The key objective of this research was to compare the satisfaction levels of private and public university librarians (ULs) regarding research support services (RSSs). The study used judgmental and convenience sampling techniques to collect data from the respondents via a selfadministered questionnaire used offline/online. The questionnaire focused on four facets of RSSs. An independent t-test was applied for data analysis. The study outcomes illustrated that no significant difference existed between the librarians of private and public universities regarding the RSSs provided. The mean scores of the four RSSA factors confirmed that respondents were moderately satisfied with their RSSs. Moreover, in the majority of the cases, public ULs were slightly better than their counterparts in the private sector. The findings of this study might create healthy competition between the private and public ULs in Pakistan and abroad.
This paper aims to measure the digital literacy skills (DLSs) of university librarians (ULs) as the predictor of the enhanced digital reference services (DRSs) they provide. It also attempts to identify the best predictor of DLSs to improve DRSs in libraries. The study population comprised the ULs of Punjab, Pakistan. A structured questionnaire was developed to collect quantitative data from the study participants. The purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from 190 ULs. The findings highlighted that the level of UL’s DLSs to provide DRSs was high. The DLSs of ULs created 59.8% variability in providing DRSs. Furthermore, the beta coefficient value of the factor ‘information retrieval skill’ was identified as the best predictor of DRSs compared to other skills. The results concluded that DLSs are a prerequisite for offering vibrant DRSs. This research may help ULs to improve the deficient areas of their DLSs and provide advanced-level DRSs. The findings may also help ULs and policymakers design continuous development training programs to enhance the DLSs of librarians.
The study explores the effect of Digital Financial Literacy (DFL) on Financial Well-Being (FWB) among young adults. It also investigates the moderating role of financial self-efficacy (FSE) between DFL and FWB. It is a quantitative study based on a questionnaire survey. Data was collected from digitally literate young adults aged 18-26 through an online questionnaire. The questionnaire has three constructs: DFL, FWB, and FSE. The sample size was determined according to itemized sampling criteria. The data was analyzed and the hypotheses were tested through SPSS and PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling). The findings showed that DFL and financial self-efficacy have a significant positive direct effect on financial well-being. The proposed moderating hypothesis was not accepted and indicates financial self-efficacy did not moderate the relationship between DFL and financial well-being. It noted that a greater FSE strengthens the positive relationship between DFL and FWB, on the other hand, a lower FSE may lessen the positive effect. Financial organizations, such as banks and fintech organizations, can organize seminars and campaigns to instruct young adults on the proper use of digital financial platforms. Enhancing young adults' DFL and FSE leads to increased financial independence, stability, and well-being to make wise financial decisions while reducing their financial stress. It offers novel insights into the relationship between young adults' financial well-being and their level of financial selfefficacy and DFL.
The assessment was performed according to 57 indicators across the nine determinants identified in the model, including stakeholder engagement, community competence, content development, technology innovation, feedback systems, regulatory support, institutional cooperation, cultural inclusivity, and industrial partnerships. The population of the study comprised 117 staff working in IR units across 14 public universities in Nigeria. This study's findings reveal that none of the determinants influencing the implementation of Sustainable Institutional Repositories (IRs) have been fully realized. While six determinants have made significant progress, three remain at the initial implementation stage. Stakeholders indicate commendable performance in staff management for IRs, fostering teamwork, and strengthening internal relationships within the repository team. However, there is a noticeable absence of indices reflecting relationships between teams and scholars. Similarly, the findings reveal that universities lack partnerships with international journals/publishers and show minimal engagement with local peer-reviewed journals for depositing publications into repositories. These universities have not yet established affiliations with other repositories or digital libraries for data harvesting, nor have they endorsed any open-access declaration to support repository practices. Nigeria should revive and establish new collaborations for resource sharing, expertise, and data harvesting, as well as create partnerships with local and international journal publishers for deposits into the repositories. Library schools should reform their curricula to reflect the current practice of scholarly communication and repository management. This research is the first to measure the implementation level of Institutional Repositories (IRs) in Nigeria using a novel assessment framework tailored to the African context, offering a comprehensive analysis of 57 indicators across nine determinants of IR sustainability. It highlights progress in internal management while identifying significant gaps in external collaborations. The research provides valuable insights into stakeholder engagement and presents actionable recommendations, including policy development, fostering partnerships, and updating educational curricula to enhance IR sustainability in Nigerian universities.
