A questionnaire survey was distributed among 27 students at a library and information science sch... more A questionnaire survey was distributed among 27 students at a library and information science school in the USA to find out what users and potential users think about e‐books in this transition period, when the US economy has experienced downtime, and the e‐book world cannot see profitability in its business as predicted. Among the 27 survey participants, a third of them have used e‐books in the past, mostly reading computer‐based e‐books without special readers. “Available around the clock” and “searchable” are both chosen and ranked as the most important reasons. Those who have never used e‐books mainly think that ebooks are “hard to read and browse” or “need special equipment”. However, about half of the non‐users of e‐books plan to examine some e‐book titles in the future.
Gobinda Chowdhury's book is the second edition of a well-regarded student text, first publis... more Gobinda Chowdhury's book is the second edition of a well-regarded student text, first published in 1999. The aim of the first edition was to provide a blend of traditional and new approaches to information retrieval. The second edition aims to maintain this approach, while ...
Three Web search engines, namely, Alta Vista, Excite, and Lycos, were compared and evaluated in t... more Three Web search engines, namely, Alta Vista, Excite, and Lycos, were compared and evaluated in terms of their search capabilities (e.g., Boolean logic, truncation, field search, word and phrase search) and retrieval performances (i.e., precision and response time) using sample queries drawn from real reference questions. Recall, the other evaluation criterion of information retrieval, is deliberately omitted from this study because it is impossible to assume how many relevant items there are for a particular query in the huge and ever changing Web system. The authors of this study found that Alta Vista outperformed Excite and Lycos in both search facilities and retrieval performance although Lycos had the largest coverage of Web resources among the three Web search engines examined. As a result of this research, we also proposed a methodology for evaluating other Web search engines not included in the current study. 6. Out of the 10 downloaded Web records, there are 2 duplicates. 7. All the figures were obtained in January 1996.
Bulletin, Southern California Academy of Sciences, 2009
BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting... more BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research.
Page 1. Collaboration in Research and Authorship : The LIS Book Project Sai Deng, Wichita State U... more Page 1. Collaboration in Research and Authorship : The LIS Book Project Sai Deng, Wichita State University Heting Chu, Long Island University Page 2. Literature Review ... Page 24. Contact Sai Deng Metadata Catalog Librarian Wichita State University [email protected] ...
Abstract. Close to 3,000 courses, both required and elective, listed in each curriculum of the 45... more Abstract. Close to 3,000 courses, both required and elective, listed in each curriculum of the 45 ALAaccredited LIS master’s programs in the USA are analyzed qualitatively as well as quantitatively. Based on the changes observed in the core, electives and particularly courses that appear being created recently, this study finds that more and more elective courses are offered in LIS education while the number of core requirements is reduced to as few as two courses. In either case, a wider range of subject topics seem being covered nowadays than in the pre-Internet era. On the other hand, approximately 10 percent of all the LIS courses sound new in that they are designed to deal with emerging subjects and latest developments in the field besides reflecting the growing interdisciplinary nature of LIS. This research also shows that catalysts for LIS curricular transformations do not come from technology alone, but also originate from the cultural and societal dimensions. In other words...
The team from Long Island University (LIU) participated for the first time in the TREC 2007 Legal... more The team from Long Island University (LIU) participated for the first time in the TREC 2007 Legal Track – Interactive Task. We received a call for participation in mid-March 2007 while a doctoral seminar titled Information Retrieval was in session. All nine students, evenly divided into three groups, performed this task till early May when the semester ended. Each group worked on one
Citations to 200 top downloaded papers at RePEc, a digital library in economics, were obtained fr... more Citations to 200 top downloaded papers at RePEc, a digital library in economics, were obtained from SSCI and Google Scholar respectively to address questions relating to downloads and their corresponding citations. This study finds that top downloaded documents are used in various degrees when citation is regarded as an indicator of usage. Results also show that a single downloaded paper selected for this study on average receives twice as many citations from Google Scholar as that from SSCI although the latter has been established much earlier in time. According to the coefficients computed, downloads appear having a moderate relationship with citations. However, other measures such as the download vs citation ratio indicate a stronger connection between the two. While author’s reputation positively affect both download and citation frequencies, other factors (e.g., targeted readers and subject content) seem in play differently for the documents that are repeatedly downloaded or ci...
