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Universities around the world have successfully incorporated Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) into their curricula and have facilitated credit transfers. The present study examines the integration of MOOCs in seven Indian universities. Moreover, the study focuses on the level of amalgamation of MOOCs, perceptions of institutions regarding the provision of online courses, and transition of MOOCs from informal to formal education. Furthermore, the study investigates the hindrances faced by higher educational institutions in providing services to MOOC learners. Purposive sampling technique was employed to facilitate selection of institutions. The responses were collected using a structured questionnaire. The study found moderate level, low level and very low-level integration of MOOCs in all seven universities. Six out of seven institutions namely, JNU, JMI, DU, GGSIPU, DBRAUD and NLU, adopted “Explain the perceived usefulness” as a strategy to influence the affordability uptake of MOOCs. Five out of seven institutions educate users about different MOOC platforms in the information literacy events. Surprisingly, two institution libraries out of seven revealed that their library services align with MOOCs. Surprisingly, majority of libraries of the seven institutions have not formulated any noteworthy strategy to foster the uptake of MOOCs among the academic community. Therefore, LIS professionals ought to grasp the nuances of various MOOC platforms. Also, library strategies should include MOOCs so that users can benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper evaluates the precision of four metasearch engines (MSEs) – DuckDuckGo, Dogpile, Metacrawler and Startpage, to determine which metasearch engine exhibits the highest level of precision and to identify the metasearch engine that is most likely to return the most relevant search results. Design/methodology/approach: The research is divided into two parts: the first phase involves four queries categorized into two segments (4-Q-2-S), while the second phase includes six queries divided into three segments (6-Q-3-S). These queries vary in complexity, falling into three types: simple, phrase and complex. The precision, average precision and the presence of duplicates across all the evaluated metasearch engines are determined. Findings: The study clearly demonstrated that Startpage returned the most relevant results and achieved the highest precision (0.98) among the four MSEs. Conversely, DuckDuckGo exhibited consistent performance across both phases of the study. Research limitations/implications: The study only evaluated four metasearch engines, which may not be representative of all available metasearch engines. Additionally, a limited number of queries were used, which may not be sufficient to generalize the findings to all types of queries. Practical implications: The findings of this study can be valuable for accreditation agencies in managing duplicates, improving their search capabilities and obtaining more relevant and precise results. These findings can also assist users in selecting the best metasearch engine based on precision rather than interface. Originality/value: The study is the first of its kind which evaluates the four metasearch engines. No similar study has been conducted in the past to measure the performance of metasearch engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze open access (OA) scholarly publishing patterns as well as OA policies and mandates across European countries. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a descriptive research approach using data from Web resources, directories and bibliographic and citation databases, namely, DOAJ, OpenDOAR, SCImago journal and Country Ranking portal, ROARMAP and Web of Science. Findings: The findings indicate that the initiatives and measures in Europe that promote OA are adequate. OA journals and digital repositories have progressively increased over the past two decades. Of the total journals (n = 25,231) published worldwide and indexed in Scopus, 53% are published in European countries, with 23.7% being OA journals. In total, 34% of the OA repositories (n = 5,714) are in European countries. The proportion of OA journal papers has grown significantly in all European countries, with a 14.3% annual growth rate. The average proportion of OA publications in European countries is significantly higher (39.07%) than the world average (30.16%), with a clear inclination for making research literature openly accessible via the green OA route (79.41%) compared to the gold OA route (52.30%). Most European research funders and institutions have required researchers to make OA available for their research findings, either by publishing them in OA journals or depositing accepted manuscripts in repositories. Research limitations/implications: The study analyzed OA trends in Europe; other continents and countries were not included in the analysis. The study only described OA policies and mandates; the extent to which the OA policies and mandates were implemented was not studied. However, the results of the study may be helpful to policymakers, funders, research institutions and universities in other countries in adopting and implementing OA policies and mandates. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, the study is the first that used multiple data sources for investigating different facets of OA publishing in European countries, including OA journals, digital repositories, research output, mandates and policies for publicly funded research. The findings will be helpful for researchers and policymakers interested in promoting OA adoption among researchers worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study systematically examines the structure and functions of metasearch engines (MSEs) viz. Dogpile, Metacrawler, DuckDuckGo and Startpage. Further, it identifies the features and services of four metasearch engines and compares them. A checklist method was used to evaluate the four metasearch engines.These check spots are prepared regarding features and services of metasearch engines. The data were collected between April 1 to June 14, 2021, spending two hours daily. Initially, the data was recorded after accessing