November 2024 – DigitalKoans

DigitalKoans Posts Resume on 12/9/2024

DigitalKoans Posts will resume on 12/9/2024.

"Google Shows off AI Tool for Reading Handwritten Text by Rewriting It Digitally"

Imagine writing by hand in a paper notebook, then showing the notes to your camera to instantly make them searchable and organize them in context with previous notes on physical pages. If you’re like me and have particularly messy handwriting, InkSight could help turn your chicken scratch into typewritten text that is still accurate to what you scribble.

https://tinyurl.com/2dt685ba

Research Support Librarian (Evidence Synthesis) at Tulane University

Reporting to the Associate Dean for Health Sciences, the Research Support Librarian (Evidence Synthesis) will coordinate and manage the Matas Library’s Systematic Review Service, providing support and expertise to evidence synthesis efforts in the Tulane University School of Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and National Primate Research Center. Working with the Health Sciences team, the incumbent will develop and implement services in support of this service, including instruction sessions. This role includes delivering virtual and in-person consultations, developing collaborative partnerships, and engaging in continuous learning to stay abreast of new trends in evidence synthesis and scholarly communication. Additionally, the librarian will participate in research support efforts across the Downtown Health Sciences Campus.

https://apply.interfolio.com/156678

"Daily Life in the Open Biologist’s Second Job, as a Data Curator"

Background

Data reusability is the driving force of the research data life cycle. However, implementing strategies to generate reusable data from the data creation to the sharing stages is still a significant challenge. Even when datasets supporting a study are publicly shared, the outputs are often incomplete and/or not reusable. The FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles were published as a general guidance to promote data reusability in research, but the practical implementation of FAIR principles in research groups is still falling behind. In biology, the lack of standard practices for a large diversity of data types, data storage and preservation issues, and the lack of familiarity among researchers are some of the main impeding factors to achieve FAIR data. Past literature describes biological curation from the perspective of data resources that aggregate data, often from publications.

Methods

Our team works alongside data-generating, experimental researchers so our perspective aligns with publication authors rather than aggregators. We detail the processes for organizing datasets for publication, showcasing practical examples from data curation to data sharing. We also recommend strategies, tools and web resources to maximize data reusability, while maintaining research productivity.

Conclusion

We propose a simple approach to address research data management challenges for experimentalists, designed to promote FAIR data sharing. This strategy not only simplifies data management, but also enhances data visibility, recognition and impact, ultimately benefiting the entire scientific community.

https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.22899.1

Research Professional 2 (Data Curation) at University of Minnesota Libraries (Term)

The University of Minnesota Libraries, in partnership with the Association of Research Libraries, invites applications for a collaborative and partner-oriented Special Programs Manager, to work closely with the Data Curation Network (DCN) and the Realities of Academic Data Sharing (RADS) teams. Through generous funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (LG-254930-OLS-23), the Special Programs Manager will be funded until July 31, 2026.

https://tinyurl.com/837ku9a2

Search Journal Open Access Policies: "Sherpa Services Combined Into New User-Friendly Platform: Open Policy Finder"

The new platform will allow users to:

Check if compliance with funder open access policies can be achieved with a particular journal

Get a summary of publishers’ open access archiving conditions for individual journals and books

To see funders’ conditions for open access publication

https://tinyurl.com/tzjpnu46

Search Polices

Open Research Manager at PLOS

You will have strategic and tactical oversight of a subset of PLOS’s goals to measurably increase the adoption and impact of open science (research) practices by researchers, understand the impact of these practices, and to influence policy in this area. You will use your research, collaboration, and community-building expertise along with a deep understanding of Open Science to identify evidence-informed opportunities to achieve these goals within the PLOS portfolio and in the wider research community. You will bring a creative and resourceful approach including an ability to bring people together to develop solution opportunities that both support PLOS’ mission and meet community needs.

https://tinyurl.com/mtzcr4vt

"The Chatbot Optimisation Game: Can We Trust AI Web Searches?"

