Search

Mis/disinformation has in recent political and health climates become increasingly spread through social media and the internet, drawing increased discussion on the role libraries play in countering and combating the spread of mis/disinformation. This study investigated the impact and management of mis/disinformation at university libraries in Australia through a survey of 88 library staff and interviews with 17 managers. Library staff believe they have a role in teaching skills such as critical thinking and evaluation, advocating in this space and maintaining credible, balanced and inclusive collections. Although combating mis/disinformation is a strategic priority for libraries, it is often not a priority for the institutions themselves, leading to barriers for staff who would like to devote more time and resources to teaching information literacy skills and assessing the credibility and accuracy of collections. While complaints about collection content are low and library managers’ view is that libraries should not censor materials, there is an increasing priority in Australia to address historical inaccuracies in content and build and maintain collections that are inclusive and culturally safe. Library staff in Australia would like support from national library bodies through training and resources and playing an advocacy role in national discussions around mis/disinformation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous and unprecedented effect on higher education. Perhaps most notably, the virus catalysed a speedy movement to online delivery in response to the range of mandatory physical restrictions to campuses and classrooms around the world. To that end, this article discusses the online self-access student support options that were implemented at a mid-size public Australian university during March and April 2020. Drawing upon reflections from three student support leaders at the institution, it explores the rapid development and deployment of three new initiatives: self-access resources and videos for preparing to learn online, videoconference appointment options with learning advisers and librarians, and peer-to-peer virtual guides to online learning. It also comments on the implications of these programs for future practice, including the personally observed criticality of student feedback on accessible short video guides, flexible online individual support options and avenues for connecting with peers for technical support. Through this exploration and reflection, this article contributes to the new emerging body of literature on student support during the outbreak of COVID-19.

Frailty is related to an imbalance of homeostasis within the body, accompanied by an accumulation of health deficits. A possible way to measure this imbalance, is with a non-invasive measure of the autonomic nervous system through heart rate variability (HRV). This study utilized a secondary, cross-sectional analysis of data collected in the Women’s Advanced Risk-Assessment in Manitoba (WARM) Hearts study. The purpose was to determine if there is a difference in HRV depending on frailty level measured by the WARM Hearts HRV Frailty Index (WH-HRV FI) and the Standardized Frailty Phenotype measured at rest and during moderate exercise; and to determine if there is an association between HRV and frailty when measuring frailty on a continuous scale both at rest and during moderate exercise. Data analysis included 125 females in the resting cohort, and 102 in the exercise cohort. Frailty was measured using two separate methods (WH-HRV FI and the Standardized Frailty Phenotype). HRV was measured using a Polar H7 heart rate monitor with a 5-minute sample at rest and a 2-minute sample during exercise. This analysis included various HRV indices including mean RR intervals (Mean RR), standard deviation of normal-normal intervals (SDNN), root mean square of successive intervals (RMSSD), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), total power (TP), low frequency to high frequency ratio (LF/HF), and approximate entropy (ApEn). Resting analysis revealed a trend towards a reduction in SDNNlog, TPlog, and LF/HFlog and a significant positive association in LFlog in those who were frail with no changes of RMSSDlog or HFlog indicating an impaired sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Exercise analysis revealed a significant difference and positive association between frailty and mean RRlog, and an inverse relationship between frailty and TPlog. This indicates a reduced ability to adapt to changes and a reduced global HRV for both frailty measures. There were inconsistent results regarding th

This paper presents findings of a survey that investigated the reading preferences of university students at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia. This survey is being undertaken as part of the Academic Reading Format International Study (ARFIS), which is investigating print versus digital reading preferences in 31 countries. A total of 582 students completed the survey. Results from the survey indicate a strong preference for reading in print because of issues such as eyestrain, tactile features, better focus, and ability to highlight and take notes. Issues such as cost, usability and accessibility also impacted on students’ reading decisions.

This paper presents the findings of a case study that investigated international university students’ expectations and experiences of information literacy across two countries. The results from this case study provide insights that can be utilized by librarians working with international students, to plan and develop their information literacy instruction classes and programs. Armed with an awareness of what international students’ expectations and experiences with information literacy programs are, librarians can develop more meaningful instruction that better meets the information needs of international students. Moving beyond the pilot survey, the researchers aim to improve the survey instrument and collaborate with librarians in several countries to collect data from institutions and universities around the world. Exploring and comparing results from a truly global population will only enhance library services to international students and help librarians better understand the specific information needs of international students.

Full Text, Thesis (PhD Doctorate), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Griffith Business School, Griffith Business School, The multi-owned development (MOD) is a unique property type consisting of at least two individually owned lots tied to communally owned common property with a separate registered entity (the body corporate) created to govern and manage the property. While the body corporate is the ultimate governing entity and the orchestra of operations for much of a MOD’s life, there is a period of time when a MOD’s developer makes governing decisions. It is during this phase, the transition phase, that the developer can bind the body corporate to a myriad of arrangements and relationships. Although state based Australian legislation provides a framework for body corporate governance, concerns have been raised over the extent of power and control exerted by developers when tasked with governing. There is a paucity of academic research concerned with the MOD transition phase. This study is therefore exploratory in nature, as it seeks to uncover the nature of governance decisions made by developers during the transition phase. This study is guided by the principles of the grounded theory method, which focuses on creating conceptual frameworks or theories through building inductive analysis from the data collected. Method triangulation was used in order to promote rigour in the research. A combination of semi-structured interviews, document (legislative) analysis and structured interviews was undertaken.

