Scipedia: Documents published in 2012

Modeling the effect of storage temperature on the respiration rate and texture of fresh cut pineapple

María Jesús Samper — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 14:40:47 +0200

The effect of temperature on the respiration rate and texture of fresh cut pineapple was studied over the course of 10 days of storage. The thermal exchange between the pineapple trays and the cooling environment was simulated using the finite element method and tested at 6 °C. The temperatures on pineapple wedges differed between the cold point and points near the surface, indicating that the respiration rate may be affected in pineapple subjected to temperature abuse. The experimental respiration rates obtained were used to develop a model relating respiration to O2 and CO2concentrations at different temperatures using the closed system method. The O2 consumption and CO2 production of pineapple wedges was accurately modeled using Michaelis–Menten kinetics. The texture degradation of pineapple wedges follows a zero-order kinetic reaction at different temperatures and the thermal dependence of the model’s parameters for both respiration rate and texture degradation was described by Arrhenius-type equations.

The International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE). A partner for education, research and technology transfer in computational engineering and applied sciences.

María Jesús Samper — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 10:40:33 +0200

On the Computational Modeling and Numerical Simulation of FSW Processes

María Jesús Samper — Wed, 15 May 2019 11:25:50 +0200

This paper deals with the computational modeling and numerical simulation of the material flow around the probe tool in a Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process. Within the paradigmatic framework of the multiscale stabilization methods, suitable subgrid scale stabilized coupled thermomechanical formulations have been developed using an Eulerian description. Norton-Hoff and Sheppard-Wright thermo-rigid-viscoplastic constitutive material models have been considered. Constitutive equations for the subgrid scale models have been proposed and an approximation of the subgrid scale variables has been given. In particular Algebraic Subgrid Scale (ASGS) and Orthogonal Subgrid Scale (OSGS) methods for P1/P1/P1 linear elements have been considered. Furthermore, it has been shown that well known classical stabilized formulations, such as the Galerkin Least-Squares (GLS) or Streamline Upwind/Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) methods, can be recovered as particular cases of the multiscale stabilization framework considered.
Within the framework of a product formula algorithm, the resulting algebraic system of equations has been solved using a staggered procedure, in which a mechanical problem, defined by the plastic strain rate incompressibility equation and the quasi-static linear momentum balance equation, is solved at a constant temperature and a thermal problem, defined by the energy balance equation, is solved keeping constant the mechanical variables.
The computational model has been implemented in the in-house developed FE software COMET. An assessment of the influence of the thermal deformation in the formulation has been carried out. Results obtained show that the influence of the thermal deformation is very small and can be neglected, getting a fully incompressible formulation.
Finally, the computational model implemented in COMET has been validated through a number of examples, including a 3D numerical simulation of a FSW process. Numerical results obtained have been compared with experimental results available in the literature. A good agreement on the temperature distribution has been obtained and predicted peak temperatures compare well, both in value and position, with the experimental results available.

Robust multidisciplinary unmanned aerial system design optimisation

María Jesús Samper — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 11:32:51 +0200

There are many applications in aeronautical/aerospace engineering where some values of the design parameters/states cannot be provided or determined accurately. These values can be related to the geometry (wingspan, length, angles) and or to operational flight conditions that vary due to the presence of uncertainty parameters (Mach, angle of attack, air density and temperature, etc.). These uncertainty design parameters cannot be ignored in engineering design and must be taken into the optimisation task to produce more realistic and reliable solutions. In this paper, a robust/uncertainty design method with statistical constraints is introduced to produce a set of reliable solutions which have high performance and low sensitivity. Robust design concept coupled with Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs) is defined by applying two statistical sampling formulas; mean and variance/standard deviation associated with the optimisation fitness/objective functions. The methodology is based on a canonical evolution strategy and incorporates the concepts of hierarchical topology, parallel computing and asynchronous evaluation. It is implemented for two practical Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) design problems; the first case considers robust multi-objective (single-disciplinary: aerodynamics) design optimisation and the second considers a robust multidisciplinary (aero-structures) design optimisation. Numerical results show that the solutions obtained by the robust design method with statistical constraints have a more reliable performance and sensitivity in both aerodynamics and structures when compared to the baseline design. KeywordsRobust/uncertainty design–Multi-objective–Multidisciplinary–UAS–Evolutionary algorithms

Multilayered composite structure design optimisation using distributed/parallel multi-objective evolutionary algorithms

María Jesús Samper — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 12:32:42 +0200

This paper presents a research work on stacking sequence design optimisation for multilayered composite plate using a parallel/distributed evolutionary algorithm. The stacking sequence of fibres has a dramatic influence on the strength of multilayered composite plates. Multiple layers of fibre-reinforced material systems offer versatility in engineering material design due to the fact that the stacking sequence of each orthotropic layer can offer full advantage of superior mechanical properties. Numerical results show that the optimal composite structures have lower weight, higher stiffness and also affordable cost when compared to the extreme and intermediate composite structures. In addition, the benefits of using a parallel optimisation system are also presented.

An algorithm for the simulation of thermally coupled low speed flow problems

María Jesús Samper — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 12:05:26 +0200

In this paper, we propose a computational algorithm for the solution of thermally coupled flows in subsonic regime. The formulation is based upon the compressible Navier–Stokes equations, written in nonconservation form. An efficient modular implementation is obtained by solving the energy equation separately and then using the computed temperature as a known value in the momentum-continuity system. If an explicit single-step time integration scheme for the energy equation is used, the decoupling results to be natural. Integration of the momentum-continuity system is carried out using a semi-explicit method, combining Runge–Kutta and Backward Euler schemes for the momentum and continuity equations, respectively. Implicit treatment of pressure leads to favorable time step estimates even in the low Mach number (Ma ≪ 1) regimes. The numerical dissipation introduced by the Backward Euler scheme ensures absence of the spurious high frequencies in the numerical solution. The key point of the method is the assumption of linear variation of the temperature within a time step. Combined with a fractional splitting of the momentum-continuity system, it allows to solve the continuity only once per time step. Omitting the necessity of solving for the pressure at every intermediate step of the Runge–Kutta scheme minimizes the computational cost associated to the implicit step and leads to an efficiency close to that of a purely explicit scheme. The method is tested using two benchmark examples.

World shares of publications of the USA, EU-27, and China compared and predicted using the new Web of Science interface versus Scopus

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 12:07:15 +0200

The new interface of the Web of Science (Thomson Reuters) enables users to retrieve sets larger than 100,000 documents in a single search. This makes it possible to compare publication trends for China, the USA, EU-27, and smaller countries with the data in the Scopus (Elsevier) database. China no longer grew exponentially during the 2000s, but linearly. Contrary to previous predictions on the basis of exponential growth, the cross-over of the lines for China and the USA is postponed to the next decade (after 2020) according to this data. These long extrapolations, however, should be used only as indicators and not as predictions. Uncertainty in trends can be specified using the coefficient of determination of the regression (R2) and confidence intervals. Along with the dynamics in the publication trends, one also has to take into account the dynamics of the databases used for the measurement.

