Hazel Hall

Edinburgh Napier University · School of Computing

Purpose The purpose of the empirical study was to examine whether strategies shown to work well in one model of network development for library and information science (LIS) practitioners and researchers could be applied successfully in the development of a new network and contribute to the narrowing of the research–practice gap in LIS. Design/met...

Library and information science researchers identify public library roles in the integration of forced migrants into local communities. Here an analysis of formal documentation issued by local authorities allowed for an exploration of public libraries as services to aid the integration of forced migrants in Scotland. In 2021, 23 Scottish local auth...

Public libraries offer important services for newcomer populations, including forced migrants. They help facilitate the integration of forced migrants into the host country, increase their levels of trust within new communities, and build social capital. To date, however, the determinants of forced migrant engagement with public library services ha...

A literature review on the broad theme of information literacy and work was undertaken between January and April 2021 as part of an on-going doctoral study. The purpose of the literature review was to explore extant research on workplace information literacy (WIL) and related areas, including employability information literacy (EIL). The main findi...

Everyday career information use is not fully addressed by extant theories, models and frameworks. In this paper, a conceptual framework of career information behaviour and career information literacy in everyday life is presented.Methods. Over the course of 2021, a literature review of everyday life career information use was completed. As part of...

The role of information in career development has received relatively little research attention. A literature review completed as part of a doctorate in the first half of 2021 indicates that career information features in only a small number of publications spread across Career Studies, Organisational Studies, and Education in the time period betwe...

Introduction. Previous research in information science often uses constructs from social exchange theory to explain online information sharing. Exchange theories have a strong focus on reciprocity, yet in some communities, such as elected democratic representatives at hyperlocal level, it is observed that information is shared online for little vis...

Introduction: This paper addresses the information practices of hyperlocal democratic representatives, and their acquisition and application of information literacy skills. Method: 1034 Scottish community councillors completed an online questionnaire on the information-related activities they undertake as part of their voluntary roles, and the deve...

Purpose Although social networks are considered influential to employment outcomes, little is known about the behavioural manifestation of networking during job search. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of networking amongst 16–24 year old active jobseekers living in Scotland. Design/methodology/approach A sequential, mixed methods...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which learning gained through participation in three research methods workshops funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council networking grant was applied in practice. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected by online survey and focus group from individuals who participa...

Digital youth work is an emerging field of research and practice which seeks to investigate and support youth-centred digital literacy initiatives. Whilst digital youth work projects have become prominent in Europe in recent years, it has also become increasingly difficult to examine, capture, and understand their social impact. Currently, there is...

Further details are here: Middleton, L., Hall, H., Muir, L., & Raeside, R. (2018). The interaction between people, information and innovation: information literacy to underpin innovative work behaviour in a Finnish organisation. Paper presented at ASIS&T 2018 Annual Meeting, Vancouver, 10-14 November 2018. Paper available at: https://www.napier.ac....

Middleton, L., Hall, H., Muir, L., & Raeside, R. (2018). How do we use information to help us learn to innovate in the workplace? A case study of a Scottish University. Poster presented at ISIC 2018, Krakow, Poland, October 2018. Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/LyndseyJenkins1/how-do-we-use-information-to-help-us-learn-to-innovate-in-the-w...

Cambridge Core - General - Research, Evaluation and Audit - edited by Maria J. Grant

This article presents preliminary findings from a larger doctoral study which investigates tacit knowledge sharing and social media use. The results reported here are from a survey completed by members of an online platform that incorporates social media features and enables knowledge sharing amongst public sector professionals in Scotland. There a...

Current scholarly debate around digital participatory youth projects and approaches to their evaluation are examined in this article. The analysis of the literature presented here reveals (1) an over-reliance on traditional evaluation techniques for such initiatives, and (2) a scarcity of models for the assessment of the social impact of digital pa...

Results are reported from a study that investigated patterns of information behaviour and use as related to personal reputation building and management in online environments. An everyday life information seeking (ELIS) perspective was adopted. Data were collected by diary and interview from 45 social media users who hold professional and manageria...

