Masters Degrees (Information Studies)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/7228

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Developing guidelines for performance appraisal of subject librarians in KwaZulu-Natal academic libraries
(2004) Neerputh, Shirlene.; Hoskins, Ruth Geraldine Melonie.
A common theme emerging in the library world today is that quality service in the library and information center is dependent on the quality performance of personnel. Prior to conducting performance appraisals, managers need to ascertain the core performance criteria for quality service provision. This study is important because academic libraries are undergoing radical changes with an emphasis on accountability. In particular, South African tertiary education is faced with dwindling resources and an increased emphasis on accountability. There appears to be no formal or informal guidelines for appraising the value of subject librarians performing information services in KwaZulu-Natal academic libraries. It is this problem which this study addressed. The problem investigated in this study is located in the following KwaZulu-Natal academic libraries: Durban Institute of Technology (DIT), Mangosuthu Technikon (Mantech), University of Durban-Westville (UDW) , University of Natal, Durban (UND) and University of NataL, Pietermaritzburg (UNP) and the University of Zululand (UniZul). The purpose of the study was to emphasize the importance of performance appraisals for subject librarians employed in KwaZulu-Natal academic libraries and develop initial guidelines for performance appraisals for subject librarians. The scope of this study is placed within the library human resource management perspective and deals with developing and training librarians for enhanced service delivery within the above tertiary institutions. Thirty nine subject librarians (from a total of forty three) were surveyed by means of a self administered questionnaire which was distributed via e-mail. The study was able to establish the important aspects of performance appraisal for subject librarians from the literature review, and to make recommendations in respect of developing guidelines for appraising subject librarians in academic libraries. An initial guideline for conducting performance appraisal for subject librarians in KwaZulu-Natal will consist of appraising job tasks, key performance areas (KPAs), determining the relevant competencies, skills and behaviour traits. The major findings of the study were that there appears to be generally a lack of commitment to performance appraisal in KwaZulu-Natal academic libraries. A large majority of the respondents indicated that their libraries did not have guidelines for performance appraisals of subject librarians. The important aspects of performance appraisal for subject librarians were identified in the study. Key performance areas (KPAs) for subject librarians comprised of reference services, instruction and teaching, management and organisation. The competencies included knowledge of the total information environment as well as customer services. The majority of the respondents indicated that patron surveys were the most important indicator of performance of subject librarians in KwaZulu-Natal academic libraries.
The effect of problem-based learning on medical libraries in South Africa.
(2008) Ngcobo, Eunice Nonhlanhla.; Hoskins, Ruth Geraldine Melonie.
The study investigated the effect of problem-based learning (PBL) on medical libraries in South Africa. PBL, as a teaching/learning method, has been used in medical schools throughout the world for the past twenty or more years. It was introduced into South African medical schools in the early 1990s. Its impact was felt beyond the academia. Libraries, as engines of the institutions at which they are based, were greatly affected by the introduction of PBL.
The information needs and information seeking behaviour of adult diabetic patients at Addington Hospital, Durban.
