M.Tech. (Production Management) / The development of technikons into autonomous tertiary technical educational institutions, offering education up to doctorate level, conducting research, offering vocational and continuing education, brought with them libraries which cannot provide in the requirements set to them. This study investigates the place for a library in the Technikon Witwatersrand and some of the environmental influences that have a bearing on the library. It continues from there to determine the library infrastructure of the Witwatersrand in order to establish the presence and accessibility of information sources. A framework is then developed according to which the needs of the users of the library determined. user categories are then identified and their needs for information sources determined. The study continues from there to develop this framework on a computer so that it can be used in planning for the provision of information sources to technologists in the future. The study is concluded with recommendations regarding the provision of information sources.

Abstract not available

This study seeks to undertake an analysis of the topic of 'science and the media' as it has been constituted in academic discourse since the end of the Second World War. It finds that concern has polarized in two distinct camps: The larger, participant in the traditional project of North American media studies, blames the press for what it perceives as a widespread and deleterious "scientific illiteracy" on the part of the laity. The more recent, indebted to critical developments in social theory, philosophy of science, and the study of mass communication, works to expose the assumptions on which press coverage of science has been based and the interests which have benefited. / The thesis argues that the adequacy of the dominant concern to its object of analysis is at best suspect, but that nevertheless its agitations have been chiefly responsible for the form which popular science has predominantly assumed.

M.Bibl. / Television producers form a unique user group that mainly requires information regarding audio-visual material in order to produce or to enhance a television programme Information services can contribute to the successful completion of a programme by making information available. The aim of this study is to determine whether information services can enhance information for producers by adding value. The question is also asked which value-added level of information is required. A literature study was done to -examine the term "value-added" in order to be able to apply it to the information needs of television producers; -study the work environment of television producers in order to determine their information needs. An empirical investigation was executed by means of a layered random sampling test. Structured interviews were conducted by means of a questionnaire with a random portion of the television producer corps of the SABC. Personal details were gathered, as well as the use of information sources and services within the SABC and to which value- added level of information they require for a production. Value-added levels were based on Taylor's value-added continuum which consists of information that is enhanced to level two, Information Knowledge, followed by level three, Productive Knowledge, which leads to level four, Action. A television production is completed in four phases, that is the planning and research phase, filming phase, editing phase and final mixing phase .. The results showed that during the planning and research phases television producers require access to all possible information sources and services within the SABC. The information specialist can add value to the first level of value adding. In certain cases the television producers require information during the editing phase, during which the information specialist can add value up to the third level. The results of the research were distilled into a matrix, structured to indicate the levels of added-value to the television producer. Recommendations were made in order to provide a better information service.

No description available.

The aim of this study was to investigate the Web-based information behaviour of high school learners in Oshana Region in Namibia. The study also considerd the challenges faced by learners when searching the Web for information. For many years in the history of library and information services, print-based information had been the main source of information. However, since the emergence of the Internet and its rapid development, the Internet has provided an almost unlimited pool of Web-based resources, thus becoming a powerful source of information. The Web is now established as the main medium for the wide dissemination of information across the Internet. Within the academic context learners throughout the world are able to retrieve seemingly endless volumes of information across all disciplines and from all over the globe. It is therefore important to study the behavior of young people in relation to Web-based information because it is today one of their most important sources of knowledge. The findings of this study could assist in curriculum design, especially with regard to Basic Information Science (a subject offered in schools in Namibia), which incorporates information literacy and information-seeking skills development. In addition the study provides some insight into the information and computer literacy levels of learners and proposes ways of responding to these, thus assisting in further developing these important literacies. The study was guided by Wilson’s (1999) model of information behaviour. The model attempts to describe an information-seeking activity and suggests relationships among stages in information-seeking behaviour. The study has adopted a quantitative approach as its methodology. Data from a total of 160 respondents was collected using a questionnaire that consisted of both open ended and closed questions. The study’s research questions investigate how, where and when do Grade 12 learners access the Internet, for what purposes do Grade 12 learners use the Web when looking for information, how do Grade 12 learners search for information on the Web, what are the Web information searching skills of Grade 12 learners, what sources of information on the Web do Grade 12 learners use, how do Grade 12 learners evaluate and use information found on the Web, and what are the challenges faced by Grade 12 learners when searching the Web for information. The survey concentrated on Matric learners (grade 12) from Mweshipandeka HS and Gabriel Taapopi SSS in the Oshana region of Namibia. The results were analysed using SPSS as a tool for data analysis. An interpretation of the findings of this study shows that learners Web-searching skills are inadequate. Overall, there was a high level of familiarity with various Web-information sources such as search engines, although users limited themselves mainly to a few sources such as the search engines Google and Yahoo and the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. Learners were not aware of Google's limitations and of the existence of academic, often library-funded, information sources such as databases and electronic journals. The present study found strong indications that grade 12 learners lack information-evaluation skills as well as acknowledgement skills and that they are not aware of what constitutes plagiarism. This appears to be a result of poor training in schools. However, the status of learner’s access to the Internet is good. Both schools involved in this study provide learners with physical access to the Internet. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

