Assignment Code: BLIE-228/AST/TMA/Jul.22-Jan.23

Course Code: BLIE-228

Assignment Name: Information Products and Services

Year: 2022-2023

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Part 1

I) Answer the following questions in 250 words each. (3X5=15 Marks)

1. Define the term „Bibliography‟. Describe the different ways of arranging entries in an ad hoc bibliography.

Ans) Bibliographic services are those that take the form of a bibliography. The provision of ad hoc bibliographies upon request, accession lists, documentation lists in the form of indexing or abstracting services that may also act as current awareness services, selective dissemination of information services, etc. are all included in the category of bibliographic services. We will solely discuss creating an ad hoc bibliography in this unit.

Compilation of an ad hoc Bibliography

Ad hoc bibliographies are typically created on demand, in response to an urgent requirement, for record-keeping purposes, etc. Bibliographies are a vital resource for researchers who want to know what has already been accomplished in their field of study, who the authors are, etc. A solid reference tool for the researcher is an ad hoc bibliography. A scholar must create a bibliography of their own work to include with their application when applying for a position.

The bibliography makes it obvious how many papers the researcher has published over time, which publications those papers have been published in, etc. An interviewer can tell a lot about the scholar's research activity and the calibre of the publications just by looking at the bibliography. A bibliography of the papers the institution has published is annexed to the yearly reports that various academic and research institutes produce. It acts as a record for the organisation and aids in the dissemination of information about the papers the organisation published in the previous year.

Compilation: Bibliographies are the result of literature searches.

Step 1: Create cards for each item that applies.

Step 2: Once the cards have been created, you must modify them to make sure that the consistency and standard format have been followed in the preparation of each card.

Step 3: If there are fewer cards, they can be organised by author's last name if necessary. If the number is large, such as 100 or more, you must consider alternative arrangements. Numerous encyclopaedias have thousands of entries in them. In these situations, you can ask the client how the bibliography ought to be organised. The client may recommend a chronological order, a subject-based order, a categorised order, etc.

The cards can be arranged alphabetically by author under each year in a chronological format. Under each subject in the subject-wise layout, the entries must be ordered alphabetically by author. In a classed arrangement, entries must also be placed under the final class number in alphabetical order by author. When a large-entry bibliography is published as a book, author, subject, chronological, and geographic indexes are offered as needed.

Sample Entries

The entries in the examples below were created in accordance with the recommendations of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. 2009, Affiliated East-West Press, New Delhi.

Books:

1. Booth, P. F. Report Writing. 2nd ed. Kings Ripton: Huntinton, 1991. Print.

2. Gerson, S. J., and S. M.Gerson. Technical Writing, Process and Product. 2nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 1997. Print.

3. Jordon, S., J.M. Kleiman, and H.L. Shimberg. Handbook of Technical Writing Practices. Vol. 2. New Jersey: Wiley, 1971. Print.

4. Krishan Kumar. Reference Service. 2nd rev. ed. New Delhi: Vikas, 1980. Print.

2. Discuss the salient features of „current awareness services‟. Describe its new media.

Ans) The Internet, the Web, e-mail, and other technologies were not yet invented when the contemporary awareness service (CAS) was first thought of. The preferred format of the day was print. As a result, it used to take months for current literature to be included in indexing and abstracting services and sent globally, usually by sea mail.

Consider how long it used to take a monthly indexing service based in the USA to process literature, print, bind, and ship documents before adding another month for sea mail to deliver them to countries like India, China, or Japan. Users in these locations might view the material after a minimum delay of four months, or in the fourth month. At that time, a service was required to inform consumers about the most recent literature more quickly than the usual abstracting or indexing services could. Consider that a weekly service that might tell customers of the most recent literature within a month was welcomed.

Characteristics

In essence, it is an announcement service that is typically published in printed form. The service is offered by many libraries under several names, including accession list, documentation list, current awareness list, and current awareness service. These days, they can be distributed digitally via the Internet, intranet, extranet, and email.