Current and future trends in information technologies for information units

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 12:07:05 +0200

With the increasing dominance of electronic content and digital collections in academic libraries, the capabilities lacking in the current slate of automation systems has increasingly become an obstacle to progress. A new generation of digital services platforms for libraries is emerging, designed to provide a more comprehensive approach to the management and access to all formats of library materials: print, electronic and digital. These new systems involve a modernization of technology, embracing service-oriented architectures, availability for APIs to facilitate interoperability with external systems, support for task workflows more aligned with current operational realities, and more tightly coupled discovery interfaces that deliver access to library collections and services in a more unified and comprehensive manner. These new products, emerging in this era of cloud computing, have been designed for deployment through software as a service and rely on highly shared data models.

Actual and potential open access to scientific output in a specific country. A case study in Argentina

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 12:06:55 +0200

This paper presents a methodology to estimate the actual and potential access to scientific research outputs in a specific country based on an analysis of the access model of journals used by researchers to publish their articles. It includes a study of scientific production in Argentina from 2008 to 2010 in the following areas: Medicine, Physics and Astronomy, Agriculture and Biological sciences, and Social sciences and Humanities. The sample was taken from the Scopus database and the journal access models selected through searches performed usingDOAJ, e-revist@s, SciELO, RedALyC, PubMed, Romeo- Sherpa, andDulcinea. The conclusion of this study is that Argentina offers suitable conditions to provide open access to a high percentage of the scientific literature produced at the national level, using repositories. In addition, the methodology used by the authors could be potentially used by other countries and topic areas. The results provide useful knowledge for repository managers at academic and research institutions to promote repository services development and to justify their maintenance.

Linked data for open vocabularies and hive's global framework

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 12:06:45 +0200

This paper summarizes new trends and advances in Knowledge Organization from the perspective of linked open data (LOD). Although this is particularly important to galleries, libraries, archives and museums, the so-called GLAM community, it is of more general relevance, and part of the value of LOD lies in its adoption beyond that community. LOD includes descriptive metadata and vocabulary encoding schemes that are being “skosified” (encoded in the SKOS format) or rendered in OWL (the web ontology language) and made available not only “on” the web, but “for” the semantic web. The paper highlights a few exemplary initiatives in the field. The paper also introduces the HIVE (Helping Interdisciplinary Vocabularies Engineering) framework and discusses the HIVE-ES (España) extension for Spanish language vocabularies, leading to a more global approach for linked open vocabularies (LOV).

Knowledge organization: some trends in an emergent domain

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 12:06:34 +0200

The organization knowledge concept is defined as the domain where scientific research interacts with its application to systems development. Disciplines that embraces, as information science; and its products, such as classification systems, are cited. Some recent trends and current activities are presented. The article concludes presenting briefly the ISKO society and its activities.

Google Scholar Metrics: an unreliable tool for assessing scientific journals

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 12:06:24 +0200

We introduce Google Scholar Metrics (GSM), a new bibliometric product of Google that aims at providing the H-index for scientific journals and other information sources. We conduct a critical review of GSM showing its main characteristics and possibilities as a tool for scientific evaluation. We discuss its coverage along with the inclusion of repositories, bibliographic control, and its options for browsing and searching. We conclude that, despite Google Scholar’s value as a source for scientific assessment, GSM is an immature product with many shortcomings, and therefore we advise against its use for evaluation purposes. However, the improvement of these shortcomings would place GSM as a serious competitor to the other existing products for evaluating scientific journals.

Cloud law and contract negotiation

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 12:06:13 +0200

The main characteristics of cloud computing services are explained and the clauses typically included in contracts between suppliers and customers of such services are discussed. Storing data on a cloud service can be more comfortable for an organization and cheaper than local storage, but it involves several risks. Recommendations are given on how to negotiate contracts. A list of questions to be asked of cloud service suppliers is provided so that a potential client can take an informed decision and avoid unpleasant surprises.

Bibliometric analysis of scientific development in countries of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur)

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 12:06:02 +0200

The Union of South American Nations (Unasur) can be considered as a new emergent region in the world. By using advanced bibliometric methods, the development of science and technology in Unasur is explored. Based on data from the InCites tool of Thomson Reuters, which facilitates national comparisons across long time periods using publication output and normalized citation impact values, we explored how this region (particularly the most productive individual countries within it) is developing. The publication output results reveal an increase in the scientific and technological activities in most of theUnasur countries (especially Brazil). Compared to the rest of the world, the citation impact trend is less favourable for all Unasur countries.

A local cultural indicators system: Siclo

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:30:26 +0200

A synthetic view of the process that led to the Local Cultural Indicators System (Siclo in its Spanish acronym) is presented. Siclo is an application designed to improve knowledge about the status of cultural actions at the local administration level. This tool seeks to provide supporting information to facilitate the evaluation of local cultural policies. It is structured into five thematic areas and three modules. The basic module, comprising a total of 46 indicators, is the only one which is operative at the moment.

Carrot2: Information search and visualization

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:30:15 +0200

Obtaining information in short periods of time can make the difference for research or business; therefore it is important to have tools that facilitate the search for information. A visualization technique called information-clustering engine is reviewed: Carrot2 separates the documents found on the Web into groups or clusters, using clustering algorithms that consult various sources of data and then process and display the information obtained. This open-source software significantly reduces the effort involved in information retrieval (IR) and analysis.

Recording, storage, and simultaneous access to video streaming over UDP protocol. The MRecIPTV system in the Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:29:58 +0200

Media researchers frequently need to record and store a huge amount of media content. Until recently, the Department of Communication at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona handled this problem in an old-fashioned analog and manual way. After migration to iptv, the department designed the MRecIPTV software to record, store and access digital media content. This solution has transformed the way researchers work, simplifying data collection and analysis. Moreover, MRecIPTV has allowed the creation of a documentary heritage for future research.

ContentDm’s solution for managing digital objects: case study of the Consortium of Academic Libraries of Catalonia and Cartography Institute of Catalonia

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:29:48 +0200

Management of digital objects -pictures or other kinds of digital files- is a major challenge for organizations. It is a strategic process that involves several tasks within the institution, from the digitization of a physical document to the right document management process, through proper definition of the functional requirements for the tool used to publish and manage digital objects. A case of two institutions, Consortium of Academic Libraries of Catalonia and the Cartography Institute of Catalonia, is presented. Both faced this strategic process and choose the ContentDm tool for publishing and managing their digital images.