each MSE, and later,the data was transferred to MS Excel. The study ascertained that out of 101 check spots, Dogpile scored (66) points, Metacrawler (63), DuckDuckGo (71), and Startpage (59). DuckDuckGo is ranked first among all the four metasearch engines with 70.3 %, followed by Dogpile, Metacrawler, and Startpage respectively. A checklist used in the study contains only 101 check spots to compare the metasearch engines. Further, users' perception regarding the four metasearch engines is also not covered in the present study. The present study is the first of its kind, which compares four popular metasearch engines using a checklist method. The outcomes of the study shall help research scholars, librarians, information scientists, faculty members, and common masses choose the appropriate metasearch engine. Further, the study shall also help the developers of e-resources in incorporating more features so that users can benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to trace the development of Indian research data repositories (RDRs) and explore their content with the view of identifying prospects and possibilities. Further, it analyses the distribution of data repositories on the basis of content coverage, types of content, author identification system followed, software and the application programming interface used, subject wise number of repositories etc. The study is based on data repositories listed on the registry of data repositories accessible at http://www.re3data.org. The dataset was exported in Microsoft Excel format for analysis. A simple percentage method was followed in data analyses and results are presented through Tables and Figures. The study found a total of 2829 data repositories in existence worldwide. Further, it was seen that 1526 (53.9%) are open and 924 (32.4%) are restricted data repositories. Also, there are embargoed data repositories numbering 225 (8.0%) and closed ones numbering 154 (5.4%). There are 2829 RDRs covering 72 countries in the world. The study found that out of total 45 Indian RDRs, only 30 (67%) are open, followed by restricted 12 (27%) and 3 (6%) that are closed. Majority of Indian RDRs (20) were developed in the year 2014. The study found that the majority of Indian RDRs (17) are'disciplinary'. Further, the study also revealed that statistical data formats are available in a maximum of 31 (68.9%) Indian RDRs. It was also seen that the majority of Indian RDRs (28) has datasets relating to 'Life Sciences'. It was identified that only 20% of data repositories have been using metadata standards in metadata; the remaining 80% do not use any standards in metadata entry. This study covered only the research data repositories in India registered on the registry of data repositories. RDRs not listed in the registry of data repositories are left out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study ascertains the perception of academic and practicing lawyers about awareness of legal information resources and problems faced by them in accessing legal information resources. Their perceptions about the development of open access legal information system were identified in developing an open-access online legal information system. A structured open-ended questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents. Researcher collected 216 filled questionnaire from academic lawyers and 181 questionnaire from practicing lawyers working in eight institutions in Delhi (India). Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and results are presented in tables and figures. The study found significant difference in the responses of academic and practicing lawyers. 28 (13.0 %) academic lawyers and 28 (15.5 %) practicing lawyers rated online legal information resources poor. More academic lawyers were very satisfied compared to practicing lawyers in using commercial resources. It was ascertained that more number of practicing lawyers expressed 'somewhat satisfied' in using open access resources. Academic lawyers, 51 (28.7 %), expressed 'completely dissatisfied' and 33 (21.9 %) practicing lawyers stated 'completely dissatisfied' in using the open access resources. Practicing lawyers have highlighted that poor details on online legal information is a major hindrance in using legal information resources while academic lawyers mentioned several login requisites as one of the major problems. The outcome of the study can be used to develop suitable online legal information resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study identified information access mechanisms for visually impaired students in select universities in Delhi, India. Study has ascertained the availability of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure in five major universities. The study applied purposive sampling method and collected data through a questionnaire from select universities. It was found that facilities for visually impaired students in higher educational institutions are very basic and it is difficult for visually impaired students to conduct study and research with existing ICT infrastructure. Higher educational institutions in Delhi do not have the infrastructure suited to the needs of visually impaired students to facilitate efficient services. University libraries in Delhi are facing difficulties due to lack of funds and trained staff to deliver services to visually impaired students. Library and information science professionals face inhibits in providing services to visually impaired students because of lack of suitable equipment(s), 'maintenance/updating of assistive software(s) and devices, time consuming scanning process and lack of awareness among visually impaired students about library resources and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including managing Indigenous knowledge in Africa, digital preservation for sustainable development in South Africa and integration of Tikanga Māori in library policies.

