Sunday 27 October 2013

Social Network Analysis (SNA) and LIS research

Louise Cooke and Hazel Hall have published an article in Journal of Documentation exploring the potential value of SNA in library and information science research.  Here's the abstract:


Social Network Analysis (SNA) is a research approach that focuses on relationships among social entities, and the patterns and implications of these relationships. This paper reviews the value of SNA as a method appropriate to research in the domain of Library and Information Science (LIS). In addition to offering a brief overview of the academic antecedents of modern-day SNA, the relevance of SNA to LIS research is illustrated through the presentation of a case study.

The paper cites an article by Bonnie Cheuk (on SNA and knowledge transfer, published in BIR in 2007) and also develops ideas presented by Hall, Irving and Cruikshank in BIR in 2012.

If you would like to read the article, the published version can be accessed from JDoc contents page on the Emerald web site (non-subscribers to Emerald will need to pay a fee to reach the full text). The full-text of the manuscript is available also available and free to download.

Charles Oppenheim - the Award-winning star of our Editorial column!

At the Internet Librarian International conference held in London in October 2013, Charles Oppenheim was presented with the 2013 Jason Farradane Award.  The award was made in recognition of his outstanding work in the information profession.

Charles Oppenheim's contribution to the profession has also been recognised in the latest issue of Business Information Review (September 2013).  In a wide-ranging interview we discuss his 40-year career in information management. 

Charles first recognised his interest in desk research when working on his PhD in the late 1960s. His career has seen him working in industry, academia and publishing, with an on-going interest in the legal issues of information and content.  He has been a regular - and much appreciated - contributor to this journal as well as to the broader professional literature.

We wish him the best of luck in his retirement.