OpenUCT :: Browsing by Author "Underwood, Peter G"

Browsing by Author "Underwood, Peter G"

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Open Access
Analysis of the approaches of senior management teams towards adoption of next generation library management systems: case study of Cape Library Consortium Institutions
(2014) Mfengu, Andiswa Yolanda; Underwood, Peter G; Raju, Jaya
Sophistication of technology has resulted in libraries having to manage print, digital and electronic resources. Managing all resource types and formats with traditional integrated library systems is ineffective as the systems were designed for physical resources. Next generation library management systems are expected to change this by integrating all library resources and providing access through a single platform, reducing the number of transaction the user has to perform. Additionally libraries will save large proportions of their budgets on hardware and software, as the systems are accessed through a web browser this will be an added benefit for libraries as the cost of acquiring electronic resources is continuously increasing. Next generation library management systems are not yet implemented in academic libraries in the Western Cape Province. To investigate the reasons for this, the author employed a qualitative case study approach in which a minimum of two members of the Executive Management of each of the four Cape Library Consortium institutions were interviewed. Data collected was analysed using NVivo analysis software, responses being analysed within the institution and compared across the other institutions.
Open Access
Archiving social survey data in Africa : an overview of African microdata curation and the role of survey data archives in data management in Africa
(2009) Woolfrey, Lynn; Underwood, Peter G; De Jager, Karin
This study examines current practice in the curation of social survey data in African countries and makes suggestions for future improvements in this regard. Curation of data refers to its preservation and management for reuse. Utilising survey data for the study of social phenomena other than those for which the original survey was initiated is a relatively new research approach in Africa. Thus best practice for this type of research is still being put in place by African organisations. This involves the development of optimal means of processing and storing the data for re-use. Of concern to this study is what constitutes the most effective way of managing and sharing the information garnered from these surveys as a resource for economic and social development in Africa. Social survey data refers to both the statistical information which is the final product of censuses or sample surveys, and the documentation provided with the data to facilitate its reuse. Documentation includes technical notes and questionnaires used in the survey process, as well as meta data (detailed information about the data) and reports produced concerning the final survey findings. The research looks at the history of the management of social survey data worldwide and in African countries, and the policies and processes involved in curating survey information in these countries. The comparative component of the study examines developments in this field internationally and compares these to practices on the African continent. International best practice in the field has been used to evaluate current methods of survey data archiving in African countries. The study presents strategies to ensure the optimal preservation and effective sharing of survey data among countries of the region. Strategies for the establishment of a Pan African network of data sharing organisations are suggested to support future repurposing of African census and survey data.
Open Access
Are pre-compiled citation indexes of peer-reviewed journals an adequate control for research quality? A case study of library and information science
(2005) Darch, Colin; Underwood, Peter G
Looks at the South African Department of Education’s new recommendations for the evaluation of higher education research in South Africa, and examines two primary aspects: the use of pre-compiled journal lists from overseas, and the apparent reliance on peer review as a guarantee of quality. Pointing out that these are tried and tested standards of quality, the authors argue that there are nonetheless disciplinary differences between experimental sciences – such as physics or chemistry – and other disciplines that make these measures difficult to apply across the spectrum. They present an analysis of library and information science publications in the chosen lists and point to the weakness of the selection of titles in this discipline. In addition, there are extra difficulties for scientists from South Africa and the developing world in securing publication in premier international library and information science journals. The authors conclude by calling for the employment of other, additional evaluation measures in an integrated system.
Open Access
Aspects of information literacy with regards to the use of legal resources : case study of third year undergraduate law students of the University of Cape Town, South Africa and University of Jos, Nigeria
(2009) Lawal, Victoria; Underwood, Peter G
The study explores the relevance of information literacy in the context of legal education specifically as it affects issues on the conduct of the legal research skills of undergraduate students as well as the need for its integration into the curriculum of legal education. A review of the literature shows that little research has been undertaken in the field of legal information literacy in contrast to many other academic areas; indications from the literature reveal that there is a skills deficiency among undergraduate law students in many countries which suggest that many are ill prepared for the workplace. This situation also applies to law undergraduates in higher education institutions in Africa particularly Nigeria. The peculiar structure of legal information resources and the distinctive ways in which legal information is both evaluated and used suggest that legal information resources possess special characteristics that would need to be examined carefully in order to design information literacy programmes suitable for the profession. The scope of the study is limited to a comparative analysis of the information literacy skills of undergraduate law students of the University of Cape Town, South Africa and University of Jos, Nigeria; data was collected from both institutions from which comparisons were drawn. Findings from the study have revealed the difficulties experienced by students in the process of legal research and emphasised the importance of recognising the unique information structure of legal resources in developing an appropriate pedagogical model for integrating information literacy to the curricula of legal education particularly in higher education institutions. The study presents a uniquely African perspective on the challenges of integrating information literacy within the curriculum of legal education by providing insights into the needs and challenges for graduate requirement and productivity in higher education institutions in Africa.