The e-book: invariances and transformations

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:29:37 +0200

Electronic books have renewed the traditional concept of the book, encouraging the socialization of reading and user participation while breaking the traditional pattern of publishing. The publishing companies have been adapting to the new context with new proposals, in which the content is of increasing importance. There is a struggle between large groups such as Amazon, Apple and Google for the control of the market as it matures. These brands are internationalizing and in 2011 landed in several European and Latin American countries, maintaining their positions as direct competitors.

The future of the web: the challenge of Net neutrality in the European Union

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:29:27 +0200

The future development of the web largely depends on net neutrality, that is, ensuring that all content, sites and platforms are treated equally. This article assesses the origins and motivations that exist in the debate about network neutrality. Then it focuses on the two distinct views regarding net neutrality: the Openists, supporters of an open net without restrictions, on one side and Deregulationists, naturally suspicious of any government regulation, on the other. Finally, this article describes the net neutrality regulatory framework within the European Union.

Insecurity makes you docile. Perception of problems facing journalists

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:29:18 +0200

The problems that are perceived as the most important by journalists from four Spanish regions: Catalonia, Madrid, Basque Country and Andalusia are reported. Fieldwork using both quantitative and qualitative methods found that precarious and uncertain job security are the issues of most concern to journalists in all the regions surveyed. Of the variables analyzed, age, sex and ideology accounted for the greatest differences in responses.

Use and credibility of news sources 2.0 in Portugal and Spain

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:29:08 +0200

Internet has changed news making. The search for information has been one of the most affected areas, with the emergence of news sources 2.0, such as blogs and social networks. Despite the apparent value of these new sources of information, what practical use and credibility do Portuguese and Spanish journalists give to these sources? In this paper we define what kind of tools can be considered “2.0 sources” and the ways in which these journalists consider them credible and reliable. The results show that the journalists from both countries are using the internet daily to find material for their work, get factual information, receive and send information and verify it, but still have little confidence in the 2.0 sources.

Assessment of book publishers in Communication and LIS: survey to researchers and professors

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:28:59 +0200

Publishers of scholarly books about library and information science and communications are analyzed, as well as their publishing processes. The research method was a questionnaire sent to 263 Spanish researchers and teachers in these areas. The survey response rate was 35.5%. Thanks to these responses, main quality indicators for publishers were identified. Researchers’ working habits, opinions and attitudes related to the selection, editing and publishing processes of their books are also examined. Finally, as a more pragmatic result, the most prestigious Spanish and foreign publishers are identified.

World shares of publications of the USA, EU-27, and China compared and predicted using the new Web of Science interface versus Scopus

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:28:50 +0200

Future of communication journals in Spain

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:28:40 +0200

The results of a qualitative investigation carried out between November 2010 and February 2011, on the future of the scientific journals specializing in media and communication in Spain are summarized. The research methodology used was the Delphi method based on the answers provided by the editors of the most important journals in this field. The main purpose was to provide a descriptive analysis of the current situation, along with a prospective analysis to attempt to foresee the future development of these publications.

Joint use of semantics and visual analysis for automatic image annotation and retrieval

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:28:31 +0200

The present stage of development of semantic systems used in the indexing and retrieval of non-text information on the internet is described. The most effective algorithms for retrieval of non-text information are the combined use of computer vision and content analysis of the text associated with the images. These techniques can lead to the best results in the retrieval of relevant information. The Web’s immediate future lies in automatic contextualisation of images to establish similarities between them and to be able to effectively retrieve non-text content.

Automatic generation of question answering systems in restricted domains

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:28:21 +0200

Question answering (QA) applications can be considered as the potential successors to the traditional information retrieval on the Web. However, QA systems should be adapted to restricted domains for the sake of precision. This adaptation is not a trivial task, since several heterogeneous resources related to a restricted domain must be integrated into existing QA systems. This paper presents the Maraqa tool, whose novelty is the use of software engineering techniques such as model driven development to automate the adaptation process. It is worth noting that Maraqa has been evaluated through a set of experiments (within the agricultural domain) that demonstrate its applicability: the precision of the adapted QA system showed 29.5% improvement.

Current and future trends in information technologies for information units

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:28:09 +0200

Technologies, research and future of the profession

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:28:00 +0200

The success of information professionals in the coming years will depend on their commitment to research and development in the areas of identification, access, retrieval, storage, description and assessment of the vast amount of resources available. This research effort should be coordinated with computer scientists, not to seek their cooperation in specific technical tasks and developments, but to make significant progress in frontier areas of content sciences. Greater project participation by librarians is proposed, especially in European or international consortia, paying particular attention to the implementation of standards, advocacy of open access, exploitation of new interfaces, data networking and digitization. The process should include ethical issues, involve end users, promote resource integration platforms and extend formats coverage beyond text documents.

Orcid: A global system for authors identification in scholarly communication

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:27:51 +0200

Description of the project Open Researcher and ContributorID (Orcid) that tries to solve the name’s ambiguity and duplicity problems to identify correctly the researchers (authors and contributors) by creating a single record. This record will be connected with other current systems of author identification as Author Resolver, Inspire, IraLIS, RePEc, Scopus Author Identifier, ResearcherID, VIVO and others. Orcid will be linked to the researchers publications to facilitate its visibility, identifying contributors and reviewers and, ultimately, promoting the process of scientific discovery.

Sound repositories and content recommendation. The case of iVoox

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:27:43 +0200

iVoox, a service that supports publishing, listening to and recommending digital audio content, is described. By the premise of simplicity, iVoox aims to facilitate the diffusion and localization of audio content. The management of audio archives and the curator role exerted by the user community are the key factors for iVoox to become the reference in digital audio and the sound repository of our cultural memory.

Comunicación invisible.net, a subject directory for film studies

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:27:35 +0200

Comunicacion invisible.net, a subject gateway for film studies designed specifically for research, education and online learning within the professional and academic community, is presented. The directory describes, classifies and provides access to open content databases in film studies available on the Web, placing specific emphasis on the quality of their content, accessibility and usability. A survey of researchers, teachers and professionals in communication and film studies was carried out to ensure the selection of appropriate databases.

Bibliometric methods for detecting and analysing emerging research topics

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:27:22 +0200

This study gives an overview of the process of clustering scientific disciplines using hybrid methods, detecting and labelling emerging topics and analysing the results using bibliometrics methods. The hybrid clustering techniques are based on biblo graphic coupling and text-mining and ‘core documents’, and cross-citation links are used to identify emerging fields. The collaboration network of those countries that proved to be most active in the underlying disciplines, in combination with a set of standard indicators, form the groundwork for the bibliometric analysis of the detected emerging research topics.

