STS Poster Session
Monday, June 26, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. McCormick Place, W181b
Data Sharing: Natural Resources Researchers Use of Journals and Institutional Repositories
Shannon L. Farrell and Wanda Marsolek, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Abstract
Over the last few years, academic libraries have been offering services to researchers around data management and data sharing, but are uncertain how and if researchers are incorporating data sharing into their workflow. To gain understanding, we examined the current data sharing practices of 33 faculty in the natural resources sciences. For six months, researchers’ newly published journal articles were collated and a content analysis was conducted, capturing information on: if a dataset was published alongside the journal article or in our institutional data repository (IR); what kind of data was published; if the research was federally grant-funded; and if the journal had data sharing requirements. Our analysis of 93 articles discovered that faculty in these disciplines are not sharing raw, easily manipulated data (i.e., Excel files) along with their journal articles. Instead, the majority shared supplemental, analyzed data with journals, primarily PDF versions of tables and graphs. Only one person shared their data in the IR. Although it is promising that researchers are sharing their data in some format, supplemental PDF data inhibits reuse of data. If the goal is reuse, we may need to encourage faculty to share data in other formats. Understanding faculty’s data sharing practices allows us to tailor our services and increase education where there are gaps. These findings could be adapted at other institutions to support faculty in numerous disciplines with data sharing requirements.
Citation Analysis of Recent Master's Theses in Science and Technology at A&M Commerce
Scott Lancaster, Texas A&M University-Commerce
Abstract
Citation analysis, the study of the relationship between a text and those texts to which it makes reference, is a useful tool for academic librarians to use in making decisions about collection development, budget allocation, and research instruction. My poster presentation will analyze the citations of recent master’s theses in science and technology submitted by graduates at [Institution Name]. In order to determine the value of the library’s impact on the scholarly output of the campus, the study will determine the amount of references in the theses drawn from the library’s collection (both print and digital), those drawn from non-library scholarly sources, and those drawn from the internet and other non-academic sources.
Using Backward Design to Create Research Data Management Professional Development for Information Professionals
Abigail Goben, University of Illinois at Chicago and Megan Sapp Nelson, Purdue University
Abstract
This poster details the design process that was used to develop the Association of College and Research Libraries “Building Your Research Data Management Toolkit: Integrating RDM into Your Liaison Work” Road Show. This starts with the development of learning objectives and how those were integrated as activities and presentations were designed. Additionally, we highlight the multiple assessments that are offered prior to the road show experience, during the road show itself, and follows up the road show at the one month and six month post- show mark. The poster then shows the links between the learning objectives, learning activities, and assessments developed to assist learners to meet the learning objectives.
Information Literacy in High School STEM: What Is Taught? What Isn’t Taught? What Can We Do About It?
Kelly Grossmann, Eastern Michigan University and Michelle Guittar, Northwestern University
Abstract
Past research shows that students’ pre-college experiences greatly affect their success in post-secondary STEM programs. With the emergence of new national K-12 science standards, and the declining presence of both school librarians and school library budgets, support for information literacy (IL) education at the high school level is rapidly changing. To gain insight into how these trends influence STEM-based IL education, we conducted a research study to determine how STEM-specific and non-STEM-specific IL skills are addressed in the high school classroom. Through an extensive survey, we questioned over 200 high school teachers and librarians statewide to determine: what information literacy skills are taught, in which classes, at what levels, and with what frequency of collaboration. We collected additional qualitative information through interviews and site visits. The results of the study were surprising; we found that though STEM educators are less likely than other teachers to address many broad IL skills, STEM teachers do frequently address subject-specific information literacy skills in their curricula. We also found that school librarians collaborate less frequently with STEM teachers than teachers of other subjects. These findings provide insight for STEM outreach, help academic librarians more easily identify gaps in students’ prior knowledge, and open a discussion regarding collaboration with pre-college STEM programs. This poster presents an overview of our research methods, a detailed visualization of the results, and recommendations for academic and school librarians based on these findings.