Recent developments of Web search tools are illustrated and discussed with particular emphases on... more Recent developments of Web search tools are illustrated and discussed with particular emphases on precise search, natural language search, multilingual search and translation, new ranking and selection techniques, multimedia searching, filtered or customized search, intelligent agent as well as browsing and searching integration. In addition, the author explores the future direction of Web search tool developments, which includes efforts in increasing search capability of those services.
Journal of Education for Library and Information Science
For decades, library and information science (LIS) education has been producing LIS professionals... more For decades, library and information science (LIS) education has been producing LIS professionals to serve people in all walks of life. But there are challenges to LIS education as society advances. This study performed quantitative and qualitative content analyses of data collected about LIS education in China and the United States. Four categories of challenges in LIS education are identified: (1) identity and accreditation, (2) survival and thriving, (3) curriculum update and enhancement, and (4) course delivery format and content. The challenges that each country encounters in LIS, as expected, are not the same, although some appear similar. All the challenges are discussed and contrasted in the context of each country's traditions and practices in LIS education. Some suggestions are also made regarding how to successfully meet the challenges this study has explored. The findings of this study can help all constituencies (i.e., educators, practitioners, and students) to better understand the challenges of LIS education in China and the United States so that feasible measures can be developed to meet them. In addition, each country can benefit from this study by learning from what its counterpart has done in LIS education with regard to barriers and challenges.
Abstract Research methods are applied in all kinds of studies, though no consensus exists regardi... more Abstract Research methods are applied in all kinds of studies, though no consensus exists regarding what constitutes a research method and how research methods should be categorized. Over 1900 research articles were obtained from three major journals published between 2001 and 2010 in library and information science (LIS). Each selected article was coded using a schema of research methods developed in this study. The coded data, along with related publications, were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. This exploration shows that research methods comprise data collection techniques (e.g., interview, observation) and data analysis techniques (e.g., qualitative, quantitative). Research methods should perhaps be categorized by data collection technique, as it makes more sense than if research methods are labeled as qualitative or quantitative. This study is one of the many efforts to facilitate a better understanding of research methods in LIS and help scholars make more informed decisions about research method selection in their endeavors. Its implications can be extended to LIS research education, training, and advocacy. Because research methods themselves are not discipline-specific, researchers beyond the LIS field would benefit from this study as well.
Close to 3,000 courses, both required and elective, listed in each curriculum of the 45 ALAaccred... more Close to 3,000 courses, both required and elective, listed in each curriculum of the 45 ALAaccredited LIS master's programs in the USA are analyzed qualitatively as well as quantitatively. Based on the changes observed in the core, electives and particularly courses that appear being created recently, this study finds that more and more elective courses are offered in LIS education while the number of core requirements is reduced to as few as two courses. In either case, a wider range of subject topics seem being covered nowadays than in the pre-Internet era. On the other hand, approximately 10 percent of all the LIS courses sound new in that they are designed to deal with emerging subjects and latest developments in the field besides reflecting the growing interdisciplinary nature of LIS. This research also shows that catalysts for LIS curricular transformations do not come from technology alone, but also originate from the cultural and societal dimensions. In other words, a holistic approach should be taken for enhancing LIS curricular contents to prepare information professionals for leadership in the time to come.