Purpose-The study aims to identify gender differences and similarities in the awareness of legal information resources and problems faced by legal professionals. Further, the study identifies the differences on the basis of gender, regarding the requirements in developing an online legal information system (OLIS) for the Indian environment. Design/methodology/approach-The study was carried out in eight law libraries in Delhi using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected through the questionnaire having 27 questions including dichotomous (Yes/No), multiple-choice questions, rating and opinion questions. A need assessment survey was conducted using the structured questionnaire circulated among 750 respondents of eight institutions in Delhi. In total, 397 filled in questionnaires were received back. A total of 246 of the respondents were males and 151 females. The design and development of an OLIS went through five phases, i.e. preliminary preparation, designing and planning phase, development of OLIS covering preparation of software, data structures, metadata, search form, testing and implementation phase and maintenance. Findings - The study found that 100 per cent of the female respondents were aware of online legal information resources. Maximum 28.4 per cent female respondents rated legal e-resources "very good", whereas only 19.9 per cent male ranked them "very good". Female respondents were found less aware about open access resources. In addition, of 246 male respondents, 213 (86.6 per cent) responded "Yes" about awareness of open access resources and 33 (13.4 per cent) marked "No". In comparison, 116 (76.8 per cent) female respondents revealed they are aware of open access resources; 35 (23.2 per cent) were not aware of open access resources. Fifty-eight (23.6 per cent) male respondents were very dissatisfied, and 60 (24.4 per cent) completely dissatisfied. However, in contrast, 29 (19.2 per cent) female respondents were very dissatisfied and 24 (15.9 per cent) completely dissatisfied in using open access resources. Research limitations/implications-The study covers only eight institutions in Delhi, India. High courts and law universities in other parts of the country are not covered. In addition, OLIS contains a sample collection. Practical implications-The study explores the inhibitions faced by female and male legal professionals. A suitable legal information system is developed to match the requirements of female legal professionals, research scholars and faculty members. The study is expected to address problems faced by female legal professionals in accessing the desired judicial and legislative information. Originality/value-OLIS (www.olisindia.in) has been developed on the basis of a need assessment survey conducted on male and female legal professionals in India. No study has been conducted so far to compare the viewpoints of male and female legal professionals in India for developing an OLIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is an attempt to understand the research attitude, engagement and competencies of LIS professionals in higher educational institutions in India. It was found that out of 170 respondents, 145 (85.3%) respondents read research literature regularly and 75 (44.1) expressed that reading research based articles is their regular activity. But 95 (55.9) do not read journal articles. 155 (91.2) respondents revealed that they have conducted research after obtaining the formal degree. Majority of respondents 47 (27.6) revealed that their preferred mode of dissemination of research has been publishing paper in conference proceedings, followed by publishing a paper in refereed journals 35 (20.6). Maximum respondents 72 (40.0) followed a theoretical approach in conducting research, followed by survey method 55 (30.6). 'E-resources' (160) and 'Bibliometric Study' (120) has been the most preferred areas of research publishing. 'Lack of funding support' (160), 'time constraints' (155) and 'Problems in data collection' (150), have been identified as major constraints in carrying out research. The main purpose for conducting research is to find the academic performance indicators (APIs) 150, followed by personal growth (102). The study suggests that funding agencies and universities need to come forward to encourage LIS professionals to pursue research and publishing. This will add value in delivering the best library services to academic community and also improve research activities in academic institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This conceptual paper reviews literature on marketing of library products and services, and discusses various ways and means for the same. Several marketing techniques to promote the usage of library resources and services have been highlighted in the literature. It is seen that majority of libraries do not have a marketing culture. It is recognised that libraries need to formulate marketing plan along with financial budget on a yearly basis so that library resources can be utilised optimally. Libraries in developing countries have been struggling to conduct outreach programmes to market their resources and services. Latest technologies such as, Web 2.0 and mobile services have opened up new avenues to do marketing in efficient and cost effective ways. Therefore, libraries should not leave any stone unturned to apply the latest technologies in promotion of resources and services amongst the stakeholders. The funding agencies must formulate guidelines for marketing the library resources and services so that the library resources can be utilised optimally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study illustrates the functionality of Online Legal Information System (OLIS) developed to suit the Indian environment. The OLIS perpetrates numerous types of legal information resources in a single window search so that lawyers, research scholars, students and the common masses can get the information expeditiously. The OLIS is accessible online at (http://www.olisindia.in). It has provision of citation search facility, filtering of retrieved records and, online account to keep the selected record. It is also compliant with Web 2.0 tools and empowers users to contribute their own contents in the system. The architecture of the system is in five layers. Data layer handles metadata associated with the contents while storage layer manages full text contents. Network layer perpetually connects the users and source institutions to build the system. Presentation layer facilitates display of the retrieved results in clusters. Business layer consolidates the operation of the system. A number of operations