Open educational resources repositories as academic information tools

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:27:08 +0200

The open educational resources (OER) repositories facilitate access to knowledge, creating opportunities for academic institutions to share pedagogical materials that can enhance the teaching and learning experience in higher education. They can be reused, translated or modified, and even disseminated through social networks, making these multimedia materials accessible anywhere at any time, without economic and copyright barriers, thereby encouraging active participation in the democratic education movement.

Challenges for the creation of digital resources in the humanities

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:26:54 +0200

The production and use of digital resources is an increasingly important subject within the humanities. Currently significant amounts of resources are invested into digitization projects, databases, websites and other types of digital resources. However, there are few studies that address their production, use and dissemination. The present article introduces the main issues around the production of digital tools and resources as well as the concept of “digital humanities”. We present and analyze the results of an initial diagnosis of the digital humanities landscape, taking as a case study the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México – UNAM). These results are discussed and the main challenges and opportunities for the field presented.

Sharing scientific research data: introduction to data sharing

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:26:44 +0200

The emergence in the scientific community of an initiative known as data sharing, consisting of sharing research data among researchers and aiming to maximize efforts and resources, is analysed. First, the concept of research data and the related technical difficulties depending on the discipline are reviewed. We also examine the motivations, origins and growth of this movement, which has had an important impact on the scientific community’s behaviour through the creation of repositories and data banks, raising both technical and social challenges. Then we discuss leading funding agencies’ initiatives and scientific journals’ editorial policies promoting these practices. Finally, we examine the impact these major changes in researchers’ habits have for librarians, including the emergence of new professional profiles.

Physics vs. Chemistry: Two models of scientific publishing

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:26:35 +0200

Aproximately twenty years ago the electronic journals appeared. Since then, scientific publication system has been undergoing a slow transition, though it seems that its destiny is not exactly what was predicted. Now that social sciences are changing the way they disseminate knowledge, becoming increasingly similar to the basic and applied sciences, it is important to consider whether all of those sciences publish in the same way. To answer this, various parameters related to Open Access (OA), e-journals and repositories are studied related to Physics and Chemistry, two disciplines with differences in their publication behaviour and use. From the results, it can be concluded that what differentiates Physics from Chemistry is mainly the success and functionality of their digital repositories, rather than their OA journals.

An automated solution to integrating information architecture into the interactive web-application development process

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:26:26 +0200

Information architects are mostly focused on the conceptual modeling and analysis of non-functional aspects in the early stages of interactive web projects. The resulting output is then processed by software engineers to design the needed web interface. However, this flow of information is somehow difficult to automate due to the implicit differences in the conceptual level of information processed by each expert. In order to facilitate this flow of information we propose a tool called Interarch , which helps to establish bridges between the information processed by both professionals, automatically creating analysis and design information for software engineers from the content models created by the information professionals.

Distribution of daily newspapers in Spain 1998-2008: paper vs digital

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:26:16 +0200

The circulation of newspapers that have both a “paper version” and a “free digital” version is analysed to determine whether there is a relationship between the two kinds of circulation. If there is an existing relationship we want to know how it works, what the overall effects are, and if these effects create some form of “cannibalization”. We studied the leading “free digital” publications in Spain for general information (El mundo), sports (Marca), and economics (Expansión). Sources for extracting data are Introl, OJD and OJD Interactiva. Data analysis was based on a descriptive statistics methodology and monthly series over 10 years, starting in June 1998, the first available date for electronic editions of these three newspapapers. The last month analysed is December 2008 because OJD Interactiva modified its measurement methods in January 2009 and this change could have affected the study results.

Actual and potential open access to scientific output in a specific country. A case study in Argentina

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:26:05 +0200

This paper presents a methodology to estimate the actual and potential access to scientific research outputs in a specific country based on an analysis of the access model of journals used by researchers to publish their articles. It includes a study of scientific production in Argentina from 2008 to 2010 in the following areas: Medicine, Physics and Astronomy, Agriculture and Biological sciences, and Social sciences and Humanities. The sample was taken from the Scopus database and the journal access models selected through searches performed using DOAJ, e-revist@s, SciELO, RedALyC, PubMed, Romeo- Sherpa, and Dulcinea . The conclusion of this study is that Argentina offers suitable conditions to provide open access to a high percentage of the scientific literature produced at the national level, using repositories. In addition, the methodology used by the authors could be potentially used by other countries and topic areas. The results provide useful knowledge for repository managers at academic and research institutions to promote repository services development and to justify their maintenance.

Open educational resources: repositories and use

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:25:55 +0200

A bibliographic review, state of the art, history, characteristics, development, projects and research lines of open educational resources (OERs) are presented, as well as their storage in repositories and their use in university educational practice. OERs have had two phases: an initial one concerned about providing access, and the more current one, focused on their incorporation into educational practice.

Business models of scholarly publishers: implications for open access

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:25:46 +0200

A set of parameters to analyze business models of scientific publishers, especially those that offer open access to their content for all or some of their journals, is presented and defined. A definition of the term “business model” that exceeds the old conceptual restriction tied to funding sources is given. This more complete view of the business model requires extending the analysis of funding sources to other economic and financial components as well as operational and strategic dimensions of the publisher. This allows a better and more authoritative interpretation and analysis of the various business models of scientific publishers.

Leadership and excellence of Spanish science

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:25:36 +0200

Although Spain is ranked 10th in scientific production, it is 22nd in impact. The distribution of scientific production across the 17 Spanish regions is analyzed. Madrid and Catalonia account for 49% of total production and for 58% of excellence as reflected in impact, defined as publications within the 10% most cited worldwide.

Foursquare: your library at the right time and in the right place

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:25:27 +0200

Foursquare is a tracker-based service in which users share information about the places they visit by adding their details, discussing or recommending products or services offered to them. This text outlines this service and provides some guidelines for its integration into the social network strategy of libraries.

TemaTres: software to implement thesauri

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:25:18 +0200

The documentary language thesaurus, as standard terms, have been an important development for document management using software applications such as TemaTres, which is a controlled vocabulary server. This free application, for use on the web, provides continuous access to the sets of documents on specific topics for study, research and decision making. It presents the installation, functionality and interface that shows the application structure and ways of exploiting TemaTres for visual representation and management o fcontrolled vocabularies.

Process map of the accessibility management system in a public administration web service: Saragossa City Council

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:25:08 +0200

The main objective of this paper is to show the process map for introducing the Accessibility Management System in the Saragossa city council web service. This map is a requirement of the Spanish Association for Standards and Certification (Aenor) for the “N” certification of ICT Accessibility, which guarantees users that an internet page is accessible. All public sector organizations are required by law to achieve this norm and display the “N” mark of certification.To identify the processes and design the process map, an expert reviewed documents and interviewed managers and staff. The processes were classified into strategic, key and support categories and so identified on the process map, which indicates sequences and the relationships between inputs and tasks. The results section describes the main activities and analyzes their inter-relationship.

