Predatory and Fake Scientific Journals/Publishers

 Predatory and Fake Scientific Journals/Publishers

In recent times some publishers are intensively exploiting the model of open access publishing. During the last several years, studies have shown that there was a substantial increase in the number of fake publishers and hijacked journals. These cyber criminals make money by stealing the identities of legitimate journals and collecting the article processing charges on the papers that are submitted. This is all accomplished by a well-developed framework that includes web development steps, intensive e-mail marketing and victim selections.

Fake publishers and impact factors (IF) indicate an urgent need to evaluate the methods that are currently used to assess academic research. Doing a thorough retrospective assessment of journals and publishers is definitely an urgent need in today’s academic world. Also, if an author is considering publishing a research work in a scientific journal that is characterized as “reputable journal” there are few crucial things to consider following the pre-submission process such as:

• Have any of the colleagues from authors respective institution read, reviewed or published in that specific scientific journal?
• Where is the journal indexed? Can it be found via databases which stands as usual tool to access, use or find specific scientific information?
• Is it associated with a scholarly society familiar to the author?
• Are there any reliable metrics associated with the journal (traditional or alternative)?
• Who is the editor? Who is on the editorial board? Are the members of the editorial board familiar to the author itself? Is there any available information about them?

• Does the scientific journal come with the regular trappings of a serial publication (e.g. ISSN’s, DOI’s, etc)?

An assessment of resource availability for problem based learning in a Ghanaian University setting

 An assessment of resource availability for problem based learning in a Ghanaian University setting


 This paper assesses the resource availability for problem based learning (PBL) among colleges of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana suggesting that the students have access to common PBL resources primarily internet, lecturers and a general library.

Academic Librarians Charged to Embrace Open Access, Open Data and Open Science

Academic Librarians in have been encouraged to embrace Open Access, Open Data, Open Science as the new order of making research accessible, visible and cost effective, in order to facilitate the academic mandate of teaching and research.

Read more here:

 https://www.knust.edu.gh/news/news-items/university-librarians-charged-embrace-open-access

Digital information literacy training - KNUST

E-Resources and reference management training for postgraduate student of KNUST.

E - Resources and Web 2.0 Workshop at Kumasi Polytechnic

Researchers, faculty staff and information professionals at the Kumasi Polytechnic are slowly turning to web 2.0/social media to support their networking activities and for accessing and disseminating information more effectively. The use of web 2.0/social media requires new knowledge and skills and for the past two days, I have been sharing my knowledge of social media at the Electronic Information Resources / Web 2.0 workshop in Kumasi, Ghana.
Participants were so grateful for introducing them to the various online resources.   I pray they will overcome the challenges they may face (Technology phobia, electricity on and off etc.) and do their best to apply what I taught them. One keeps getting emails and text on my phone (SMS) from the participants showing much appreciation.

Meeting the Challenges of a Changing Information Landscape: Experiences from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Library, Kumasi-Ghana

The internet continues to support the generation and distribution of information and knowledge. This paper takes a look at how the web technologies have been used by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology library - Kumasi, to proactively interact with its students and faculty in order to provide efficient and reliable information and knowledge sources. Suggestions have also been given on which other areas could be included to further enhance the services provided by the library to be operated more on the technological edge to meet the changing demands from its parent institution.

Article published in

International Research- Journal of Library and Information Science

Available at http://irjlis.com/meeting-challenges-changing-information-landscape/

Motivation and Performance of Librarians in Public Universities in Ghana

Motivation is of enormous importance with regard to enhancing performance in any organisation. This paper discusses motivation and performance of librarians in public universities in Ghana. The study examined motivation of librarians, the effect of motivation on performance, the views of librarians on motivation, the level of satisfaction of librarians and the effort the public university managements are making to motivate librarians. Through literature review, the concept of motivation and its effects on performance were discussed. Using a survey method, questionnaire were designed and distributed to seventy-two targeted librarians in six public universities in Ghana, out of this, sixty returned the duly completed questionnaire. The questionnaire sought to identify intrinsic and extrinsic factors which motivate librarians and how it affects their performance. The study revealed that the motivational level of librarians in public universities in Ghana is high and that the motivational level affects majority of librarians positively. The public university managements have made some efforts to motivate librarians but they need to do more to improve the current situation. The study concludes with some recommendations on how to improve motivational systems in place in public university libraries. The discussions in the paper provides some insights into intrinsic and extrinsic factors that
motivate librarians in public universities in Ghana. The paper will therefore be of great value to
managers in the public university libraries in Ghana and other developing countries in getting
the best out of their staff if adequately motivated


Article published in Library Philosophy and Practice

Available at
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/911/