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Purpose: This study aimed to present a model for open-data management for developing innovative information flow in Iranian knowledge-based companies (businesses). Design/methodology/approach: The method was mixed (qualitative-quantitative) and data collection tools were interview and questionnaire. The qualitative part was done to identify the influential components in open data management (ecosystem) using the grounded theory method. A questionnaire was developed based on the results of the qualitative section and the theoretical foundations, and the quantitative section was conducted by analytical survey method and the model was extracted using factor analysis and the integration of the qualitative section. Findings: Seven categories of entrepreneurial incentives, sustainable value, innovative features, challenges and barriers, actors, business model and requirements are the main categories that should be considered in open data management (ecosystem) with all categories of research have a significant relationship with open data management. Originality/value: The study focused on open data management from an innovation paradigm perspective and its role in developing innovative information flow. The study aimed to identify the key components of the open data ecosystem, open-data value creation, and the need to use the "open data" approach to develop data-driven and knowledge-based businesses in Iran–an emerging approach largely ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research aims to represent the terms and concepts of civil engineering and thus design its domain structure in the form of ontology. This is an applied research and the qualitative content analysis method with summative approach is used. The research population is 12309 published articles in the scientific journals (1983 to 2016), indexed in the full-text Persian articles database at Regional Information Center for Science and Technology (RICeST). Data collection was done via SQL queries from the RICeST database. The content analysis was used to create a conceptual model of the civil engineering domain and to explain the relationships and instances. To create the conceptual model, there were consulted with 10 Subject experts in civil engineering area. The process of ontology creation has been done through METHONTOLOGY methodology and protégé ontology management software (Beta 5 edition). The made-artifact of this research has 283 concepts, along with 62 object properties, 79 data type properties, 10 annotative properties, and 976 instances. In total, in the present research, 151 semantic properties were identified between the concepts. The results of this research can serve as a guide for the RICeST experts in order to identify the users' needs and facilitate the users' interaction with RICeST databases. This can also provide the users with access to more relevant resources. This ontology can also be served as a layer of semantic web in these databases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergies for the Iranian regional and national innovation systems among the geographical, technological and organizational distributions of firms were measured. Among the data of 87934 active industrial firms (December 2015), merely 46150 firms could be classified using NACE codes into high-tech, mediumtech and knowledge intensive sectors which in turn geographically divided into five regions. Accordingly, both the T0 and ΔTGTO of Iran at the national level had negative signs (-480.6 and -5.14 mbits, respectively), however all the ΔTGTOs in each separate region was highly positive denoting that national agglomeration significantly adds to the synergy in the system and a highly integrated national innovation system was proposed in Iran. Regions 1 (including Tehran as the capital) as well as region 4 (including Khuzestan which contains enormous oil and gas resources and industries) caused less disturbance to the national synergy compared with the other three regions (ΔTGTOs= +18.1 and +22.2 mbits, respectively). The decomposition of sectorial technologies showed that in contrast to many other countries, especially for west European countries, high-tech manufacturing and knowledge intensive services were the main drives of knowledge-based configuration in the regional economy of Iran, while mediumtech manufacturing tend to uncouple the economy from the regional configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the implementation of sustainable management, libraries move towards sustainability and are converted into green libraries. The present study aimed to propose a model for sustainable management in Iranian libraries. This research was a qualitative and applied study. In order to obtain the required data and information, deep and semi-structured interviews with twelve experts in the fields of information and knowledge science and sustainable development were used. The interviewees were selected by a purposeful sampling method. For data analysis using grounded theory methodology, the topics raised by interviewees were coded and categorized in three steps. Fifty-five concepts from the coding stage were classified into six subcategories. In the final paradigm of sustainable management, these subcategories were classified into context, intervening and causal conditions, strategies, and consequences, which act in relation to the main category of sustainable management in order to establish a green library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays people are seeking health information to raise their awareness. They use many ways to get this information. This study examines the health information channels used by users of public libraries. The population of the present survey consisted of 461 users of public libraries throughout the country, randomly selected in a two-stage cluster sampling method. The questionnaire data were analyzed using SPSS. Cronbach's alpha value was obtained as 0.89. Friedman test showed that there is a significant difference between the preferred channels of women and men for getting health information. Most health information was obtained through TV and the Internet channels. Most of the health knowledge was gained by users through parents, family members and self-study. Libraries played a second role after parents, schools, experiences of visiting doctors and self-study. Users preferred printed materials in the libraries to get health information. Television and the Internet were the most-used information channels. The public library as one of the channels of getting health information can provide reliable updated information to the users. Strengthening the print resources in the health field and introducing and evaluating scientific updated databases must be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge flow is a key success factor for organizations and institutions. Lack of proper knowledge flow in an organization and among different individuals, organizations, and businesses will cause gaps in information and information access. One such gap is the gap in the innovation system. Mediators, as