Geobibline and how it compares with other geographic databases

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:24:58 +0200

The development of the Geobibline database is described. Historically, traditional databases were created using bibliographic methods usually carried out by a single institution, but in recent decades multiple libraries have often cooperated to create joint catalogues. This is the case presented in this article which describes the collaboration of 20 Czech special libraries resulting in the creation of a database that contains 162,000 bibliographic records on geographical topics related to the Czech Republic. The project, completed in just four years, initially covered only 20th century materials, however, collaboration with the Temap project has expanded coverage back to early printed books (1450 A.D.). The typology of the documents referenced is broad and includes gray literature. Records are linked to objects (maps, articles, front pages of newspapers) and there are full text links to Google Books. The database has been compared with counterparts in Germany, Poland, and the United States using internationally comparable specific subject headings. The sustainability of Geobibline is ensured by the automatic import of data and their connection with Temap.

Digital influence measurement tools: an analysis of Klout and PeerIndex

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:24:48 +0200

The digital realm increasingly recognizes the relevance of “opinion leaders” or influential users: those who, through their online activity (publishing tweets and blog posts, updating social networks status, recommending readings, etc.) create or filter content to people over whom they exert personal influence. Hence the proliferation of tools that assess the influence of a person or brand by monitoring use of social media. The article discusses the two most important tools: Klout and PeerIndex, explaining the parameters that form the basis of their measurement algorithms as well as the deficiencies of these models of analysis. Understanding how digital influence is exercised and how to measure it is one of the most interesting questions of the “2.0” phenomenon.

Linked data and linked open data and its implementation in a digital library: the case of Europeana

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:24:39 +0200

An analysis of the implementation of linked data (LD) and linked open data (LOD) techniques in Europeana is presented. The final report recently published by the Library Linked Data Incubator Group (XG-LLD) is examined, and its application in Europeana is analyzed. Details of the work already done and the activities to be developed are provided. Then, the article examines the LOD implementation following the Europeana data model (EDM) for each of its components. Finally an assessment on the use of these techniques in the field of cultural institutions is done.

Tasks-based classification of crowdsourcing initiatives

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:24:29 +0200

Crowdsourcing initiatives by organizations working in areas like music, design or cataloguing are becoming more frequent. Nonetheless, the absence of a consistent theoretical background creates problems, such as the existence of diverse crowdsourcing classifications that overlap and interweave, or the lack of a common definition. This paper analyses different typologies considering the nature of the tasks to be performed by the crowd as the main criterion and proposes a new integrative typology.

Reading promotion in public libraries in Catalonia: evaluation and results

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:24:20 +0200

Results of a 2009 survey of the 320 public libraries in Catalonia that explored the practices of evaluating actions taken to promote reading. The results are based on both quantitative data and the opinions and assessments of library administrators concerning these activities.

Gaps in knowledge management systems: a bibliographical review

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:24:11 +0200

The importance of knowledge as a sustainable competitive advantage and the increasing development of information technology (IT) have led to knowledge management systems (KMS), facilitating and encouraging the processes of generation, codification and transfer of knowledge in organizations. The interest of professionals, academics and researchers has been growing for several years, to the point that it can be stated that knowledge management is a topic on the rise. Nonetheless, if we review their status in organizations, there are great difficulties in their implementation, difficulties that cover various aspects. Through a review of the literature, this paper explores the present gaps in the implementation of KMS. The results reflect the dominance of a reductionist approach in this area, with a focus on IT, revealing the need for a holistic approach, guided by what makes sense in the organization.

The consumption criteria and habits of online news consumers in Colombia

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:24:01 +0200

Based on a study funded by Universidad de la Sabana, this article describes the information quality and consumption of internet newspapers in Colombia. Applying the theories of the diffusion of innovations (Rogers, 1995) and usability and gratification (Katz, 1959) we found that, even though 64.6% of Colombian online news consumers say that they prefer media that allows them to personalize the way they search for information, the importance of a set of elements related to interactivity and personalization are not clearly perceived by those readers.

Multilingual websites evaluation: methodology and heuristic tool

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:23:24 +0200

A methodology for evaluating the suitability of websites to multilingual and multicultural audiences is proposed. Standards and validated recommendations have been checked in order to create a (heuristic) guideline. The result is a checklist for evaluating websites with international audiences, both monolingual (with or without globalization) and multilingual (with or without localization).

SKOS application for interoperability of controlled vocabularies in the field of linked open data

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:23:14 +0200

This paper aims to determine the scope of application of SKOS in the Semantic Web. Controlled vocabularies registered in the The Data Hub catalog of RDF datasets that use SKOS were studied. In addition to establishing a typology of vocabularies, authors analyzed the issues related to open access to data through its direct download, its query through a Sparql endpoint and the existence of appropriate licenses. The existing level of interoperability through the definition of mapping relationships between vocabularies are examined. The study concludes that thesauri and classifications are more integrated into the open data environment while subject headings lists have greater interoperability.

Linked data for open vocabularies and hive's global framework

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:23:04 +0200

Thesauri: Standards and guidelines

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:22:54 +0200

Thesauri and other knowledge organization systems have been adapted to the technological environment. Currently, this represents an essential aspect of knowledge organization on the semantic web. After a long period in which thesaurus guidelines and standards were not updated, some have been revised by the governing organisations within the past five years. Consensus among international experts has resulted in publication of the first part of an ISO standard for thesauri, which provides a data model and emphasizes the interoperability process. This paper compiles the most relevant guidelines for thesauri published between the ‘80s and the ISO 25964 document. We reflect on the most relevant characteristics in this evolution and explore the most recent applications of knowledge organization systems on the Web.

Knowledge organization: some trends in an emergent domain

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:22:45 +0200

Scenari-Opale: Digital publishing chain for the production of e-learning contents

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:22:36 +0200

The results of the pedagogical and documentary engineering have driven distance and distance learning. Scenari –and its Opale model dedicated to training-, is a free software for managing a publishing chain to produce and publish digital educational materials. It allows new approaches to teaching that are key for defining new models of learning, information exchange and collaboration.

Aggregate ranking of Spain’s universities in the Shanghai Ranking (ARWU): Effect on autonomous communities and campuses of international excellence

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:22:26 +0200

The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) or Shanghai Ranking is a de facto standard to determine the position of universities worldwide. Improving ranking positions has become the goal of universities and governments. No wonder therefore that the aggregation of universities in Spain is nowadays suggested as a means to raise the international profile of our university system. In this context, the goal of this study was to test two potential groupings, universities belongingto the same Autonomous Community and campuses of international excellence (CEIs), to determine the ARWU placement that would result. To compute the ARWU indicators of these possible groupings, we used the methodology developed in Docampo (2012b). The results of our analysis clearly show the difficulty of improving ranking positions by calculating the sum of aggregated institutions. As a matter of fact, the only way to place a university cluster from Spain in the top 100 would be to treat all of the Catalan universities as a single institution. The next best ranking for Spain would be achieved by the Habitat 5U (universities of Comunidad Valenciana), BKC (Barcelona and Politècnica de Catalunya) and VLC/Campus (Valencia and Politécnica de Valencia), CEIs which would lie in the 150-200 range.

