Search results

The purpose of this paper is to study and quantify musicians' creativity in order to tune music library services and pinpoint potential musical creative activities.

Webster's conceptual framework for the creative thinking process in music is informing our survey while the analysis adopts a multiple criteria method for quantifying musical creativity. strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis is also adopted developing strategic decisions based on musicians' creativity behaviours.

Mental representations of the music heard (listening) is the most important dimension for creative thinking in music while dimensions such as recorded improvisations (improvisation), written analysis (analysis) and composed music scores (composition) follow. SWOT analysis provides further indications for music library services development based on musicians' creativity behaviours.

This study proposes a novel research vein based on multicriteria analysis within the contexts of musical creativity for managing music library services.

Digital information seeking behavior incorporates the effective information seeking, retrieving and using in maritime studies. Moreover, digital information literacy skills support the employment of digital tools and information databases for decision making and for performing specific tasks online. The main aim of this paper is to explore the relevant research for the information needs and information seeking behaviour of maritime students.

A systematic literature review over scholarly publications in English language over the last decade was performed through PRISMA method.

The systematic literature review resulted to 22 related publications that are consistent with the criteria of the systematic literature review. These publications are analysed and discussed. The need for further research in the area of information seeking behaviour of students of maritime studies as well as of digital information literacy is exposed.

This work explores the behavioural patterns surrounding the central role of information for maritime students as well as for decision-making in the maritime sector. Digital information literacy competencies are discussed in order to be included in the curricula of maritime studies.

The higher-level aim of this study is to investigate the impact of health information needs satisfaction on the fear of COVID-19 for the general population. The investigation is theoretically grounded on Wilsons’ model of information seeking in the context of inquesting the reasons for seeking health information as well as the information sources the general population deploy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This cross-sectional survey examines the correlations between health information seeking behavior and the COVID-19 generated fear in the general population through the application of a specially designed structured questionnaire which was distributed online. The questionnaire comprised four main distinct research dimensions (i.e. information needs, information sources, obstacles when seeking information and COVID-19 generated fear) that present significant validity levels.

Individuals were motivated to seek COVID-related health information to cope with the pandemic generated uncertainty. Information needs satisfaction as well as digital health literacy levels is associated with the COVID-19 generated fear in the general population. Finally, a conceptual framework based on Wilsons’ macro-model for information seeking behavior was developed to illustrate information needs satisfaction during the pandemic period. These results indicate the need for incentives to enhance health information needs satisfaction appropriately.

The COVID-19 generated fear in the general population is studied through the information seeking behavior lenses. A well-studied theoretical model for information seeking behavior is adopted for health-related information seeking during pandemic. Finally, digital health information literacy levels are also associated with the fear of COVID-19 reported in the authors’ survey.

The ultimate aim of this study is to investigate how health information needs’ satisfaction actually makes a difference to the patients' management of a chronic clinical condition. The literature falls short of providing evidence on the interaction between patients' health information seeking behaviour and the successful management of a clinical condition. On the other hand, patient education and good information seeking practices are deemed necessary for hypertension management daily decisions.

A specially designed questionnaire study was developed: The survey design was informed by the information seeking behaviour model of Wilson for studying hypertension patients' information needs, information resources and obstacles patients face while seeking hypertension-related information. Moreover, clinical information was collected in order to make associations and inference on the impact of information seeking on patients' clinical outcomes.

The study included 111 patients submitted to the outpatient hypertension clinic of a university hospital in Athens for a 24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM). The analysis showed that those reporting higher satisfaction level of their information needs achieved lower values in ABPM (ABPM<130/80mmHg, p = 0.049). Stepwise the logistic regression analysis revealed three independent factors to predict the possibility of being optimally treated (ABPM<130/80mmHg). Dipping status (OR: 14.052, 95% CI: 4.229–46.688, p = 0.0001) patients with high satisfaction level of their disease (OR: 13.450, 95% CI: 1.364–132.627, p = 0.026) and interpersonal relationships were used as the main source of information (OR: 1.762, 95% CI: 1.024–3.031, p = 0.41).

Hypertensive patients with high satisfaction level of information achieve better disease control. Among different sources of information, interpersonal relationships emerge as the most appropriate factor for patients' disease control.

Libraries in Greece are mostly financed by public sources, with private funding covering only a very small proportion of their budget. The deteriorating, slowly growing economic environment in Greece places additional pressure on the already understaffed and underfinanced public libraries. This paper aims at demonstrating that the tough economic conditions may provide a setting for innovation and quality enhancement which may lead in turn to a corresponding growth in the library sector.

A qualitative analysis is conducted in order to identify the potential of a novel management response model as a pathway for library survival within the fierce economic crisis.

Specific suggestions are made for the management of public libraries, future policies and trends in the lines of learning/education/training services; social/economic development services; electronic government and citizen participation in public affairs services; cultural identity and social cohesion services; and social inclusion services.

It is ascertained that public libraries in Greece may have an opportunity for change and innovation as a result of the current economic situation. Furthermore, it is believed that active involvement, quality, innovation and self‐finance can serve as important tools for the development of public libraries and their positive contribution and productive role into the Greek socioeconomic environment.

This is the only available work providing an overall management approach for public libraries within a current economic crisis such as the one in Greece.