one of the innovation system variables, can play a role in filling these gaps. One of the mediators is knowledge brokers. On the other hand, every business needs a specific business model for implementation depending on its nature. The present study proposed an ecommerce business model canvas for knowledge brokers to improve knowledge flow. In the present study, meta-synthesis and Delphi methods were used, respectively. The sampling methods used in the Delphi part were homogenous and snowball, based on which the experts were 10. The results showed that 7 variables (out of 48) and 22 indicators (out of 156) were removed. Finally, 134 indicators and 41 variables were classified based on Osterwalder's business model canvas variables and presented within the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. This article examines characteristics of the external environment of library and information centres of Islamic Azad University in Iran, focusing on perceived environmental uncertainty and perceived source accessibility and quality, and their impacts on the amount of scanning and the frequency of information source use. Methods This research surveyed the library managers of ninety-four units of Islamic Azad University. Data were collected by a mail questionnaire with a response rate of 90.42%. Findings. Results show that there is a positive correlation between respondents’ perceived environmental uncertainty and the amount of scanning. Additionally, perceived source accessibility and quality are associated more with frequency of information source use in environmental scanning than with perceived environmental uncertainty; and managers mostly rely on personal and internal information sources. Conclusion. This research shows that: libraries as organizations are sensitive to their external environments, and variable, complex and important events occurred in it; managers of academic libraries feel uncertainty and complexity in their decision making and rely on information sources; and the use of library and electronic information services as information source in environmental scanning ranked in a high level compared to other sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to provide a suitable model for book distribution in Iran. This research is applied in terms of purpose, and the research method is mixed (qualitative: grounded theory; and quantitative: analytical survey). The data were collected through a series of semi-structured interviews at the qualitative stage. The population of the qualitative section consisted of 10 book distribution experts who were selected by using the snowball method; for the second population, 118 book distributors were purposefully selected, and the research questionnaire was distributed among them. The MAXQDA software was used to determine the qualitative section's concepts, categories, and subcategories. Then the paradigm of book distribution in Iran was identified. The model was determined using PLS software in the form of descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling in the quantitative section. In the qualitative section, the five cultural, economic, legal and political, substructural, and professional factors were identified; the results of the quantitative section showed that the cultural dimension had a weak relationship with distribution factors, and the relationship was vital for other dimensions. It can be said that the cultural dimension has the lowest intensity of the relationship, and the substructural dimension, economic dimension, professional dimension, and legal and political dimension have the highest intensity correlation with distribution factors, respectively. The most influential factors influencing book distribution were the lack of reading culture, inadequate distribution, unprofitability, weak rules, and unprincipled publishing support. The most effective way to improve the distribution was to strengthen the professional distributors. Distribution channels of goods and cultural services in Iran are mainly traditional. Moreover, the traditional distribution network, lack of use of new technologies, the long flow path of goods, the minimal share of bookstores in the distribution system, weakness of distribution substructures, lack of manpower skills in the distribution sector, and lack of capable public and private distribution networks cause inefficiency of the book distribution network and result in consumer dissatisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses library and information science in Iran as of April 2012, with a focus on the external environments of academic libraries and environmental scanning performed by managers of central libraries from non-profit Islamic Azad Universities (IAU). Topics include determining the role of the library within its environment, incorporating rules of evolutionary biology into organization studies, and perceived strategic uncertainty (PSU). Additional information is presented on mail questionnaires and the rate of change in environmental sectors.

"Importance, variability and complexity" are more common characteristics of organizations' external environment. Managers scan the external environment in order to acquire information about events and incline to plan the organization's future courses of action. This study aims first, to investigates the manner that library and information center managers of Islamic azad University (IAU) perceived the "Importance, variability and Complexity" of the environmental sectors; and secondly, it aims to calculate the "perceived Strategic Uncertainty (PSU)" and the "perceived environmental Uncertainty (PEU)", and to account their correlation with the amount of scanning in each environmental sector. Populations of this survey are library and information center managers of large and very large units of IAU, consisting of 94 units of 232 in total. Data are collected by questionnaires by mail and face to face interviews. Results indicate that the amount of scanning is related to the perceived strategic uncertainty (range from 0.339 to 0.745) and perceived environmental uncertainty (range from 0.607 to 0.770); that is PSU and PEU of each environment sector strongly correlates with the amount of scanning. In the field of library and information centers acting as service base organizations, managers who scan the environment, customers, and technologic sectors are perceived as important, variable and complex. The great mean value of competition (mean = 3.88) in the field of complexity shows the complexity of this sector and numerous factors in the field of information services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article studies factors that affect knowledge sharing among Library and Information Science (LIS) faculties in Iran. The study found that LIS educators with different teaching experiences tend to have different ways of sharing, while LIS faculties working in the same governmental universities and those working in Islamic Azad universities have similar behaviors when it comes to knowledge sharing. It also reveals that attitude towards knowledge sharing is correlated with intention to share.