such as, latest news, online help FAQ, query submission, online discussion form for help and video tutorials have been created under this layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The judicial system of India is large and complex in size. The amount of legal information is growing at enormous pace, and legal professionals no longer commit such large amount of knowledge to memory. It is cumbersome for the users to locate the valuable legal information related to respective problem. Therefore, a study was conducted to know the librarians' perspective to develop a model Online Legal Information System (OLIS) to suit the Indian environment. Findings of the study reveal that access instruction on the online resources are not clear, and there is lack of expertise in using legal databases. Majority of respondents suggested that the following resources and features should be incorporated in the proposed OLIS: Parliament debates, equivalent citation table, commentaries, search through appellant/respondent, Boolean search operators, printing and e-mail facility, help services through e-mail/discussion forum, citation search facility, search results filter, online account service, export of bibliographical record, save/export of retrieved results, save their searches, subjectwise clustering, Web 2.0 tools, online training, link to useful websites in the field of law, and help services. A number of suggestions put forward by the respondents are also recorded and incorporated in different features of the OLIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue is a mosquito-borne infectious tropical disease that has a particularly adverse impact on India. A bibliometric analysis disclosed that India has one of the most prominent records in the world in terms of output of dengue articles and citations to them. Indians are frequently research collaborators with scientists from other countries affected by the disease, with a significant number of the resulting articles being published in Indian journals and subsequently well cited. Internationally more prominent journals published in the United States, the United Kingdom, or Germany dominate as venues for the 10 most-cited dengue-related papers overall. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Institutional Repository (IR) concept has given a new dimension to information management in the Internet age. The introduction of an IR can help to redefine the production, dissemination, and the use of resources. This study found that a total of 436 IR research papers published in 118 journals originated from 68 countries. These research papers contain 2,071 citations with an average of ˜4.8 citations per publication. Moreover, out of the total 159 institutions involved in IR research, a majority of them are located in the United States and the United Kingdom. Mainly, out of the fourteen most productive countries eight have recorded TAIs of >100, and six countries recorded TAIs of <100. Most published papers have a single author, i.e., 176 (40.4%), followed by two authors: 152 (34.9%). Interestingly, India, Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Malaysia, and Italy have not published any paper with more than five authors. Purdue University has witnessed the highest (˜2) relative citations impact (RCI) on its publications. Elizabeth Yakel from the University of Michigan has published the most papers (7: 1.6%), which have received ˜34 citations. Overall, eight prolific authors have achieved a higher h-index value than the group average. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Celiac disease (CD) is a digestive autoimmune disorder, and prevalent among human-being worldwide, irrespective of gender, race, and ethnicity. Due to celiac disease an intestine get damaged, and become cumbersome for patients to absorb nutrients like fat, calcium, iron, and folate. This study is an attempt to make the quantitative study of research output on celiac disease (CD). Data of this study is obtained from Scopus (http://www.scopus.com) online database for the period 2001- 12, and analyzed with different viewpoints. The study reveals that (14356) papers were published during the period under study. The highest number of papers (1604) was produced in the year 2011. Overall, number of papers has enlarged each year. USA is found the most productive country in celiac disease research which has (19.68 percent) share of total world publications. The USA publications have received total (27973) citations with (9.79) average citations per publication. The study concluded that the significant area of celiac disease research remains the medicine which has (86.82 percent) share of total research output.Adults have been main focal point of research, which account the highest publications share (37.35 percent) amongst other categories. UniversitàdegliStudi di Napoli Federico II, Italy is identified the most productive institution in celiac disease research which have contributed highest number of publications (231 papers; 6800 citations; h-index value 41). MarkkuMaki from University Hospital of Tampere, Finland is the most productive author who have contributed 157 publications, and received (5250) citations. Lastly, inferences have drawn based on this study which shall be beneficial to scientists in planning the strategies to combat this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the web based information services offered by St. Stephen's College of the University of Delhi. Formed by the Cambridge Brotherhoold who arrived in Delhi in 1877, St. Stephen's College is one of the premier institutions in India and its library has a collection of about 98,000 books, 3,000 online journals and a separate archival section. Aside from the web site maintained by the library for students to access their e-resources collection, it also employs chat-based reference service using Trillon, Meebo and Library H3lp instant messenger aggregator. Based on the study the author conducted on the users of the St. Stephen's College Library, he found that it is time to shift from a traditional library to a teaching library.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including data management; reusing the data generated by academic, research and public institutions; and researchers' behavior in data sharing.