Comments for UoL Library Blog

Comment on Finding an author’s h-index – a step by step guide by phillyclick

phillyclick — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 11:15:29 +0000

phillyclick…

[...]Finding an author’s h-index – a step by step guide « UoL Library Blog[...]…

Comment on Finding an author’s h-index – a step by step guide by actoinon dvd

actoinon dvd — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 09:42:35 +0000

actoinon dvd…

[...]Finding an author’s h-index – a step by step guide « UoL Library Blog[...]…

Comment on JISCrte End of Projects Event Feb 2012 by Nick

Nick — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:18:57 +0000

Hi Gaz

I’ve become somewhat obsessed with implementing Staff Profile pages and did look at doing it from our repository (non-eprints – so I also don’t have the option of MePrints). I’m now looking at using the Symplectic API to achieve the same and am fortunate in having a tame developer who is working on it as we speak…he’s made some good progress and I anticipate the biggest challenge will be communicating with the central web-team to plug this functionality into institutional web-pages. For an example of a profile page built using the Symplectic API see Keele – http://www.keele.ac.uk/chemistry/staff/sallin/ (publications tab)

Comment on Information Literacy as a graduate attribute: Are employers getting a good deal? by sarahw9

sarahw9 — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:52:56 +0000

Yes I’d say we need to develop this further. One thing I thought about when writing up my pgcert was the difference between skills (task based) and attributes (approach to learning). Currently we focus more on skills it could be argued, but the attributes are just as important if not more. This means developing IL teaching though….

Comment on PackTracker – the future for CLA returns? by digitisatom

digitisatom — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:07:41 +0000

I have used Packtracker in another role – it is certainly a complete and functional system, and it is nice to know that it is under continuing development (though by a single dedicated developer). Personally the user interface nearly made me hide under the desk!

At my current position we do not use packtracker however, using instead a customised open source solution. It covers most of the same requirements, such as generating pdf coversheets and gathering bibliographic details from copac or our lms, but it does not seem to require so much work to maintain records.

I think part of the reason it is easier is because it is based around our workflow, recording information as and when we have it, ie getting the biblio details as soon as we enter it into the system, but allowing us to wait until we get the book off the shelf to fill in page numbers and extract author (if the requesting lecturer has not specified them).
Previously with packtracker the workflow tended to be to gather all the information about digitised items in a spreadsheet and then intermittently enter all these details into the packtracker interface, which was a little clunky.

The absolute requirements for such a system are actually quite low level, it is really just a tidy database, so for smaller institutions it seems a little expensive to buy into a hosted service like packtracker, though for larger ones it is good to have a guaranteed service which will hopefully improve further over time. Packtracker is also looking to add basic support for interoperability with Talis Aspire, which could be useful.

Comment on Top LRA Items for November 2011 by AJCann (@AJCann)

AJCann (@AJCann) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:14:52 +0000

The open data movement would say publish the data and the analysis will be done for you

Comment on Top LRA Items for November 2011 by gazjjohnson

gazjjohnson — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:23:14 +0000

Would that I had the time to do something more detailed than this broadbrush approach! What we do tend to see overall is a gradual tracking up and down of some papers in the top 10, with some remaining at comparable levels for months, and others appearing as brief novas never to be seen again (at least at the top of the table). As we develop the return of stats in 2012 I hope to be able to present something a bit more detailed then. Likewise come Jan 2010 I’ll be doing the third annual review of all papers usage.

Comment on Top LRA Items for November 2011 by AJCann (@AJCann)

AJCann (@AJCann) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:11:10 +0000

It would be interesting to see some statistical analysis of month to month variation in these figures. How significant are the ups and downs?

Comment on Social media and networking – my friend or my foe? by gazjjohnson

gazjjohnson — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:10:40 +0000

Pleasure Katie – I think the session was still a bit rough around the edges (v1.0 sessions always are!) but we had some excellent discussions! One of my biggest fears would be that we would terrify folks about the risks and they’d disengage from social media; which is not what I wanted at all! Hopefully they’ll be able to use it and actually feel a little more secure through following our suggested good practice.

Comment on Social media and networking – my friend or my foe? by Katie Birkwood

Katie Birkwood — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:07:48 +0000

Thank you! Have bookmarked this for future reference.

Comment on Research data management by Ben Wynne

Ben Wynne — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:32:49 +0000

There is a university research computing committee now – which I have attended once – which has touched on the area and, in particular, the Research Councils UK new data management principles which make the major information management/services component to all of this clear whether it is badged ‘library’ or not. Jonathan Tedds has led a number of JISC funded projects with a major research data management component – the most recent one – called ‘BRISSKIT’ ! – addresses storage of client etc. data in biomedicine. A major challenge for university libraries in this area is a) how do we start to understand the issues in what is a complex area while sustaining day to day operations i.e. the usual challenge of finding/making space for innovation; b) do we have the skills? Answer at the moment is, I think, no – not yet.; c) how do we develop/find them?

Comment on Research data management by knockels

knockels — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:56:24 +0000

Thanks, both. I have been having a look in various places for UoL activity, but will get in touch with Jonathan.

Comment on Research data management by Katie Fraser

Katie Fraser — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:55:26 +0000

I was going to point to Jonathan Tedds too. There’s quite a nice video of him on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGiIZ1sMcLo talking about what UoL is doing in this area.

Comment on Research data management by gazjjohnson

gazjjohnson — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:51:36 +0000

Very interesting read Keith – suggest if you’d like to know more about what the Uni is doing in terms of data archiving and curation that the delightful Jonathan Tedds in ITS (late of Physics) is the man to see. Certainly with my LRA hat on I’ve been keeping in touch with him, as while there’s not currently a direct relationship twix data archiving and publication archiving in the LRA it’s long been suggested in the repository community that there should be. Something I suspect the JISC Repositories and Curation Infrastructure strand and associated projects will be taking into account in 2012.

Bottom line though, research publications in many cases are the summaries of research and the raw data output the research itself – and these should be at the very least linked. I’d certainly agree that information workers would have a role, although I wouldn’t be able to say hand on heart that the role 100% falls in the Library in every institution (probably at Leicester it would, given our time honoured expertise in this area). But as you say interesting times, and let’s keep watching the skies…

Comment on Reliability of Wikipedia by lancomecoupon

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