When information professionals meet Web information systems

(1)

When information professionals meet

Web information systems

Christine Dufour and Pierrette Bergeron

École de bibliothéconomie et des sciences de l'information

Université de Montréal

Acknowledgements:

This project benefits from a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant. C. Dufour is supported by doctoral scholarships from SSHRC (2000-2002) and FCAR (1998-2000).

CAIS 2001

(2)

Context

•

• Increase in the adoption rate

Increase in the adoption rate

of Web information

systems (WIS) by organizations

– Web sites

– Intranets

– Extranets

– E-commerce systems

•

• No model

No model

exists for describing the WIS in term of :

– Organizational structure

– Players

(3)

Presentation objectives

• Examine the

tasks involved

in designing,

operating and managing a

WIS

• Examine the role of the information professional

information professional

(4)

Literature review

WIS model

Dimensions

Technology

Information

Interface

Users

Planning

Design &

operation

Resources

management

Devel

o

p

ment ph

ases

Tasks

(5)

Literature review

WIS

•

• Diversity

Diversity

and

complexity

of the WIS world

•

• Numerous

Numerous

competencies

implied in WIS design,

operation and management

• Information functions' work changed by WIS

– Computer scientists

– Communication experts

–

Information professionals

(6)

Literature review

Information professionals' tasks in WIS

Dimensions Components Tasks

Management Creation Updating Selection

Information Content

Creation of intellectual access mechanisms

Web site

Users Training Users training Internet utilisation Other Project management Management Creation Updating

Selection and evaluation Organisation

Analysis Processing

Information Content

Information needs definition and evaluation Selection and evaluation

Search engine configuration

Technology Search engine

Performance evaluation Users training

Intranet

Users Training

Search help

Management of the organisation intranet Management of the library intranet

Other

Member of the intranet committee Information management

Information needs definition

Extranet Information Content

(7)

Literature review

Information professionals - Conclusion

• Information professionals' intervention in WIS

–

Informational

dimension

• Planning, design & operation and management phases

• Content creation, selection, organisation and management

–

Technological

dimension

• Design & operation phase

• Search engines selection and configuration

–

Users

dimension

• Design & operation phase

(8)

Job postings analysis

Methodology - Data

•

• Job postings

Job postings

related to WIS

•

• Sources

Sources

: Three online job postings services

– CIO Web Professional Wanted

– SLA Career Services

– Workopolis

• 192 job postings

Service First selection Total number

Filtered

number Notes

CIO Web Professional Wanted

All job postings present on march 12, 2001

93 71

SLA Career Services All job postings present on march 12, 2001

38 21

Workopolis All job postings in the Internet/WWW category on march 14, 2001

463 403 Random selection of 100 job postings

(9)

Job postings analysis

Results

Metadata

on the job postings (N=17)

• Job postings

sources

– SLA Career Services (n=15)

– CIO Web Professional Wanted (n=1)

– Workopolis (n=1)

• Exemples of

job titles

– Web developer, Senior Web Application Developer

– Business Information Specialist/Reference Librarian

– Information Analyst

– Industry Knowledge Analyst

•

• Localisation

Localisation

: US

•

• Organizations

Organizations

– Universities, private companies

(10)

Job postings analysis

Results

Education level and discipline (N=49)

Bach.

Master

Ph.D.

Computer science

Library and information science

Communications, journalism, technical writing, english

Other (engineering, mathematics, business) 4 2 4 5 4 2 16 3 2 1 1

(11)

Job postings analysis

Results

Main tasks

WIS technology WIS technology

Technology

Applications Applications

Project management

Plans Plans Time

Time GoalsGoals

Library and

Information science

Information Information Products Products Information Information Services Services Library

Library KnowledgeKnowledge

Management Management Reference Reference Services Services Collection Collection Development Development Information sources Information sources

(printed and electronic)

Information Information Needs Needs

Other

Relationships Relationships Training programs Training programs Content Content •Internet

•Training on how to use the electronic resources

•Creating new knowledge management services to enhance and expand the corporate intranet •Internet as a reference subject

•Development of electronic information services

•Cataloging Internet resources

•Subject-oriented bibliographies development of Internet resources •Revision of electronic files for publication on the Web

(12)

Job postings analysis

Results

Main

professional

competencies

Knowledge

Know-how

Personal skills

Team Team Player Player Service Service Oriented Oriented Communicational Communicational Skills Skills Capacity to work in a Capacity to work in a Changing environment Changing environment

Technology

Programming_LanguagesProgramming_Languages

Library and

Information science

Cataloguing Cataloguing Indexing Indexing Information sources Information sources

Library Library

Project

Management

Technology

Programming Programming Languages Languages Web design Web design Methodologies Methodologies Applications Applications WIS technology WIS technology

Library and

Information science

Information sources Information sources

Library

•Internet

•Organizing and presenting information through intranet or Web site

•Web publication •Internet

•Web based information sources

Content Content Collection Collection Development Development Reference Reference Services Services Applications Applications WIS technology WIS technology