پژوهشنامه پردازش و مدیریت اطلاعات
سال بیست و سوم شماره 1 (پیاپی 52، یاییز و زمستان 1386)

The objective of the present study was to study and analyse the design elements and features of Pars Azarakhsh software user interface and to measure the satisfaction of the users (in this case, shiraz university students) interacting with it. Other goals included measurement of impact factor of variables such as gender, field of study, academic level, library literacy, computer literacy, familiarity and experience with OPAC, and extent of OPAC usage on user satisfaction. The highest satisfaction dealt with software information displays, and the least belonged to software terminology and messages. No significance was found between the students gender, past experience and skill with Pars Azarakhsh software. No significant relationship was found between students library and computer literacies and their satisfaction with software interaction. There is however a significant relationship between the software usage frequency with students satisfaction when interacting with Pars Azarakhsh software. Overall, the findings demonstrated that the students participating in this study, where typically satisfied when interacting with the Pars Azarakhsh Software.

Every year vast sums of capital, time and energy is spent on staff education and re-training in the Educational Organization. Studies should be made over the efficiency and efficacy of these courses so as to determine the extent of practical utility of the items learned thereof and to identify the short-falls. The present investigation is primary concerned with answering this issue and the factors affecting it. The investigation used a descriptive survey method. 180 teachers where drawn from the middle-schools having an ICT workshop, using simple randomization correlating with the number of teachers in the chosen districts. Among the Teachers access to ICT hardware both at home and school are at a desirable level. Software access is not much so. ICT application in three areas of education, research and communication was less than the desired level.

Analyzing 60 questionnaires collected, it was determined that the preliminary web and search tool skills of students studied were lesser than average (37.5%). Most of the members of the population studied, generally considered themselves as being “veterans”, i.e. a person that is successful in finding the needed information but who most of the time needs assistance. Students were most familiar with Google and Yahoo search engines, and with Elsevier specialized database. Search Engines and Database usage were also investigated. The average employment of the Boolean operators was 34.7%, with “+” operator having the highest and “-“operator having the least usage. Google advanced search and Elsevier database were most frequently used.

The present paper has studied the patrons’ satisfaction with services offered by the central library in the city of Tabriz. Its objective was to uncover the weaknesses and the strengths. The findings showed that 66.3% of the patrons were satisfied with the library services. The highest satisfaction rate concerned library internet services and Namayeh Database (90.7%), Service Lead Time (86.7%), and the number of books lent (82.0%). Patrons were most dissatisfied with the state of the reading halls (52.8%), Librarians manners and wait time to receive services in the library.

The present paper reviews the methods for compiling and constructin online thesauri from two general approaches of computer-aided thesaurus construction and computerized thesaurus construction. In the discussing the construction of online thesaurus with help of computers, use of deduction engine for determination of terminological relationships as well as the concept approach for construction of online thesauri were studied and the practical stages of online thesaurus construction were reviewed. In the computerized approach for construction of online thesauri, textual methods, methods derived from WordNet Hierarchy, clustering and Self-Organized Mapping Techniques were studied.

With societies development and transition, new societies are forming that are called knowledge societies. In these societies, all basic social structures (especially cultural and social principles) are significantly dominated by knowledge. Therefore by focusing on those focal points and institutions that significantly deal with two superficial concepts of knowledge societies, i.e. society and knowledge, could more than ever realize the course of development of a knowledge society. Meanwhile, libraries that have been long tasked with collection, classification and dissemination of information to members of society, can play a pivotal role. Thus it becomes necessary to identify and study the role libraries shall play in such societies.

For a long time, and especially in the past two decades, Information acquisition had been and still is affected by limiting factors such as the huge volume of publications, space shortages and financial constrictions. Document Supply Services (DSS), however, offers one of the important methods for information acquisition that tries to instantly make accessible via resource sharing, interlibrary loan, application of new ICT and DSS technologies, information required by the users. Since DSS presently is of much importance, the present paper attempts to offer a history while giving a definition for document supply services. Issues relevant to the DSS Systems and Copyright are stated and in the conclusion, the status of such service in Iran and around a world as well as the projects implemented in various countries are studied.

Indexing is one of the most important methods of content representation where by assigning descriptors to the documents, their subject content are made known. Since index and indexing are remarkably significant in information retrieval, its quality and evaluation and provision of criteria and standards had always been the mainstay of researchers in this field. Given the fact that Indexing is a complex process, offering definitions, principles and methods could be step towards optimal use of the information. The present study, while offering a capsule definition of index, will investigate the indexing evaluation criteria and would follow it up with a definition of indexing. Finally a number of standards in the field of indexing are presented and would make its conclusions.

By the end of the nineteenth century, the role of the librarian had expanded to include reference service, and it has been part of the profession since then. New technologies change the way we search for information and what we expect from reference service. With the introduction of the computer and the Internet, libraries expanded the role of reference beyond the use of the mail, telephone, or the fax machine. Today, librarians not only help patrons at the reference desk but also in cyberspace. This new type of service, called digital or virtual reference, is quite new, but has quickly become popular because of demands by patrons to access information anytime, anywhere. This paper discusses issues related to the use of digital/virtual reference in academic libraries in the U.S.