Speed is what makes CAS work. As a result, the service's frequency often ranges from weekly to monthly. The literature in the service appears to be updated more quickly than with typical abstracting and indexing services due to the short frequency.

It tries to support or stimulate researchers' present information-seeking behaviour. It is necessary to define the phrase "current approach" that appears in the statement. Studies have revealed four main ways that academics use when looking for information. Exhaustive approach, regular approach, current approach, and iv) catching-up or brushing-up approach are the four categories. Researchers attempt to stay current with changes in their respective domains by using contemporary methodologies. The approach primarily involves the researcher performing a scanning procedure by themselves.

It offers a general overview of current advances but does not address any particular question. Imagine a researcher who is looking for recent papers on user studies scans a current awareness service on a more general area and records the bibliographical information of the user studies publications. The next phase will involve gathering these documents from libraries, informational resources, etc. to use for her/his study project.

The service typically covers a larger area. Consider Current Contents, the renowned current awareness service, as an illustration. They cover topics as diverse as agriculture, biology, the environment, the arts, clinical medicine, engineering, computing, and technology, as well as the physical, chemical, and earth sciences, as well as the social and behavioural sciences. The researchers obtain the papers from the primary journals in their field as well as from journals that are either connected to or unrelated to their subject using one of these services.

The legitimate channel serves as a supplement to the information obtained through unofficial channels. Researchers frequently get preprints and other materials from their peers. They also learn about the most recent advancements in their area of expertise through talk, emails, letters, and other forms of communication. All of them are unofficial channels. Whatever information is obtained through unofficial methods is insufficient. They must go via CAS because of this.

The service is solely intended for transient use. Everything that occurs in CAS later appears in indexing and abstracting services. In essence, it gives the researcher advance knowledge. It resembles a newspaper in certain ways. It provides you with the most recent news every morning.

3. What do you understand by „information analysis and synthesis? Discuss its process and steps in Analysis and Synthesis.

Ans) Information analysis is the act of identifying and dividing the most important information presented by a certain information source into its component parts based on preset evaluative criteria. During analysis, the contents of a chosen source are examined to determine the key messages the source conveys (s).

The pertinent data is then extracted, evaluated, and validated. The retrieved data is then organised and categorised into headings and subheadings in accordance with a predetermined scheme. Comparatively speaking, "Synthesis is a process of condensation and distillation of analysed information from one or more sources and presentation of information in a new arrangement or structure with an interpretative or evaluative point of view."

Analysis and Synthesis Process

1. The first phase involves being familiar with the complete contents of a certain document or set of papers that the centre has obtained.

2. With the aid of evaluation criteria and methods like classification schemes like DDC and UDC, thesauruses or topic headings lists like LCSH, MESH, SHE, etc., the acquired contents are tentatively classified or categorised according to the subject contents of documents.

3. The third phase involves filtering out unnecessary information and reducing the number of materials while choosing and extracting the most important or salient aspects.

4. The primary goal of this phase is to verify the information contained in each extract.

5. Sorting the extracted data into classes and subclasses in accordance with the mission's or project's specialised subject's table of contents, classification scheme, or typology

Steps for the Synthesis

1. The grouping and combining of retrieved data into each class and subclass in comparison.

2. Examination of various extracts or data in each class or subclass in comparison.

3. Conflict resolution is the choice to synthesise knowledge that is in conflict.

4. Compression of the information into a structure and form that is appropriate for the system or center's overall goals, resources, and restraints as well as for the consumers and uses for which it is intended.

5. The assessment of the finished product in light of use and user criteria.

Let's use the IAC product "critical evaluation of a subject" as an example to discuss the processes of analysis and synthesis. All research publications that have been published in that discipline during a given time period—say, let's the last year—are gathered and reviewed by subject-matter specialists in order to provide a critical evaluation. Only those articles are chosen for publication that have significantly advanced the discipline; all other articles are rejected.

