Volume 26, Issue 1

Background. Over the past four decades there have been considerable arguments against the arbitrary use of Garfield’s Impact Factor in research evaluation. Over the past decade, the emergence of databases with considerable breadth of coverage, such as Scopus and Google Scholar, together with the general demand for greater accuracy in journal assessments, has motivated the emergence of alternative journal indicators. However, the study of Latin American journals using these quantitative measures is still scarce.
Objectives. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the use of advanced bibliometric indicators to analyze the performance of scientific journals, and to identify a mainstream journals core in national and regional contexts.
Methods. Thomson Reuters’ Journal Citation Report and Elsevier’s Journal Metrics were used as information sources. Four bibliometric indicators were selected to identify clusters of high-visibility journals: Impact Factor, Eigenfactor Score, Source Normalized Impact per Paper, and SCImago Journal Rank. A Self-Organizing Map (SOM) based artificial intelligence method to identify a mainstream journals core was also used. Mexican serials were selected for the case study.
Results. The coverage of Mexican journals in Web of Science and Scopus during the period 2004-2013 was studied. The performance of Mexican scientific journals was also evaluated. Mexican journal rankings based on Scopus-based metrics versus Web of Science-based metrics were compared.
Contribution. The most visible Mexican mainstream serials core is identified. Librarians, researchers and research managers can use alternative indicators and Self-Organizing Maps to characterize journals rankings.

Background. Academic libraries, and the students and faculty that they serve, have different definitions of safe space. The attempts of both parties to construct a safe space for digital scholarship in the library can clash based on these divergent perspectives. While the number of academic libraries providing some form of digital scholarship support is increasing, the library definition of safe space, as well as the working culture of the library, has the potential to render libraries unsafe spaces for innovation and digital scholarship.
Objectives. The author of this paper will address the challenges that academic libraries face in creating safe spaces for digital scholarship. Major challenges include differences in working and leadership styles among different librarians, as well as the library’s assumption that academic libraries automatically function as safe spaces.
Results. To date no safe space assessment tool exists specifically for academic libraries or any organization that wishes to provide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related education. Using models for organizational change and strategic planning, the author proposes a series of recommendations and questions that academic libraries seeking to implement or improve digital scholarship services should investigate.

Background. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) offers tracking capability to locate equipment, supplies and people in real time, and provides efficient and accurate access to library transactions such as book search, borrow, book return, etc. However, the adoption of RFID in libraries lags behind earlier expectations.
Objective. A formal innovation-decision framework is used to analyze the literature on the use of RFID in libraries. The purpose is to identify common applications, potential benefits, barriers and critical success factors. This paper seeks to offer quick assessment of RFID in libraries and provide guidance for researchers and practitioners in adopting RFID in libraries.
Results. Many earlier adopters in libraries found RFID to be functional and useful in such areas as asset tracking and item identification. Major barriers to adoption include technological limitations, interference concerns, prohibitive costs, lack of global standards and privacy concerns. A better designed RFID system available at a low cost and that addresses privacy issues is needed to increase the adoption of RFID in libraries.

Many digital collections of cultural heritage resources, commonly referred to as digital archives, have been developed in Japan. This paper covers the multiple facets of digital archiving for a comprehensive understanding of Japanese activities and issues learnt since the 1990s, starting from the development of digital archives and related activities. It then discusses some issues for sustainable development of digital archives: social, usability, technological and longevity. As building and maintaining digital archives is expensive, it is important to demonstrate their value to ensure their sustainability. Continuous effort must be made to build really usable digital archives, and to develop appropriate measures to evaluate usability. Such effort must include human resource development and community networking.

This paper describes the efforts of the National Central Library, Taiwan, in its International Digitalization Project of Rare Books and Domestic Digitization Project of Modern Chinese Books. The former project is a collaboration with the U.S. Library of Congress, University of Washington, University of California, Berkeley, University of Toronto, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France to digitize Chinese rare books. The latter project is a collaboration with the National Taiwan University Library, National Taiwan Normal University Library, National ChengChi University Libraries, National Taiwan Library, National Library of Public Information, together with other public libraries, cultural institutions, and government agencies to digitalize books published in the twentieth century, especially during the period 1911-1949.

With the rapid growth in the body of scientific data, scientific research depends more and more on finding theories and knowledge from the data, and thus data-intensive scientific discovery has become the fourth paradigm of scientific research. Therefore, it is urgent to develop and adopt methods to support the collection, collation, preservation and utilization of scientific data. This paper provides an overview of scientific data curation research and practices in mainland China. Firstly, it reviews Chinese research articles on data curation and outlines the research status and progress in this area. Secondly, it surveys existing scientific data repositories or platforms in mainland China, and analyzes the gaps between China’s and other countries’ data curation practices.

The paper examines digitization and preservation initiatives in selected academic and research libraries in the Philippines. It identifies the drivers for the projects, practices followed and issues encountered. Most of the projects were initiated by the librarians in cooperation with information and communication technology personnel. The selection of the materials for digitization was based on demand, the condition of the print format and importance of the materials for future use. Conversion into microfilm from digital format, use of Internet mirror sites, and off-site repositories of data on hard disks were some of the preservation methods practiced by libraries. Challenges faced by digital curation activities include the need to develop digital curation skills of information professionals and researchers, and to develop the information infrastructure of the institutions and the country.