The in-links to 12 ALA accredited LIS schools' Websites were analyzed, echoing the suggestion... more The in-links to 12 ALA accredited LIS schools' Websites were analyzed, echoing the suggestion Thomas and Willett (2000) made that hosting a wide range of topics would help increase the visibility of or attract more sitations1 to a Website. More importantly, these topics should be outreaching and of current value to people outside of the host site. The sites that generated the majority of in-links for the LIS schools are in the ORG, EDU or NET domain. Such sitations are also content-based as opposed to the directory-type references from sites in the COM domain. Based on co-link data, the structure underlying the 12 LIS schools was delineated. Links to the outside world by the 12 schools do not seem quite extensive both in terms of content and quantity. Webometrics offers an evaluation measurement that is not available in bibliometrics when an institution is the analytical unit. Nevertheless, Webometric research must be conducted with caution because both the data source (i.e., Web-based data) and data collection instrument (i.e., Web search engines) have obvious deficiencies.
We present a collaboration model employed in a book project titled "Research Fronts in Libra... more We present a collaboration model employed in a book project titled "Research Fronts in Library and Information Science (LIS) in the West." The book, published by Renmin University in Beijing in 2007 as a volume in a series, is jointly written by 19 authors including PhD students, LIS faculty and university librarians. The presentation describes the different stages of collaboration in the project, including book planning, outline construction, bibliography selection, draft preparation, revision, peer review and editing. A survey is administered to the participant authors, gathering data on their role in the collaboration, the frequency of their communication, the various forms of communication in different stages such as emailing list, blog, video conference, face-to-face interaction, email and phone calls, and their reflection on this collaborative project. Results of the survey and implications of this project for further collaborations in LIS research and authorship are...
A questionnaire survey was distributed among 27 students at a library and information science sch... more A questionnaire survey was distributed among 27 students at a library and information science school in the USA to find out what users and potential users think about e‐books in this transition period, when the US economy has experienced downtime, and the e‐book world cannot see profitability in its business as predicted. Among the 27 survey participants, a third of them have used e‐books in the past, mostly reading computer‐based e‐books without special readers. “Available around the clock” and “searchable” are both chosen and ranked as the most important reasons. Those who have never used e‐books mainly think that ebooks are “hard to read and browse” or “need special equipment”. However, about half of the non‐users of e‐books plan to examine some e‐book titles in the future.
Gobinda Chowdhury's book is the second edition of a well-regarded student text, first publis... more Gobinda Chowdhury's book is the second edition of a well-regarded student text, first published in 1999. The aim of the first edition was to provide a blend of traditional and new approaches to information retrieval. The second edition aims to maintain this approach, while ...
Three Web search engines, namely, Alta Vista, Excite, and Lycos, were compared and evaluated in t... more Three Web search engines, namely, Alta Vista, Excite, and Lycos, were compared and evaluated in terms of their search capabilities (e.g., Boolean logic, truncation, field search, word and phrase search) and retrieval performances (i.e., precision and response time) using sample queries drawn from real reference questions. Recall, the other evaluation criterion of information retrieval, is deliberately omitted from this study because it is impossible to assume how many relevant items there are for a particular query in the huge and ever changing Web system. The authors of this study found that Alta Vista outperformed Excite and Lycos in both search facilities and retrieval performance although Lycos had the largest coverage of Web resources among the three Web search engines examined. As a result of this research, we also proposed a methodology for evaluating other Web search engines not included in the current study. 6. Out of the 10 downloaded Web records, there are 2 duplicates. 7. All the figures were obtained in January 1996.
Bulletin, Southern California Academy of Sciences, 2009
BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting... more BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research.
Page 1. Collaboration in Research and Authorship : The LIS Book Project Sai Deng, Wichita State U... more Page 1. Collaboration in Research and Authorship : The LIS Book Project Sai Deng, Wichita State University Heting Chu, Long Island University Page 2. Literature Review ... Page 24. Contact Sai Deng Metadata Catalog Librarian Wichita State University [email protected] ...