All of the chosen sources are examined throughout analysis, and their key characteristics are pulled out, evaluated, and verified. After being retrieved, the material is organised and arranged using predetermined headings and subheadings. Synthesis involves condensing, combining, and placing the information that has been gathered from all of the chosen sources in the appropriate context. The end result is a "Review Article" that tells the storey of how the discipline developed at that time. In critical evaluations, specialists not only present an overview of the status of the field's knowledge, but also draw attention to research gaps and propose new topics that still need to be explored.

The evaluation, analysis, and synthesis process consists of four stages, including:

1. Assessment of the information's origins.

2. Verification of each document's specific extracts or data.

3. Evaluation in comparison of various extracts or data within each class and subclass.

4. A synthetic product or items are evaluated.

4. What do you mean by “referral service‟? Discuss its need and tool.

Ans) A kind of reference service where a person looking for information is pointed toward a company or subject matter expert outside the library where the information may be accessed. It is evident from the two definitions provided above that a referral service is a subset of a reference service, possibly an extension of a reference service, in which no document is provided. The person looking for information is pointed in the direction of a company or an authority who can probably provide it. The concept also implies that the library does not have the information.

Need for Referral Service

Take the example of a researcher who was looking into the Naxal Movement. The academic was aware that Deshbrati, a publication that the government had outlawed, was being published by Naxals. The researcher was unable to obtain the journal from any library as a result. A librarian said that the Police Headquarters in Kolkata might have copies of the books. The academic travelled there. The police gave the scholar permission to counsel with all the issues after confirming her/his credentials. This is how the referral service assisted the research scholar.

A different librarian was hopping between libraries in search of a photograph of a specific medicinal plant produced in India. Whenever she needed information for a research article, the head of her institute needed to be able to rely on the sources she had nearby or in her memory. She told her teacher about her issue when she ran into him one day. The teacher informed her right away that the image could be found in Kirtikar and Basu's Illustrated Indian Medicinal Plants, which was a book that was available at the IARI library. The task of the librarian was completed quickly.

Tools for Referral Service

It is sad that the referral service is not given more attention in our LIS courses. This means that most librarians would typically state that the needed document or information is not available in the library if it is not present there. In order to obtain the document or material, they do not suggest the customer visit any specialists, libraries, or organisations.

The main cause is that they frequently are unsure of how to answer the question. There are some tools needed for the job that are available in print or digital form. You'll need to make more tools. We'll start by dealing with the tools that are already in use. In the next section, we'll talk about the tools you'll need to make and, if circumstances allow print.

Union catalogues are available for books, periodicals, and other bibliographic resources. A union catalogue lists all of the libraries' collections. It is typically organised alphabetically by author, document title, etc. The names of the libraries that hold each document are typically listed under it in abbreviated form. Aside from the title, sponsor, place of publication, start and end dates, volume numbers, etc., any inconsistencies are noted in the union catalogue of magazines.

II) Answer the following questions in 150 words each. (5X4=20 Marks)

1. Discuss the salient features of Moodle?

Ans) The following list of Moodle's features:

1. allows for synchronous real-time chat amongst students.

2. Surveys on the topic can be done by instructors to find out what students think.

3. For exchanging opinions on a subject, threaded discussion boards or forums can be constructed.

4. Each course's participants can be identified. teachers for the courses. For adjunct teachers and part-time instructors, non-editing teaching positions can be formed.

5. Create a course with a number of lessons and a collection of connected websites. Each page may conclude with a question that a student might choose to respond to in order to advance in the course. Any element of the course homepage can have descriptions and photographs added.

6. Give students assignments to complete online or in person. The job submission options for learners include MS Office, PDF, picture, A/V, and more.

7. Instructor has control over the start and end times.

8. peer review of student papers uploaded online. Each participant's project can be evaluated. Final student evaluations may be done by the instructor.

