Thesis (M.A. (Information Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) plays a critical role in assisting library patrons to effectively and efficiently locate information resources from the academic library. This study examined awareness and usage of the existing OPAC functionalities and capabilities among undergraduate students at the University of Venda (UNIVEN). The research methodology for the study was guided by the adoption of quantitative research approach and descriptive survey design. The data collection tool used was a google forms questionnaire, through which the link was distributed to all undergraduate students at UNIVEN via e-mail. Systematic random sampling method was used to arrive at a sampling frame of five hundred and sixty-three (563) participants represented in all eight (8) schools that comprise UNIVEN academic structure. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of undergraduate students rated their level of awareness as average. Their major source of awareness of OPAC is library training. Most of respondents were not aware and familiar with OPAC functionalities such as Boolean operators, truncation marks and advanced search. The study further revealed positive attitudes and promising perceptions towards OPAC. In terms of usage, the findings show that most of the respondents occasionally use OPAC, and the majority use a title search entry to conduct their search on OPAC and they prefer to use a simple search option. Furthermore, most of participants showed that their purpose of OPAC usage is to locate books in the library. The major challenge encountered by respondents in using OPAC was slow internet connectivity and their lack of skills in searching information from OPAC. Based on these findings, this study recommends that librarians ought to promote the importance of using all OPAC functionalities to improve awareness and optimal usage of the OPAC functionalities as an information retrieval tool. There is a need for intensified training on advanced search options, such as Boolean operators, Truncation marks and advanced search, through one-on-one instruction and Lib-guides.

[ES] Las marcas han servido desde su origen para que los consumidores puedan distinguir los artículos de distintos productores y constituyen unos de los principales activos de las compañías. Sin embargo, las marcas han estado ausentes durante muchos años de los productos frescos como las frutas y las hortalizas. A lo largo de las últimas décadas varios autores como David Aaker y Kevin Lane Keller han elaborado diversas propuestas para establecer modelos que permitan medir el Valor de Marca desde la perspectiva del consumidor. En la presente tesis partimos de la hipótesis de que la aparición en el mercado de marcas a consumidor final en productos frescos como frutas y hortalizas ha alcanzado la suficiente presencia como para que los consumidores sean capaces de percibir diferencias con respecto a los productos de su misma categoría, en función de las distintas dimensiones que componen el Valor de Marca desde la perspectiva del consumidor, y pagar un precio mayor por ellas. Los objetivos de esta tesis son evaluar el Valor de Marca desde la perspectiva del consumidor en los productos frescos como frutas y hortalizas adaptando la metodología existente para aplicarlo a tres marcas concretas. Analizar la presencia de marcas y evaluar la percepción de los miembros de los canales de comercialización del mercado de frutas y hortalizas sobre las marcas a consumidor final. Proponer un modelo/escala de Valor de Marca desde la perspectiva del consumidor basado en la metodología existente que permita medir dicho valor en las marcas de frutas y hortalizas frescas. Aplicar el modelo/escala de Valor de Marca desde la perspectiva del consumidor a tres marcas comerciales y realizar una segmentación de consumidores La metodología ha consistido en un trabajo exploratorio que se concretó en un análisis cualitativo mediante entrevista en profundidad semiestructurada a expertos. Los resultados de este análisis cualitativo se utilizaron para diseñar el cuestionario que mide el Valor de Marca en el contexto de los productos frescos como frutas y hortalizas. Este cuestionario se utilizó para realizar una investigación descriptiva que se materializó en un análisis cuantitativo mediante encuesta online a consumidor final. Las entrevistas con los expertos de los canales de producción y comercialización han dado como resultado la selección de las marcas Plátano de Canarias, Zespri y Kumato y la adaptación de las dimensiones de la marca al contexto de las frutas y hortalizas. A partir de estos resultados se ha elaborado una escala de Valor de Marca desde la perspectiva del consumidor adaptada a las marcas de