(2012) Naidoo, Prabavathy.; Hoskins, Ruth Geraldine Melonie.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease associated with high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. (The three types of diabetes are: Type 1 diabetes which is onset in juveniles and is characterised by deficient insulin production and the patient requires daily administration of insulin; Gestational diabetes is onset and first detected during pregnancy and Type 2 diabetes is typically found in adults who are 40 years and over and results from the body's ineffective use of insulin). Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease that can be prevented and managed by following a particular eating plan, exercising correctly and by the correct administration of medication. With relevant knowledge, lifestyle changes and information, type 2 diabetic patients can improve and manage their condition effectively. Hence information provision is especially important for the management of diabetes. The current study investigated the information needs and information seeking behaviour of adult type 2 diabetic patients at Addington Hospital in Durban. The study was conducted on the patients who attend the Diabetic Clinic at the Hospital. A better understanding of the information needs and information seeking behaviour of diabetic patients can contribute to their successful management of diabetes. Longo's 2010, Health Information Model provided the conceptual framework for the study. The study adopted both a quantitative and qualitative approach. Both methodologies were used to assist in gaining an insight into the research. It was envisaged that the use of both methodologies would enhance and increase the validity and reliability of the data collected. A population of 69 adult patients with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes were individually interviewed. The healthcare professionals, which included the Medical Officer and four nursing staff at the Diabetic Clinic and the hospital's diabetic Dietician, completed the self-administered questionnaires. The data was entered into a computer and analysed using SPSS. The data was analysed in terms of frequency of results and presented in the form of tables, bar graphs or pie charts. Four themes emerged from the study: (1) Reliance on the diabetic doctor for diabetic education; (2) the active and passive patterns of information seeking; (3) patients' fear of the consequences of diabetes; and (4) the value of the Department of Health's and the Dietician's packaged information. The results of the study indicated that certain factors influenced the patients' decisions about their diabetes self-management. Their current needs influenced their need to seek out information and in most instances they sought this information out from the diabetic doctor. They could not afford the recommended foods for diabetics and besides obtaining their information from the pamphlets and hand-outs provided by the hospital, they obtained their information from traditional mass media. The study concluded that the patients relied heavily on the information provided by the doctor, the dietician and the hand-outs and pamphlets that are available at the clinic. Without an understanding of the effects of information on type 2 diabetes patients, we have an incomplete picture of how information changes the patients' behaviour, which is of primary concern in healthcare information. The study therefore recommended that future research should investigate the effects information has on type 2 diabetes patients and their behaviour. Recommendations that were drawn from the conclusions of the study were that the Diabetic Clinic and Hospital should consider approaching the South African Diabetes Association (SADA) with regard to volunteering their services and facilities to the patients at the hospital. The Clinic should also consider playing a video/dvd recording on diabetes in the patient waiting room. The Diabetic Clinic should also consider inviting a podiatrist to speak to the patients about foot care.
Knowledge sharing practices in public libraries: a case study of eThekwini Municipal Libraries (EML)
(2020) Ngcobo, Judith Busisiwe.; Hoskins, Ruth Geraldine Melonie.
In the information age, knowledge is predominantly seen as one of the most important assets in both private and public organisations and should therefore be managed carefully. The aim of the study was to investigate the knowledge sharing practices in public libraries: a case study of eThekwini Municipal Libraries (EML). Knowledge management (KM) and knowledge sharing (KS) in public libraries has increasingly come into focus but very little literature is available on knowledge sharing in public libraries in the South African context. eThekwini Municipal has adopted a number of KM initiatives in order to improve the municipalities’ service delivery and to meet its strategic vision. The study was guided by the following research questions: What was the extent of knowledge sharing at EML? What knowledge sharing practices were undertaken at EML? What was the attitude and perception of library staff towards knowledge sharing? What were the challenges facing the library staff with regards to knowledge sharing? What strategies could EML use to overcome such challenges. The study was informed by the Socialisation, Externalisation, Combination and Internalisation (SECI) Model of knowledge creation, also known as the Knowledge Conversion Theory. This study was guided by the post-positivism paradigm and used the mixed methods research design, which included both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The targeted population consisted of 168 respondents. A census was used to collect data from professional library staff. Qualitative data was collected from district managers by means of face-to-face and telephonic semi-structured interviews and quantitative data was collected from the senior librarians, librarians and assistant librarians by means of self-administered questionnaires administered online via email. The computer software program Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the quantitative data obtained from the set of closed questions in the questionnaire. Results of data analysis were presented in the form of tables, figures, charts, and verbal descriptions. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis; qualitative data was organised and presented according to the research questions and involved the discussions of themes and categories. The major findings were that library staff at EML had strong feelings that knowledge sharing with co-workers was a good practice. The findings also revealed that there are a number of problems associated with knowledge sharing at EML. There was consensus between interview and questionnaire respondents that there was knowledge sharing challenges at EML. Such challenges were divided into individual and organisational factors. In line with these findings, respondents were asked to recommend strategies for improving knowledge sharing at EML. The top five recommendations made by respondents included top management support, organisational culture, organisational structure, Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), and a budget to support knowledge sharing projects.