Those wanting a firmer grip on chatbots, then, may have to explore more underhand techniques, such as the one discovered by two computer-science researchers at Harvard University. They’ve demonstrated how chatbots can be tactically controlled by deploying something as simple as a carefully written string of text. This “strategic text sequence” looks like a nonsensical series of characters – all random letters and punctuation – but is actually a delicate command that can strong-arm chatbots into generating a specific response. Not part of a programming language, it’s derived using an algorithm that iteratively develops text sequences that encourage LLMs to ignore their safety guardrails – and steer them towards particular outputs.

https://tinyurl.com/2wuvuur9

Digital Collections Cataloger and Archivist at Dickinson State University

The Digital Collections Cataloger and Archivist creates and reviews metadata for collections in the Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library and helps to train and support others assisting with the cataloging. They also work with newly acquired physical archival collections to prepare them for storage, preservation, and presentation on the web and in other media.

https://tinyurl.com/y3h2v68h

"Exploring First-Generation Student Experiences with OER Textbooks"

The other aspect of textbooks that students found very important, at 31 percent (64) or extremely important, at 38 percent (78) was cost. Cost was particularly important for first-generation students. Fifty-nine percent (36) of first-generation students considered cost to be an extremely important factor, compared to twenty-nine percent (42) of continuing-generation students. Strikingly, not a single first-generation student considered cost to be unimportant. . . .

Although the OER sections of ENGL 104 were tagged in the University’s course marking system, a mere 2.9 percent of students (four) reported being aware that their course was an OER course when they registered. By contrast, 96% percent (131 students) reported learning that the textbook was available at no cost when classes were already starting (i.e., on the first day or when they received their syllabus). This delay in learning about textbook costs means that students who could most benefit from a no-cost textbook were unable to strategically select an OER section. . . .

Another important finding is that the primary method by which students accessed their OER textbook, electronic only access, does not align with the access method students stated they preferred. Respondents indicated that they wanted textbooks that they could highlight and make notes in; they wanted a textbook that they could hold in their hands and that didn’t strain their eyes. At the same time, respondents wanted textbooks that they could access from anywhere and that had searchable text. Finally, respondents strongly indicated a desire for a textbook that is not unwieldy and heavy to lug across campus. Print with an electronic copy, the format most popular with students, meets all of these criteria.

https://tinyurl.com/mtnbd963

Media Preservation Residency Librarian, Librarian I – Fixed Term at Michigan State University

The Michigan State University Libraries invites early career professionals to apply for our Residency in Media Preservation. This is a two-year project funded by the National Historical Preservation and Records Commission, and supports the work of the Media Preservation Unit in its effort to preserve the WKAR early television films within the University Archives and Historical Collections. The Film Preservation and Digitization Specialist reports to the Media Preservation Librarian. This is a unique experience for a new professional to develop film preservation skills and work directly with film collections. Work will be performed onsite at the Michigan State University Main Library within the Media Preservation Unit. The Media Preservation Unit (MPU) sustains the life and usefulness of legacy audiovisual content and born digital content collected by the Libraries and supports continued access to these unique and valuable works of intellectual and historical significance. The Media Preservation Unit provides consultation and, where appropriate, conservation treatment and reformatting/digitization services to the Libraries’ collecting units.

https://tinyurl.com/y832de89

"Scaling Up Digital Preservation Workflows With Homegrown Tools and Automation"

At NC State University Libraries, the Special Collections Research Center leverages an integrated system of locally developed applications and open-source technologies to facilitate the long-term preservation of digitized and born-digital archival assets. These applications automate many previously manual tasks, such as creating access derivatives from preservation scans and ingest into preservation storage. They have allowed us to scale up the number of digitized assets we create and publish online; born-digital assets we acquire from storage media, appraise, and package; and total assets in local and distributed preservation storage. The origin of these applications lies in scripted workflows put into use more than a decade ago, and the applications were built in close collaboration with developers in the Digital Library Initiatives department between 2011 and 2023. This paper presents a strategy for managing digital curation and preservation workflows that does not solely depend on standalone and third-party applications. It describes our iterative approach to deploying these tools, the functionalities of each application, and sustainability considerations of managing in-house applications and using Academic Preservation Trust for offsite preservation.

https://tinyurl.com/4mjpzth2

User Experience Researcher/Designer at Harvard University

Reporting to the Head of UX & Digital Accessibility, the UX Researcher/Designer will play a significant role in this project and related user experience research. Building on existing research, the person in this role will engage with users to confirm their needs, preferences, and behaviors for a unified search system and related sites. They will conduct user research with multiple audience segments and synthesize findings into recommendations for the product team. They may also work with library staff on other UX research projects related to discovery and access. Additionally, the person in this role will create wireframes and prototypes as research artifacts that will inform the product development.

https://tinyurl.com/327mby6b

"Embracing the Metaverse: A Survey of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Practices at the United States’ Top One Hundred University Libraries"