frutas y hortalizas que ha sido validada mediante encuesta a consumidor final. El consumidor aprecia como distintivas las dimensiones analizadas en la escala propuesta y señala las dos dimensiones de Singularidad y Responsabilidad Social Corporativa como las que más se relacionan con la disponibilidad a pagar un precio premium por una marca determinada. Se puede concluir que los miembros de los canales de producción y comercialización son conscientes del Valor de Marca desde la perspectiva del consumidor. Este Valor de Marca se puede medir adaptando las herramientas existentes mediante encuesta a consumidor final. Los consumidores reconocen las dimensiones de las distintas marcas de frutas y hortalizas que existen en el mercado español y valoran unas más que otras a la hora de pagar un precio mayor por ellas. / [CA] Les marques han servit des del seu origen perquè els consumidors puguen distingir els articles de diferents productors i constitueixen uns dels principals actius de les companyies. No obstant això, les marques han estat absents durant molts anys dels productes frescos com les fruites i les hortalisses. Al llarg de les últimes dècades diversos autors com David Aaker i Kevin Lane Keller han elaborat diverses propostes per a establir models que permeten mesurar el Valor de Marca des de la perspectiva del consumidor. En la present tesi partim de la hipòtesi que l'aparició en el mercat de marques a consumidor final en productes frescos com a fruites i hortalisses ha aconseguit la suficient presència com perquè els consumidors siguen capaços de percebre diferències respecte als productes de la seua mateixa categoria, en funció de les diferents dimensions que componen el Valor de Marca des de la perspectiva del consumidor, i pagar un preu major per elles. Els objectius d'aquesta tesi són adaptar la metodologia existent per a avaluar el Valor de Marca des de la perspectiva del consumidor en els productes frescos com a fruites i hortalisses i aplicar-lo a tres marques concretes. Analitzar la presència de marques i avaluar la percepció dels membres dels canals de comercialització del mercat de fruites i hortalisses sobre les marques a consumidor final. Dissenyar un model/escala de Valor de Marca des de la perspectiva del consumidor basat en la metodologia existent que permeta mesurar aquest valor en les marques de fruites i hortalisses fresques. Aplicar el model/escala de Valor de Marca des de la perspectiva del consumidor a tres productes i realitzar una segmentació de consumidors. La metodologia ha consistit en un treball exploratori que es va concretar en una anàlisi qualitativa mitjançant entrevista en profunditat semiestructurada a experts. Els resultats d'aquesta anàlisi qualitativa es van utilitzar per a dissenyar el qüestionari que mesura el Valor de Marca en el context dels productes frescos com a fruites i hortalisses. Aquest qüestionari es va utilitzar per a realitzar una investigació descriptiva que es va materialitzar en una anàlisi quantitativa mitjançant enquesta online a consumidor final. Les entrevistes amb els experts dels canals de producció i comercialització ha donat com a resultat la selecció de les marques Plàtan de Canàries, Zespri i Kumato i l'adaptació de les dimensions de la marca al context de les fruites i hortalisses. A partir d'aquests resultats s'ha elaborat una escala de Valor de Marca des de la perspectiva del consumidor adaptada a les marques de fruites i hortalisses que ha sigut validada mitjançant enquesta a consumidor final. El consumidor aprecia com a distintives les dimensions analitzades en l'escala proposada i assenyala les dues dimensions de Singularitat i Responsabilitat Social Corporativa com les que més es relacionen amb la disponibilitat a pagar un preu premium per una marca determinada. Es pot concloure que els membres dels canals de producció i comercialització són conscients del Valor de Marca des de la perspectiva del consumidor. Aquest Valor de Marca es pot mesurar adaptant les eines existents mitjançant enquesta a consumidor final. Els consumidors reconeixen les dimensions de les diferents marques de fruites i hortalisses que existeixen en el mercat espanyol i valoren unes més que unes altres a l'hora de pagar un preu major per elles. / [EN] Brands have been used since their origin to enable consumers to distinguish goods from different producers and are one of the main assets of companies. However, brands have been absent for many years from fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables. Over the last decades, several authors such as David Aaker and Kevin Lane Keller have developed several proposals to establish models to measure Brand Equity from the consumer's perspective. In this thesis, we start from the hypothesis that