Abstract. Close to 3,000 courses, both required and elective, listed in each curriculum of the 45... more Abstract. Close to 3,000 courses, both required and elective, listed in each curriculum of the 45 ALAaccredited LIS master’s programs in the USA are analyzed qualitatively as well as quantitatively. Based on the changes observed in the core, electives and particularly courses that appear being created recently, this study finds that more and more elective courses are offered in LIS education while the number of core requirements is reduced to as few as two courses. In either case, a wider range of subject topics seem being covered nowadays than in the pre-Internet era. On the other hand, approximately 10 percent of all the LIS courses sound new in that they are designed to deal with emerging subjects and latest developments in the field besides reflecting the growing interdisciplinary nature of LIS. This research also shows that catalysts for LIS curricular transformations do not come from technology alone, but also originate from the cultural and societal dimensions. In other words...
The team from Long Island University (LIU) participated for the first time in the TREC 2007 Legal... more The team from Long Island University (LIU) participated for the first time in the TREC 2007 Legal Track – Interactive Task. We received a call for participation in mid-March 2007 while a doctoral seminar titled Information Retrieval was in session. All nine students, evenly divided into three groups, performed this task till early May when the semester ended. Each group worked on one
Citations to 200 top downloaded papers at RePEc, a digital library in economics, were obtained fr... more Citations to 200 top downloaded papers at RePEc, a digital library in economics, were obtained from SSCI and Google Scholar respectively to address questions relating to downloads and their corresponding citations. This study finds that top downloaded documents are used in various degrees when citation is regarded as an indicator of usage. Results also show that a single downloaded paper selected for this study on average receives twice as many citations from Google Scholar as that from SSCI although the latter has been established much earlier in time. According to the coefficients computed, downloads appear having a moderate relationship with citations. However, other measures such as the download vs citation ratio indicate a stronger connection between the two. While author’s reputation positively affect both download and citation frequencies, other factors (e.g., targeted readers and subject content) seem in play differently for the documents that are repeatedly downloaded or ci...
Recent developments of Web search tools are illustrated and discussed with particular emphases on... more Recent developments of Web search tools are illustrated and discussed with particular emphases on precise search, natural language search, multilingual search and translation, new ranking and selection techniques, multimedia searching, filtered or customized search, intelligent agent as well as browsing and searching integration. In addition, the author explores the future direction of Web search tool developments, which includes efforts in increasing search capability of those services.
Journal of Education for Library and Information Science
For decades, library and information science (LIS) education has been producing LIS professionals... more For decades, library and information science (LIS) education has been producing LIS professionals to serve people in all walks of life. But there are challenges to LIS education as society advances. This study performed quantitative and qualitative content analyses of data collected about LIS education in China and the United States. Four categories of challenges in LIS education are identified: (1) identity and accreditation, (2) survival and thriving, (3) curriculum update and enhancement, and (4) course delivery format and content. The challenges that each country encounters in LIS, as expected, are not the same, although some appear similar. All the challenges are discussed and contrasted in the context of each country's traditions and practices in LIS education. Some suggestions are also made regarding how to successfully meet the challenges this study has explored. The findings of this study can help all constituencies (i.e., educators, practitioners, and students) to better understand the challenges of LIS education in China and the United States so that feasible measures can be developed to meet them. In addition, each country can benefit from this study by learning from what its counterpart has done in LIS education with regard to barriers and challenges.
Abstract Research methods are applied in all kinds of studies, though no consensus exists regardi... more Abstract Research methods are applied in all kinds of studies, though no consensus exists regarding what constitutes a research method and how research methods should be categorized. Over 1900 research articles were obtained from three major journals published between 2001 and 2010 in library and information science (LIS). Each selected article was coded using a schema of research methods developed in this study. The coded data, along with related publications, were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. This exploration shows that research methods comprise data collection techniques (e.g., interview, observation) and data analysis techniques (e.g., qualitative, quantitative). Research methods should perhaps be categorized by data collection technique, as it makes more sense than if research methods are labeled as qualitative or quantitative. This study is one of the many efforts to facilitate a better understanding of research methods in LIS and help scholars make more informed decisions about research method selection in their endeavors. Its implications can be extended to LIS research education, training, and advocacy. Because research methods themselves are not discipline-specific, researchers beyond the LIS field would benefit from this study as well.