This study was designed to identify correlates of success in Supported Employment(SE) programs for persons with psychiatric disabilities. Indiana policy-makers are seriously considering a managed care, or "capitated," system of payment to make SE provider programs more efficient economically. However, many agencies are concerned about providing services to more severely impaired individuals because of the potentially higher costs of serving these individuals. Two studies are included in this project. The goals of the first study were to identify SE consumer (clinical) characteristics that predict (1) successful outcomes, defined as whether the consumer achieves gainful work, and (2) program costs, defined as the amounts of SE service hours utilized by consumers who obtain work. In two large samples of SE consumers with serious mental illness, no clinical characteristics (e.g., diagnosis, rated functioning, hospitalization history) were associated with vocational outcome or service costs. The goal of the second study was to describe the types and amounts of services utilized by SE consumers who obtain work. Specific service categories associated with obtaining work were travel, training, and advocacy that was unrelated to the consumer's job. The implications of these findings are discussed in the framework of the debate over clinical versus empirical prediction. The need for a theoretical model of SE services that allows the use of predictive clinical and consumer driven services is also discussed. / Department of Journalism

Evaluation of library service effectiveness is important in identifying the areas where improvement is most needed, and in justifying library budgets. Traditional methods of service effectiveness evaluation have been too costly and impractical for regular use. However, most of the data required for this evaluation can be collected inexpensively and quickly with automated library systems which many libraries have already started using. This study reviews traditional methods of library service effectiveness and proposes new methods which take advantage of electronic data processing. The proposed methods are practical and inexpensive so that they can be used routinely. / Ph. D.

In this study, research was conducted on the information needs of Unisa students. Most distance students do not personally visit the library, which makes it difficult for librarians to determine whether or not they are meeting their needs. The library plays an important support role in any university, especially in the open distance learning context. It is therefore important for librarians serving distance learners to continually evaluate their services in order to see if they are still meeting their client’s needs. The aim of this study was to determine if students are aware of the library services to which they are entitled, and if the library is successfully reaching and assisting remote students, and how its services can be improved. Questionnaires were posted to students, and interviews were conducted with on-campus students and staff. Chapter 1 covers the orientation and background to the study. Chapter 2 discusses the research methods used to collect information. In Chapter 3, the library needs of distance learners were discussed, while Chapter 4 presented a discussion of the findings drawn from the questionnaires and interviews, and Chapter 5 makes recommendations based upon these findings. It was found that some of the students surveyed were not aware of their library privileges. It is recommended that the Unisa library employ better strategies to market the library services available to students. Furthermore, the library needs to find better ways to reach out to remote students who have no access to information and communications technology upon which the modern library is so reliant.

In this study, research was conducted on the information needs of Unisa students. Most distance students do not personally visit the library, which makes it difficult for librarians to determine whether or not they are meeting their needs. The library plays an important support role in any university, especially in the open distance learning context. It is therefore important for librarians serving distance learners to continually evaluate their services in order to see if they are still meeting their client’s needs. The aim of this study was to determine if students are aware of the library services to which they are entitled, and if the library is successfully reaching and assisting remote students, and how its services can be improved. Questionnaires were posted to students, and interviews were conducted with on-campus students and staff. Chapter 1 covers the orientation and background to the study. Chapter 2 discusses the research methods used to collect information. In Chapter 3, the library needs of distance learners were discussed, while Chapter 4 presented a discussion of the findings drawn from the questionnaires and interviews, and Chapter 5 makes recommendations based upon these findings. It was found that some of the students surveyed were not aware of their library privileges. It is recommended that the Unisa library employ better strategies to market the library services available to students. Furthermore, the library needs to find better ways to reach out to remote students who have no access to information and communications technology upon which the modern library is so reliant.