9. Make a glossary of terminology that is a part of the course.

10. Make a quiz with different question types, such as true-false, multiple choice, short answer, matching question, random question, numerical question, and embedded response question, along with illustrative text and pictures.

11. In the online learning environment, student profiles with pictures assist foster social connections between students.

12. For a group of students, the instructor can design group assignments.

2. Explain the need for dissemination and marketing of consolidation information service and products.

Ans) Making a product or offering a service does not mean that the task of an information consolidation unit is finished. Active and efficient distribution, or the selection of an acceptable channel for a specific user group with an eye toward effective communication and beneficial use, must be a crucial component of the entire unit. The goods and services won't be utilised if that happens. Tragically, the diffusion aspect frequently does not get the attention it deserves.

Therefore, it is important to take information marketing into consideration as a notion that could aid in the efficient distribution of information consolidation products and services. It should be mentioned that active distribution, especially marketing, is frequently opposed philosophically on the grounds that they inject a commercialization element to information activity. The claim is that business considerations distort information products and services, which should be valued for their own intrinsic worth.

This ideology may be used to combine information services and products that are completely subsidised and do not require any cost, cost-effectiveness, or cost and user benefit accounting. This policy is invalid for non-subsidized or unsubsidized services, nevertheless. Marketing should not be confused with aggressive and high-pressure sales of goods and services. In actuality, the selling philosophy is the exact opposite of marketing. Marketing is necessary for all goods and services, regardless of price. Alternatively put

3. What do you understand by social networking tool? Discuss the Web 2.0 Tools.

Ans) Social networking tools: They are computer-assisted web-based solutions that facilitate sharing of information, collaboration, and communication. Archive centres use a variety of social networking technologies, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc., to remain in touch with consumers, tell the community about services, and collect customer feedback.

Social networking tools offer network analysis and connecting capabilities to enable users to comprehend and eventually affect the community structure. These tools range from social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, where all the information is contributed by the users themselves, to ones that secretly gather data by analysing emails from a certain population.

Web 2.0 Tools: The technologies that make up Web 2.0 were created in the late 1990s. Web 2.0 denotes a more advanced WWW. Google AdSense, Flickr, Facebook, Wikipedia, Podcast, Digg, Google Maps, and Technorati are a few examples of Web 2.0 apps.

These programmes are instances of a semantic environment, where computers can comprehend and extrapolate information or meanings. These programmes offer a platform for unrestricted interaction, the reuse of programmes and created data in various situations, and open communication. It is a shift away from static webpages and toward newer, more interactive technologies.

4. What are various media of web-based leaning?

Ans) On the Web, there are many different learning resources available. Web-based learning tools include AnswerTips, CampusBug, Elgg, Moodle, and others.

AnswerTips

Webmasters can use Answer.com Inc.'s online solution for websites. Visitors to the library website can access AnswerTips for quick online references. Visitors can get definitions and quick facts for millions of unusual names, concepts, and slang terms. By including a short script in the website's HTML template, this service can be used on any website.

Campusbug

The first social learning network website is called Campusbug. It is a service that offers students social networking and educational opportunities. Free of charge is the service. It is a distinctive website that blends learning, social networking, and online shopping. Users have the ability to customise the website. This website service comes with an internal store where you can buy clothes, office supplies, etc. This web service is free since it is supported by this store and the adverts.

Elgg

Elgg is a social learning framework that is open source and cost-free. It gives you the ability to manage your own social networking website both online and off. It gives people a place to collect, save, and share their own learning and working resources.

Moodle

An open source course management system called Moodle is used to manage online e-learning courses. It is free to use. For the students, instructors can run online course modules. The greatest tool for promoting and managing online learning is Moodle.

5. Discuss any five IAC products from India.

Ans) The following is a list of some of TERI's IAC products:

Terrapin Series: A vast number of books in this series are published by TERI to educate and entertain kids while raising awareness of environmental issues. There are three levels of books available: Key Stage 1: ages 5 to 7; Key Stage 2: ages 7 to 11; and Key Stage 3: ages 11 to 15.