This study explores the bibliometric dynamics, publication trends, and scholarly landscape of library services research in Pakistan from 1991 to 2023. It aimed to assess the growth, collaboration, and impact trends in Pakistani library services research. 449 documents were retrieved from the Scopus database and analyzed using the bibliometric analysis tool Biblioshiny. Findings have revealed significant growth in research output, collaborative endeavors, and international recognition of Pakistani scholarship. However, a disparity between the publication output and citation uptake after 2011 was identified, signaling a potential research gap. The study highlights leading sources, highly cited papers, prominent institutions, prolific authors, and trending topics shaping the discourse in this field. The conclusion underscores the need for continued investment, interdisciplinary collaboration, and responsive research efforts to ensure the relevance, visibility, and sustainability of library services research in Pakistan. Implications include informing policy, guiding academic institutions, enhancing professional development, fostering global collaboration, and identifying future research directions to address critical issues facing library services in Pakistan.
Citizen science, the involvement of the public in scientific research, is a growing trend that presents both opportunities and challenges for academic libraries. This study delves into the realm of citizen science engagement within Malaysian academic libraries, offering a qualitative exploration of participation levels and difficulties confronted by academic librarians. Drawing upon in-depth interviews, our research unveils the multifaceted landscape of citizen science involvement in Malaysian academic libraries. Key findings underscore the potential benefits and hurdles academic libraries face in fostering citizen science initiatives. Results offer a comprehensive analysis of the present status and prospective development of citizen science initiatives in academic libraries in Malaysia. The study highlights the importance of addressing prevalent obstacles to optimize the advantages of involving the public in scientific research. It also contributes to the evolving field of library and information science by providing evidence of intricate dynamics and possible opportunities for citizen science within the academic library context.
The use of social media has become widespread in recent years. It is an excellent source of social interaction, and students routinely use various social media platforms for different academic activities. This study aimed to review and synthesize research on social media usage and its impact on university students in Pakistan. The systematic literature review (SLR) technique was used. With the help of a refined search string, a systematic review of studies published in the English language between 2010 and2022 was conducted. The data was collected from the Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the Library Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA) database. Thirty-one studies were selected after a rigorous review of 1244 studies. It was found that most quantitative research studies were conducted using the survey method and reported both positive and negative impacts of social media. The results highlighted that Pakistani students use social media for (1) knowledge sharing, (2) socialization, (3) political awareness, (4) job hunting, and (5) cross-cultural communication and coordination. They also support the positive impact of social media use among Pakistani students. The novelty of this research is rooted in the comprehensive search and systematic review of social media research from the Pakistani university student's perspective, which has not been unified to the present date. The results of this study would provide valuable insights to educational administrators regarding the formal adoption of social media technologies for teaching and research in the educational institutions of Pakistan.
The best way to communicate and disseminate knowledge in a profession is through publications and research activities. Maintaining and developing the body of knowledge specific to physiotherapy is crucial for enhancing the current knowledge and supporting the idea of evidence-based physiotherapy practice. This study aimed to investigate the research output of physiotherapy professionals in Pakistan during the last three decades (1992-2022). The bibliometric analysis technique was adopted to conduct this study. Data from the Web of Science (core collection) was extracted in November 2022 via electronic searching using the query: ALL= (Physical therapy AND Pakistan OR physiotherapy AND Pakistan OR manual therapy AND Pakistan OR physical rehabilitation AND Pakistan OR Exercise therapy AND Pakistan. The search yielded 2, 390 articles that were published between 1992 and 2022. 508 relevant publications were finally selected for further analysis based on the study's inclusion criteria. The bibliometric analysis results highlighted that there has been a consistent rise in the number of published articles over the past 30 years, with the peak publication trend seen in 2020. The analysis also revealed the most productive authors, journals, and their co-authors' networking in this domain. The most frequently used author keywords and the most collaborative country in research with Pakistan were also identified. However, it was observed that there were specific clusters of research work; certain institutions and authors were very active in research, highlighting a somewhat non-diversified research activity in the profession. Furthermore, the articles were primarily published in Pakistan-based journals, indicating a limited spread of knowledge.
This study explored the adoption, benefits, and challenges of HRIS in a public organization in Pakistan. Using the case study approach, qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews at various levels in a hierarchy. The study found that the organization could not achieve the benefits of HRIS as established in the literature. The adoption of HRIS remained quite slow and resulted in parallel systems (manual and automated) in the organization. In light of institutional logics perspective, the organization is struggling with contradictory pressures from the new logic of HRIS and the previous logic of manual HR system, which is costly for the organization. Out of various barriers identified, in the adoption of HRIS, the most crucial are lack of top management support and less technical knowledge to use the new system. The findings implied that mere adoption of HRIS could not produce the desired results until serious efforts were made for its successful implementation.
Throughout the historical ages, migration movements have occurred due to different reasons such as wars, internal disturbances, environmental disasters, economic depressions, technological developments, and education. Efficient integration of individuals into society as a result of migration depends on the development of a multicultural perspective. Libraries are among the leading institutions today in terms of recognizing different cultures. Libraries serve everyone in society without any discrimination. In multicultural societies, immigrants can quickly and easily access all kinds of information they need from cultural libraries and information centers so that they can adapt to their new places and get equal service in cultural and social fields. For instance Canada, which is an example of a multicultural society, people who have been in the country were interviewed in the study aiming to evaluate the communication skills of staff working in library services. The data obtained with the semi-structured interview technique were subjected to thematic analysis. As a result of the analysis, a total of seven sub-themes were determined with two themes, ‘Library Services' and ‘Communication Skills'.