Medical doctors seek information in order to satisfy their demanding everyday work practices and professional development endeavours. Information seeking is a continuous goal-related process that has impact on how they perceive and experience their job. The purpose of this paper is to explore the association of doctors’ awareness of medical practice information needs (MPIN), their frequency of using online information resources and the barriers they encountered during information seeking with their overall job satisfaction. More specifically, the research examined the mediating role of these information seeking related variables (information needs, online scholarly resources and information barriers) on doctors’ overall job satisfaction.

The study employed a questionnaire survey of 138 medical doctors working within the context of a University Hospital in Greece. The survey took place between February and March 2014. To test the hypotheses the authors conducted regression analysis, hierarchical moderated analysis and bootstrapping using SPSS macro developed by Preacher and colleagues.

The statistical analysis found that higher awareness of MPIN had an indirect effect on doctors’ overall job satisfaction when they used online information scholar resources. In addition, this indirect effect was contingent on information-related barriers.

This study provides evidence for supporting the pivotal role of doctors’ information seeking preferences in fostering job satisfaction. This is an understudied research area that deserves a unique focus particularly with the constantly expanding medical information space that has impact on doctors’ medical practices and professional activities.

The purpose of this paper is the investigation of type 2 diabetes patients' information seeking behavior in terms of their information needs, sources and barriers faced by patients when seeking information. The information seeking behavior is associated with clinical patient data.

The relevant literature is reviewed, and the results of a cross-sectional survey informed by Wilson's macro-model of information seeking behavior are reported. The survey includes 106 outpatients from the diabetes clinic of a Greek major university hospital and includes information seeking behaviors and patient's clinical evidence.

The most important health information needs are related to the complications, symptoms and causes of diabetes, to the proper diet for diabetics and the measures adopted to avoid foot complications. Furthermore, the most important information resources were physicians, ophthalmologists, books, broadcast media and family members. Obstacles encountered during information seeking include the complicated nature of health information, which involves scientific terms as well as psychological issues. The diabetes stage is correlated with information needs for diabetes medication, while the years from the first diagnosis are negatively correlated with the use of informal sources.

The information needs and sources of diabetic patients, as well as the main obstacles to this pursuit, could potentially have important implications in designing a future information campaign and information services for diabetes patients.

The Wilson's macro-model of information seeking has been applied to the diabetic patients' information seeking behavior; while information needs, information sources and information obstacles are correlated with clinical evidence from patients’ hospital records.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss Google visibility of five large STM publishers (Elsevier, Emerald Publishing, Springer, Taylor & Francis and John Wiley & Sons) with the aim to focus on and investigate various upcoming current issues and challenges of the publishing industry regarding discoverability, promotion strategies, competition, information-seeking behavior and the impact of new information technologies on scholarly information.

The study is based on data retrieved through two commercial online tools specialized in retrieving and saving the data of the domain's visibility in search engines: SEMrush (“SEMrush – Online Visibility Management Platform”) and Ahrefs (“Ahrefs – SEO Tools & Resources To Grow Your Search Traffic”). All data gathering took place between April 15 and the May 29, 2019.

The study exhibits the significance of Google visibility in the STM publishing industry taking into consideration current issues and challenges of the publishing activity.

This is a “new” trend, certainly of great significance in the publishing industry. The research is conducted in this paper and the theoretical background will be offered to the study of this issue.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature regarding the impact of global coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) pandemic on PLs and their management responses during COVID-19 pandemic as well as for the post-pandemic era.

The systematic literature review is based on preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) method and includes publications in the English language published at online scholarly resources during the period of COVID-19 outbreak, i.e. from January 2020 to June 2021.

The number of the eligible and relevant studies for the COVID-19 impact on PLs was 79, which were included in the literature review profiling and in the qualitative analysis.

The systematic review provides a useful overview of existing PL management paradigms that could be contemplated at an organizational, national or international level while developing a strategy for public libraries in the post-pandemic era.

An increasing amount of research and debate has emerged over the last few years, emphasising the need for developing digitally competent, literate, able, skilled, capable people within a constantly changing technological and online environment. Existing definitions and perspectives in this area go beyond the use of technological tools or media for the creation of a digital literacy mindset, which develops throughout one's life. However, Higher Education strategies have not yet caught up with this agenda.

A student survey with Library and Information Science students from three higher education institutions in Scotland, Ireland and Greece was conducted as a basis of empirical data to support the theoretical propositions of the study. The survey centred on the technical and higher-level digital competences of students and drawing from students' self-perceived digital competences for learning and for the everyday life digital context, addressing e-leisure, e-learning, e-democracy, e-government and e-health activities. The survey critically enabled students to assess digital competences from their perspectives as digital participants.

Students' self-assessment of digital competences were lacking in a number of areas, which involved the development of information literacy, digital creation, digital research and digital identity management. In addition, students' digital competences were found to be linked to previous experiences within the everyday life digital environment. The higher the self-perceived digital competence levels of students were on the basis of dealing with everyday life digital tasks, the more likely they were to also develop high self-perceived digital competence in other digital areas related to their education.

Higher education has not fully embraced digital competences as a core, fundamental literacy which addresses both technology mastery and a digital citizenship mindset. As emerging models begin to challenge traditional teaching and learning paradigms, with global connectivity and personalised approaches, existing digital divides may be further accelerated. This requires revisiting digital competences with emphasis on the diversity of the contexts where it develops and of the learners involved, in the overall continuum of learning for life.