Google Scholar Metrics: an unreliable tool for assessing scientific journals

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:22:16 +0200

The update of the opera and its new models of digital communication

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:22:06 +0200

The opera industry wants to renew its audience and has undertaken several strategies based on digitalization and audiovisual broadcasting to achieve it. In order to attract and create a stronger bond with new audiences, it is exploring different ways to update its information policy and modernize its image. By means of Internet, it has managed to get the opera show offstage, bringing it closer to the daily lives of its spectators thanks to video on demand (VOD) and to live streaming broadcastings. It has made the most of mobile devices to enhance their shareable presence, imitating the audiovisual commercial trends to arouse enthusiasm among its viewers and creating social networks to offer the audience a referential background. Finally, the opera industry looks upon its current state and its social integration as a means of regaining its relevance.

Communicating on the Web. Strategies of Biblioteques de Barcelona

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:21:56 +0200

New forms of digital communication and participation, the impact of social networks and the need for organizations to maintain a closer communication with their customers lead us to consider our communication strategies. We have to take into account this reality and to seize the opportunities these new channels offer us to improve our services and manage our digital reputation in the same way that we manage in traditional environments.

Libraries, the promotion of reading and social networks: converting friends into readers

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:21:46 +0200

The article focuses on social networks and their impact on the development of book clubs as a service to the promotion of reading. The views of several authors are presented, based on a document analysis, and the presence of book clubs in the social network Facebook is examined, listing their characteristics and some examples of such groups. Some ideas are offered for procedures libraries can follow to configure this type of services.

Alternative channels of access to the Spanish media on the internet. News without the newspaper

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:21:38 +0200

We analyze the systems inside an online newspaper that allow access to news outside their own online media. It is important to know how mass media are using these tools because of the sparse documentation and its constant evolution. We propose a model of analysis applied to seven Spanish national newspapers to know how the information services, alternatives to navigation or search, are being used. Spanish newspapers distribution systems incorporate information based on interactivity and personalization: the kind of information you receive, how, when and where. We also emphasize the integration of social tools for sharing and disseminating news outside of the newspaper.

Digital communication strategy in the museum

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:21:29 +0200

In the last century museums have undergone a number of transformations from the conceptual, functional and practical side that have enhanced their communications. The technological revolution, and more specifically the emergence of the Internet, has demonstrated its potential to set up and globalize a set of tools, called social media, able to establish a closer link between the institution and its audience. However, the essence of web 2.0 requires a change in attitude that will eliminate any trace of unidirectionality and allow participation. These requirements affect the configuration of the museum’s communication strategy, which should integrate the digital side and keep in mind the particularities derived from it.

Online distribution of media content: analysis of 3 business models

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:21:20 +0200

Media convergence is transforming the media business model. Film and television consumption over the internet force the breakdown of the traditional value chain. This paper aims to study the basics of online business models created to distribute and consume media content. This study considers funding sources and the reconfiguration of traditional model: flat rate, pay per view and advertising. The methodology is based on three case studies, connected to each of the funding formulas: Netflix, iTunes and Hulu. Results are intended to provide a business model proposal.

Risk communication and food safety in the 2.0 age

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:21:09 +0200

In recent decades, after several crises, the communication of risk has acquired special importance for those responsible for food safety. Public distrust has led the EU to base their communications strategy on scientific information. In spite of the institutionalization and professionalization of risk communication, the results have not been those foreseen in the new media environment. The explosion of social media or web 2.0 has created digital cultures with new concepts of risks and benefits. For the institutions, the social media add new problems to the traditional communication of risk: they feel obliged to participate in the virtual environment, but at the same time they are afraid to lose control of both the message and legitimacy, and they don’t know how to talk to users. Institutions still consider social media as an uncertain opportunity.

Ethics of citizen participation in the digital journalistic discourse

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:20:59 +0200

The journalism profession is facing a new digital communication environment in which traditional information flows, emanating from the media to the general public unidirectionally, are reversed under the new channels of participation and influence that audiences, which are active and dynamic on the network, use to take part in shaping public opinion. In this paperwe describe and analyze some of the citizens’ information practices and the ethical dilemmas posed about journalism and the right to information.

Citizen journalism in digital editions, a limited bet

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:20:50 +0200

In recent years the digital media have opened their doors to so-called citizen journalism. Nevertheless, far from some declarations that present the reader as another journalist, the reality is very different. This article compares the sections of informative participation in four digital editions of printed newspapers from 2009 to nowadays in order to analyze two aspects: whether the media frankly trust the readers, beyond inviting them to play at being journalists; and what is the reader’s response.

Solutions for electronic exchange of social security information in an international context

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:20:41 +0200

Various issues related to social security information exchanges between different countries are analyzed and the European Union solution, named Eessi project (Electronic Exchange of Social Security), is described. One of the key components of Eessi is the so-called Master directory, which manages information about institutions participating in information exchange, business processes concerning every institution and information flow associated to electronic documents. The application of a similar solution for countries in other regions taking into account advantages and disadvantages is discussed.

Revealing our digital identity

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:20:32 +0200

We critique the concept of digital identity and try to deal with all its complexity. In addition, we present findings from a first approach to this object of analysis, a study that explores higher education students’ perceptions and concerns about their digital identity. Thus, this study focuses on digital identity as it is projected mainly on social networking sites (SNS) and the role they play in young people’s lives.

Media convergence and newsrooms: the case of the Basque Public Radio and Television (EITB)

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:20:22 +0200

This article offers results derived from research on the convergence process of the Basque public broadcasting group Euskal Irrati Telebista (EITB ). The essay focuses on the relationship and the synergies between EITB ’s radio, television and internet newsrooms, by analysing this group’s production and distribution model. This study is prompted by the convergent purposes made public by EITB in its most recent Strategic plan (2010-2013) and uses both qualitative (in-depth interviews with managers, ethnographic observation in the newsroom and focus groups) and quantitative (survey of reporters) analyses. The conclusions indicate that EITB is headed toward a cross-media newsroom structure, even though there are still many challenges to face, as a consequence of the strong, established newsroom cultures and the need of promoting further editorial coordination between the three platforms.

