Amara Malik

University of the Punjab | PU · Information Management

Open access (OA) has emerged as a modern academic publishing paradigm that strives to provide all members of society with free access to scholarly knowledge. The content creators are generally agreed that researchers' scholarly work (e.g. books, theses, and research papers) should be freely accessible on the web for wider community use without any...

This study investigated the effect of the Big Five personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness) on knowledge acquisition and application by Pakistani university librarians. To increase their impact in academic institutions, it is imperative to examine how people acquire and apply knowledge within th...

Purpose Social media have been playing a critical role in seeking and sharing health related information and consequently shaping individuals’ health behaviors. This study investigates how information seeking about Covid-19 vaccine on social media is related to vaccine receiving intentions. The study furthers explores the association of trust in so...

Purpose Open access (OA) has emerged as a modern academic publishing paradigm that strives to provide all members of society with free access to scholarly knowledge. This study aims to assess the behavior of faculty members to publish in OA journals from the perspective of the decomposed theory of planned behavior (DTPB). Design/methodology/approa...

Wikipedia is a widely used information source among students in higher education institutes but is regarded as less credible among teaching faculty. The present study is an attempt to understand how faculty perceive, use and believe Wikipedia as a credible source of information. The paper draws upon a survey data gathered from 257 university facult...

Purpose This study aims to investigate the everyday life information seeking behavior of transgender people in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study, based on a survey design, was conducted to explore the everyday information needs of transgender people along with the types and frequency of using information sources. This stud...

The spread of d/misinformation on social media poses serious threats to the social, cultural, political, and economic structures of human societies. This panel is designed to discuss the phenomenon of d/misinformation and fake news on social media, including the motives of its sharing and its impact on society. The panelists will also highlight the...

Purpose Knowledge sharing among individuals is very crucial for greater creativity and enhancing performance in knowledge-based organizations. The present study investigates the association of Big Five personality traits and the knowledge sharing intentions of university librarians in Pakistan. Methodology Based on quantitative design, this study...

This study provides insights into the evolution and conceptual framework of research data management (RDM). It also investigates the role of libraries and librarians in offering data management services and the challenges they face in this regard. The study is qualitative in nature and based on an extensive literature review survey. The analysis of...

The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges students faced in accessing the information from academic libraries during COVID and factors that contributed to stress among students during the pandemic. Another purpose of the study was to know the expectations of the students regarding libraries' services and library professionals' compet...

Purpose Misinformation on social media has become a great threat across the globe. Therefore, the authors aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of social media users' misinformation combating behavior, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the authors merged the uses and gratifications theory, social cognitive theory and the...

This study aims to investigate the research experience, perceived research capabilities, and role of LIS education in reading and doing research. It further explores their preferred educational activities to learn research skills and the impact of research competencies on their work performance. An online survey was conducted through a questionnair...

Social media such as Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Twitter have radically enhanced the public access to health information. Still, studies have unexplored the factors that contribute toward such behaviors especially in developing countries. Therefore, this study identifies the factors that contribute to the likelihood of young adults’ health inf...

Purpose Reporters are considered unique in terms of their information needs and seeking from other groups of masses. As they are running information business, the purpose of the study is to know about their skills of seeking, evaluating and engaging with information effectively and efficiently. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey...

Purpose Social media is a popular source for information sharing in the contemporary world. Social media allow individuals to create, publish and diffuse contents directly. This openness has increased the risk of running into misinformation and raised questions about credibility of information shared. This study aims to examine the credibility of s...

This study analyses the attitudes, involvement and competencies of Pakistani Library Information Science (LIS) professionals towards research. An online survey was carried out by using a questionnaire to collect data from LIS professionals working in various types of libraries in Pakistan. The findings reveal that the overall attitude of the Pakist...

This present study aims to examine the information needs and information-seeking behavior of Dengue-affected and non-affected people by exploring their information needs, resources used, and obstacles encountered. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 100 Dengue patients and 200 non-patients. The collected data were analyzed by a...

Information literacy (IL) skills comprise the set of competencies, which are useful for research, lifelong learning and to become the critical consumer of information in 21 st century. The present study aimed to assess IL skills of mathematics faculty members in higher education institutes of Pakistan. The study explored their ability to identify t...

Background: Library and information science (LIS) has been undergoing a transitional phase where the question, “What constitute core in LIS” has become much debated topic during the Objectives: the present study is aimed to identify the core areas for LIS education in Pakistan. It further explores the barriers and challenges in developing and impla...

This study aimed to investigate Facebook users’ information sharing behavior during COVID-19 by merging the theory of planned behavior and uses and gratifications theory into one theoretical framework. Facebook has been playing a pivotal role in shaping how people across the globe are experiencing the coronavirus pandemic. Yet knowledge about motiv...

This qualitative study is aimed to explore the nature and extent of research collaboration among and library and information science (LIS) faculty members. It also identifies the challenges and future prospects of LIS research collaboration in Pakistan. Seventeen faculty members (professors, associate professors and assistant professors) from eight...

Purpose This study aims to explore the university students’ usage pattern of Wikipedia information and its effect on their learning. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire was designed to collect data from the students of master programmes at University of the Punjab, Lahore. Proportionate stratified sampling technique was used to...