Open Access
Barriers to information access and provision in academic libraries with special focus on the Cape Technikon Library
(2001) Mahlangu, Nomoya; Underwood, Peter G
This dissertation examines difficulties experienced by users from the moment they enter the library to search for information, up to the point where they achieve the objective of their search. It also explores the processes that happen "behind the scenes", before the sought information can be located and utilized. These include the requisite funding to obtain the information, ordering, acquiring and cataloguing and finally shelving the material in an accessible manner.
Open Access
Developing a capacity building policy for academic libraries
(2000) Mosala, Nthabiseng N; Underwood, Peter G
This study was conducted in order to establish how to address the issue of capacity building in academic libraries. The libraries of the two Historically Disadvantaged Institutions (HDIs), the University of Western Cape (UWC) and Peninsula Technikon (Pentech), participating libraries in the Cape Libraries Cooperative (CALICO) were used as models to assess the extent to which skills attainment contributes towards capacity building. The study found that there is no policy that looks specifically at addressing capacity building in these two libraries. Training was found to be the core element towards attaining capacity building. Other approaches found to enhance capacity building were mentoring, coaching and exchanges.
Open Access
The development of information literacy at the University of Cape Town
(2008) Nkangana, Nqabisa T; Underwood, Peter G
The origins and development of information literacy education at the University of Cape Town are explored. The focal research question is based on investigations into the extent in which the academic staff, librarians and students of the University of Cape Town (UCT) are prepared for or engaged in recognizing information literacy. Are the academic staff, librarians and students of UCT really aware of the information literacy agenda? Quantitative research methods are used to supplement qualitative research methods in this study. Samples were drawn from 621 academics, 64 librarians, and 19978 students - the total numbers of subjects of the study in 2003 when the fieldwork was conducted. The significant changes in the South African education system in the postapartheid era are discussed. International information literacy programs are discussed and the Griffith University information literacy blueprint is adopted as a standard for comparison. Further studies are suggested on the investigation of information literacy policies. The research results suggest that a high standard of information literacy exists at the University of Cape Town.
Open Access
Environmental factors influencing the strategic planning of academic libraries : a comparative case study of the universities of Fort Hare and Port Elizabeth libraries
(1998) Amoah, James Kwadwo; Underwood, Peter G
Academic libraries play an important role in academic institutions by supporting teaching, research and learning processes. However, it does seem that sustainability of these vital information centres is increasingly below their utility value leading to poor information services. Factors such as increase in student numbers, budget cuts, dependency on foreign sources and falling exchange rates affect acquisitions, quantity and quality of information services. Strategic planning, that is widely propagated in business, is being increasingly considered by academic libraries to offer opportunities for proactive planning that can support uncertainties arising from internal and external environments. The aim of this thesis is to investigate and analyze the environmental factors that may affect an academic library's strategic planning. The relevant literature on strategic planning, not only in libraries but also in the wider field of management has been reviewed. The research traces the origins of strategic planning from military science through the corporate world and to non-profit organizations like academic libraries.
Metadata only
An evaluation of the information architecture of the UCT Library web site
(Stellenbosch University, 2008) Mvungi, Susan H; de Jager, Karin; Underwood, Peter G
Web users are becoming more critical of the web sites they use. This paper evaluates the information architecture of the academic library web site at the University of Cape Town with more of a focus on the usability testing of the University web site. Two approaches to evaluation were completed to evaluate the library web site. Firstly, a formal usability test was conducted with five users to establish the required site structure and to identify any possible problems with the usability of the site. Secondly, a closed card sort analysis with ten participants was completed in order to establish the required site structure and terminology for the potential web site re-design. It was found that the library had a generally usable web site. The site however exhibited a few problems with the terminology used; the navigation design; and issues relating to identifying specific information. This study presents recommendations to handle the aforementioned problems. The study also encourages continual web site evaluation.