The attitudes and perceptions of academics in the College of Humanities, School of Social Sciences (Sss) towards open access (OA) journal publishing at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2024) Magwaza, Nomusa Faith.; Hoskins, Ruth Geraldine Melonie.
The development of OA journal publishing has opened opportunities for the scholarly community to create, disseminate, and share knowledge beyond the confines of traditional subscription journals. However, the inception of OA journal publishing for the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) academic community is still at its infancy. There are several contributing factors such as lack of institutional drive to promote OA, lack of awareness and general misconceptions about OA journals such as poor quality, low impact factor, lack of peer review, amongst other reasons. OA journal publishing is not a new phenomenon. It dates back to the 1970’s, and it has operated in parallel with the traditional subscription mode of publishing. The uptake of OA journal publishing has been more prevalent amongst the pure scientists, for example, physicists when compared with Social Scientists and the Humanities. Thus, the objective of the study was to ascertain the attitudes and perceptions of academics in the School of Social Sciences towards OA journal publishing at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). The study was guided by the following key questions: (1) What were the attitudes and perceptions of the Social Sciences academics towards OA journal publishing? (2) What was the level of awareness of OA journal publishing? (3) What were the challenges Social Sciences academics faced when publishing on OA platforms? (4) What strategies could be used to encourage Social Sciences academics to publish on OA platforms? and (5) Where were UKZN Social Sciences academics publishing their research? The study was informed by the attitude theory which is a branch of Social Psychology. The main focus of the research study was to examine the factors leading to the non-participation by academics in OA activities at UKZN. The study unpacked the problems that academics encounter when publishing in OA journal platforms and recommended strategies to be adopted to support academics. The target population of the study is 42 academics in the School of Social Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study used a pragmatic paradigm as a lens in which to view the subject of OA journal publishing. The researcher employed mixed methods which included both a quantitative and qualitative methods approach. The study used questionnaires and semi-structured interviews as data collection tools. Analysis of data was achieved using a statistical software package and thematic analysis. To gain an in-depth understanding of the attitudes and perceptions of OA publishing amongst the academics of the School of Social Sciences a comparison was drawn from each cluster using quantitative data analysis. Interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis. The main results of the study indicated that academics were aware of OA publishing, and the benefits and disadvantages of OA as an alternative model of publishing. The study also revealed that academics understood the principle of knowledge sharing and dissemination as a public good. However, there was a lack of understanding of the economic and political dynamics of OA publishing. Strategies that supported and improved the knowledge academics have of OA publishing were highlighted. Such strategies included advocacy and capacity building, incentives schemes which may include funding, expansion of the exiting accredited OA journals base, and improved quality and archiving of OA journal articles in the UKZN institutional repository (ResearchSpace).
Use of electronic databases by masters students in the Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg campus.
(2010) Hadebe, Tusiwe Beverly.; Hoskins, Ruth Geraldine Melonie.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of electronic databases by masters students in the Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg campus. The study tried to establish which electronic databases masters students used and how frequently they were used. In addition, the study investigated what the students used the electronic databases for and what problems they encountered while using these databases. A set of recommendations based on the findings were identified. The study population consisted of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences (HDSS) masters students. A total of 139 masters students responded, which was a response rate of 68%. The approach undertaken by the researcher was triangulation where both qualitative and quantitative data was collected. The instrument that the researcher employed as the quantitative method of data collection was the questionnaire and a focus group was used as the qualitative method of data collection. The quantitative data was analysed using SPSS and the qualitative data was analysed using thematic content analysis. A pre-test of the questionnaire for the study was done on six registered masters students in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg campus (UKZNP) in order to identify any unclear issues in the questionnaire. The outcome of the study revealed that a majority of HDSS masters students at UKZNP did use the electronic databases. A number of problems were experienced when using the databases. The top three databases used by the masters students were EbscoHost , followed by SABINET and then ProQuest. Masters students mentioned some benefits of using the electronic databases. Students revealed that they became aware of the library databases from a variety of sources such as lecturers, friends and orientation programmes. There were other non-library databases that masters students used besides the library electronic databases. A majority of 75.2% of the students were satisfied with the library service.
