An examination of information ethics standards in the management of open access electronic information resources (OAEIR) by Zimbabwean university libraries = Ukuhlolwa kwamazinga oLwazi lwendlelakuziphatha ekulawulweni kokufinyelela okuvulelekile emithonjeni kagesi ngemitapo yolwazi yasenyuvesi yaseZimbabwe.

Abstract

The information society has given university libraries new technological tools and platforms to connect with their clients, eliminating the need to constrain what the library publishes and provision of access to its clients. However, it also unlocked many unanswered ethical questions and dimensions. The proliferation of open access electronic information resources (OAEIR) has created more significant ethical challenges for Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals, from the privacy, accuracy, property, and access to ethical standards, more so from the African cultural perspective. LIS professionals' adoption of information ethics standards, ethical dimensions and associated dilemmas are increasingly becoming topical issues in the information society due to the proliferation of OAEIR. The study was conducted to determine the adoption of information ethics standards in managing OAEIR by LIS professionals. Additionally, the study sought to determine information ethics dilemmas encountered by LIS professionals in executing open access electronic information management processes. Finally, the study sought to establish contextual information ethics standards that LIS professionals could implement in the open access electronic information management processes. The study adopted the deontological ethics theoretical framework and PAPA information ethics framework to thoroughly interrogate the library information processes, which are creation, organisation, and dissemination. The study used a pragmatism worldview as a research paradigm, a mixed methods research approach, and a sequential explanatory research design. The study population was drawn from LIS professionals serving in nine Zimbabwean university libraries. The study used the census survey sampling techniqu e and purposive sampling for operational level LIS professionals and managerial level LIS professionals, respectively. Additionally, the study used document analysis, which looked at OAEIR related policies and standard operating procedures. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis procedures were employed through descriptive statistics analysis and the SPSS, and thematic content analysis, respectively. The findings revealed that there was generally a lack of information and awareness on information ethics available to LIS professionals. University libraries' affiliation to the LIS code of ethics was viewed in terms of being members of either AfLIA or IFLA, but with no clear policy guidelines on how they would draw from these institutions’ codes. Local professional associations such as ZimLA and ZULC were not doing enough to conscientise LIS professionals on the profession's ethics. Resultantly, university libraries lacked clear policy direction regarding LIS professionals' ethical obligations in electronic content, affecting how ethical issues were being implemented in everyday electronic library workflow operations. Information management in this contemporary library environment and the information-seeking behaviour of library clients have created many ethical dilemmas for LIS professionals. The electronic information revolution has created many problematic ethical grey areas for LIS professionals, and generally in all PAPA, in the management processes of OAEIR. LIS professionals' application of ethical standards in the day-to-day management of OAEIR was influenced by duty-based principles at the library level, aided by experience. LIS professionals' culture greatly impacted the adoption and application of ethical principles and decisions in the management of OAEIR, ushering in an African culture ethical dimension. The available global codes of ethics standards for LIS professionals applied to LIS professionals in Zimbabwe in a broader sense, hence the need for a contextualised code of ethics framework. The study's findings contribute towards awareness, perception, and adoption of information ethics standards by Zimbabwean university libraries and other local affiliated associations, including managing ethical dilemmas emanating from the management of OAEIR. The study findings contribute a cultural dimension to the deontology ethics theoretical framework, thereby enhancing appreciation of the theory. The findings also contribute to more research on information ethics in relation to the LIS profession, especially from the African perspective, in addition to the offering of the discipline in LIS studies across the country and beyond, especially as viewed through the eyes of the contemporary library field.

Iqoqa.

Inhlangano yolwazi inikeze imitapo yolwazi yasemanyuvesi ubuchwepheshe obusha ukuze axhumane namakhasimende awo, lokhu kuzonciphisa izinga lokuthi amanyuvesi ancike kakhulu kuyona ekuhlinzekeni izidingo kumakhasimende awo. Kodwa-ke, le nhlangano iphinde yavulela imibuzo eminingi engaphenduliwe ngokuziphasa, okudala izinselelo ezibalulekile zokuziphatha kwezobuchwepheshe bemitapolwazi, iLibrary and Information Science (i-LIS) ekulawuleni izinsiza zolwazi oludluliswa ngezobuchwepheshe, i-open access electronic information resources (OAEIR). Ngenxa yalesi sizathu, ukusetshenziswa kolwazi ngendlela efanele nokunengqondo ekuxazululeni izinkinga zansuku zonke kuya ngokuya kuba inselelo kulo mphakathi wolwazi. Ngenxa yalokho, ukwanda kobuchwepheshe obuningi futhi kamuva i-OAEIR ilethe ukubaluleka kwenzindlela ezilungile zokuziphatha. Ucwaningo lwenzelwe ukuhlonza ukwamukeleka kohlelo lokuziphathi ngokuyikho ngabasebenzi abaqeqeshiwe kwezobuchwepheshe be-LIS ekulawuleni i-OAEIR, kanye nezingqinamba zokuziphatha okuhlangatshezwane nazo. Ukwengeza, lolu cwaningo belucwaninga ngolwazi lwezimo zokuziphatha, ngokombono wamasiko ase-Afrika. Njengoba manje sekugxilwe kakhulu ekusetshenzisweni ezobuchwepheshe izingxoxo ezinobuhlakani sezigxile ekutholeni izimiso zokuziphatha, kuyanda ukunakwa kwezimiso zokuziphatha ngenxa yokukhula okukhulu kobuchwepheshe besimanje obuguqule indlela ochwepheshe be-LIS abathola ngayo, abahlela, futhi basakaze ngayo ulwazi kumakhasimende abo. Nakuba imitapo yolwazi yamanyuvesi ibilokhu yamukela ngokuqinile i-OAEIR, ukwamukelwa kwezindinganiso zokuziphatha ekuphathweni kwe-OAEIR kusadingeka ukuthi kuhlolwe kabanzi. Alukho ucwaningo oluningi olunamandla olwalutholakala, nokuthi ukucabanga okutholakalayo mayelana nezimiso zokuziphatha zolwazi e-Afrikha kwakusekuncane ngezindlela eziningi. Izifundo ze-LIS ezinikezwa njalo futhi ezindabeni zezimiso zolwazi kuphela zisantuleka kakhulu. Ucwaningo luze nendlela yokuziphatha ecacile kanye nohlaka lwezimiso zolwazi lwe-PAPA. Ucwaningo lusebenzise indlelakubuka egxile ekwenzeni, ipragmatism, indlela yocwaningo lwezindlela ezixubile, kanye nocwaningo oluchazayo ngokulandelana kwezinto. Abahlanganyeli balolu cwaningo abasebenzi abaqeqeshiwe be-LIS abasebenza emitapweni yolwazi yamanyuvesi ayisishiyagalolunye aseZimbabwe. Imiphumela iveza ukuntuleka kolwazi kanye nokusetshenziswa kwendlela elungile yokuziphatha kwabasebenzi be-LIS, okwenza kube nezinkinga eziningi abasebenzi be-LIS ababhekana nazo. Ukwengeza, abasebenzi be-LIS baphinde basebenzise amasiko abo ukulandela indlela elungile yokuziphatha, okufaka inhlese yamasiko endleleni elungile yokuziphatha.