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September 26th, 2013
While a journal article or a book may be the final record of research, there are many other “informal” types of publishing that faculty at Purdue engage in. These range from technical reports to white papers, from conference proceedings to student publications. Place so many innovative people together, and there will always also be experimental new forms of digital scholarly communication that don’t quite look like any publication that has ever existed. While societies, university presses, and commercial publishers are available to publish formal materials, informal publications have traditionally fallen through the cracks. They have been distributed on CD, placed as PDFs on servers that keep being moved, or printed out and distributed from a closet. Librarians refer to this type of material as “gray literature” because it exists in an awkward limbo area of the information supply system and is hard to discover and even harder to obtain if requested. This situation is a problem for everybody, potentially leading to duplication of research and wasted federal funding.
It was to address this problem that the Scholarly Publishing Services unit of Purdue Libraries was formally established in spring 2012. Using existed staff and infrastructure, SPS provides a complement to Purdue University Press (PUP), the scholarly publishing arm of the University which was established in 1960 and is part of the Libraries: The University Press publishes only formal and peer-reviewed materials, both books and journals, focused on certain disciplines aligned with the strengths of the University and over 50% of the authors published come from outside Purdue. SPS meanwhile publishes informal materials, subject to varying levels of peer review and appearing in a multitude of formats. The publications are all originated from Purdue and come from a wide range of subject areas. The financial model is also different since the Press relies on sales and licensing income to cover its publishing costs and SPS operates on a mixture of internal funding and charge backs. While basic SPS services, such as the design and online hosting of a new digital publication, are offered free of charge to the Purdue community, fees are charged for value-added elements such as copy editing and typesetting. All services, whether fee or for free, emphasize best publishing practices, such as the use of stable URLs and DOIs to allow citation, preservation planning, and discoverability through popular services such as Google Scholar.
The relationship between Purdue University Press and Scholarly Publishing Services is conceptualized as a continuum or “spectrum” of services, from formal to informal. As more and more Purdue centers and departments take advantage of the expertise and infrastructure provided, partnerships are starting to emerge where a mix of products are made available under both PUP and SPS imprints. For example, the Libraries works with the Global Policy Research Institute (GPRI) to publish student scholarship, policy briefs, and conference proceedings (including video) through SPS, and the book series Purdue Studies in Public Policy through PUP. This type of relationship permits links to be made between different publications and for cross-marketing. The end result is increased impact for Purdue scholarship. SPS is always interested in new challenges and further case studies and contact details are available at www.lib.purdue.edu/publishing.
Filed under: Faculty E-Newsletter
September 26th, 2013
What is it?
“Scopus is the world’s largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature with smart tools that track, analyze and visualize research.”
[http://www.info.sciverse.com/scopus]
Benefits
· Search a wide variety of sources across most disciplines
o Analyze results to see the most frequent authors, journals, and disciplines related to your search.
o Search by author to view an “Author Evaluator” page that visualizes an h-index, breakdown of publications by source, co-authors, subject areas, and generate a graph of citations per year from 1996.
o Set up email alerts or RSS feeds for: searches, document citations, author citations, or affiliations.
o Export to print, email, citations managers (EndNote, ProCite, Zotero, Mendeley, Excel, and others), or generate a basic bibliography right from Scopus.
o Can search by first author only
· Measure your (and others) scholarly impact [only for publications from 1996 to present]
o Find out who is citing your publications
o Find your most cited publication
o Find the most cited publications in your field/discipline
o Links to other documents that cite your publications, like patents, dissertations, and other documents in academic document repositories
· Analyze the impact of particular journals using two journal metrics – SJR (SCImago Journal Rank; similar to Impact Factors) and SNIP (Source Normalized Impact per Paper) that are updated every two months. Compare multiple journals using the Journal Analyzer, a visualization tool.
Significance/Uniqueness
· Scopus indexes over 8,000 unique titles compared to Web of Science.
· More disciplines are represented when compared to Web of Science
Key highlights
· Alternative, but complementary, to Web of Science
· Provides analytics and visualization tools to compare authors, publications, and journals.
· Can set up email alerts related to research of interest, when people cite you, and when a particular person has published something new.
Most disciplines are represented, so all researchers should give it a try. (weakest is Arts and Humanities, but they have taken steps to help correct this over the last couple of years).