In the post-internet era, the Web has become a conventional Medium for information seeking. Due to the pervasive role of the web in information seeking many scholars have studied its different aspects. The purpose of this study is to further extend the scope of information seeking research by examining the role of the characteristics of the Web (e.g., ease of navigation, ease of searching), properties of information (e.g., organization of information, quality of information, amount of information), and demographic factors in information seeking on the Web. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from participants at a regional university. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics were used to analyze the responses. Notable impact of demographics such as gender and age was found in the use of the Web for information seeking. Specifically, it was found that females used the Web for information surfing more than the male participants and also preferred more the availability of information in different media formats. Age was found to be a significant influencer in terms of the importance placed on properties of information (e.g., quality of information) and characterizes of the Web (e.g., ease of search). Contrary to the common perceptions, it was found that as knowledge about computers increased the importance placed on convenience in finding information on the Web decreased. Authoritative offline information sources were still considered highly important in information seeking. The findings of this study will inform research on information seeking and will help information professionals to better facilitate users' seeking of information on the Web.
Publishing in the prestigious research avenues is considerable important for the researchers and academicians. However, selecting the right journal to suit the research topic and quality of research is a tiresome task. Studying the nature of the research published in differently ranked journals is important to understand the difference of research and publication trends. This study aims to examine a differences and similarities of the research published in the Q1 and Q4 ranked Library and Information Science (LIS). A total 21,437 documents were selected from WoS Q1 and Q4 category LIS journals for this study. Then the data of Q1 and Q4 journals was separately accessed, analyzed and compared with different tool including MS Access, MS Excel, Gaphi, Biblioshiny, and VOS Viewer software. We found significant differences in the LIS research themes and publication trends between the Q1 and Q4 category publications. The Q1 journals are publishing on emerging bibliometrics, technology related topics like social media, information systems, machine learning etc., innovating practices and research. While, Q4 journals mostly publish about academic libraries, information seeking, literacy and behavioral research. Topical evaluation reveled citation analysis, bibliometrics, social media, innovation and collaboration as emerging topics in both Q1 and Q4 category journals but differ in terms of total publications order. This is the first study to the best knowledge or understanding by the authors to examining the similarities and differences in a Q1 and Q4 ranked LIS journals related to the research trends, publishing institution, individuals, countries, etc. It also identifies and compares the Q1 and Q4 journal's major research topics, topical evolution over years, most citied research themes that can also be considered a novel contribution to the field. This study provides a holistic overview of topical evolution and emerging research foci for the LIS researchers, especially early career researchers, academicians, and research students to make right decisions for research topic, publication avenues, collaborators, and potential areas of interest to attract research grants. This method of comparing category-based research trends can assist library practitioners working for research support and information literacy to assist their users in the selection of topics for potential publications and publication avenues to create impact.
This study aimed to analyze the scholarly productivity of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore, over 50 years, from 1973 to 2022. Data indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database was used and included information such as document type, year-wise research output, leading authors, significant collaborative organizations, primary international author collaborations, key corresponding author affiliations by country, major funding agencies, and highly cited publications. For bibliometric visualization, the BiblioShiny and VOSviewer software tools were employed. A comprehensive analysis of 5502 publications across diverse categories, such as research articles, conference papers, abstracts, reviews, editorials and others, was conducted. The UET research productivity displayed a positive trend, with 2022 emerging as the most productive year. Research articles constituted the predominant publication type, showcasing their popularity. Collaboration emerged as a preferred approach among researchers, evidenced by the prevalence of co-authored publications. The majority of the corresponding co- authors were affiliated with Pakistani institutions. The University of the Punjab (PU), Pakistan, was a prominent collaborative partner among all institutes. China was identified as the primary international collaborator for the researchers. Furthermore, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan was seen to be the primary funding agency for researchers at UET. The research domain of "engineering" claimed the most productivity, and "performance" was the most frequently used keyword. This study helps understand UET's research performance in the domains of engineering, science and technology.
