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Thornley, Clare V.
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Thornley, Clare V.
Official Name
Thornley, Clare V.
Research Output
Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
- PublicationThe experience of Chinese students in Irish third level libraries: an investigation of current challenges and an analysis of possible solutions(The Library Association of Ireland and The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Ireland, 2011-10)
; Past research has shown that international students often experience difficulty in the library due to cultural differences and difficulties with language and communication. This can cause a gap between the quality of library service experienced by international students and indigenous students in any country. Previous studies have tended to investigate international students as one entire group rather than a multitude of different nationalities with different needs. In the Irish context little has been done to investigate the library experiences of international students, despite the constant efforts being made to attract international students to study here and the huge revenues they generate into the economy. This article, based on a Masters thesis in Library and Information Studies (2010), provides an insight into the academic library experiences of Chinese students (both under-graduate and post-graduate) studying at an Irish third level institution. Corroborating past research conducted elsewhere, it found that they do not always enjoy the same quality of library service as indigenous students or those whose first language is English. This is due to factors such as limited communication skills, diverse cultural traits, and a lack of understanding of library services. It also found that the library failed to adapt to a diverse user base in areas such as policy making and user instruction. It suggests that the library should acknowledge the cultural traits of Chinese students, and others, when developing library induction and training courses. It recommends that library staff undergo training in how best to serve an international user base. Finally, it suggests that co-operation with the International office and student societies are essential to find ways to establish a library service that is useful to all patrons.808 - PublicationA bibliometric study of video retrieval evaluation benchmarking (TRECVid) : a methodological analysis(Sage, 2011-12-19)
; ; ; This paper provides a discussion and analysis of methodological issues encountered during a scholarly impact and bibliometric study within the field of computer science (TRECVid Text Retrieval and Evaluation Conference, Video Retrieval Evaluation). The purpose of this paper is to provide a reflection and analysis of the methods used to provide useful information and guidance for those who may wish to undertake similar studies, and is of particular relevance for the academic disciplines which have publication and citation norms that may not perform well using traditional tools. Scopus and Google Scholar are discussed and a detailed comparison of the effects of different search methods and cleaning methods within and between these tools for subject and author analysis is provided. The additional database capabilities and usefulness of “Scopus More” in addition to “Scopus General” is discussed and evaluated. Scopus paper coverage is found to favourably compare to Google Scholar but Scholar consistently has superior performance at finding citations to those papers. These additional citations significantly increase the citation totals and also change the relative ranking of papers. Publish or Perish (PoP), a software wrapper for Google Scholar, is also examined and its limitations and some possible solutions are described. Data cleaning methods, including duplicate checks, expert domain checking of bibliographic data, and content checking of retrieved papers are compared and their relative effects on paper and citation count discussed. Google Scholar and Scopus are also compared as tools for collecting bibliographic data for visualisations of developing trends and, due to the comparative ease of collecting abstracts, Scopus is found far more effective.1952 - PublicationHow do libraries manage the ethical and privacy issues of RFID implementation? A qualitative investigation into the decision-making processes of ten librariesThis paper explores how library managers go about implementing RFID (radio frequency identification) technology and particularly how associated privacy issues have been managed. The research methodology consisted of a literature review, theme identification, interview scheduling, interviews and interview analysis. The sample was ten libraries or library networks and eighteen participants. Findings covered the main drivers of RFID development, perceived benefits, tag data, data security, levels of ethical concern, public consultation, potential impact of technological developments on ethical issues, and managers’ sources of ethical decision-making. Analysis of potential ethical issues was not found to be a central part of the process of implementing RFID technology in the libraries. The study sees RFID implementation as an informative example of current practice in the implementation of new technologies in libraries and suggests that we look at management structures and decision making processes to clarify where responsibility for ethical considerations should lie.
934Scopus© Citations 9 - PublicationThe application of RFIDs in libraries : an assessment of technological, management and professional issuesThis paper starts by outlining the technologies involved in RFIDs and reviews the issues raised by their general application. It then identifies their potential application areas within the library sector based on a generic process view of library activities. Finally it highlights the issues that are raised by their application in libraries and provides an assessment of which of these issues are likely to raise ethical concerns for library professionals. The purpose is to provide an overview of the technology within the context of the library process and to highlight issues which may raise ethical concerns for the profession. A second paper will focus specifically on these concerns within the context of the professional obligations of the librarian.
813Scopus© Citations 23 - PublicationA dialectical approach to information retrievalPurpose:The paper explores the question of whether the often paradoxical and conceptually contradictory discipline of information retrieval (IR) can be understood more clearly when it is analysed from a dialectical perspective. Methodology/Approach:Conceptual analysis and literature review. Findings:A dialectical understanding of meaning can assist in clarifying some aspects of the complex nature of current IR theory. Research Implications:Philosophy has the potential to explore the conflicts and contradictions in IR and should not be used just as a means of synthesis and resolution. The use of the philosophy of meaning should include a broader understanding of the philosophical oppositions which lie behind the nature of meaning. Originality/value of paper:This paper suggests a new perspective on the role of meaning in IR: the dialectical model.