Findings from a study of the advantages and disadvantages accrued by individuals from their public library use, and the impact of this on citizenship at individual and community levels, are presented. The analysis of longitudinal focus group data collected on two occasions at eight UK locations at a time of a so-called ‘public library crisis’ demon...

Social Cognitive Theory is a theory that derives from Psychology yet has been adopted in other interdisciplinary subject areas, including information science. The origins and key concepts of Social Cognitive Theory are presented, and the value of its contributions to information science research analysed, with particular reference to research into...

Networking is considered an integral feature of job search, yet its behavioural manifestation has received little attention in the extant literature. Here this is addressed in a study of young job-seekers that adopted an egocentric network approach underpinned by Information Behaviour theory, with specific reference to Wilson’s model of information...

The purpose of the research was to investigate the practices of elected, yet unpaid, community councillors in Scotland as they exploit information channels for democratic engagement with citizens. Its focus is both novel and significant in that it considers the information literacy of a group that has not been studied before: volunteer representati...

Middleton, L., Hall, H., & Raeside, R. (2016). Enhancing the capacity for workplace learning and innovation in Scotland. PechaKucha 20x20 presented at iDocQ 2018, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, 3 May 2018. Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/LyndseyJenkins1/idocq-2018-20x20-presentation-lyndsey-middleton

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report the results from a study that investigated the extent to which an intervention to develop a community of library and information science (LIS) researchers – the Developing Research Excellence and Methods (DREaM) project – was successful in meeting its main objective three years after its implementatio...

Introduction. Research design should take into account both (a) the specific nature of the object under scrutiny, and (b) approaches to its study in the past. This is to ensure that informed decisions are made regarding research design in future empirical studies. Here these factors are taken into account with reference to methodological choice for...

Presented in this article are some findings from a study which investigates tacit knowledge sharing and social media use. The results reported here derive from a survey completed by members of an online platform that incorporates social media features, and enables information and knowledge sharing amongst public sector professionals. Two main findi...

Activity Theory (AT) is presented as a framework for explaining Information Literacy (IL) as a technologically mediated social practice. This is achieved in the context of a study conducted in 2016 on the information gathering and sharing activities of Scottish community-level elected representatives. This work demonstrates the value of AT as (i) a...

Workplace learning and employee‐led innovation are related. For example, mistakes made when learning may spur innovation. Investigated in this paper is the role of information literacy in the learning of innovative work behaviour in the workplace, and the associated information behaviours that allow for innovative work behaviour to develop. Thus, i...

Middleton, L., Hall, H., & Raeside, R. (2017). The application of Social Cognitive Theory in Information Science Research on Workplace Learning and Innovative Work Behaviours. Paper presented at Information: Interactions and Impact (i3) 2017, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, 27-30 June 2017. Abstract available at: http://www.napier.ac.uk/researc...

Jenkins, L., Hall, H., & Raeside, R. (2017). Factors influencing innovation across Europe: Analysis of the Community Innovation Survey. Poster presented at Edinburgh Napier University Research Conference, Edinburgh, 21st June 2017. Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/LyndseyJenkins1/factors-influencing-innovation-across-europe-analysis-of-the-...

The discussion in this paper derives from an analysis of data from twenty interviews conducted with members of an online knowledge sharing platform between October 2016 and February 2017. The empirical work is part of a larger doctoral study that investigates tacit knowledge sharing, online platforms and social media use within the public sector in...

Full text available from publisher at: http://www.informationr.net/ir/22-1/isic/isics1606.html, and Edinburgh Napier repository at http://www.napier.ac.uk/~/media/worktribe/output-830909/tacit-knowledge-sharing-the-determination-of-a-methodological-approach-to-explore-the-1.pdf Introduction. Research design should take into account both (a) the sp...

Full text available at http://www.informationr.net/ir/22-1/colis/colis1615.html Introduction. The paper presents a critical analysis of the extant literature pertaining to the networking behaviour of young jobseekers in both offline and online environments. A framework derived from information behaviour theory is proposed as a basis for conducting...

The research presented in this poster is concerned with the ways in which people use information to build identities for themselves online with reference to the themes of personal reputation management. To date these two themes have been under-explored together in the research literature, both in general and from an information science perspective....