This paper reports on the assessment of construct validity and reliability of an instrument used to measure librarians' adoption and implementation of Evidence-based Librarianship (EBL) in the acquisition decision of electronic resources. The instrument is developed based on well-established theories/models of Technology Organization and Environment (TOE), Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT), and a Concern-based Adoption Model (CBAM) with a newly added construct, user needs, and preferences. The instrument was evaluated using the Partial Least Squares (SMART- PLS) software applications using structural equation modelling (SEM) to determine its validity and reliability through) analysis of the measurement model (outer model) and ii) analysis of the structural model (inner model). A total of 278 participants were identified from the 1040 research population. This research applied probability sampling using proportionate stratified techniques to gather responses from librarians in library and information center management. The results of both analyses indicated that the construct validity and reliability of the instrument were acceptable and moderate, respectively. The internal consistency reported a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.718 to 0.956, composite reliability of 0.70 and 0.90, average variance extracted value above 0.50. The model prediction accuracy and relevancy revealed R2 (adoption: 0.300, implementation 0.399) and Q2 (adoption 0.213, implementation 0.227), which were acceptable and moderate, respectively. The model has also been reported to be free from collinearity issues. Thus, the instrument is ready for use in e-resource and evidence-based library acquisition research.
The study explores the effect of Digital Financial Literacy (DFL) on Financial Well-Being (FWB) among young adults. It also investigates the moderating role of financial self-efficacy (FSE) between DFL and FWB. It is a quantitative study based on a questionnaire survey. Data was collected from digitally literate young adults aged 18-26 through an online questionnaire. The questionnaire has three constructs: DFL, FWB, and FSE. The sample size was determined according to itemized sampling criteria. The data was analyzed and the hypotheses were tested through SPSS and PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling). The findings showed that DFL and financial self-efficacy have a significant positive direct effect on financial well-being. The proposed moderating hypothesis was not accepted and indicates financial self-efficacy did not moderate the relationship between DFL and financial well-being. It noted that a greater FSE strengthens the positive relationship between DFL and FWB, on the other hand, a lower FSE may lessen the positive effect. Financial organizations, such as banks and fintech organizations, can organize seminars and campaigns to instruct young adults on the proper use of digital financial platforms. Enhancing young adults' DFL and FSE leads to increased financial independence, stability, and well-being to make wise financial decisions while reducing their financial stress. It offers novel insights into the relationship between young adults' financial well-being and their level of financial selfefficacy and DFL.
This paper aims to measure the digital literacy skills (DLSs) of university librarians (ULs) as the predictor of the enhanced digital reference services (DRSs) they provide. It also attempts to identify the best predictor of DLSs to improve DRSs in libraries. The study population comprised the ULs of Punjab, Pakistan. A structured questionnaire was developed to collect quantitative data from the study participants. The purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from 190 ULs. The findings highlighted that the level of UL’s DLSs to provide DRSs was high. The DLSs of ULs created 59.8% variability in providing DRSs. Furthermore, the beta coefficient value of the factor ‘information retrieval skill’ was identified as the best predictor of DRSs compared to other skills. The results concluded that DLSs are a prerequisite for offering vibrant DRSs. This research may help ULs to improve the deficient areas of their DLSs and provide advanced-level DRSs. The findings may also help ULs and policymakers design continuous development training programs to enhance the DLSs of librarians.
The key objective of this research was to compare the satisfaction levels of private and public university librarians (ULs) regarding research support services (RSSs). The study used judgmental and convenience sampling techniques to collect data from the respondents via a selfadministered questionnaire used offline/online. The questionnaire focused on four facets of RSSs. An independent t-test was applied for data analysis. The study outcomes illustrated that no significant difference existed between the librarians of private and public universities regarding the RSSs provided. The mean scores of the four RSSA factors confirmed that respondents were moderately satisfied with their RSSs. Moreover, in the majority of the cases, public ULs were slightly better than their counterparts in the private sector. The findings of this study might create healthy competition between the private and public ULs in Pakistan and abroad.
The way COVID-19 impacted every aspect of human life around the world, is now considered more disastrous than the World War II. Both the policy and academic researchers have been contributing to assess its severity and impact on businesses and economies while examining the foci of business researchers in this era of contagion. In this assessment, we have applied the approaches of bibliometric and content analysis on 403 qualified studies, drawn from the Scopus database. The period of data ranges from 2003 to June 2020. We identified 11 different research streams including tourism, supply chain besides economic and finance-related research. We highlighted the sub-streams and main concerns raised in the published literature. The findings of this research indicate that COVID will force the policy makers to come up with strategy and changes in various business fields. The implications of the study may be important for business managers to chalk out a proactive approach for business handling during and post-COVID eras.
This study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis and science mapping of the publications emerging from the COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Pakistan. Bibliometrics and visualization techniques were used in this study. The data were collected from the Web of Science database with the "COMSATS University Islamabad" query in the affiliation category.A total of 26,841 documents were retrieved. VOSviewer, Biblioshiny, ScientoPy, and MS Excel software were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the number of publications, particularly articles, has progressively increased. COMSATS had the most national collaborations with Quaid-e-Azam University, and China was identified as the top-ranked country for international collaborations. Furthermore, Engineering was the most attractive area for the CUI authors. This study would guide the researchers regarding important research areas while conducting, collaborating, and submitting their research in international databases.