Close to 3,000 courses, both required and elective, listed in each curriculum of the 45 ALAaccred... more Close to 3,000 courses, both required and elective, listed in each curriculum of the 45 ALAaccredited LIS master's programs in the USA are analyzed qualitatively as well as quantitatively. Based on the changes observed in the core, electives and particularly courses that appear being created recently, this study finds that more and more elective courses are offered in LIS education while the number of core requirements is reduced to as few as two courses. In either case, a wider range of subject topics seem being covered nowadays than in the pre-Internet era. On the other hand, approximately 10 percent of all the LIS courses sound new in that they are designed to deal with emerging subjects and latest developments in the field besides reflecting the growing interdisciplinary nature of LIS. This research also shows that catalysts for LIS curricular transformations do not come from technology alone, but also originate from the cultural and societal dimensions. In other words, a holistic approach should be taken for enhancing LIS curricular contents to prepare information professionals for leadership in the time to come.
The in-links to 12 ALA accredited LIS schools' Websites were analyzed, echoing the suggestion... more The in-links to 12 ALA accredited LIS schools' Websites were analyzed, echoing the suggestion Thomas and Willett (2000) made that hosting a wide range of topics would help increase the visibility of or attract more sitations1 to a Website. More importantly, these topics should be outreaching and of current value to people outside of the host site. The sites that generated the majority of in-links for the LIS schools are in the ORG, EDU or NET domain. Such sitations are also content-based as opposed to the directory-type references from sites in the COM domain. Based on co-link data, the structure underlying the 12 LIS schools was delineated. Links to the outside world by the 12 schools do not seem quite extensive both in terms of content and quantity. Webometrics offers an evaluation measurement that is not available in bibliometrics when an institution is the analytical unit. Nevertheless, Webometric research must be conducted with caution because both the data source (i.e., Web-based data) and data collection instrument (i.e., Web search engines) have obvious deficiencies.
We present a collaboration model employed in a book project titled "Research Fronts in Libra... more We present a collaboration model employed in a book project titled "Research Fronts in Library and Information Science (LIS) in the West." The book, published by Renmin University in Beijing in 2007 as a volume in a series, is jointly written by 19 authors including PhD students, LIS faculty and university librarians. The presentation describes the different stages of collaboration in the project, including book planning, outline construction, bibliography selection, draft preparation, revision, peer review and editing. A survey is administered to the participant authors, gathering data on their role in the collaboration, the frequency of their communication, the various forms of communication in different stages such as emailing list, blog, video conference, face-to-face interaction, email and phone calls, and their reflection on this collaborative project. Results of the survey and implications of this project for further collaborations in LIS research and authorship are...
Research Methods and Design Beyond a Single Discipline presents and discusses 15 research methods... more Research Methods and Design Beyond a Single Discipline presents and discusses 15 research methods after an overview of each, an illustration of the research process, and an examination of related topics. The focus of this book is on data collection techniques (e.g., interviewing, observation, questionnaires) and research design. Research methods are named and categorized by data collection techniques in this book rather than by the quantitative and qualitative dichotomy used for data analysis techniques. Each of the 15 research methods included in the book is depicted regarding its functions, features, applications, and dos and don'ts, with examples and case studies from various disciplines. Research methodology development in research design starts with selection of data collection techniques, which takes into consideration research questions of a study and research method features. Data analysis techniques and selection are described as part of the research methodology development to help readers choose the most appropriate methodology for their own research, and put research design into practice. This book is essential for masters and doctoral students, and researchers who wish to learn about research methods and design comprehensively and systematically, as well as instructors delivering research methods courses across the social and behavioral sciences.
Uploads
Papers by Heting Chu