Library Research Fellows: Engaging Earth Sciences Undergrads in Research through Communities of Practice
Melissa Gold, Millersville University
Abstract
The Library Research Fellows Program began in Spring 2013 to engage undergraduates in independent research projects, improving their library research skills while also enhancing the quality of undergraduate research at the University. Fellows are selected through a competitive process and work closely with subject librarians, disciplinary faculty, and one another to develop their projects. Over multiple semesters of independent work and group meetings fellows complete literature reviews, apply for research grants, collect data, and present their results at professional conferences. The fellows also form a community of practice in which they learn and discuss their experiences (and sometimes struggles) with original research. As a result, fellows successfully mentor each other, grow as scholars, assist students in first-year seminars, and serve as resources for peers in their disciplines.
The program now includes over 15 fellows from five departments. Though components of the program are shared, each discipline adapts the program to meet their distinct needs and challenges. This poster will describe the program developed by the Science Librarian for the earth sciences fellows, including learning outcomes, integrated assessments, and examples of fellows’ research and reflections. The challenges associated with supporting student-directed research in the sciences will be emphasized, along with some suggestions to overcome these challenges. Participants will be asked to imagine how research fellows could be utilized at their own institution, and participant ideas and recommendations will be highly encouraged.
Teaching Reading: Primary Literature with First Year Biology Undergraduates
Rachel Hamelers, Muhlenberg College
Abstract
In the second semester of Biology at our Liberal Arts College,we assign students biological primary (also known as empirical or research) literature articles to read throughout the semester. Despite this, before 2016, we were not systematically teaching students how to read the primary scientific literature. In the past two iterations of the class, we piloted a library session to teach students how to intentionally craft a way of reading the primary literature that will work for them, both in this class and beyond. Scholarly scientific literature can prove challenging for novices, and our goal was to give students a system they could employ to assist in their reading processes. An additional goal was to give students guidance on ways to annotate and take notes to make their reading and learning easier to access again at a later date, without rereading the entire article. We created a quick-read instruction session that focused on creating an outline of a primary literature article before doing a thorough read of the paper, followed by a lesson on how to parse figures in scientific papers. This poster will outline our process and share the assessment data we have collected.
Scholarly Publishing Trends in Urban Agriculture
Mike Bobb, Iowa State University
Abstract
This project explores the peer-reviewed literature on urban agriculture (UA) research and associated scholarly publishing trends. UA research spans disciplines such as: agriculture, urban planning, government, health sciences, environmental sciences, water resources, economics, and conservation. In this study, seven databases were searched for peer-reviewed literature on UA. This poster explores UA research output by measuring the growth rate of peer reviewed research on UA (~18% from 1980-2015) and comparing to the growth of modern science (8-9%). Forty-one journal titles published greater than 5 articles on UA, showing how diverse the topic is. From this an analysis of related subjects was also done; the top 3 resulting subjects within UA research were: Agriculture, Environmental Studies, and Housing and Urban Planning. This research also includes a geographic analysis of field sites for UA publications. Of the top 20 countries where research was done on UA, studies conducted within the United States published 86 articles, and on the lower end of the top 20 countries was Japan, wherein 7 studies on UA had been published. In addition, a keyword analysis suggests that the type of UA research (community oriented versus environmental or agriculturally oriented) may be correlated with the GDP-PPP of the country in question. This poster will be valuable to librarians in collection development (public as well as academic), as well as liaison or subject librarians that work with researchers.
Systematic Reviews at UCSF: An Evaluation of Methodology
Peggy Tahir, Evans Whitaker, Min-Lin Fang, and Julia Kochi, University of California, San Francisco and Jill Barr-Walker, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital
Abstract
Objective: The University of California San Francisco Library has one year trial access to Embase with the express goal of providing a systematic review service to assist authors create these increasingly important studies. The aim of the current study is to analyze the last 10 years of systematic reviews written by UCSF authors for databases used and conformity with IOM and PRISMA recommendations.
Methods: A search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for UCSF-authored systematic reviews between 1/1/2006 through 8/23/2016 found 2133 articles.
Title/abstract screening eliminated 979 articles that did not meet inclusion criteria. Data was extracted from the remaining 1154 articles.
The following data will be extracted: number and names of databases searched, extent of librarian involvement in the review, and other methodological components identified in PRISMA and IOM guidelines. Descriptive statistics will be used to look for patterns and trends, and bivariate analyses may be used to examine relationships between methodological factors (e.g. librarian involvement) and other variables (e.g. departmental affiliation). Our conclusions will help inform instructional services, database purchase decisions, and targeted promotion of our systematic review services. Future investigation will include effect of these efforts on UCSF community conformity with Systematic Review best practices.