the appearance in the market of end-consumer brands in fresh products such as fruit and vegetables has achieved sufficient presence for consumers to be able to perceive differences with respect to products of the same category, according to the different dimensions that make up the Brand Equity from the consumer's perspective, and to pay a higher price for them. The objectives of this thesis are to adapt the existing methodology for assessing Brand Equity from the consumer's perspective in fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables and apply it to three specific brands; to analyse the presence of brands and to evaluate the perception of the members of the marketing channels of the fruit and vegetable market on the brands to the final consumer; to design a Brand Equity model/scale from the consumer's perspective based on the existing methodology to measure the Brand Equity of fresh fruit and vegetable brands; and to apply the Brand Equity model/scale from the consumer's perspective to three products and perform a consumer segmentation. The methodology consisted of exploratory work that took the form of a qualitative analysis by means of a semi-structured in-depth interview with experts. The results of this qualitative analysis were used to design the questionnaire that measures Brand Equity in the context of fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables. This questionnaire was used to carry out descriptive research that materialised in a quantitative analysis by means of an online survey of end consumers. The interviews with experts in production and marketing channels resulted in the selection of the brands Plátano de Canarias, Zespri and Kumato and the adaptation of the brand dimensions to the context of fruit and vegetables. Based on these results, a Brand Equity scale has been developed from the consumer's perspective, adapted to the fruit and vegetable brands and validated by means of a survey of end consumers. The consumer appreciates the dimensions analysed in the proposed scale as distinctive and identifies the two dimensions of Uniqueness and Corporate Social Responsibility as those most closely related to the willingness to pay a premium price for a given brand. It can be concluded that members of the production and marketing channels are aware of Brand Equity from a consumer perspective. This Brand Equity can be measured by adapting existing tools through end-consumer surveys. Consumers recognise the dimensions of the different fruit and vegetable brands on the Spanish market and value some more than others when it comes to paying a higher price for them. / Marín Armero, A. (2022). Valor de marca en productos frescos: frutas y hortalizas [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/184339 / TESIS

As artificial intelligence becomes more widespread, the need forexplanations on how the technology actually works increases.Previous research in the area has mainly focused on studyingexplanations for technologists and domain experts. Moreover, theuser's need for information is rarely accounted for. The purpose ofthis study is to examine which information needs lay users have indealing with the systems that employ artificial intelligence thatsurround them in their daily lives. In order to achieve the purpose ofthe study, as well as building on results from previous research,Netflix was chosen as the object of study. A qualitative study usingsemi-structured interviews was conducted. The research materialwas later analyzed, using thematic analysis. The results show thatthe users’ mental model, and the lack of information from Netflix,affected the users’ information needs. All participants expressedthat the information provided by Netflix was insufficient and thatthey wanted more information. / I takt med at kunstig intelligens blir tatt i bruk av stadig fleresystemer, øker behovet for forklaringer om hvordan teknologienfungerer. Tidligere forskning innen området har hovedsakeligfokusert på å studere forklaringer for teknologer ogdomeneeksperter. Brukernes faktiske informasjonsbehov gjøressjelden rede for. Hensikten med denne studien er å undersøkeinformasjonsbehovet lekbrukere har i møte med de systemer somomgir dem i dagliglivet, som benytter seg av kunstig intelligens. Forå oppnå hensikten med studien, samt å ta hensyn til forslag fratidligere forskning, ble Netflix valgt som studieobjekt. Det blegjennomført en kvalitativ studie med semistrukturerte intervjuer.Materialet som ble samlet inn ble analysert ved hjelp av tematiskanalyse. Resultatet viser at brukerens mentale modell ogmanglende informasjon fra Netflix påvirket deresinformasjonsbehov. Alle deltakerne uttrykte at informasjonen fraNetflix var mangelfull, samt at de ønsket mer informasjon.