Introduction. The means by which individuals evaluate the personal reputations of others, and manage their own personal reputations, as determined by information shared on social media platforms, is investigated from an information science perspective. The paper is concerned with findings from a doctoral study that takes into account prior work on...

Poster presented at Information Seeking in Context (ISIC) conference, Zadar. Jenkins, L., Hall, H., & Raeside, R. (2016). Enhancing the capacity for workplace learning and innovation in Scotland. Poster presented at ISIC 2016, University of Zadar, Croatia, 20th-23rd September 2016. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/LyndseyJenkins1/isic-poster...

Jenkins, L., Hall, H., & Raeside, R. (2016). Enhancing the capacity for workplace learning and innovation in Scotland. PechaKucha 20x20 presented at iDocQ 2016, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, 23 June 2016. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/LyndseyJenkins1/idocq-2016-20x20-presentation

Jenkins, L., Hall, H, & Raeside, R. (2016). Enhancing the capacity for workplace learning and innovation in Scotland. Poster presented at Edinburgh Napier University Research Conference, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, 15th June 2016. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/LyndseyJenkins1/enhancing-the-capacity-for-workplace-learning-and-i...

Jenkins, L., Hall, H., & Raeside, R. (2016). Enhancing the capacity for workplace learning and innovation in Scotland. Poster presented at School of Computing Annual PhD Conference, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, 11th May 2016. http://www.slideshare.net/LyndseyJenkins1/school-of-computing-postgraduate-research-conference-poster-11052016

This paper draws on findings from a longitudinal study of the adoption of a management innovation within an organisational setting. It is based on the findings of a case study that explores and discusses in depth a Knowledge Management programme that was introduced within a large distributed public sector agency in Europe. The aim of this research...

This paper provides an assessment of the value of national population censuses as information sources with specific reference to UK census data and its use in policy-making. Mixed methods were adopted to collect quantitative and qualitative data from two sources: (a) a content analysis of policy documents; and (b) interviews with policy-makers in S...

The main theme of the paper is the development of a framework to investigate how online information is used in the creation, building, and evaluation of personal reputations. (Here the term “personal reputation” refers to the reputation of private individuals rather than corporate identity and brand.) An overview of prior research into the evaluati...

A workforce mapping project was carried out in the UK between August 2014 and October 2015. It was commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and the Archives and Records Association (ARA) to enhance understanding of the nation's workforce in Library, Archives, Records, Information Management, Knowledge...

Full text available from http://www.napier.ac.uk/~/media/worktribe/output-169547/power-to-the-population-the-population-census-under-review.pdf

We provide a critical evaluation of the literature on success factors in information systems projects, with a particular focus on organisational information systems development. This responds to recent editorial comment on the need for literature reviews that can furnish a foundation for theory building and research landscaping. *Method* Relevant...

Purpose – Social network analysis (SNA) is an under-utilised framework for research into festivals and events. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the history of SNA and explore its key concepts, in order that they might be applied to festivals and their environments. Design/methodology/approach – Secondary material underpins the paper, pri...

Full text available at : http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/6315/ This paper draws on findings from an in-depth case study of practices related to the meeting of organisational goals pertinent to knowledge creation, creativity and innovation performance. Overall a mixed methods approach that used both quantitative and qualitative data was adopt...

Earlycite version available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17094388 Purpose - This paper reviews the value of Social Network Analysis (SNA) as a method appropriate to LIS research. SNA is used to investigate the effectiveness of a framework of methods adopted by the DREaM project to develop researcher-practitioner networks...

In 2011 and 2012 the Library and Information Science Research Coalition supported two projects entitled Research in Librarianship Impact Evaluation Study (RiLIES1 and RiLIES2). This paper discusses the results of a survey completed in spring 2012 as part of RiLIES2. RiLIES2 was concerned with the production of a series of outputs such as training,...

Between 2009 and 2012 considerable investment was made in three UK projects related to library and information science (LIS) research: (1) the Library and Information Science Research Coalition; (2) the AHRC-funded Developing Research Excellence and Methods (DREaM) project; and (3) the Research in Librarianship Impact Evaluation Study (RiLIES). Thi...