The purpose of this study is to learn more about virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) practices at the United States’ top one hundred university libraries, as well as how they are engaging with the metaverse. We conducted qualitative and descriptive analysis on the websites of the top one hundred university libraries in the United States to determine the application fields and application proportions of VR and AR technologies and found good practice examples of using VR and AR technologies in this field. The findings show that 86 percent of the top one hundred US university libraries have implemented VR and AR technologies, with practice areas focused on: VR/AR studio and VR/AR makerspace; immersive learning services and virtual exhibitions/conference services; visual geographic information system and VR navigation services; virtual reading services and visual retrieval services; and VR reference services. The study provides university library administrators and professionals with the most up-to-date information and best practices of VR and AR engagement areas and the proportion of use, which can aid in the development of strategies to leverage VR and AR technologies to improve patron service and embrace the metaverse for the communities they serve.

https://tinyurl.com/55u3hnf3

Library Systems Analyst at University at Buffalo

Deploying, upgrading, documenting, troubleshooting, monitoring, securing, optimizing, testing, and maintaining the libraries’ virtual servers. . . .

Creating and maintaining in-house database-driven websites that sustain and/or deliver library-related content.

Monitoring and optimizing database and digital asset management system performance to ensure fast access and retrieval of assets while maintaining data integrity and security.

Protecting the libraries and larger university infrastructure from attacks and vulnerabilities.

Planning and implementing systems support for digital strategies initiatives.

https://tinyurl.com/utt7tt29

STM: Trusted Identity in Academic Publishing: The Central Role of Digital Identity in Research Integrity

As the digital landscape evolves, the foundational trust that has long supported academic publishing faces new vulnerabilities. Rising cases of identity fraud and integrity breaches are challenging the scholarly community to protect research integrity without imposing unnecessary burdens on genuine contributors. In response, STM Solutions released Trusted Identity in Academic Publishing: The Central Role of Digital Identity in Research Integrity, a new report analyzing the role of digital identity in scholarly publishing and presenting a foundation for the development of guidelines and recommendations to enhance trust through technology.

https://tinyurl.com/5n9y8v75

Report

GIS Support Specialist at Rice University

As a staff member of Fondren, the GIS Support Specialist manages the day-to-day functions of the GIS/Data Center (GDC), which provides a central location on campus for faculty, staff, and students to work with GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and use geospatial data. Typical duties will include managing schedules for staffing coverage of the GDC, scheduling and providing reference appointments with GDC patrons, preparing for future appointments by researching GIS tasks and searching for data, authoring and updating instruction materials, and working with staff on campus regarding mapping. . . . The GIS support specialist also provides training through classes and one-on-one instruction with geospatial/numeric analysis, display, and management.

https://tinyurl.com/ej7uy2ap

The Cost and Price of Public Access to Scholarly Publications: A Synthesis

As part of our project to investigate “reasonable costs” for public access to United States federally funded research and scientific data, we have developed a synthesis report focused on the multi-model scholarly publication ecosystem that facilitates public access as required by the Nelson Memo. This paper outlines the historical developments that have shaped the current landscape, the key financial (cost and payment) stakeholders in the system, and the models and approaches that have developed in the continued shift to public and open access.

This paper is a companion to the February 2024 report, The Cost and Price of Public Access to Research Data: A Synthesis.

https://tinyurl.com/232vaw49

Report

Data Services Librarian at Indiana University Indianapolis

Indiana University Indianapolis University Library is seeking a Data Services Librarian to join the Center for Digital Scholarship in supporting researchers across the research lifecycle. The successful candidate will collaborate to extend current support to include data information literacy instruction and the use of computational tools and methods for research. The successful candidate will also collaborate to support researchers with research data management and sharing strategies that will foster success as funder policies and research practices evolve.

https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/26445

"An Analysis of the Effects of Sharing Research Data, Code, and Preprints on Citations"

In this study, we investigate whether adopting one or more Open Science practices leads to significantly higher citations for an associated publication, which is one form of academic impact. We use a novel dataset known as Open Science Indicators, produced by PLOS and DataSeer, which includes all PLOS publications from 2018 to 2023 as well as a comparison group sampled from the PMC Open Access Subset. In total, we analyze circa 122’000 publications. We calculate publication and author-level citation indicators and use a broad set of control variables to isolate the effect of Open Science Indicators on received citations. We show that Open Science practices are adopted to different degrees across scientific disciplines. We find that the early release of a publication as a preprint correlates with a significant positive citation advantage of about 20.2% (±.7) on average. We also find that sharing data in an online repository correlates with a smaller yet still positive citation advantage of 4.3% (±.8) on average. However, we do not find a significant citation advantage for sharing code. Further research is needed on additional or alternative measures of impact beyond citations. Our results are likely to be of interest to researchers, as well as publishers, research funders, and policymakers.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311493