Abstract

This article describes the current e-books situation in Spanish university libraries, analyzing their distribution and access models. The five stages of an e-book library service are described: selection, acquisition, processing, access and evaluation. The specific aspects that should be taken into account in each phase are explained, and illustrated with some examples.

Abstract

The critical attitude of many scientists and information professionals to the information published in the academic web, which is usually less valued than that available in scientific journals, is surprising. The article proposes that the Web should be taken seriously and techniques be developed for describing and evaluating the quality of web resources, which offer an opportunity for information professionals and users like students, scholars or researchers. Traditional document analysis is suggested, with the added value of describing the electronic address, size and format and using the possibilities of link analysis. Finally, the usefulness of the free bibliographic databases like Google Scholar and Scirus is discussed.

Abstract

Scientific publishing is a substantial component in the activities of any university, channeling much of the research that occurs there. This productivity is significant from both the quantitative and qualitative viewpoints, although scarcely considered in the accreditation systems. The changes in scientific publishing, characteristic of a publishing context that has undergone profound transformations, require these entities to make improvements related to the editorial function, development of catalogs and publishing formats.

Abstract

Two major facts: the huge increase in the amount of data that scientists produce, and the pressure for transparency and economic efficiency of public budgets, have caused that a good data management has become much more important. A compilation and an analysis of some data journals –journals specializing in data- is presented. Their origins, evolution and characteristics are described. Finally, a reflection is done on the role that data journals can play in the scientific communication ecosystem.

Abstract

Gender disparities persist in UK research, with female minorities in most science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects but female majorities in others. The nature of the gender disparity differences between subjects needs to be understood if effective remedial actions are to be targeted at STEM subjects suffering from a lack of women, in contrast to other subjects without shortages. Evidence from the USA suggests that women engage more in people-related subjects, qualitative methods, veterinary science and cell biology and men engage more in thing-related subjects, power/control fields, patient-related research, abstraction and quantitative methods, except surveys. This article investigates gender disparity differences in UK first authorship for journal articles in nearly all of science split into 26 broad and 308 narrow Scopus fields. The results largely replicate the USA but suggest that more life science topics may be female-associated in the UK and patient-related research might not be male-associated. UK STEM gender parity initiatives might therefore emphasise people-oriented, and perhaps socially positive, aspects of currently masculine STEM topics and approaches (e.g., abstraction, mathematical quantitative methods), and promote female-friendly topics, methods and goals within male-dominated fields in addition to tacking implicit and explicit sexism and providing a supportive working environment.