This panel debates whether the ways in which social media are changing the nature, creation, seeking, use and sharing of information constitute a transformation or are primarily marked by continuity. Ubiquitous and everyday access to social media (for some) seems to be bringing about changes in social practice, including of information-related acti...

The Research in Librarianship Impact Evaluation Study (RiLIES) focused particularly on identifying factors that increase or hinder the impact of research findings on those who deliver library and information services. The findings highlight the evident disconnect between the LIS research and practitioner communities. They confirm that the level of...

In an environment where resources are few, research funders are expected to focus on projects that demonstrate value for money. Thus, in the context of service provision, proposed research projects should actively contribute to the building of an evidence base that both supports decision-making, and is actively deployed in practice. Based on Hall's...

Purpose – This paper seeks to challenge how librarians conceive a number of relationships – between themselves, social media tools, and end‐users, and to argue that this determines the boundaries of service innovation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper develops themes and ideas derived from research projects on deployment of social media by...

The article describes the background to the development of the DREaM project, which is aimed at expanding the range of skills of UK-based researchers in the LIS field, and at developing a network of active researchers, both in academia and amongst LIS practitioners. The project, which is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council involves t...

Ontology development is considered to be a useful approach to the design and implementation of interoperable systems. This literature review and commentary examines the current state of knowledge in this field with particular reference to processes involved in assuring epistemological adequacy. It takes the perspective of the information systems pr...

The Library and Information Science (LIS) Research Coalition was established in 2009 to address UK LIS research matters. This description of the Coalition discusses its formation, goals, work to date, and future plans.

This report covers extent to which funded research projects in the domain of library and information science (LIS) influence practice in the UK. It focuses particularly on identifying factors that increase or hinder the impact of research findings on those who deliver library and information services, and makes several specific recommendations to t...

This article evaluates microblogging in general, and Twitter in particular, as a professional tool in library and information services provision. It draws on the findings of a study completed in 2010 based on survey and interview responses from over 300 librarian participants.

One of the aims of the Library and Information Science Research Coalition is to promote library and information science practitioner research. Successfully meeting this aim should result in greater use of the existing knowledge base and the creation of new knowledge on Library and Information Science (LIS) practice. LIS practitioner engagement in r...

This paper focuses on the extent to which online information sharing practice is socially motivated. A key interest is how knowledge of the existing social connections between actors may predict their information sharing behaviour when they move into an online environment, and the relative importance of these connections when set against other fact...

At a time that the term "Library 2.0" has attracted attention in the professional and academic press of library and info rmation science, there appears to be a lack of consensus as to what this nomenclature actually means. At one extreme Library 2.0 is purported to be primarily concerned with the implementation of web-based tools, and thus supports...

As organizations have developed enterprise-wide electronic information environments, a diverse range of job roles has emerged at a variety of levels. Some of these roles are ear-marked for “traditional” information specialists, but many are not - and although some information specialists have moved into this kind of work, others from a variety of d...

This article reports on an investigation of blog technology's potential for encouraging interaction between students, and its consequences in terms of peer learning and peer support, on a module of an accredited library and information science (LIS) degree program. The findings consider the treatment of blogs in the domain of LIS with particular re...

Summarizes the commonly cited benefits and risks of outsourcing research and information services. Presents some findings of a small-scale research project into perceptions of outsourcing in the business information sector, surveying members of the UK business information community who have experience of establishing relationships with external par...

The theme of knowledge sharing is discussed extensively in the knowledge management literature. Such work tends to focus on the barriers that impede knowledge sharing activity. Of these "culture" is commonly cited as a major obstacle. This article examines what is meant by the term "culture". In the context of efforts to promote good practice in kn...

This article describes how electronic mail (email) has developed from being a simple, efficient and cost-effective means of communicating short messages across computer networks into a broad platform on which are based a wide range of applications for which email was not intended. A study is reported which considers the main sources of email securi...