Journalistic contents and new business models: assessment of digital services

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:20:13 +0200

The digital environment offers new attributes to the production of press content. The strategic use of these tools opens new channels to update the business model in the context of restructuring journalism. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the potential of digital tools from the point of view of young people in order to offer to journalistic companies a guideline for action. The methodology used is based on a quantitative survey carried out among people between 16 and 30 years old (N = 549). The results reveal that updating, multimediality, personalization and everyday content that is personally relevant are appreciated as the most important properties. The use of these resources is considered to be one of the pillars that have to be taken into account in order to build the new business model adapted to the digital field.

Digital communication. Memories of the future

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:20:05 +0200

A reflection on the emergence of new forms of interactive digital media in the late twentieth century is proposed. Presented as a historical account written in the future, the main mutations experienced by the media ecosystem from the emergence of digital technologies and global networks are described. From a historical perspective the contemporary period is presented as an unintelligible and often contradictory period similar to other phase transitions, such as the Renaissance (XV-XVI century) or the Industrial Revolution (XVIII-XIX). The text also describes some of the theoretical implications and the most salient debates of that period.

Ariae search engine: information source on energy regulation in Iberoamerica

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:19:56 +0200

Ariae is the Iberoamerican Association of Energy Regulatory Entities, formed by the organizations of 19 Iberoamerican countries. In this article we present the new Ariae information service, consisting of a digital library that gathers and organizes the open access documents produced during the activities of the Association and its members. The article begins with an introduction to the Association and the motivations for creating the information service. Subsequently, it includes a brief presentation of similar services in the area, and finally a description of the objectives and characteristics of Ariae information service.

The evolution of the usability concept as an indicator of software quality

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:19:45 +0200

Technological advances in the field of information and interactive systems mean that increasing numbers of factors and criteria are considered to assess quality during the design, development and evaluation process. In this context, concepts such as quality of use and user experience have appeared and in many cases are replacing or supplementing existing usability properties to identify the quality of the interaction process. In this paper we describe and analyze the evolution of the different concepts to identify the quality of the interaction on information systems and we help to characterize and locate each quality factor in one dimension and a specific range of the process of use, and consider the relationships and overlap between these concepts.

Technical aspects of the digitization of audiovisual holdings

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:19:25 +0200

The audiovisual holdings of archives, libraries and museums are in danger due to the degradation of analogical content recorded on tapes. The article lists the possible damages suffered by videotapes as well as the problems posed by the technical obsolescence of equipment needed to read them. There is an international consensus that digitalization is the best way to preserve videotapes. Digitization is not an easy process considering the complexity of video’s digital file formats, which include rich multimedia wrappers and multiple standards for compressing video and audio. Technical decisions should specifically address the needs of each different service, which is illustrated with a case study on audiovisual recordings from local televisions in Spain.

Gazela: social networks’ digital advisor for teenagers

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:19:13 +0200

Social networks are becoming overcrowded. Every day people share millions of files, videos and pictures, and the massive use of social networks is replacing other communications channels such as telephone, e-mail or sms. However, these networks are often used without knowing the possible repercussions. Gazela is a platform with the aim to provide the general society and especially teenagers with the necessary tools to allow them to guarantee their privacy while using social networks. Gazela ’s activity is focused on three main elements: surveillance services, protection services and legal advising services.

Type codes: right to information and personal data protection

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:19:03 +0200

Type codes arise from institutions’ authority to develop their own internal rules of organization and operation, with the aim of adapting to the needs and peculiarities of their services. As a policy instrument, type codes provide with special precautions in handling the protection of personal data. This paper seeks to inform all professionals, whether working in the body producing the documentation or in the archival destination, of the value of the measures taken in this regard within the private sector.

Public access to documents supports transparency in public administration

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:18:53 +0200

Transparency in public administration is possible if citizens are guaranteed access to documents. In this paper we propose a definition of transparency and analyse the Spanish legislation that addresses the right of access to information. Transparency is also more readily achieved if institutions have organized their archives. We propose essential requirements that must meet the legal and records management standards.

Fighting against plagiarism from university libraries

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:18:43 +0200

The internet has become the main source where information can be located, which has facilitated certain university student practices, plagiarism and cyber-plagiarism in particular. Academic plagiarism and related dishonest practices result in the incorporation, although unevenly, of legal, educational, and anti-plagiarism software, etc., on websites in an increasing number of Spanish university libraries. This can be a strategic decisión if considered within the framework of the new EHEA teaching methods, which require that students produce a large number of academic papers, and the growing implementation in the Spanish universities of informational skills.

Ethics of scientific publishing: initiatives and recommendations

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:18:34 +0200

The growing importance of scientific publications of quality, their impact on society in general and on authors’ processes of scientific recognition, as well as journals needing to have international visibility, may increase the number of conflicts of interests among editors, authors and reviewers of scientific publications. The aim of this article is to review recommendations of existing ethics codes. Major international initiatives, their sponsoring entities and specific recommendations made to the different agents of the process are analyzed. The review reveals that the degree of awareness about the ethics of the publications in each discipline and each country depends on tradition, associations, the established reputation and the degree of internationalization of the journals that make up each scientific field.

New York Times Topics, a model of journalistic documentation product in digital press

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:18:23 +0200

After introducing journalistic documentation products in digital media such as Special reports and Topics, this paper reviews the literature about this issue and presents a case study of The New York Times Topics section. The method followed comprises the study of the site over several months during 2011, complemented with an interview with its current chief editor, John O’Neil. Issues such as the origin and objectives of the section, work method, types of Topics pages, page structure, and constituent elements of the section and particular pages are discussed. The main contributions of The New York Times Topics and some areas for improvement are pointed.

"Archiving in the cloud: Production rules for contemporary documents. Part II: Social indicators"

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:18:12 +0200

In this text we codify some indicators about how information and records are currently produced, exploring social circumstances under which information is produced. Results are a general scenario, based upon a transdisciplinary point of view, which allows us to envisage a new model for archiving processes.

Evaluation of the readability of university web pages

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:18:00 +0200

Readability refers to the ease of reading and understanding a text. The need to ensure the readability of Web pages is related to universal access to products and services in the information society, which aims to provide an Internet for all. This article describes a study conducted to assess the readability of textual contents of Web portals of 40 universities at the top positions in international university rankings to determine whether the best universities have readable web pages. Mathematical formulas that evaluate syntactic difficulty of text oriented to texts written in English or in Spanish were applied.

The audience as author: transmedia narrative and intellectual property. Some juridical reflexions

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:17:51 +0200

Since copyright first appeared in the legal system in the 17th century, with every new technology the enforcement of authors’ rights has faced a necessary adaptation of the mechanisms to protect authors. The popularization of the Internet’s publishing and dissemination tools has multiplied phenomena which previously existed, such as reader participation or narrative extension through transformation of preexisting works. In one way or another, this promotes the audience to the category of (co)authors. Participative or citizen journalism and fanfictions, which have appeared in several media, have produced the so-called transmedia narratives , which present certain legal considerations. This text analyzes the challenges that transmedia narrative has posed to the intellectual property system.

