is recommended in search for a multi-retrieval social media and search engine tool that standardises the use of hashtags and will retrieve information from different platforms.

The purposes of this study are to identify the reasons that prevent students from attending lectures, to examine the impact of absenteeism on their academic performance and to explore the role of gender in their attendance.

A questionnaire survey made up of statements was distributed to accounting students. Descriptive measures, a five-point Likert scale, Pearson's chi-square test and phi test were employed to achieve the study's objectives.

The study shows that most of the accounting students surveyed are aware of the importance of attending lectures, since they believe that attendance will have a positive impact on their understanding of course material and on their academic performance. The study indicates that overall academic performance and student attendance are related. It also indicates that there is a statistically significant association between the overall academic performance of accounting students and their gender.

To gain greater insight into educators, academic institutes, researchers and parents concerning the reasons that lie behind students not attending accounting lectures in public higher education institutions in Kuwait and the effect of attendance on academic performance.

Most prior studies have been conducted in developed countries and Western contexts. Especially, with the potential perceived differences in cultures and norms, this empirical study is expected to contribute to fill the gap in this research field.

The purpose of the paper is to explore the character of scholars’ research-related personal information collections (PICs).

The study was based on in-depth interviews and office tours of 17 scholars in Education and Health Sciences in a Kuwaiti Higher Education Institution.

Scholars’ research-related PICs were added to throughout the research life-cycle. They were huge, diverse, hybrid and fragmented. Key factors shaping the collections were the pressure to do research, time pressure in general, quality of space available, technology opportunity, lack of support from central services, the need to collect Arabic material, self-presentation and self-management. Older scholars and non-Kuwaiti nationals experienced the pressures slightly differently.

The study was limited to scholars in two disciplines, in one institution in a developing world context. However the models produced are suggestive of factors involved in shaping of the research-related PICs of scholars in general.

Failures in personal information management are a cause for concern in terms of data integrity and validity of research. Interventions could include training of early career researchers for a life time of collecting.

This is the first study to examine the contents of scholars’ research-related PICs and to provide a model of factors shaping them.