Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science

Perceived current and potential role of libraries in citizen science initiatives: Stakeholders’ perceptions

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Citizen Science (CS) has become an important approach for involving the public in scientific research and facilitating collaboration between professional scientists and citizen volunteers. Libraries, which serve as accessible sources of information and centres for community engagement, are strategically positioned to support CS initiatives. The aim of this study is to explore how researchers, project managers and citizen scientists perceive the current and potential role of libraries in CS initiatives in the Malaysian context. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 individuals who are actively involved in CS projects in Malaysia. The thematic analysis, conducted using ATLAS.ti software, revealed different perceptions of current library services and identified opportunities for libraries to improve their role in CS. The results show that library services play a crucial role in providing access to resources and educational tools, supporting data management and analysis, and providing spaces for public engagement and outreach. In addition, libraries have the potential to become comprehensive resource centres for CS and serve as hubs for collaboration that promote public awareness and engagement. They can also act as centres for training and capacity building, equipping individuals with the necessary skills to contribute effectively to citizen science initiatives. Libraries can support the management and preservation of data and the contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through CS. These findings emphasise the transformative potential of libraries in promoting scientific literacy, sustainability and strengthening public engagement through CS.

National and international research collaboration network in South Korea: An analysis of library and information science journals (2015–2024)

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0800

This study analyses the structure and collaboration patterns of co-authorship networks in library and information science (LIS) journals published in South Korea and internationally from 2015 to 2024. South Korean journals were categorised into Korean-language and English-language publications, while international journals included all articles and a subset article authored by Korean researchers. This classification enabled a comparative analysis of the structures of collaboration and the impact of co-authorship. The results show that international journals have more authors per article and higher research collaboration than South Korean journals. Among the international journals, articles by Korean researchers showed a high degree of international co-authorship, indicating a growing trend towards global collaboration. Korean journals had more single-authored articles and collaborations within the same institution, with limited international participation. An analysis of the impact of co-authorship on the number of citations found that articles involving collaborations across multiple institutions and disciplines tended to receive more citations. An analysis of the Simpson Diversity Index (SDI) demonstrated higher interdisciplinary diversity in international journals with Korean authors than in Korean journals, reflecting broader academic engagement. A correlation analysis of institutional productivity rankings between Korean and international journals found no significant relationship, suggesting different patterns of collaboration. These findings emphasise the need to expand international co-authorship and promote interdisciplinary collaboration in Korean LIS research. Building a more open and inclusive research environment in Korean journals is crucial to attract diverse authors. This study provides a basic insight into the trends of co-authorship and offers strategies to improve the international visibility and impact of Korean LIS research.

Psychological need satisfaction and autonomous motivation as predictors of readers’ continuous participation in reading promotion activities in university libraries

Wang Huijie; Yu Haidong (Corresponding Author) — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Readers are the target of university libraries' reading promotion activities, and their psychology is a key factor influencing their engagement. Studying the psychology of readers helps in the effective implementation of reading promotion activities. Based on self-determination theory, this article analyses the micro-mechanisms of readers' continuous participation in reading promotion activities from three perspectives: i) satisfaction of basic psychological needs, ii) autonomous motivation, and iii) intention to continue participation. A model was developed to determine the factors that influence readers' intention to continue participating in reading promotion programmes in university libraries. The model was validated using questionnaires and analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results showed that satisfaction of basic psychological needs positively influenced both intention to continue participation and autonomous motivation, with autonomous motivation mediating the relationship between satisfaction of basic psychological needs and intention to continue participation. This study is important to provide a theoretical frame of reference for related research and findings to improve the effectiveness of reading promotion activities in university libraries.

Strategic risk management in public library services: Approaches to prioritization and mitigation

Mehdi Rahmani (Corresponding Author) — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Public libraries face many challenges in maintaining their services, especially in a rapidly evolving technological and economic environment. This study identifies and prioritises the main risks impacting public library services in Iran and proposes strategic solutions to address these challenges. The study is based on a meta-synthesis of scientific literature, the fuzzy Delphi technique for expert evaluation and Chang’s Fuzzy Hierarchy Analysis to rank the most important risks. Field observations were conducted in several provinces of Iran to validate the results and develop region-specific strategies. The study identified 75 risks, which were categorised into nine main groups. The greatest risk was the loss of access to digital resources due to economic sanctions and financial restrictions, followed by competition from search engines and alternative digital information platforms. The expert’s evaluation emphasised that technological limitations and insufficient funding are the most pressing threats to the sustainability of public libraries. To overcome these challenges, the study recommends improving technological infrastructure, fostering collaboration between libraries, implementing innovative outreach programmes and diversifying financial support strategies. The findings emphasise the urgent need for public libraries to address digital transformation and strategic planning to remain relevant in digital and economically constrained environment. As public libraries worldwide face similar financial, technological and operational risks, this study contributes to the global library policy discussion by offering a scalable risk assessment model that is applicable to different library systems. These findings can guide decision-makers in library governance, digital transformation policies and strategies for sustainable access to knowledge at national and international levels.

Combating unethical publications in Iraqi higher education: A pre- and post-intervention programme assessment

Haneen A. Haleem (Corresponding Author); Mohammed M. Kadhum — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0800

This study examines the Responsible Publishing Initiative (RPI), a new intervention programme developed under University of Babylon’s academic research policy to combat unethical publishing among research students by addressing predatory or hijacked journals. The study aims to: i) examine the awareness and practise of scholarly publishing among research students before and after participation in the new intervention programme; ii) analyse the publication data of research students before and after participation in the new intervention programme. The results show that at least 37 per cent of students have published in predatory journals. After participating in the RPI programme, it was found that students' awareness had increased and the number of publications in predatory journals had decreased significantly. The initial success of the programme demonstrates the importance of educational interventions to promote academic integrity. The study also emphasises the need for continuous monitoring and evaluation to ensure the long-term effectiveness of the newly proposed initiative. This research contributes to the broader academic discourse on sustainable development and is in line with UN SDG Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by promoting a culture of integrity and rigour in Iraq's academic publishing landscape.