Filed under: Faculty E-NewsletterSeptember 26th, 2013
Ecotones is a term used in ecology to describe the place in which two ecosystems touch or merge. However, the term could also be used to describe what is anticipated in the Active Learning Center (ALC): the touching or merging of the activities that typically have taken place in a classroom, lecture hall, or laboratory with what has traditionally occurred in a library. Instead of single use spaces, often in different buildings, the ALC will merge the teaching spaces and learning/study spaces in a flexible environment. The ALC will accommodate the teaching pedagogies and methodologies used in the Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Transformation (IMPACT) program and active learning on the site now occupied by the long vacant North Power Plant and the Engineering Administration Building (ENAD), across from the Bell Tower.
The ALC will combine the best of new classroom pedagogies and create a learning commons for the 21st Century — a blend of centrally scheduled teaching spaces, library/information services, formal study spaces, informal learning space, and collaborative work areas. Its design is being developed with assistance from students and faculty collaborators throughout Purdue who are coming together to provide crucial input for a unique learning facility.
Ranked as the Number One capital project by Purdue University when it was submitted for support to the Indiana Legislature, a request was made for support of $50,000,000, of the $79,000,000 project (includes cost of demolition of the North Power Plant and ENAD). The Indiana Legislature allocated the $50,000,000 in cash at the end of the session in April. The University has committed $13,000,000 toward the cost of the demolition required for the project, leaving $16,000,000 to be raised from donors. As of September, approximately $2,400,000 has been committed.
Approximately sixty percent of the overall building will be dedicated to formal classroom settings, with the remaining forty percent committed to individual or collaborative study/learning space. When classes are not being held, and during evenings/nights and weekends, the classroom spaces in the ALC will be available for study, as many of our classrooms are now. An important difference in the new ALC is that it will be monitored by the Libraries to provide a secure and conducive environment for study.
During the day, students may work in teams or individually in the Libraries’ learning/study spaces in preparation for class. After a class is over, a student may continue to work on what was begun during class in the Libraries’ learning/study spaces. The ALC will also provide spaces for you as a faculty member to meet or work with students before or after class.
During the planning and design phase, it is anticipated that faculty will be asked to describe specific types of classrooms settings and to suggest technology that will further instruction in those settings. In addition, faculty will be asked to recommend technology or configuration of learning spaces which will enable learning outside of class in the Libraries’ spaces.
To see what will be possible in the Active Learning Center, you only need to visit existing ‘blended’ spaces at Purdue:
These Libraries’ facility transformations were designed in collaboration with the Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE), Information Technology at Purdue (ITaP), Discovery Learning Research Center (DLRC), and Facilities Planning.
The Active Learning Center will expand upon the successes realized to date and will evolve and adapt, serving as a living laboratory to refine and develop our strategy to plan future learning spaces in response to emerging trends in pedagogy.
The concept of a new centrally-located learning center on the campus will further reinforce Purdue’s leadership as an innovator in teaching and learning. It will also help meet Purdue’s needs for learning space, collaborative study and active learning space over the next decade and beyond.
For more information, please contact: James L. (Jim) Mullins, Dean of Libraries and Esther Ellis Norton Professor, at jmullins@purdue.edu.
Filed under: Faculty E-Newsletter
September 26th, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN — Two Purdue University Libraries Faculty, Ilana Barnes, assistant professor and business information specialist and Tao Zhang, assistant professor and digital user experience specialist, were recently awarded 2013 Sparks! Ignition Grants to jointly develop a web-based help system, “CrowdAsk” for academic libraries. Sparks! Ignition Grants are administered through the federal agency, Institute of Museum and Library Services, IMLS. The grant award totals $23,831 with an additional match of $5,480.
This grant supports Barnes’ and Zhang’s research will be applied and tested within the Purdue Libraries to inform the profession. The project involves building an interactive and shared knowledge base for library service and resources. It will also allow students, faculty and the university community to be embedded in the process and improve students’ information literacy skills
Reference help from librarians has been an integral part of services from academic libraries, but the shift to digital has left gaps in services. The new system will allow users (particularly undergraduate students) to ask open questions related to library service and resources. The user community including librarians, faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and other research staff will review, revise and propose answers to the question. Answers can be voted and ranked by the user community. The user community can also edit the questions and answers to keep the help content up-to-date.
About Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums are small grants that encourage libraries and museums to test and evaluate innovations in the ways they operate and the services they provide. Sparks! grantees demonstrate innovation and broad potential impact, often turning turn small investments of funds into nationally significant projects.
