Human Information Interaction

Analysis of User query refinement behavior based on semantic features: user log analysis of Ganj database (IranDoc)

Elmira karimi

Background and Aim: Information systems cannot be well designed or developed without a clear understanding of needs of users, manner of their information seeking and evaluating. This research has been designed to analyze the Ganj (Iranian research institute of science and technology database) users’ query refinement behaviors via log analysis.
Methods: The method of this research is log analysis. In this research, the Ganj users’ query refinement behaviors were analyzed. User’s logs during 3 months between May and June 2016 were analyzed for semantic features. The study tool was a researcher-made checklist of semantic features. The total searches were 10 milion records which were limited to information science domain. About 106641 records were selected for analysis.
Results: The semantic relationships (based on thesaurus relationships) were revealed between pair’s terms in user’s searches. The results showed that users refined their searches based on some semantic relationships.
Conclusion: The results of this research can be used to improve the Ganj results and for term suggestion for users, so that they be able to choose proper terms while there are several related terms.

A Comparing between the impacts of text based indexing and folksonomy on ranking of images search via Google search engine

shahnaz khademizadeh

Background and Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of text based indexing and folksonomy in image retrieval via Google search engine.
Methods: This study used experimental method. The sample is 30 images extracted from the book “Gray anatomy”. The research was carried out in 4 stages; in the first stage, images were uploaded to an “Instagram” account so the images are tagged with 600 contacts. In the second stage, the images were uploaded onto 2 blogs using text-based and folksonomy indexing, respectively. In the third stage, 118 medical experts were asked to find one of the images in Google’s image search engine. Finally, in the fourth stage, the rank of the retrieved images from the 2 blogs was reviewed.
Results: Based on the findings; in descriptive analysis, the scores of retrieved images was calculated and in the inferential analysis, independent Chi² test was used to compare the search results of two blogs. The reported difference was significant.
Conclusion: The results showed that the folksonomy improves images’ retrieval by Google search engine compared to the text-based indexing.

Analyzing research trends on digital rights management

Parichehr Aghaseyyedjavadi

Background and Aim: Current study has investigated the status of research about digital rights management and to identify the gaps and research trends in the field.
Methods: Using a narrative review approach major databases such as Elsevier, Springer, Emerald, ProQuest, etc. were searched for the term “Digital Rights Management”.
Results: Following the preliminary analysis, 80 research sources were selected for the study. The results of the study showed that 72% of recovered resources pursued technical issues, and 19% management perspectives, and the remaining 9% legal and cultural aspects.
Conclusion: The results of the study showed that, we need to do more research on management approach, and there we found a deep research gap in legal and cultural studies. Furthermore, economics is a missed approach in the field. Considering the evolution of research, we had technical issues bolder with an approach towards new technologies. Also, the results were in line with the development of modern information and communication technologies and legal aspects. On the contrary to earlier research that was more focused on the rights of copyright holders, current studies are focusing on the consumers’ rights.

Information Needs of People with Disability participating in supported employment program

Faranak Zomorodpoush

Abstract
Background and Aim: Promotion of the life of people with disabilities depends on the provision of their information needs. Employment plays a key role in the lives of these people and is considered as a way to improve their lives. The present study is aimed at assessing the information needs of people with disabilities who participated in the supportive employment program.
Methods: A qualitative research with the use of Grounded Theory examines the information needs of people with disability. The required data in this research were collected from semi-structured interviews with twenty four jobseekers who were purposefully and theoretically selected, and interviews continued to the saturation of data. Then, in the three stages of Open coding, Axial coding and Selective coding which are used in the Grounded Theory researches, the information needs of those with disabilities participated in the Supportive Employment Pragramme, were extracted.
Results: The results of the study indicated that there was a wide variety of information needs in these four categories: general information and news, (2) empowerment and personal and family problems, (3) research, education, Lifelong Learning and (4) Professional and career information. The most important communication Channels were classified into five categories: cyberspace, mass media, human resources information, training courses, and responsible government bodies
Conclusion: Due to the importance of obtaining information by the people with disability, eliminating their concerns and other needs of these people, attention to their information needs seems to be necessary. These needs were in many respects similar to those of ordinary people. The observed differences are due to the specific physical and mental status of this community, which the responsible institutions are required to provide the necessary facilities for access to the information they need.