Open Access
The growth of e-book collections at South African academic libraries : a case study of the Western Cape
(2013) Kahn, Michelle; Underwood, Peter G
Libraries are still unsure of the value e-books can add to their collections and subsequently to their users’ research. E-book integration into library collections is made difficult by complicated purchasing and lending models and ever-changing technological requirements. Additionally, it is unclear what exactly library users want from their e-books. In this study, research into the obstacles facing the growth of academic library e-book collections was carried out by reviewing the literature on the topic, found in print and electronic reference works, monographs and journals, and on blogs and websites. Secondly, an investigation was conducted into patrons’ attitudes to e-books, their current use of e-books, and their expectations of e-books in their libraries, to examine the current and potential use of e-books at South African university libraries. The investigation employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods to discover library users’ attitudes towards e-books. Surveys were run on the campuses of the four universities in the Western Cape of South Africa. A sample of potential participants, totalling 1,539 staff members and 45,849 students, was invited to participate in the survey via email or a website link. Data was collected by means of a self-administered, online questionnaire distributed using SurveyMonkey software.
Open Access
Internet searching as a study aid for information technology and information systems learners at a tertiary level
(2001) Weideman, Melius; Underwood, Peter G
In this thesis, the author attempted to develop a method to help information Technology/Systems learners ﬁnd relevant information on the lnternet. The literature indicated that it is essential that learners should be able to retrieve relevant information from electronic sources. However, it was also stated repeatedly that searching on the Internet using standard search engines is not an easy task. It was also noted that a move was taking place away from traditional teaching methods to those with more learner involvement, making use of new computer and communication technologies. Initial experiments were done with IT/IS learners to determine how and where they search on the Internet, and what degree of success they had. The most important data gathered from these experiments was the tack of search strategy displayed by learners; the search engines chosen by them; and their success rate. Only 32.2% of all learners in this study managed to find one piece of relevant information in 30 minutes without any assistance. The data was used to design and later improve a tool to guide them in their searching endeavours. This tool, called "Finder Of information On The Internet" (FOIOTI, at http://www.mwe.co.za), was then extensively tested by measuring searching success, with and without using it. The data was gathered by examining and summarizing the forms completed by the learners during the searching experiments. During this study the author found that most learners had little or no training on Internet usage; often worked on the Internet; could not specify their search properly; used very few of the operators offered by search engines; and had a low success rate in ﬁnding relevant data. The two final phases of experiments proved that FOIOTI, as a searching tool, was successful. During these two phases, 71.0% of the participants claimed that they found the speciﬁed information when using FOIOTI within 30 minutes. A total of 1109 learners from three continents and 20 institutions took part in the study, spread over 46 sessions. Every session was administered personally by the author. This research project has contributed to the existing body of knowledge on Information Retrieval and education by having developed a tool that enhances learner involvement in the learning process. It enables educators to explore easier alternatives of locating educational resources by drawing on the experience of other website authors in their ﬁeld. It also entices the average learner to re-skill him/herself on the use of an exciting and promising new technology: Information Retrieval through the Internet.
Open Access
An investigation into the practices, procedures, and challenges of knowledge management in government -owned organizations in Kenya
(2007) Ondari-Okemwa, Ezra M; Smith, Gretchen; Underwood, Peter G
Knowledge management has been burgeoning in importance during the last one and half decades. Both profi;t making and non-profit making organizations have had to and continue to embrace and practice knowledge management. This study was set with the broad aim of investigating the practices, procedures and challenges of managing knowledge in Kenya's govemment-owned organizations. The specific objectives of the study from which research questions were formulated were: to assess the extent to which government-owned organizations practice knowledge management, find out the extent to which the organizations are "learning organizations", establish how the organizations determine the knowledge they require and the formats in which it should be delivered, find out whether and the extent to which individual organizational members in the organizations are motivated to contribute to knowledge creation and sharing, and discover the major managerial challenges and problems that the organizations face in managing knowledge. The scope of this study was limited to government-owned organizations (parastatals) in Kenya operating in environments considered to be information intensive and whose organizational structures are similar.
Open Access
Issues related to the adoption of e-books in academic libraries: a literature review
(University of Stellenbosch, 2013) Kahn, Michelle; Underwood, Peter G
While e-journals have successfully be integrated into library collections, the same cannot be said about e-books. In this paper, the obstacles to e-book adoption in academic libraries is discussed using a review of the English-language literature published over the period 2007 to 2013. Issues identified are the changing roles of libraries in the digital age; collection development strategies; complex e-book purchase models offered to libraries; questions of copyright, licensing and digital rights management; format considerations; and availability of hardware and software on which to read e-books. Libraries continue to face these challenges today.
Open Access
The librarians' axiom: a "flat earth theory"? : the case of the Saldanha Municipality Libraries during the Great Recession
(2011) Skelly, Lara; Underwood, Peter G
The Librarians' Axiom is the theory that library usage goes up during an economic recession. This Axiom is supported by anecdotal evidence in the literature, but lacks statistical support. This dissertation attempts to fill that gap by looking at library use of the 10 libraries in the Saldanha Bay Municipal area during the 2008/2009 economic recession. No statistical evidence was found to support the Axiom. Several reasons to explain this result were explored, but none found to justify the lack of evidence that the axiom holds in this case.