The article presents information about a study done at Iran's Islamic Azad University which looks at research papers done in the Library and Information Science department from 1997 to 2007 regarding critical thinking, gender, and education. It focuses on critical thinking skills which have a positive impact on improving the writing process, most notably in student compositions. Topics include a lack of correlation between learning methods and critical thinking, the presence of a correlation between critical thinking and age and gender, and a correlation between curriculum type and critical thinking.

The present research aims to assess the performance of libraries at the Islamic Azad University, Sciences and Research Branch (IAUSRB) through gap analysis. To do this, a researcher-developed questionnaire which is based on available standards and quality assessment tools including ACRL standards, LibQUAL and ISO 11620, and some criteria included in the related literature was designed and distributed among users of IAUSRB libraries. Five service quality categories, were included in the questionnaire: "Environment, equipment and physical facilities", "Public services", "Non-book materials", "Staff (librarians and their co-workers)", and "Information literacy and user education". Based on research findings, the most expected library services prioritized by users are "operation time" (mean = 4.2300), "staff" (mean = 4.1461), and "circulation" (mean = 4.1208), while the least expected library services which are of lower importance from users' perspective are "press" (mean = 3.9734) and "audiovisual materials" (mean = 3.8796). The findings also indicate that services offered by the libraries surveyed had a relatively quality performance and average success (perceived quality is 2.9635≈50%). In other words, such a finding emphasizes an average performance of IAUSRB libraries. In addition, confirming five research hypotheses concerning gap analysis, there was a significant difference between expected quality of five service categories and their perceived quality based on users' viewpoint. It was also realized that the categories with better performance or perceived quality from users' perspective are "staff" (mean = 3.2240), "information literacy and user education" (mean = 2.9998), and "environment, equipment and physical facilities" (mean = 2.9871), and the two libraries "Theology and Philosophy" (mean = 2.2639) and "Medical Engineering" (mean = 2.4507) have offered poor services than the other IAUSRB libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk management is a preventive activity that identifies project risks and technical and non-technical problems for key managers and stakeholders by identifying project risks. The introduction of new digital forms of information not only has created rich and extraordinary opportunities for libraries to expand community access to information and create a positive relationship between libraries and users but poses some degree of risk. The present study employs a qualitative research approach with The Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM). For data collection, a researcher-made questionnaire was used to identify the risks of content production in digital libraries. The FDM was employed for complete analysis using 20 IT experts on a 5-point Likert scale. The study identified 61 sub-components under nine main content production risk components: human, environmental, infrastructure, conservation and maintenance, technical, copyright, integration, evaluations of resource content, and information security risks. The present study addresses the content production risk components so that authorities can assist in planning and decision-making to prevent and resolve content production issues in digital libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the strategic role of public libraries in Iran's Geopolitics of Information. This is applied research adopting a mixed-method (qualitative-quantitative) approach. A semi-structured interview was used to collect qualitative information. In the quantitative part, a researcher-made questionnaire was designed based on the results of the qualitative part. The statistical population of the research in the qualitative section included 13 experts and university professors who were selected purposefully based on a set of criteria. The qualitative data were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method. The findings of the quantitative part were analyzed using factor analysis. The population of the quantitative part included the general managers and deputies of the general administrations of Iran's public libraries (70 people) and the librarians of the provinces that had the central public libraries from five clusters of north, south, east, west, and center of Iran, including 10 provinces and 160 librarians. Some 201 completed questionnaires were received. The findings showed that libraries had an implicit role in strengthening cultural identity and increasing public awareness, especially in strengthening Iranian-Islamic identity, as one of the three main components of geopolitics. However, this role is neither deliberated for a specific mission nor clearly explained in the upstream documents. Moreover, based on the findings, the acquisition of the centralized resources by the Iran Public Libraries Foundation for all public libraries is managed in an integrated manner such that there is not any clear role of user needs in the selection process. This is inconsistent with the Free-Flow of Information approach. The findings also suggested that national policymakers should pay attention to the role of public libraries as a public discourse space in transmitting culture and information and a base for strengthening the power of soft defense, training and explaining the specific role for librarians, developing technological infrastructure of libraries, providing resources based on local needs and the audience needs, continuous and purposeful monitoring of activities, and increasing the number of service recipients from public libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study is to design a conceptual model for the application of semantic-social technology in digital libraries in Iran. Methodology: This applied research was conducted using Delphi and analytical survey methods. The tool used was a researcher-made questionnaire, which included three parts: the structure of semantic-social technology architecture, semantic-social technology tools, and the function of semantic-social technology. Descriptive statistics, structural equation modeling and partial least squares modeling (PLS-SEM) were used to analyze the statistical data. Findings: In the final research model, most items had a high factor loading and in the main components of the research, including the architecture structure of semantic-social technology, tools of semantic-social technology and the function of semantic-social technology, important items from the perspective of the research community