The aim of the research was to investigate the current state of scientific and technological (S&T) information service provision in Thailand with a focus on its role of supporting research and development. The ultimate goal of the research was to develop a service model(s) which could aid the modernisation of the S&T information service. The information policies and strategic management at national and institutional levels were examined together with present and future roles in service provision and barriers to S&T information development. The research framework was constructed on the basis of theoretical models of the provision and management of effective information services. The institutions which participated in this research included 46 academic and special libraries in Thailand, hereafter called S&T information centres, and two funding agencies. The data were collected using a variety of research tools, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, namely, questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. The questionnaires were distributed to five groups of respondents: executives, managers, librarians or staff, end-users, and executives or policy-makers of funding agencies. Two hundred and eighty-nine questionnaires were sent by post to 45 S&T information centres and two funding agencies whilst 703 questionnaires were also distributed to end-users. Interviews were performed with 55 executives and library managers. Three focus groups were organised on different topics, with a total of 36 participants. The major findings showed that national information policy in relation to S&T information was still relatively ineffective with roles and responsibilities of stakeholders not explicitly identified. In general, the results showed that institutional information policies exist but weak communication between executives, managers, and staff caused problems with implementation and interpretation. Most S&T centres were found to have strategic plans. The focus of these were on issues of integrated ICT infrastructure, acquisition of electronic resources, service improvement, communication with users and feedback, user education, cost effective use of resources, E-library transition and knowledge sharing. The development of resource sharing via computerised networks was considered to be paramount; progress to date was thought to be slow due to a lack of policies at national and institutional levels. Users' information literacy was still found to be an issue, particularly in respect of making effective use of electronic resources. The thesis provided recommendations for a national network for S&T information provision to be designed and managed by a hosting provider.

This thesis reviews trends and developments concerning national information policy both internationally and nationally and inform the understanding of the situation in South Africa. Three research questions are investigated in this study, namely: (a) what are the main trends relevant to national information policy development worldwide, based on relevant literature, (b) what are the main trends and developments in other countries, and (c) what are the implications of the current global and national developments regarding national information policy for South Africa, based on the findings of the study? The methodology for this study involved a qualitative textual analysis, addressing these three research questions, and the selection of theoretical frameworks to define the scope of the research. The study discussed the main aspects of concern regarding the following information-related issues: access to information; access to government information; literacy levels; computer literacy levels; levels of education and skills; information society development; the North-South Divide (including the digital divide); information content and industrial competitiveness; other issues such as e-commerce; telecommunication issues; copyright issues; industrial property rights; freedom of speech; censorship; information ownership; library services and archives; the value of information and the flow of information in the public domain in South Africa. The multiplicity of issues reviewed demonstrated the complexity regarding access to information and related issues in the country. The study concludes with a situational analysis of developments relevant to national information policy for South Africa. The findings indicate that the South African government needs to take into account the unevenness of past developments and the challenges created by the emergent global information policy regime. The Government needs to develop a national information policy to address and balance two realities, namely: (a) the technocratic and capitalist values of globalisation pushing global information policy development from outside the country, and (b) national economic, social and cultural developmental needs inside the country. Both these realities are relevant and need to be addressed in a national information policy, as the Government needs to take into account the unevenness of past developments and the challenges created by the emergent global information policy regime. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

This thesis reviews trends and developments concerning national information policy both internationally and nationally and inform the understanding of the situation in South Africa. Three research questions are investigated in this study, namely: (a) what are the main trends relevant to national information policy development worldwide, based on relevant literature, (b) what are the main trends and developments in other countries, and (c) what are the implications of the current global and national developments regarding national information policy for South Africa, based on the findings of the study? The methodology for this study involved a qualitative textual analysis, addressing these three research questions, and the selection of theoretical frameworks to define the scope of the research. The study discussed the main aspects of concern regarding the following information-related issues: access to information; access to government information; literacy levels; computer literacy levels; levels of education and skills; information society development; the North-South Divide (including the digital divide); information content and industrial competitiveness; other issues such as e-commerce; telecommunication issues; copyright issues; industrial property rights; freedom of speech; censorship; information ownership; library