Open Access
Library 2.0: revolution or evolution?
(Stellenbosch University, 2009) Kwanya, Tom; Stilwell, Christine; Underwood, Peter G
Library 2.0 is a controversial concept that stirs debate on many fronts. As the concept continues to arrest the attention of most library users and practitioners, a number of issues relating to its real nature emerge. One of these is the character of change it represents. While many library scholars and practitioners agree that Library 2.0 represents a change. they disagree on the nature of this change. Using a critical review of documentation and arguments on this subject, the authors identify three points of view on this change. Whereas some feel that the change is revolutionary and may drastically transform the profession - including renaming - others see it as an evolution of the current best practices to mould a better, user-centred service using modern technology. Still others see Library 2.0 as neither revolutionary nor evolutionary. This paper seeks to clarify these three points of view on the character of Library 2.0 change in libraries, as institutions, and in librarianship as a profession. It also recommends that while Library 2.0 should be seen as the latest instance in the development of the library and the services it offers, its role in facilitating participatory user-centric services should not be ignored.
Open Access
A longitudinal study of the information communication process among a defined group of basic and applied scientists in South Africa
(2006) Smith, Gretchen; Underwood, Peter G
The purpose of this research project was to examine the constituent elements of the information communication process in basic and applied science in South Africa and to establish what cognitive, behavioural and environmental factors lead to the scientists' encounter with the communication process and the consequences of such an encounter. The aim was further to address the role of informal communication, the impact of information and communication technologies, and the effect that various structural and environmental changes that have occurred over the last decades, have had on the communication process. The methodological approach of the study was based on a conceptual analysis of the literature integrated with an empirical investigation into the communication of information amongst a group of scientists in South Africa.
Open Access
Possibilities of applying some knowledge management techniques within the higher education domain in South Africa : a literature survey
(2010) Noll, Susanne; Underwood, Peter G
This dissertation explores, by way of a literature survey, the concept of Knowledge Management (KM), and in particular, whether it would be a suitable tool in the Higher Education (HE) environment in South Africa (SA). Traditionally KM was used in the business world, for some institutions, with great success. This dissertation, however, argues that KM is only partially applicable to the HE field in general and in particular in SA. The dissertation will be introduced with the background of knowledge and management. Organizational knowledge, organizational learning and organizational memory are explored. KM and bureaucratic organizations are critically discussed. The HE sector in SA is defined in terms of lifelong learning and learning societies.
Open Access
Preservation education and training for South African library and archive professionals and students
(2002) Murray, Kathleen; Underwood, Peter G
Many experts in the global library and archive sector consider preservation a fundamental responsibility for all institutions and professionals. However, preservation is not yet an established core topic in the professional education of South African information workers, despite the increased availability of education and training options in recent years. Many of the current course and module offerings at university and technikon teaching departments do not cover the essential preservation issues adequately. As a result, professional librarians and archivists often feel ill prepared to address preservation issues in the working world. There are other options for learning about preservation outside the traditional classroom environment including publications and short workshops often organised by interested professional organisations.
Open Access
A review of the Knowledge Management Centre: conducted for the Economic and Human Development Department, City of Cape Town
(2012-07) Underwood, Peter G; Smith, Gretchen
Following a study of the resources and services of the Knowledge Management Centre (KMC) of the Economic and Human Development Department (EHD) and a survey of a sample of users and potential users, the conclusion is that the KMC is NOT operating in a Knowledge Management mode; it is operating as a small special library, in a demand-driven mode (page 7). Interviews with the sample of users indicate that a Knowledge Management mode of operation would be more appropriate for supporting the work of the EHD (page 9). It is proposed that the two mutually supportive KM initiatives of leveraging information content and the development and utilisation of knowledge communities should form the core of the EHD's KM strategy (page 13). A set of integrated actions are recommended to implement a Knowledge Management Programme and capacitate the KMC at the EHD (pages 15-18). A job description for a post of Knowledge Officer is provided (pages 19-20).
Open Access
The role of the public library in HIV and AIDS information dissemination in Swaziland : an exploratory study in the Manzini region
(2010) Shabangu, Joy Maziya; Nassimbeni, Mary; Underwood, Peter G
The purpose of this study was to assess the utilisation of HIV and AIDS information in Manzini Public Library (MPL). The main objectives included to assess the availability of HIV and AIDS information sources in the Manzini region, to identify challenges of acquiring and delivering the appropriate information, to identify channels through which MPL disseminates HIV and AIDS information.