were identified. Accordingly, in the architectural structure of semantic-social technology, the use of RDF schema to describe and describe RDF-based resources, the use of SIOC technology to link blogs, forums and mailing lists had the highest factor loading. Also, in the part of semantic-social technology tools, in the final conceptual model research, video mashups and map mashups had a higher factor loading than others. In the functional part of semantic-social technology, using the URL standard to identify and locate a resource in digital libraries and retrieval function, using RDF tools and using Sub and Super techniques between concepts to retrieve information faster has the highest factor loading. Moreover, in the parts of data and resources and content, the use of RDF tools to exploit multimedia and non-textual resources due to the diversity of available information and in the function of organization and storage, the use of ontology to manage digital resources had higher factor loading. In addition, in the interaction function, the items of communication between the chain of information producers, collectors and users through social semantic web tools had the highest amount of factor loading. Concusion: Considering the results obtained in the proposed model of this research and the items that have gained a high factor loading in the proposed conceptual model, shows that in semanticsocial technology in digital library software, what makes this technology progress and success is the correct creation of digital library software. The basis of digital library standards, attention to the XML markup language, Dublin Core, etc. and its integration with semantic tools such as Web 2.0, hashtags and folksonomy, metadata, etc. in line with social technologies such as social networks, mashups, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Despite the strong reasons for using knowledge management to improve organizational performance, there are various obstacles to implementing knowledge management in organizations. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of implementing the knowledge management process in the Nomads Affairs Organization of Iran. Methodology: This descriptive-survey study is based on the combined method of TOPSIS and structural equations, and its statistical population includes all employees of the Nomads Affairs Organization of Iran in 1398 (2018). The sample size was 302 people according to Cochran's formula; stratified random sampling method was used in the analysis. To collect data, a 60-item questionnaire was used, which after applying the TOPSIS method, 24 indicators that did not receive the required average to enter the model were removed from the model. The 36-item questionnaire was approved by experts and the validity of the structure was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis and their reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. To analyze the data, SmartPLS software was used to model the structural equations. Findings: The research findings showed that organizational culture, organizational structure, motivation, and technical factor have a positive and significant effect on knowledge management. Conclusion: To implement the knowledge management process in the Nomads Affairs Organization of Iran, the factors "organizational culture", "organizational structure", "motivation", and "technical" are effective and in the meantime, the "social factor" should be used as a mediating variable. By increasing the organizational culture among employees, knowledge management can more easily go through the implementation and execution stages. Considering the effect of the variable of organizational structure on knowledge management and also in order to achieve the goals and mission of the organization, it is necessary for senior managers to organize and select the appropriate structure of knowledge management. According to the research results, the motivation variable has a higher score and this means that managers try to create more trust and motivation in employees. The results showed that the IT variable has a direct effect on the implementation of knowledge management. Given the impact of staff on the implementation of knowledge management is necessary; Recruit employees with high knowledge and expertise to add new knowledge to the knowledge within the organization. Considering the effect of social factor as a mediating variable on knowledge management and also in order to achieve the goals and mission of the organization, it is necessary to strengthen social capital and mutual trust among their employees. Organizational investment in the development of social capital, through effective communication training, improving the communication process and interactions between employees and managers inside and outside the organization, creating a culture of cooperation, mutual trust and teamwork, all contribute to the development of social organization. And it will accelerate the movement of the organization towards an innovative and learning organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and design the axial coding pattern of the factors affecting the unplanned use behavior of users of the academic libraries and information centers. Design/methodology/approach: The study as an applied research with a qualitative approach employed the grounded theory. The data collection tool was a deep and semi-structured interview. The interviews data were analyzed and coded during three stages of open, axial and selective coding using the MAXQDA 10 qualitative analysis software. The research population consisted of faculty members and experts in three areas of library and information science, management and psychology. Using the combined targeted sampling method (targeted and then the snowball), 12 subjects were selected as the sample size. Findings: According to the research findings, the factors affecting the unplanned behavior of users in the use of academic libraries resources and services were identified as factors related to technology, environmental factors, information resources, information services, human resources, individual features, time position factor, cultural factors and social factors. Accordingly, the axial coding pattern of this type of behaviors was designed. Research limitations/implications: The research limitations include the lack of theoretical basis related to the unplanned behavior issue in the field of library and information science and the lack of full familiarity of most of the experts in the field of library and information science with this topic. These factors lead to the necessity of explaining the subject under discussion. Originality/value: The unplanned behavior of clients can be utilized to persuade users to use the information resources and library services so that the costs spent on their preparation and collection will be justifiable. The current research addressed this aspect of the unplanned information-seeking behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]