services and archives; the value of information and the flow of information in the public domain in South Africa. The multiplicity of issues reviewed demonstrated the complexity regarding access to information and related issues in the country. The study concludes with a situational analysis of developments relevant to national information policy for South Africa. The findings indicate that the South African government needs to take into account the unevenness of past developments and the challenges created by the emergent global information policy regime. The Government needs to develop a national information policy to address and balance two realities, namely: (a) the technocratic and capitalist values of globalisation pushing global information policy development from outside the country, and (b) national economic, social and cultural developmental needs inside the country. Both these realities are relevant and need to be addressed in a national information policy, as the Government needs to take into account the unevenness of past developments and the challenges created by the emergent global information policy regime. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Submitted by Valdinei Souza (neisouza@hotmail.com) on 2017-06-07T20:40:38Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Angela Cristina Cordeiro - dissertacao.pdf: 1563714 bytes, checksum: 3ea9e96b6a530db7d50d564c70429204 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Urania Araujo (urania@ufba.br) on 2017-06-14T19:35:23Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Angela Cristina Cordeiro - dissertacao.pdf: 1563714 bytes, checksum: 3ea9e96b6a530db7d50d564c70429204 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-14T19:35:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Angela Cristina Cordeiro - dissertacao.pdf: 1563714 bytes, checksum: 3ea9e96b6a530db7d50d564c70429204 (MD5) / Capes / As Informações em Saúde no Brasil constituem-se um quadro complexo e diversificado da realidade sanitária do território e apoiam as deliberações para a gestão do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Essas informações são geradas em razão dos serviços de atenção à saúde e são os insumos que diariamente alimentam os sistemas de informações do Ministério da Saúde/DATASUS. Os Sistemas de Informações em Saúde (SIS) configuram-se como mecanismos de transferência de informações para a gestão em saúde, no entanto, vários problemas podem ser diagnosticados quanto à utilização desses sistemas: produção de informações de baixa qualidade e subutilizadas, duplicação de sistemas de informações de forma verticalizada e não-integrada, dificuldades quanto à retroalimentação desses sistemas. Percebe-se que as informações que alimentam esses SIS possuem um viés meramente para fins estatísticos e na maioria dos casos, a utilização desses SIS pelos gestores em saúde é feita de forma compulsória. Neste contexto, o objetivo desta pesquisa é verificar se os mecanismos de transferências de informações dos hospitais convergem com as diretrizes da Política Nacional de Informação e Informática em Saúde (PNIIS) e do Plano de Desenvolvimento para a nformação e a Tecnologia da Informação em Saúde (PlaDITIS). Para tanto, são identificadas as fontes e os mecanismos de transferência de informações utilizadas nos organismos de serviços de saúde e, se estas estão em conformidade com estas diretrizes. O arcabouço teórico, metodológico da pesquisa procurou ressaltar a importância da PNIIS e o PlaDITIS para uma gestão integrada, acesso e uso da informação e da tecnologia da informação na definição das políticas de saúde. A pesquisa é exploratória e descritiva com uma abordagem quali-quantitativa. A população para a realização desta pesquisa são 39 hospitais com termo de adesão à Rede de Inovação e Aprendizagem em Gestão Hospitalar. Para o levantamento dos dados utilizou-se como instrumento o questionário e o roteiro semi-estruturado para a entrevista, com a finalidade de alcançar os objetivos propostos. O tratamento dos dados foi realizado por meio da estatística descritiva e análise de conteúdo. Os resultados revelam a necessidade da disseminação das políticas de informação e informática e a necessidade da difusão do uso de mecanismos de transferência de informações entre os organismos prestadores de serviços de atenção à saúde no Brasil. / ABSTRACT - Health information in Brazil constitute a complex and diverse picture of the reality of health and support the deliberations for the management of the unified health system (SUS).This information is generated as a result of health care services and are the inputs that feed the information systems of the Ministry of health/DATASUS. Health Information systems (SIS) configure themselves transfer mechanisms for information management in health, however, several problems can be diagnosed on the use of these systems: production of low-quality information and under-utilized, duplication of information systems of vertical and non-integrated form, difficulties with regard to the feedback of these systems. You understand that the information that feed these SIS have a bias merely for statistical purposes and in most cases, the use of SIS for health managers is compulsory. In this context, the objective of this research is to verify if the information transfer mechanisms of hospitals converge with the guidelines of the national information Policy and health informatics (PNIIS) and the development plan for the information and information technology in health (PlaDITIS). Are identified the sources and information transfer mechanisms used in health services organizations and, where these are in accordance with these guidelines. The methodological research, sought to highlight the importance of PNIIS and PlaDITIS for integrated management, access and use of information and information technology in the definition of health policies. The research is exploratory and descriptive with a quali-quantitative approach. The population for this research are 39 hospitals with term of membership of the learning and innovation network in hospital management. To survey the data used as a tool the questionnaire and semi-structured interview script, in order to achieve the proposed objectives. The treatment of the data was performed by descriptive statistics and content analysis. The results reveal the need for dissemination of information and informatics policies and the need for the dissemination of the use of mechanisms for information transfer between agencies providers of health care in Brazil.