Browsing by Author "Navaneethkrishnan, S."

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Challenges in Selecting Humanities and Social Science Journal articles for Bibliometric Analysis at University Level in Sri Lanka
(University of Kelaniya, 2012) Navaneethkrishnan, S.; Weerasooriya, W.A.
The century we live in is witnessing a huge disparity between the developed countries and the developing countries. This is also true in creating knowledge. The disparity is especially clear between pure sciences and social sciences. Even with the research studies of the Humanities and Social Sciences and their disciplines done to date, the amount of investigation is considerably less than in science and technology. Bibliometrics is built to provide an objective approach to assess research outputs of an individual scholar, a research agency, a university or a nation. Based on such outcomes, research funding is allocated and the reputation or credentials of a scholar or an institution are assessed. Although bibliometric assessment has been continuously criticized and improved over time for multidimensional measurement, reflecting more accurately the reality of research activities, it has some significant limitations when applied to the fields of Humanities and Social Sciences. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the methodological challenges faced in selecting Humanities and Social Science journal articles for bibliometric analysis at University level in Sri Lanka.This research paper provides a basic understanding to a researcher and formulates guiding principles when dealing with bibliometric analysis of Humanities and Social Science subjects. Variations in citation patterns, discrepancies due to journals with dual volume-numbering systems or combined volumes, publication gaps due to the war situation, language and regional bias, need of fine-grained delineation at the level of individual articles, defining journal coverage in the field of Humanities and Social Sciences and unavailability of soft forms of printed journals are identified as the major challenges in selecting journal articles for bibliometric analysis at University level in Sri Lanka. Even though the methodological challenges have been pointed out, responding to these challenges and designing strategies with criteria are necessary to promote a better application of bibliometrics for the evaluation of journal articles. It paves the way for more cautious and sophisticated evaluation systems, rooted in a better understanding of the dynamics of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Impact of User Education Programs in the Library, University of Jaffna: An Appraisal
(University of Kelaniya, 2012) Arulanantham, S.; Navaneethkrishnan, S.
Libraries function as the driving force in achieving the target of the universities and other higher educational institutions in the world. User education is considered as an important element of the services provided by any library. It includes various programs of instruction, education and exploration provided by libraries to users to enable them to make more effective, efficient and independent use of information sources, services and facilities including formal and informal instruction delivered by a librarian or other staff member one-on-one or in a group. The goal of user education should be to improve the quality of users’ research output and ensure lifelong learning. User education programs need continuous revision to be up to date with the changing information environment. Also, it is expected that written objectives for instruction should be derived from the written profiles of the information needs of the users. Even though user education programs are carried out in Sri Lankan University libraries in the form of library orientation for first year students during the inauguration session of the faculties, lecturing is the most commonly used method applied by most of the Universities for this purpose. User education programs are conducted by the Library, University of Jaffna in various forms. In general, library orientation lectures (with a library visit) are conducted for the newly admitted students. It was extended as session of three weeks covering 20 hours with support from the Faculty of Management. Information Literacy development program is conducted in the form of permanent exhibits at micro level in important corners of the reader services section covering user awareness, library orientation, bibliographic instruction and interest profiling which are the four components of user education programs. An exhibition named as ‘Path to Knowledge’ was held as a user education program at macro level in 2009. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of user education programs in the Library, University of Jaffna. This research paper provides a basic understanding of impacts of the user education programs, based on the quantitative and descriptive analysis of the readers’ visits, opinions, feedback and the developments encountered after the programs. The findings of the study show that the remarkable (20%) increase in number of visits of readers, enrichment of their information literacy level, appreciation and collaboration of departments, development of library awareness and documentation culture are the major impacts of the user education programs of the Library, University of Jaffna.
Suitability of Bhagavad Gita as a Bibliotherapuetic Tool in Post-war Sri Lanka: A Librarian’s View
(University of Kelaniya, 2012) Navaneethkrishnan, S.; Sivasamy, V.
The librarian occupies a strategic position in the development of emotions of the people, and it is felt that this is the opportune time to take serious note of the social needs as well as health care necessities of post war society in Sri Lanka. This study was carried out to help and shape the future of those who are experiencing stress and crises in their lives due to the post war situation. Bibliotherapy as a term is derived from two Greek words, ‘biblio’ meaning "book" and ‘therapia’ meaning "healing" and refers simply to "The use of reading materials to help in solving personal problems or for any psychiatric therapy” (Kirklees). The objective of the study is to find out the significant features of Bhagavad Gita as an appropriate bibliotherapuetic tool of literature in a post war society. Qualitative aspects of Bhagavad Gita are analyzed in this study based on descriptive methodology, which involves study, understanding and interpretation of the above ancient and classical text. A review of literature in this field shows that several studies have been done in the area of bibliotheraphy from various perspectives; however very few have been able to integrate the specific literary text of the Bhagavad Gita. As a result, this paper not only fills the gap in the literature of bibliothetraphy, but also provides some new significant features of Bhagavad Gita as a bibliotherapuetic tool from the library science perspective. In a nutshell, as the Bhagavad Gita helps its readers by creating effective and cognitive changes, it is an appropriate bibliotherapuetic literary tool to help solve some issues of post war Sri Lanka.