Cloud law and contract negotiation

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:17:42 +0200

Law and information

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:17:32 +0200

Law and Information are two concepts that need each other, although the complexity of their relationship is not always fully understood. We propose an overview of the main areas where this relationship is more intimate and fundamental. To make this overview more comprehensive we will focus on the three functions that Law can exercise over Information: hide, preserve and share. All topics discussed are highly related and the discussion of one has to take into account the other. The good news is that Law has been responding to the needs of the society due to the challenges posed by technological and social changes for millenia and it has the tools to do it again. For this, legal practitioners need the support of information professionals to guide them through all the new phenomena arising from digital information.

Bibliographic control and dissemination of the University of Oviedo scientific output

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:17:23 +0200

Planning and problems encountered to collect, track and disseminate researchers publications at the University of Oviedo. The library is an essential part of the university’s Annual Research Report. A double bibliographic platform in Dspace is used, that allows user interaction with both the institutional research archive and the institutional open access repository, and also connects with software to produce researchers’ Standard Curriculum Vitae (currículum vitae normalizado, CVN). The library monitors authors profiles, checking them against the main scientific databases in order to calculate a more accurate h-index, and better use evaluation products like Scival Strata and Scival Spotlight.

Open Knowledge Office: a model for institutionalizing the open access movement in universities

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:17:14 +0200

This paper offers a management model to create an open access office at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. This office intends to provide instruction and training to the members of the different open access projects being developed at the University. It aims at improving the scientific communication system and giving visibility to the academic production, as well as the historic resources that belong to the libraries, museums and archives of the University. A detailed description of the mission, vision, objectives, structure and main functions of the open access office are described

The role of the library in disseminating the scientific output of Pompeu Fabra University

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:17:04 +0200

In recent years, the UPF has implemented several initiatives to disseminate the scientific output of the university’s teaching and research personnel: UPF digital repository (e-Repositori), scientific output portal (PPC), and the provision of tools and recommendations to standardize an author’s name and affiliation, evaluate scholarly journals, improve the curriculum vitae, etc. The library’s role in these initiatives is discussed, along with the increasing importance of these activities within the scope of academic libraries.

Logic of economic development: university library and industrial clusters

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:16:53 +0200

In the context of the knowledge society, it is necessary that university libraries understand that their challenges are correlated with the strategic sectors of national and regional economic development: University, State and Industry. The article seeks to generate an analysis of the relationship between R&D development and economic development, and of the strategic importance of enhancing industrial clusters through the university library as part of the third mission of universities.

PUC: lending service of the CBUC libraries

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:16:43 +0200

A brief description of the international state of interlibrary loan (ILL) is presented. The limitations of the previous ILL service provided by the Consortium of University Libraries in Catalonia (CBUC) and its evolution to the new consortial borrowing service, the PUC, are described. The software selection, rules, logistics, and how the system works are detailed. The improvements the PUC represents as a patron-initiated service where the user can place a book request through the union catalog (CCUC) directly to the library that owns it, without mediation by library staff, have reduced waiting time and costs.

Bibliometric analysis of scientific development in countries of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur)

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:16:31 +0200

The Union of South American Nations (Unasur) can be considered as a new emergent region in the world. By using advanced bibliometric methods, the development of science and technology in Unasur is explored. Based on data from the InCites tool of Thomson Reuters, which facilitates national comparisons across long time periods using publication output and normalized citation impact values, we explored how this region (particularly the most productive individual countries within it) is developing. The publication output results reveal an increase in the scientific and technological activities in most of the Unasur countries (especially Brazil). Compared to the rest of the world, the citation impact trend is less favourable for all Unasur countries.

Digital press archives. Evolution and trends

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:16:21 +0200

The digital press archives of the Spanish newspapers with the largest digital circulations ara analysed. Evaluative study based on 27 indicators divided into 4 main sections: general features, content, query system, and presentation of results. The analysis was conducted in 2010, and results obtained in 2007 are compared. The best and worst aspects of the digital press archives are pointed out, establishing a newspapers ranking: El mundo, Abc, El país and La vanguardia occupy the top positions. The five major trends: extension of the temporary fund online, free archives versus payment archives, simplification (and depletion) of the query, filters in the presentation of results and documentary products in the archives are described.

Impact of subscription to electronic journals collections on academic productivity at the University of Vigo

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:16:09 +0200

The aim of the study is to test a methodology to investigate the correlation between the models of electronic information usage and the scientific communication preferences reflected in two databases: Web of Science (WoS) from Thomson Reuters, and Scopus from Elsevier. The study is focused on the University of Vigo. Downloads of the articles distributed by ScienceDirect, SpringerLink and Wiley were analyzed at the University of Vigo (Spain) in the period 2006 to 2011. There is an ascending curve for the consumption of electronic scientific content and a preference for titles distributed by ScienceDirect. The study confirms that experimental and health sciences researchers are the most devoted users, to judge by the number of articles downloaded. Increase in scientific production was also analyzed by discipline. There was a direct correlation between the most productive disciplines and those in which higher numbers of journal articles were downloaded. Nevertheless, no direct correlation was observed between the titles preferred for scientific communication and the titles receiving greater use in the multidisciplinary platforms studied.

Spanish university libraries in the social web

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:15:59 +0200

Overview of the implementation of social web technologies in Spanish university libraries. The research made it possible to determine, among other issues, the reasons why these libraries use (or not) the social web, which 2.0 services are used more and less and for what purposes, obstacles faced by the libraries in carrying out a process of this type, etc. Furthermore, the study attempted to quantify the degree of adoption of these technologies with the help of new measures designed as part of the research process.

Libraries, the promotion of reading and social networks: converting friends into readers

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:15:50 +0200

Reference services, both face-to-face and virtual, in academic libraries have a low usage, which jeopardize their continuity. University librarians worldwide are pursuing innovative and creative programs to offer the service where, how and when it is needed. Libraries have to evaluate their services to meet the changing needs of users, developing and adding marketing plans to strategic plans, which allow a redesign of reference service, depending on statistical data, user satisfaction data, and ROI. The academic library must demonstrate the value it brings to the objectives of the institution. Based on a literature review, an overview of the current face-to-face and virtual reference services in university libraries is provided, pointing their mistakes and successes.

Twenty years of interlibrary lending and document supply automation in Spanish academic libraries (1992-2012)

Scipedia content — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:15:40 +0200

Trends over the past 20 years (1992-2012) of interlibrary lending and document supply (ILDS) automation in Spanish academic libraries are discussed. Taking into account the routines and procedures carried out by ILDS services -document identification, localization, document request, reception of borrowed items and user services or internal management- the article lists the software used in Spanish universities to handle these services, setting it into the context of the evolution of each process in parallel with software developments.