Identifying Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Graduated Students' Search Strategies during their Information-searching through the Web

Mohsen Nowkarizi

Purpose: the aim was to identify users' search strategies and the rate of using search strategies on the web.

Method: It is a practical survey. The statistical population included all the postgraduate students in the first semester at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. 95 students were selected by stratified random sampling method. To gather the data, log files were used.

Findings: 12 search strategies were identified which was divided into 5 general categories. Iterative evaluation strategy in another tab was a new form of evaluation strategy of results. Among all, starting search strategies were the most commonly used category which were repeated 397 times, and the search results evaluation strategies were ranked afterward, with 321 replications. The category of Simultaneous multiple resource access strategies, with 77 repetitions, were also the least used strategies, but in particular, the recurring exploration strategy, with 21 repetitions, was the least applicable strategy. Conducting correlation test between strategies showed that some of Pearson's correlation coefficients were significant. The strongest relationship was between the starting search strategies and the search result evaluation strategies with a 0.591 correlation coefficient.

Discussion: The results showed that the majority of students used traditional and simple strategies, such as the formulation of search terms strategy and the iterative result evaluation strategy, and they used more complex strategies in few cases. These results showed that the students need to be trained in using strategies.

Developing a Theoretical and Operational Knowledge Audit Model for Project- Based Organizations

Fatemeh Navidi

Background/aim. Considering the underlying role played by knowledge management in project-based organizations; and, the fact that knowledge audit is the most important step in supplying, maintaining and updating the content of knowledge management systems; this research effort is aimed at designing an appropriate knowledge audit model based on the requirements and factors of knowledge audit in project-based organizations.
Methodology.This research is an applied research with a mixed-methods approach (both quantitative and qualitative). To be more exact, several methods such as documentary study method, exploratory study method, the survey method, factor analysis and thematic analysis were employed to establish a weighted knowledge audit model based on the requirements, associated with project- based organizations.The statistical population of this study for collecting qualitative data were 13 experts of knowledge management and the statistical population of collecting quantitative data were 220 project managers, project control experts and knowledge managers from 4 project-based organizations (ICT Research Institute, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Niroo Research Institute; and, Iranian Space Research Center).
Findings. The findings of this analysis demonstrate that all five factors of knowledge audit in project- based organizations constitute the final structural model for knowledge audit, and the appropriate knowledge audit model for project-based organizations includes five factors: (1) knowledge need analysis; (2) knowledge inventory analysis; (3) knowledge valuation, (4) knowledge flow analysis; and, (5) knowledge application analysis. Among these factors, knowledge valuation with its factor loading of 0.9 is the most important factor.
Conclusion. 5 factors and 54 subfactors of Knowledge audit have highly-desired factor loading values and exert impact within the knowledge audit model for project-based organizations. Moreover, the final model displays a fair goodness-of-fit.

Khozestan Institute for higher education students' viewpoints on librarians' nonverbal communication skills

Saeed Malekmohammadi

Background and Aim: This study attempted to investigate Khouzestan Institute for Higher Education students' viewpoints on librarians' nonverbal communication skills and their roles to attract the audience.
Methods: This is an analytical survey which used a researcher-made questionnaire to measure librarians’ communication skills in five dimensions by 39 statements. It also measured students’ satisfaction of librarians’ performance through one question. The population consisted of 3500 bachelor students enrolled in second semester of 2016-2017 academic year. According to Krejcie and Morgan Table, 346 students were determined as the sample. Using SPSS v.20 software, descriptive and inferential statistics were applied.
Results: From the students point of view the total score of nonverbal communication skills of librarians was 4.58±0.71. The highest means belonged to “facial expression” (4.70±.30) and “their situations and hints (4.64±.468). The score of students’ satisfaction with librarians was 4.68±0.47, accordingly.
Conclusion: There are a lot of research on non-verbal communications skills in general; however, there was no sufficient research on librarian's non-verbal communication skills. Library in academic institutions, where librarians interact with the youth, non-verbal communication skills may prevent many unnecessary encounters.