If You Build It, They Will Crash Into It: Data Visualization of a 4-Year Study of Bird-Building Collisions
Barbara Harvey, Grand Valley State University
Abstract
Windows and natural light are increasingly highlighted in new library architecture. Newly-designed spaces with lots of windows are often noted for their appeal to patrons and a nod toward environmental sustainability. However, increasing window exposure invariably leads to more bird-building collisions, and increased mortality of local and migrating songbirds.
This poster will present visualization of 4 years of data collected since the opening of our new LEED-Platinum Certified library building at a "Master's Large" Midwest University. An inventory of the species who met their demise when meeting our building will be graphically presented. The number of each species, along with the date and location on the outside of the building where the carcass was found and identified will be presented. Additionally, there will be a brief overview of relevant literature, and suggested solutions for minimizing future collisions.
How Safe Is Your Library 3D printer?
Neelam Bharti, University of Florida
Abstract
Makerspaces in libraries are getting lots of attention and 3D printing is one of the technologies included in library Makerspaces. Due to the ease of availability and cost effectiveness, most libraries use fused deposition modeling based 3D printers which emit ultrafine particles that may deteriorate the indoor air quality. During the printing process, the thermoplastic is melted and extruded through the nozzle at a high temperature and generates ultrafine particles (UFPs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as a byproduct. Emission of UFPs and VOCs generated during the printing process are a big health concern. Has your library thought about the risks involved and future consequences of providing 3D printing services? We did a risk assessment of 3D printing services in our library and reviewed occupational, chemical and health hazards associated with it. In this poster, we will discuss the 3D printing health and safety concerns. We measured and analyzed the number of ultrafine particles (.02-1.0 micrometer) and found that the number of particle/cc rose tremendously during printing. Based on potential risks during our assessment, we will also discuss best practice guidelines and recommendations for the 3D printing services in the libraries to reduce the potential health risks.
OER: The Future of Sustainable STEM Collections
Michelle Leonard and Neelam Bharti, University of Florida
Abstract
The implementation of open educational resources is becoming a serious topic of conversation for higher education administrators and libraries. At the institutional level administrators are seeking solutions to reduce the high cost of textbooks. Academic libraries fill this role by building high impact collections to support the curriculum and research with the broad spectrum OER, and to offer guidance on its availability, accessibility and usability. The Hewlett Foundation defines OER as “ teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others. OER include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge.” By adopting this broad OER definition libraries and institutions can form new partnerships to reduce textbook costs where applicable, and collaborate on identifying best choices for curriculum and research support based on the integrity of the source materials, and build sustainable STEM collections. This paper will discuss the results of a survey distributed to STEM patrons (excluding undergraduates) on the knowledge and use of OER, and its influence within disciplines, at a land-grant institution. Challenges on how to identify, incorporate, market and influence the use of OER into STEM collections will also be discussed.
Elemental-Based Bibliometrics: Mapping Science Through Counting Elemental Species from the First-Row Transition Elements
Robert Tomaszewski, California State University, Fullerton
Abstract
The impact of citation counts is used as a measure of scientific output and impact. Rather than going through the traditional methodology of citation or publication counts, the counting of the elements from the periodic table can be used to analyze and understand information in the chemical sciences. Analyzing publications from an elemental species can result in discovery of possible new gateways for future research opportunities. Chemical Abstracts was searched using the SciFinder database by counting for the occurrence of the base element, isotopes and ions to the first row transition elements in journal articles and patents. The number of elemental species is searched using the molecular formula field from which the registry numbers of all elemental species can then be transferred to the literature file, CAplus where the corresponding references can be uploaded for analysis. The number of elemental-based publications provides a perspective of research activity and growth as a function of time. Combination searching of the scientific literature from different elemental species with topic searches allows to observe and interpret the chemistry of the elements and identify possible new research avenues. An extension to organic chemistry through access to the literature using chemical compounds can be performed via exact, substructure or similar compound searching as well as reaction searching is also discussed.
STS IS A SECTION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE & RESEARCH LIBRARIES, A DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.