The results of a research project that examined the factors that motivated individuals competing to win an award of £10,000 to interact collectively in a Yahoo e-group are presented. The project was the apparent willingness of competitors to help their rivals when only one prize was available. The findings revealed that the initial impetus for memb...

This article discusses the applicability of “borrowing” theory originally developed in other disciplines to information science research and, in particular, the analytical concepts and assumptions of social exchange theory as a framework for exploring motivational factors of knowledge sharing in large, distributed, information-intensive organizatio...

This article discusses the applicability of “borrowing” theory originally developed in other disciplines to information science research and, in particular, the analytical concepts and assumptions of social exchange theory as a framework for exploring motivational factors of knowledge sharing in large, distributed, information-intensive organizatio...

In this paper we report upon the Virtual Economy (VE), an Internet simulation which operated for the first time in Spring 2000 involving students at Indiana University, USA and at Napier University, Edinburgh, UK. During 2001, the VE was extended to include participants from other institutions. The main thrust of the project was to encourage active...

Published academic research and reported practice in the professional press indicate that social capital is a driver of knowledge management. This paper reports on progress to date on part of a project that examines the role of social capital in knowledge management work. The case explored is a large, information-intensive organisation that aims to...

The value of an intranet for knowledge management (KM) is largely dependent on the calibre of the content and tools that it provides to its users and its ultimate application in business operations. For many organisations, there is a particular dilemma regarding the development of internally produced intranet resources for KM applications. Employee...

The role of communities of practice in knowledge creation is recognized in a number of contexts. The authors take a socio-technical perspective and identify four characteristics of such communities: situated learning, situated action, distributed cognition and social infrastructure. These are combined into a loosely normative framework to define an...

Organisations seek to use information intelligently and to generate business intelligence for future profitable prospects. Although not regarded as business intelligence per se, there is a role for commercially produced online information sources and internally generated intranet resources in business intelligence activity. For example, the human p...

Some published evidence has suggested that corporate libraries are slowly becoming irrelevant in meeting organisational information needs due to old-fashioned models of service delivery. Elsewhere in the literature the intranet is heralded as a technological tool for corporate information management. This paper provides the results of a series of c...

Through virtual communities, mechanisms are implemented for various activities ranging from managing collaborative projects, initiating electronic commerce applications and training of staff, to playing games. A typical virtual community comprises a group of physically disparate individuals, unknown to one another in person, brought together for th...

Recent UK government initiatives have encouraged academic staff to consider using IT to enhance students' experience of higher education in terms of its quality, flexibility and effectiveness. In 1999 second year undergraduate students studying Information Management at Queen Margaret University College in Edinburgh were invited to use a set of tai...

The compilation of a new textbook on business information sources (Navigating business information sources: a practical guide for information managers, Library Association, 1998) provided the authors with an opportunity to consider and review developments in business information, including the current and possible future issues of importance to tho...

Since the mid-1970s there has been a growth in the availability of self-published serial material for fans of football teams, science fiction series and bands. Typically, dissemination of these publications is through specialised channels in low print runs. Standard bibliographic tools fail to point to titles and their acquisition by "normal" proce...

Summer 1995 saw the release, with considerable media attention, of draft versions of Sun Microsystems' Java computer programming language and the HotJava browser. Java has been heralded as the latest "killer" technology in the Internet explosion. Sun Microsystems and numerous companies including Microsoft, IBM, and Netscape have agreed upon licensi...

How do we teach information management students about the business environment? • How can we design courses on information sources and services provision that interest and motivate students?

The results are given of an investigation into the perception and use of information as a strategic resource for effective business performance and competitive advantage in the Scottish high performance textile industry. Case studies reveal that there are predominant patterns of information usage within the industry. There is a low level of appreci...

A discussion of current thinking on the role of information as a business resource for competitive advantage leads to the conclusion that consideration should be given by the textile industry to the adoption of strategies to harness such a valuable resource. A survey is reported of infomiation usage by ten textile companies in Scotland, all within...

This text aims to equip the reader with strategies for selecting the best printed and electronic business information sources. It outlines important legislation and business regulations and includes an examination of the workings of industry in the UK.