533Scopus© Citations 13 - PublicationMeaning in philosophy and meaning in information retrieval (IR)Purpose -The paper explores the question of whether the differences between meaning in philosophy and meaning in information retrieval (IR) have implications for the use of philosophy in supporting research in IR. Design/methodology/approach - Conceptual analysis and literature review. Findings - There are some differences in the role of meaning in terms of purpose, content and use which should be clarified in order to assist a productive relationship between the philosophy of language and IR. Research Implications -This provides some new theoretical insights into the philosophical context of IR. It suggests that further productive work on the central concepts within IR could be achieved through the use of a methodology which analyses how exactly these concepts are discussed in other disciplines and the implications of any differences in the way in which they may operate in IR. Originality/value - This paper suggests a new perspective on the relationship between philosophy and IR by exploring the role of meaning in these respective disciplines and highlighting differences, as well as similarities, with particular reference to the role of information as well as meaning in IR. This contributes to an understanding of two of the central concepts in IR, meaning and information, and the ways in which they are related. There is a history of work in IR and information science (IS) examining dilemmas (Neill, 1987; Ellis, 1992, 1996) and this paper builds on this work by relating it to some similar dilemmas in philosophy. Thus it develops the theory and conceptual understanding of IR by suggesting that philosophy could be used as a way of exploring intractable dilemmas in IR.
929Scopus© Citations 11 - PublicationDo RFIDs (radio frequency identifier devices) provide new ethical dilemmas for librarians and information professionals?Abstract: This paper provides an analysis of the current and potential ethical implications of RFID technology for the library and information professions. These issues are analysed as a series of ethical dilemmas, or hard-to-resolve competing ethical obligations, which the librarian has in relationship to information objects, library users and the wider social and political environment or state. A process model of the library is used as a framework for the discussion to illustrate the relationship between the different participants in the library system and it is argued that ethical analysis should involve the identification of future developments as well as current issues. The analysis shows that RFIDs do currently pose some dilemmas for librarians in terms of the conflicts between efficient service, privacy of users and an obligation to protect the safety of society as a whole, and that these are likely to become more problematic as the technology develops. This paper is part 2 of a series of papers on RFIDs and the library and information professions.
5087Scopus© Citations 17 - PublicationThe scholarly impact of TRECVid (2003-2009)This paper reports on an investigation into the scholarly impact of the TRECVid (TREC Video Retrieval Evaluation) benchmarking conferences between 2003 and 2009. The contribution of TRECVid to research in video retrieval is assessed by analyzing publication content to show the development of techniques and approaches over time and by analyzing publication impact through publication numbers and citation analysis. Popular conference and journal venues for TRECVid publications are identified in terms of number of citations received. For a selection of participants at different career stages, the relative importance of TRECVid publications in terms of citations vis a vis their other publications is investigated. TRECVid, as an evaluation conference, provides data on which research teams ‘scored’ highly against the evaluation criteria and the relationship between ‘top scoring’ teams at TRECVid and the ‘top scoring’ papers in terms of citations is analysed. A strong relationship was found between ‘success’ at TRECVid and ‘success’ at citations both for high scoring and low scoring teams. The implications of the study in terms of the value of TRECVid as a research activity, and the value of bibliometric analysis as a research evaluation tool, are discussed.
783Scopus© Citations 33 - PublicationDilemmas in information science (IS) and information retrieval (IR): recurring challenges or new solutions?Purpose: This paper analyses the extent to which understanding IS and IR as disciplines characterised by intractable dilemmas is a useful conceptual framework through reviewing and re-evaluating an important contribution to the field (Neill, 1987, 1992) in light of more recent developments. Design/methodology/approach: This paper reviews the discussion of central dilemmas within information science (IS) and information retrieval (IR), through literature review and conceptual analysis. It assesses the extent to which they remain intractable problems or whether improved solutions have been developed and discusses the implications of these ongoing challenges. The main problem addressed is, in Neill’s (1987, 1992) terminology “the dilemma of the subjective in information organisation and retrieval” which is understood as the problem of how the meaning of documents can be represented to meet the needs of the user. Findings: Many of the dilemmas discussed within IS and IR remain fairly intractable primarily because information and meaning have both subjective and objective qualities which often have a complex relationship. Recent technological developments have, however, altered the nature of some of these dilemmas and also created some new dilemmas for the subject. Research implications/limitations: Historical perspectives within IR and IS should be used when discussing theoretical and technological developments in the subject. The conceptual framework of dilemmas remains a useful theoretical tool for IS and IR in terms of examining the nature of problems in research and practice. Originality/value: This paper re-visits an important theme in IS and IR and provides an updated perspective on some central issues.
476Scopus© Citations 2