Sources:
Ilana Barnes, MSI, Assistant Professor of Library Science, Business Information Specialist, Purdue University Libraries – ibarnes@purdue.edu
Tao Zhang, PhD, Assistant Professor of Library Science, Digital User Experience Specialist, Purdue University Libraries – zhan1022@purdue.edu
Filed under: faculty_staff, general, press_release, RSRCH, scholcommSeptember 25th, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University Libraries Seminar Committee welcomes award-winning CIO for Palo Alto, Calif., for a seminar on innovation and open data in local government. The presentation will take place on Friday, Sept. 27 from 9-10:30 a.m. in Lawson Hall, Room 1142 on Purdue University’s campus.
The Universal Live Stream URL for those viewing via desktop or mobile device for the September 27th, 2013 Jonathan Reichental Presentation is as follows: http://www.kaltura.com/tiny/urfrk
After the conclusion of the presentation, a Universal streaming archive of the event will be available at the following URL: http://www.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/preview/partner_id/1020782/uiconf_id/19707562/entry_id/1_xz1qd4ma/embed/legacy?&flashvars[streamerType]=auto
Jonathan Reichental is the award-winning CIO for Palo Alto, Calif., focusing on modernizing the technology environment, implementing enhancements to the citywide SAP implementation, and pushing the boundaries of innovation in local government such as open data and broader civic participation through mobile devices. He was awarded the distinction of being one of the 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers in Government in America in 2013. He has also recently been named the top social government CIO on Twitter.
Presentation Summary
In an era of government deficits it’s comforting to note that there is an abundant surplus of data. But until recently, leveraging value from data beyond its initial creation and use has been difficult. Today, this picture is changing. A combination of new technologies and a more enlightened emerging leadership is finding innovative ways to put data to work. Beyond much desired transparency and accountability, making government data more easily accessible is creating a wave of valuable community applications. In this talk, Reichental will discuss these transforming items and help the audience to think about how they too can participate in this new data economy.
Source:
Lisa Zilinski, Purdue University Libraries, 765-494-1583, lzilins@purdue.edu
Related Web sites:
City of Palo Alto Open Data Platform: http://data.cityofpaloalto.org/
Jonathan Reichental’s webpage: http://www.reichental.com/
Filed under: D2C2, events, general, press_release, RSRCH, scholcommSeptember 23rd, 2013
Purdue University Libraries invites you to join us at Tent #2 (close to the Archway/Armstrong). Special guest and alumnus, Jerry Ross will be signing his book, “Spacewalker: My Journey in Space and Faith as NASA’s Record-Setting Frequent Flyer,” from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Books will be available to purchase from Purdue University Press for $20 per book.
Ross was the first human to fly into space seven times and set the original spacewalk record at nine for NASA astronauts. His 30+ year career at NASA spanned the entire US Space Shuttle program. Ross retired from NASA in January 2012. Read more at www.jerrylross.com
Also, fun giveaways will be available for Purdue family and friends of all ages – sunglasses, t-shirts, Frisbees, temporary tattoos! We look forward to seeing you there. Free and open to the public. For more information contact Becky Bunch at: rsbunch@purdue.edu or 765-494-2849
Filed under: events, general
September 23rd, 2013
The Purdue University Libraries, Discovery Learning Research Center, and Center for Instructional Excellence present
The 5th Information Literacy Research Symposium
“Toward Informed Learning in Professional Practice”
By Dr. Mary Somerville
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Purdue University West Lafayette Campus
During the morning presentation, eminent library leader and researcher Dr. Mary Somerville will discuss her research on informed learning. She will explain how it builds on her experiences as a practitioner/researcher/leader. She will reflect on her colleagues’ engagement with informed learning and the implications of informed learning for academic curriculum design. She will invite questions and comments from the audience members as educators, including a discussion of opportunities to take the ideas presented forward.
The afternoon will consist of a workshop to design an instructional activity or a cross-disciplinary project based on informed learning theory and principles.
PROGRAM:
9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. Registration
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Presentation
12 p.m. -1 p.m. Lunch
1 pm. – 3 p.m. Workshop
Registration fees:
$60 General Registration
$25 Purdue University Faculty and Staff (waived for Purdue Libraries Faculty)
For more information and to register, go to www.conf.purdue.edu/LITERACY
Filed under: events, general, RSRCH, scholcomm
September 20th, 2013
Welcome to Database of the Week. This feature from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics is intended to give you a brief introduction to a database that you may not know. These weekly snapshots will have only basic information about our most relevant and beneficial online resources, and hopefully tempt you to explore. Feedback is always welcome. If you have a suggestion for a database or research topic that should be covered, please let us know.