GREEN Olympiads and TERRA QUIZ: These five volumes make up the series of knowledge books for kids.

Soldiers of the Earth: A programme to raise kids' understanding of the environment is being offered. To involve kids in conservation efforts, TERI and ONGC have joined forces. Books, workshops, and learning modules are the tools employed. The goal is to educate kids so that they will grow up to be thoughtful, accountable adults. CAMPS: CAMPS is a special programme that unites local communities and students in a national effort to create a cleaner, greener environment.

National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources: The National Institute of Science Communication and the Indian National Scientific Documenting Center, two eminent institutions of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research dedicated to the transmission and documentation of S&T knowledge, merged on September 30, 2002, creating NISCAIR. NISCAIR gathers, stores, and publishes information in the disciplines of science and technology while also creating information services and goods.

Part-2

1) Arrange the following given bibliographical information using the 7th edition of MLA standard. (5X3=15 Marks)

a) Book

Ans) Bruce Harry, Fidel Ray, Ingwersen Peter, Vakkari Pertti, Emerging Frameworks and Methods: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science (CoLIS 4). Santa Barbara, California, USA: Libraries Unlimited, 2020. Paperback: 978-1-59158-016-4 : $45, £34, 38€, A65

b) Chapter in a Book

Ans) Pat F Booth, Indexing: The Manual of Good Practice, Pertti Vakkari, Editing and Presenting the Indexing, Munche, Saur: K G Saur Munchen, 2001. 241-52

c) Video

Ans) Sharma Jaideep, Library staff: Roles and responsibilities: IGNOU, 15 May 2018. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkAiIWbDld4>

d) Journal Article

Ans) Sainu Abideen P., DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology: Bibliometric Analysis of the Coronavirus Research Publications Data before and after the Outbreak of the COVID: A Comparison, 42.03 (2022): 139-148. 10.14429/djlit.42.3.17350

2) Prepare an indicative abstract of the below mentioned text in not more than 50 words. (5)

An Introduction to Knowledge Management

Tony Blair (former Prime Minister of the UK), while speaking at an e-summit in Nov. 2002, stated that: The fundamental challenge is to create a knowledge-driven economy that serves our long-term goals of first-class public services and economic prosperity for all. To do so we need to innovate. We need to use ideas and intelligence in new ways that create higher value-added products and better quality services … and we must extend the opportunities of the information age to all. (Cited in Hayes, 2004, p. 231)

The idea of knowledge management (KM) has been around since Plato, but the phrase “knowledge management” was formally used by Carl Wiig in 1986 at a Swiss conference sponsored by the United Nations—International Labor Organization. Over the past 30 years, there has been a great deal of new terminology added to this concept. The growth of the knowledge economy is being driven by business change and has put greater emphasis on the need for better management of organizational knowledge. Its fundamental premise is that an enormous amount of knowledge about customers, processes, products, and services exists at all levels of an organization, and if this cumulative knowledge can be captured and communicated, it can help organizations become more productive, effective, and successful. Although the concept of KM emerged as a business trend in the corporate world in the 1990s, it is now being applied in public sector organizations, including academic institutions and their libraries.

Ans) According to Tony Blair, the main obstacle is developing a knowledge-driven economy of first-rate public services and economic prosperity. The development of the knowledge economy over the past 30 years has been fuelled by changes in business, which have increased the importance of the need for improved organisational knowledge management. Public sector companies are now implementing the notion of KM.

3) Prepare newspaper clipping service. Select any one newspaper and browse the newspaper for the last seven days or any 7 consecutive days. (3X5=15 Marks)

Select the news items covering the themes such as:

1. New Education policy 2020

2. Russo-Ukrainian War

3. India’s Foreign Policy

Ans) New Education policy 2020