The use of library resources by doctoral students of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, College of Humanities, Pietermaritzburg campus.
(2013) Idoniboye-Obu, Tamunotonye Ibimina.; Hoskins, Ruth Geraldine Melonie.
The purpose of this study was to examine the use of library resources by doctoral students of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), College of Humanities, Pietermaritzburg campus. The study investigated the extent of the use of the library resources by doctoral students in the College of Humanities, the type of library resources used and the factors that influenced such use. The study also looked at the competency of doctoral students to use them. The study population consisted of registered doctoral students in the College of Humanities as at April 2012 when the data was collected. Out of a total of 118 questionnaires distributed, 99 doctoral students responded, which yielded a response rate of 83.9%. The method that the research took was triangulation where both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. The researcher used one-on-one interviews with subject librarians at the UKZNP Library and a questionnaire as data collection instruments. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 21, while the qualitative data was analyzed using thematic content analysis. The questionnaire was pre-tested before it was used. The findings of the study revealed that a majority of the doctoral students did use the UKZNP Library resources for their research studies. As regards the importance of the library resources, out of 98 respondents who responded to the question, 77 (78.6%) of the respondents indicated that their use of library resources was because of its importance to their research study. Regarding the dependency on library resources, out of 98 respondents who responded to the question, 60 (61.2%) respondents said their extent of use of the library‟s resources was because they were very dependent on the resources of the library for their research study. In terms of usage of the library‟s resources, out of the 99 respondents who responded to the question, 50 (53.8%) said they use the library‟s resources more for their research study. When investigating the types of library resources used by doctoral students in the College of Humanities, 85 (86.7%) respondents used electronic databases, while 77 (78.6%) used print materials (books and journals); 68 (69.4%) used the inter-library loan service and 60 (61.2%) used theses and dissertations amongst other resources. With regards to the influencing factors for such use of library resources by doctoral students in the College of Humanities, the study found that 93 (97.9%) influencing factors for the respondents was to borrow materials, like printed books and journal articles, for their research studies, while for 52 (54.7%) respondents, a factor was to use inter-library loan services for their research studies and for 38 (40.0%) it was to search the databases for information for their research studies. Furthermore, the study also wanted to determine how competent the doctoral students in the College of Humanities were in using the different library resources of the UKZNP Library. Out of 99 respondents, 79 (79.8%) considered themselves to be competent users of the different library resources with particular reference to electronic resources, while 16.2 (16.2%) considered themselves not to be competent and four (4.0%) did not respond to the question. Having seen the extent of use of the library resources by doctoral students in the College of Humanities, the type of resources the doctoral students used, the factors that influenced such use and the competency of use, the study also discovered that there were challenges that these doctoral students encountered while using the library‟s resources. Some of these challenges were: difficulties in locating resources on shelves as a result of the misplaced and disorganized arrangement of material; out of date printed resource material and insufficient time for borrowing books on reserve. With electronic databases, some of the challenges were that important journals and books were not available electronically, remote access was difficult because of passwords and logins, and some electronic databases only offer abstracts rather than full text articles. In addition, electronic databases were often very slow to conclude searches. A final challenge encountered by the doctoral students was that subject librarians were always very busy attending to students and sometimes not available to help. Recommendations based on the findings of the study were also presented in chapter five and six of this study. Suggestions on how the library can better serve the doctoral students of the UKZNP campus were also given in the concluding chapter.

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Information Studies) by Author "Hoskins, Ruth Geraldine Melonie."