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Article
Publication date: 19 September 2022

Pari Alavi, Hooman Sobouti and Majid Shahbazi

The current study evaluates the success of this project at the local scale by examining the degree of compliance with local sustainability indicators after the revival of the…

Abstract

Purpose

The current study evaluates the success of this project at the local scale by examining the degree of compliance with local sustainability indicators after the revival of the Zanjan Match Factory. Hence, the purpose of this article is to evaluate the prosperity of the Zanjan match factory monument restoration project in achieving local sustainability. The study intention of prosperity implies any action, achievement or positive outcome that contributes to informed decision-making and leads to sustainable neighborhood development.

Design/methodology/approach

The current research is applied research in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical, and survey-field in terms of method. The criteria evaluated in this research include criteria as follows: (1) evaluation of protection and preservation of the building, (2) success of the new function and (3) sustainable local development, which are defined items for each criterion. The questions of the questionnaire are prepared according to the Likert 5 points spectrum, the value of which is answered between 1 and 5 and the hierarchy goes from “very good” to “very poor”. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient obtained for the validity of the questionnaire questions is 0.85, which indicates the appropriate validity of the questionnaire questions.

Findings

The study findings indicate that the applied criteria are at an acceptable level since the criterion of sustainable local development and architecture have obtained the scores of 4 and the new function criterion scores of 3. Field surveys and observations of changes made in the neighborhood including the construction of a thoroughfare, commercial complex, service complex and local parks verify the validity of the findings. The results of the proposed study indicate that adaptive reuse projects should not be taken into account as individual projects since an individual building can be a catalyst for the restoration of other buildings and contribute to the transformation of the whole area by affecting the surrounding environment.

Originality/value

Adaptive reuse of building assets is an important approach to sustainability that can be utilized in conserving and preserving industrial heritage buildings was described in this paper. An adaptive reuse project follows three aims of cultural and historical heritage conservation, the success of the new performance and the development of local communities and a successful project appropriately balances these three goals.

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 August 2021

Muhammad Asif Naveed, Nadeem Siddique and Khalid Mahmood

This study aimed to develop and validate a list of core technology competencies for systems librarian in Pakistan.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to develop and validate a list of core technology competencies for systems librarian in Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey method was used to conduct this investigation. A structured questionnaire, consisting of 52 competency statements categorized into six core technology areas, was developed based on an extensive literature review, experts’ scrutiny and pilot testing. The administration of the survey questionnaire was done though online environments such as related listservs and Facebook pages. The received 62 responses were imported into statistical package for social sciences and analyzed by computing means, standard deviations, Pearson correlation and t-test.

Findings

The results indicated six core technology areas where competencies of systems librarians needed to be developed, namely, basic computing, programming and Web publishing, computer networks, cloud computing, database management systems and information systems. The respondents validated 50 statements with an average mean score more than three. Only two statements received mean scores less than three. The results also indicated higher consistency of these statements as the value of Cronbach’s alpha was 0.973.

Research limitations/implications

This research attempted to identify and validate core technology competencies needed for systems librarians in Pakistan. It neither attempted to determine the weightage each competency should have if it was to be included in curriculum nor it intended to identify a detailed content for each core technology competency. In Pakistan, System librarians develop their knowledge and skills with the specialized computer subject by studying on their own, attending training workshops and on job experience. It is therefore worth mentioning here that the knowledge of the needed competencies may be limited.

Practical implications

Library and information science schools need to consider these competencies in developing and designing information curriculum with regard to management of library systems. This set of competencies help academicians in designing need-based curricula and training programs for existing and prospect system librarians in Pakistan.

Originality/value

This study would be a worthwhile contribution to the literature on competencies of information professionals especially systems librarians as no such study appeared providing pragmatic, evidenced and field-based insights toward proposed research area.

Details

Digital Library Perspectives, vol. 38 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5816

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 June 2021

Saeid Bashirian, Ali Reza Soltanian, Mahdieh Seyedi, Salman Khazaei, Ensiyeh Jenabi, Katayoon Razjouyan, Hadi Zarafshan, Majid Barati and Maryam Afshari

The purpose of this paper is to assess the validity of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) in an Iranian population to determine its efficacy in identifying children…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the validity of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) in an Iranian population to determine its efficacy in identifying children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who parents have Persian-speaking parents.