Introduction The findings of three recent phenomenographic studies conducted by a practitioner-researcher team (the information literacy experiences of English as a foreign language (EFL) students, how international branch campus faculty members experience the academic library and the open access experiences of faculty members in online education) are analysed to discover what practical implications were revealed from the categories of description that can be used in practice. Method Meta-analysis of the categories of description of three phenomenographic studies was conducted. Analysis Categories of description were analysed iteratively in order to identify which library services and processes could be informed by the results of phenomenographic research. Results The meta-analysis of phenomenographic results shows that there were three library services and processes: information literacy instruction, scholarly communication and evaluation of services, where research results can be applied to improve library practice. Conclusions The phenomenographic method reveals useful results of library users’ experiences and perceptions that can be used as a guide for improving library practice across a variety of settings.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to develop a governance typology which identifies governance issues and outcomes. Multi-owned properties (MOPs) are a unique property type due to the incorporation of a private governance association. Although there are jurisdictional differences, these associations are generally responsible for the management, maintenance and control of the commonly owned property; determining the contributions payable by each lot owner to the operation of the association; enforcing the rules of the association; and ensuring that records meet legislative requirements. Legislation for MOP schemes was enacted in different jurisdictions to guide the governance and management of these matters. However, challenges relating to the governance of MOPs have continued to be a problem as identified in the literature and practice. Design/methodology/approach – The study first reviewed the legislation in three Australian states to identify specific governance categories and the legislative requirements related to those categories. To gain group opinion about the specific governance issues and outcomes, the Delphi method was utilised whereby industry experts participated in a two-round survey questionnaire. Findings – A typology was developed as a result of consensus found between participants. The findings identified key governance issues and outcomes for MOPs. Practical implications – The governance typology forms the basis for the development of a more comprehensive audit tool for the assessment of governance quality in individual schemes. Originality/value – This paper is the first of its kind to collate issues impacting upon effective owners’ corporation governance and the potential outcomes associated with poor governance practices in MOPs.

This thesis investigated the information literacy experiences of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students in a higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Phenomenography was used to investigate how EFL students' 'used information to learn' (ie. information literacy). The study revealed that EFL students' experienced information literacy across four categories and had varying experiences of information and learning. The research also showed that EFL students' faced a number of challenges and barriers due to language that impacted on their experiences of reading, understanding, accessing and translating information.

Purpose – This paper outlines research that explores the information literacy experiences of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students. The question explored in this research was: how do EFL students experience information literacy. Design/Methodology/Approach – This study used phenomenography, a relational approach to explore the information literacy experiences of EFL students. Phenomenography studies the qualitatively different ways a phenomenon is experienced in the world around us. Findings – This research revealed that EFL students experienced information literacy in four qualitatively different ways. The four categories revealed through the data were: process, quality, language and knowledge. This research found that language impacted on EFL students’ experiences of information literacy and revealed that EFL students applied various techniques and strategies when they read, understood, organised and translated information. Research limitations/implications – This research was conducted in a specific cultural and educational context, therefore the results might not reflect the experiences of EFL students in other cultural or educational contexts. Practical implications – The findings from this research offer an important contribution to information literacy practice by providing important insights about EFL students’ experiences and perceptions of information and learning that can be used to inform curriculum development in second language learning contexts. Originality/Value - There is currently a lack of research using a relational approach to investigate EFL students’ experiences of information literacy. There is also limited research that explores the impact language has on information literary and learning in English as a foreign or second language contexts.

Within any professional practice, knowledge developments to support service delivery and to understand roles inherent within that practice context are critical. The purpose of this article is to present findings from case study research that used the AUSPRAC Research Toolkit Interview Schedule and to propose an additional theme to the Interview Schedule. Case Study method was used to explore the role of a nurse practitioner (NP) within a specific context of practice in an Australian Healthcare institution. Three semi-structured interviews with a NP using the AUSPRAC Research Toolkit Interview Schedule and one additional interview were employed. Data was analysed where initial free coding, then theme generation contributed to knowledge development. The AUSPRAC Research Toolkit Interview Schedule generated knowledge about the NP role. Themes identified for interviews in the Schedule were: the organisation of care, team functioning and patient service. Analysis of data from these themes identified that information related to ongoing development of professional practice was not forthcoming from the participant. The authors recommend adding a fourth theme to the Interview Schedule to enable exploration of the professional elements of the NP role.

Johnston, N. (2020). Living in the world of fake news: High school students’ evaluation of information from social media sites. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 69(4), 430-450. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2020.1821146

Johnston, N. (2020). The shift towards digital literacy in Australian university libraries: Developing a Digital Literacy Framework. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 69(1), 93-101. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2020.1712638

Johnston, N., & Salaz, A. M. (2019). Exploring the reasons why university students prefer print over digital texts: An Australian perspective. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 68(2) 126-145. Available here.

Kelly, A., Johnston, N., & Matthews, S. (2020). Online self-access learning support during the COVID-19 pandemic: An Australian university case study. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 11(3), 187-198. https://doi.org/10.37237/110307

This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of: Johnston, N., Houlihan, M., & Neindorf, J. (2017, September). International Students’ Expectations of Information Literacy Instruction. In European Conference on Information Literacy (pp. 728-737). Springer, Cham. Available here.

Johnston, N., & Ferguson, N. (2020). University students’ engagement with textbooks in print and e-book formats. Technical Services Quarterly, 37(1), 24-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317131.2019.1691760