This study investigated the impact of conspiracy beliefs on fear of Covid-19 and health protective behavior of university students in Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire was conducted at three universities in Punjab (e.g., two public sectors, and one private sector) with permission from concerned authorities for data co...

Purpose This study investigated the impact of conspiracy beliefs on fear of Covid-19 and health protective behavior of university students in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire was conducted at three universities in Punjab (e.g. two public sectors and one private sector) with permission fro...

During recent times, there is much discussion about the challenges associated with the present and future of library and information science (LIS) education in Pakistan. The present study is aimed to explore the current status, issues and challenges of LIS faculty member who are considered the pillar of academic programs. It develops our understand...

The present qualitative study is aimed to explore the needed competencies of library and information educators in Pakistan during changing times. Data were collected by employing qualitative approach. In depth-interviews were conducted with17 faculty members to explore their perceptions about the knowledge areas and skills required to be competent...

The aim of the paper is to explore the student’s perceptions about the reasons of joining the Master’s degree program in Information Management (MIM). It also seeks their insights regarding the quality of academic and professional aspects of the program along with the recommendations for further improvements. The quantitative research design, based...

Purpose This study aims to explore the current and future employment opportunities for library and information science (LIS) graduates. It identifies future employers and emerging competitors in the information landscape. The strategies that may be used to respond to and capture the future job market are also presented for LIS schools in the light...

Purpose This study presents a situated and context-bound model of electronic media reports by exploring their detailed information practices within the workplace actions. It further investigates the information sources they usually consult for news or story-making process and barriers that hinder them to acquire required information. Design/method...

This study examined the use of smartphones as an academic tool amongst medical students from a developing country context. The study also aimed at identifying the perceived benefits and barriers to using smartphones in medical education. A cross sectional survey was administered to the students from nine medical institutes in Pakistan. A structured...

Social media has evolved over the last decade as a key driver for sharing and acquiring information in various domains of life. The increasing popularity of social media raises a number of questions regarding the extent of its use and the types of information shared. This study is designed to answer these questions by investigating university stude...

This paper examines the issue and challenges of enticing promising students in library and information science (LIS) education in Pakistan. It also identifies the practical strategies in this regard by exploring the perceptions of faculty members. A questionnaire sent to heads of departments and semi-structured interviews with faculty were employed...

Newspapers have always been extensively used for research and as such they are the primary source for recording and tracing ancient history, cultures and civilizations. The present study aims to highlight the local preservation practices undertaken by the two oldest libraries of Pakistan. It further identifies the prevalent challenges and issues in...

The use of social media has taken all walks of life by storm. It provides ample opportunities to connect and collaborate with one's peers regardless of their locations. The intelligent use of social media brings various opportunities to improve collaboration among academics at individual, organizational, national and international level. It is gene...

The use of social media has taken all walks of life by storm. It provides ample opportunities to connect and collaborate with one's peers regardless of their locations. The intelligent use of social media brings various opportunities to improve collaboration among academics at individual, organizational, national and international level. It is gene...

Purpose This study aims to highlight the issues and concerns specific to information professionals (IPs) in academic libraries of Pakistan. It identifies the problems that academic libraries face in attracting and hiring competent IPs along with the strategies to be used to recruit and retain them in the dynamic environment of academia. Moreover, i...

Newspapers have been used in research as a primary source for recording and depicting the earlier times histories and cultures. The present study aims to highlight the local preservation practices undertaken by the two oldest libraries of Pakistan. It further identifies the various challenges and issues of binding conservation, storage, pest contro...

Purpose Public library’s core function is to meet the changing needs of challenging users by providing access to library collection and services. This study aims to explore the current status of public libraries’ collection, services, users, staff, physical facilities and IT infrastructure in Punjab, the most populous province of Pakistan. It furth...

Purpose This study aims to explore the nature and extent of collaboration among library and information science (LIS) departments, faculty members and practitioners. It also intends to identify the challenges and future prospects of collaboration in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Face-to-face and telephonic semi-structured interviews were c...

This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of students' 8 weeks placement in a practicum in all types of libraries as part of their Master degree requirement. The practicum, as a part of curriculum, offers benefits to all stakeholders including students, library schools and hosting libraries. The Department of Information Management, University...

Purpose This multi-method study is aimed at assessing the quality and alignment of 11 Pakistani LIS master programs’ orientation, curricula and course contents, by comparing them with the IFLA Guidelines for Professional Library/Information Programs (2012). Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a documentary analysis and telephonic int...

The paper reports a research study aimed to explore the readiness for digital reference service (DRS) of university libraries of the province of Punjab, Pakistan, in terms of organizational awareness, willingness, planning and strength of resources. This descriptive research employed the survey method. The survey instrument (questionnaire) was revi...

Purpose Modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) are transforming reference service (RS) from physical to virtual. The paper aims to explore the current status of ICT infrastructure necessary for delivering effective digital reference service (DRS) in university libraries of the Punjab. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory...

Purpose Library practicum is a supervised, hands‐on practice in various library functions. This paper aims to explore the effectiveness of library practicum in learning various professional skills through the perception of library information science (LIS) graduates. Design/methodology/approach Since this is a case study, multiple data collection...

The World Wide Web is now known to be the richest source of information. The growth rate of the web is exponential. This paper explores different aspects of web search behavior of university students, in terms of user's background and experience with web, purpose of use, searching skills, query formulation, frequency of use, favorite search engine,...