This Week’s Featured Database: ProQuest Statistical Insight from ProQuest.
Find It: www.lib.purdue.edu/libraries/mgmt. Under the column with the header Collections, click on List of Business Databases.
Description/focus: Proquest Statistical Insight provides demographic, business, and marketing data.
Try this: The interface for Proquest Statistical Insight opens with a simple search box and a list of hot topics. If none of the featured topics is related to your subject, enter key terms in the search field, using either basic or advanced search. All of these starting points yield a long list of results, but then you can start to narrow down the results with filters displayed on the left, choosing sources, locations, or subjects. See here for a short video tutorial on the basics of searching Proquest Statistical Insight.
Why faculty should know this database: Because Proquest Statistical Insight draws from such a variety of sources such as domestic and foreign government agencies, research organizations, and academic institutions, it covers subjects from humanities, social sciences, and science.
Why students should know this database: Statistics are critical for decision making and with Proquest Statistical Insight students don’t have to hunt for the right government agency to supply the data they need.
Tags: census data, consumers, country data, datasets, demographics, economic conditions, government information, international research, Proquest, social conditions, statistics
Cost:For annual subscription information, contact Mary Dugan.
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Database of the Week comes to you from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics. If you would like more information about this database, or if you would like a demonstration of it for a class, contact parrlib@purdue.edu. Database of the Week is archived at https://blogs.lib.purdue.edu/news/category/MGMT/. For more Purdue Libraries news, follow us on Twitter (@PurdueLibraries).
If you would like us to promote your favorite database, send an email to mdugan@purdue.edu.
Filed under: database, general, MGMT, scholcommSeptember 17th, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University Libraries will host a symposium on “Data Information Literacy” on Monday (Sept. 23) and Tuesday (Sept. 24). The event’s focus will be on the knowledge and skill sets on data management and curation that graduate students will need to acquire to be successful in their career, and on how librarians can help in teaching them.
This symposium is a component of a research project led by the Purdue Libraries and supported through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Librarians from Purdue University, Cornell University, the University of Minnesota and the University of Oregon have investigated this topic through developing and implementing data information literacy instruction programs for graduate students in a range of science and engineering disciplines.
“We are seeing an increased interest from funding agencies, publishers and others in making data available for discovery and re-use outside of the labs in which they were generated,” says Jake Carlson, associate professor with the Purdue Libraries. “We believe that librarians, with our long history of managing, disseminating and preserving information, can play a role in helping students understand and address these new requirements.”
The audience for the data information literacy symposium is academic librarians and others who are providing research data management instruction for students, or librarians who are interested in doing so. The symposium will help librarians acquire an understanding of current issues in teaching data management and curation competencies to students. Through presentations, discussions and hands-on activities, attendees will develop strategies for creating their own instructional programs suitable for the needs of their students and faculty.
A reception will be held on Sunday (Sept. 22) from 6-8 p.m. at the South Ballroom in the Purdue Memorial Union. The symposium registration will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday and will conclude at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Due to the high interest in the symposium topics, registration was full within in a matter of days; however the symposium will be simulcast via a live web stream at: http://www.kaltura.com/tiny/i82md
Source: Source: Jake Carlson, 765-494-6665, jakecarlson@purdue.edu
Related Web sites:
Purdue University Home Page: http://datainfolit.org
Filed under: D2C2, events, faculty_staff, general, press_release, RSRCH, scholcommSeptember 17th, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In conjunction with the Hicks Renovation Celebration, Purdue University Libraries is launching a “Why I Love Purdue Libraries Video Contest,” beginning Monday (Sept. 16), with a top award of $400 to be announced on Nov. 1.
The contest is open until midnight Oct. 11 for all currently enrolled Purdue students. All eligible video entries must be one to three minutes long and follow the complete rules and guidelines for the contest as outlined on the Purdue Libraries website, http://lib.purdue.edu
Finalists will be selected by the Undergraduate Student Libraries Advisory Council (USLAC) and winners will be selected by the Libraries Dean’s Council from those finalists.
Top award categories are as follows:
$400 – First Place
$250 – Second Place
$100 – Third Place
Contest finalists and/or award winners will be featured on the Purdue Libraries website and communications channels, and all awards will be distributed through the Purdue University Division of Financial Aid. Complete details, rules and guidelines for the contest are available at: http://www.lib.purdue.edu/videocontest
Filed under: events, general, press_release, scholcomm