Design/methodology/approach

A case–control study was performed in March until July 2020 in Hamadan city, Iran. The case group was children were examined by the clinicians used a coding scheme based on the DSM-IV criteria for ASD. The control group was all children in the family, including healthy siblings, were asked to participate in the study. The reliability, content and face validity were performed to assess the psychometric properties of the tool. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to evaluate the four-dimensional structure of the tool (Scores A, B, C and D). Statistical analysis was performed using AMOS for SPSS 21, and the statistical significant level was less than 0.05.

Findings

The quantitative content validity analysis revealed that the mean of content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) for all domains was 0.94 and 0.91, respectively. For CFA, four domains A, B, C and D were used and demonstrated a good fit (CFI = 0.92 and RMSEA = 0.06). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) in domains A, B (verbal), C and D were 100%. For domain B (non-verbal), the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 86.7%, 100%, 100% and 88.2%, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

This study showed that ADI-R has sufficient ability to discriminate between children with ASD and those with no psychiatric diagnosis, and it is a reliable tool in Iran. The sensitivity and specificity for correctly diagnosing ASD was high, regardless of the age and cognitive level of the examiner.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper on psychometric properties of ADI-R in children with ASD.

Details

Advances in Autism, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-3868

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 April 2015

Farshid Mossaiby, Majid Bazrpach and Arman Shojaei

– The purpose of this paper is to aim at extending the method of exponential basis functions (EBF) to solve a class of problems with singularities.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to aim at extending the method of exponential basis functions (EBF) to solve a class of problems with singularities.

Design/methodology/approach

In the procedure of EBF a summation of EBF satisfying the governing differential equation with unknown constant coefficients is considered for the solution. These coefficients are determined by the satisfaction of prescribed boundary conditions through a collocation approach. The applied basis functions are available in the case of linear partial differential equations (PDEs) with constant coefficients. Moreover, the method contributes to yield highly accurate results with ultra convergence rates for problems with smooth solution. This leads EBF to offer many advantages for a variety of engineering problems. However, owing to the global and smooth nature of the bases, the performance of EBF deteriorates in problems with singularities. In the present study, some exponential-like influence functions are developed, and a few of them are added to original bases.

Findings

The new bases are capable of forming the constitutive terms of the asymptotic solution near the singularity points and alleviate the aforementioned limitation. The appealing feature of this method is that all the advantages of EBF such as its simplicity and efficiency are completely preserved.

Research limitations/implications

In its current form, EBF can only solve PDEs with constant coefficients.

Originality/value

Application of the method to some benchmark problems demonstrates its robustness over some other boundary approximation methods. This research may pave the road for future investigations corresponding to a wide range of practical engineering problems.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2020

Waqar Ahmad Awan and Kanwal Ameen

The job market of library and information professionals has expanded from academic to industrial, special and business libraries. The unique nature of the organizations, their…

Abstract

Purpose

The job market of library and information professionals has expanded from academic to industrial, special and business libraries. The unique nature of the organizations, their data and clientele demand a different set of competencies. The purpose of this study is to explore the competencies of information professionals from the perspectives of business employers – a comparatively new job place for the library and information management professionals.

Design/Methodology/Approach

Exploratory sequential mixed methods approach was used to meet objectives of this study in two phases. In the first phase, qualitative data was extracted from panel discussion. Themes were extracted from this qualitative data. In the second phase, a questionnaire was designed which was based on qualitative themes. The instrument contained the nine-point Likert type scale and was filled by the business and industry human resource managers. The quantitatively gathered data were analysed while using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS version 22.

Findings

The findings of this study indicate that work coordination, knowledge of intellectual property rights, online searching ability, leadership qualities, trustworthiness and background knowledge of the prospective organizations are the basic competencies required by the business employers.

Practical Implications

This study will guide the students on which qualities they are required to obtain to qualify for jobs of information professionals in the current employment sector. Additionally, it will provide guidelines to the continuous education programme designers, prompting them to include in their trainings the vital qualities of candidates required by the current job market.

Originality Value

This is the maiden study that has explored the competencies of library and information management professionals through exploratory sequential mixed methods.

Article
Publication date: 25 November 2013

Anna Marie Johnson, Claudene Sproles and Robert Detmering

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.

8992

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.

Design/methodology/approach

Introduces and annotates periodical articles, monographs, and audiovisual material examining library instruction and information literacy.

Findings

Provides information about each source, discusses the characteristics of current scholarship, and describes sources that contain unique scholarly contributions and quality reproductions.

Originality/value

The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 41 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

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