Användningen av fossila bränslen och den ökade digitaliseringen har båda en stor påverkan på klimatet. Klimatförändringar är ett allvarligt hot och många länder arbetar för att minska växthusgasutsläppen. Trots ökad användning av förnybar energi är energisektorn fortfarande en stor källa till utsläpp. Samhällets utveckling har ökat användningen av digital kommunikation, vilket leder till ökad energiförbrukning. Informationsteknik (ICT) har revolutionerat vårt sätt att leva, arbeta och studera, men dess energibehov strider mot målet om koldioxidneutralitet. ICT-sektorn behöver anpassa sig till en hållbar utveckling. Datacenter är energikrävande, vilket är ett snabbt växande problem då dessa står för en fjärdedel av ICT-sektorns koldioxidutsläpp. Sektorn som helhet bidrar med 2,3% av de globala utsläppen och i och med den fortsatta utvecklingen av ICT inom samhället, så ökar även konsumtionen från användare. För att arbeta mot en mer hållbar värld behöver individer ha tillgång till vägledning för att göra långsiktiga förändringar och informerade val. Teori och forskning har analyserats och banat väg för konstruktionen av en skattningsmodell för att främja medvetenhet om ICT-sektorns klimatpåverkan och främja hållbara digitala vanor. Modellen tar hänsyn till flera parametrar och aktiviteter som anses vara relevanta för framtagandet av en applikation för användarna. Data från olika studier används som underlag för att beräkna individens digitala koldioxidutsläpp, energiförbrukning och kostnader. Applikationen testas i en fallstudie för att undersöka den faktiska klimatpåverkan av digital användning. Resultaten visar att vissa aktiviteter, som videokonferenser och samtal, är mer energikrävande än e-postkommunikation. Valet av enhet och tidsåtgång har störst påverkan på resultatet. Rekommendationer ges baserat på användarbeteenden för att minska energiförbrukningen. Målet är att skapa medvetenhet och stödja hållbar användning av digitala tjänster.

The following qualitative research explores the adoption of Zero Trust in organisations from an organisational and user acceptance perspective. From an organisational perspective, the research highlights essential aspects such as testing the Zero Trust architecture in a pre-adoption phase, involving top management in the planning phase, communicating in a non-technical language, and making end-users feel a personal connection to IS security. The research highlights the importance of balancing the ease of use with security, evaluating the end-user's technical maturity, and carrying out evaluations from a user acceptance perspective. To gather valuable empirical data, the researcher has conducted semi-structured interviews with highly competent respondents within the field of Zero Trust. Most of the literature available today within Zero Trust focuses on technical aspects, and this research is a unique and vital contribution to the limited available research.

Objectifs. Les services hospitaliers d’urgence sont souvent engorgés, et les visites pour des raisons de santé mentale (SM) y contribuent particulièrement. Au Québec, les grands utilisateurs de ces services en SM ont contribué en 2014-15 à près de la moitié du volume des visites aux urgences en SM. Or, le recours fréquent aux urgences par les mêmes patients témoigne généralement d'une inadéquation des services offerts à ces derniers. Pour mieux desservir ces patients et améliorer l’efficacité de l’urgence, il est crucial de mieux comprendre les facteurs facilitant ou entravant les services d’urgence dans leur réponse aux besoins des grands utilisateurs de ces services. Cette étude vise ainsi à identifier les facteurs qui facilitent ou entravent l'efficacité des services d'urgence à répondre aux besoins des grands utilisateurs de ces services en SM (3+ visites/année). Méthode. L’étude utilise un devis qualitatif basé sur la méthode d’étude de cas unique; le cas étant une urgence d’un institut universitaire en SM. Les participants provenaient de l’urgence, d’autres services de l’hôpital (ex. : module d’évaluation-liaison) ou étaient des partenaires de l’urgence du territoire (ex. : centres de crise). L'analyse des données a été guidée par un cadre conceptuel composé de quatre catégories de facteurs facilitant ou entravant l’efficacité de l’urgence, reliés au système de santé, à l’organisation des services, aux professionnels de la santé et aux profils des patients. Résultats. Plus d'entraves que de facteurs facilitants ont été relevées, qui étaient principalement liées au système de santé, comme l'indisponibilité des services en SM et la complexité de la gestion des services, ainsi qu'aux profils des patients, comme certains profils cliniques. Les facteurs facilitants étaient surtout liés aux caractéristiques organisationnelles, notamment les innovations implantées à l'urgence ou en partenariat avec l’urgence, bien que globalement peu déployées. Conclusion. En explorant les facteurs pouvant influencer l'efficacité de la réponse aux besoins des patients grands utilisateurs des services d'urgence en SM, cette étude prépare le terrain pour des recherches futures qui examineront et démontreront l'impact de ces facteurs. Cela permettra de mieux comprendre comment optimiser la réponse aux besoins de ces patients. Mots clés : urgence, grands utilisateurs, santé mentale, facteurs facilitants ou entravants, efficacité, réponse aux besoins / Objectives. Hospital emergency departments (ED) are often overcrowded, and mental health (MH) visits contribute particularly to this situation. In Quebec, frequent users of emergency services accounted for nearly half the volume of ED visits for mental health reasons in 2014-15. Frequent recourse to ED by these patients generally reflects the inadequacy of services available to them. To better serve these patients and improve the ED effectiveness, it is crucial to better understand factors that facilitate or hinder ED services in responding to needs of their frequent users. Thus, this study aims to identify facilitators and barriers to ED effectiveness in meeting the needs of high ED users (3+ visits/year) with mental health issues. Method. The study is based on a qualitative investigation, using a single case study method. The case was an emergency at a mental health university institute in a large urban center of Quebec. Participants came from the ED, other hospital departments (e.g., assessment-liaison module), or were partners of the ED in the territory (e.g., crisis centers). Data analyses were guided by a conceptual framework consisting of four categories related to the health care system, organization of services, health care professionals, and patient profiles, with possible facilitating or hindering factors to ED effectiveness subsumed under each category. Results. More barriers than facilitators were identified, most of which were related to the healthcare system (e.g., the unavailability of MH services and the complexity of ED management), but also to patient profiles (e.g., certain clinical characteristics). The facilitators were mainly related to organizational characteristics, notably innovations implemented in, or in partnership with, the ED, although few were deployed overall. Conclusion. By exploring factors that can influence effectiveness in meeting the needs of high ED users, this study sets the scene for future research that would examine and demonstrate the impact of these factors. This will help us to better understand how to optimize the response to these patients' needs. Keywords: emergency department, frequent users, mental health, facilitating or hindering factors, effectiveness, response to needs

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In this master’s thesis I examine how services like societal service and citizen service are described and motivated in municipal library plans over time, and how the design of these library plans affects the descriptions of service. Services are in this thesis described as services that members of the municipality needs help with, in order to perform tasks important in their everyday lives. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted these types of services in Swedish public libraries since local re-strictions affected the use and non-use of these services in the library. Previous research show that in Sweden during the pandemic, access to computers in the library was crucial to some visitors in order to pay bills and communicate with authorities. Therefore, it is of interest to study how this phenomenon is portrayed in strategic public library planning, particularly in plans established in the midst of a crisis. The material of the study consists of 22 library plans from 11 different Swedish municipalities. The material is described and analysed through qual-ity content analysis and the perspective of new institutional theory.In the analysis I identify four themes in which services are described and motivated. These themes connect to the documents descriptions of knowledge, (digital) participation, user needs and the library space. The design of the library plans has implications for the description of service and are illustrated through the municipalities different approaches to document revision and the use of references to other documents in the texts.The study also shows that the Swedish library law, which is ruled to be the point of departure in the design of the library plans, has been interpreted differently when describing and motivating these types of services. In some library plans the law hasn’t been interpreted at all, merely mimicked. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

In 2011 the public libraries of Gothenburg city implemented so-called floating collections. In floating collections the items are not housed permanently at a specific library instead they move between libraries depending on where the item is picked up and left off. Therefore, floating collections are controlled by the library users. Making it a part of a user-centered trend found within Swedish libraries. Literature both praise the benefits with floating as well as highlighting the risks of unpredicted challenges. In the case of Gothenburg city, the public library’s collection management and development has caused debate in the media. Especially the library staff has expressed dissatisfaction. In this thesis seven public librarians have been interviewed about how they perceive working with floating collections, the benefits and drawbacks, as well as the larger effects it has on society. They express certain positives that mainly benefit active and knowledgeable users. One of the greatest drawbacks of flowing collections is the uneven flow between libraries. It leads to stagnated pools of items in some areas and draught in others. The librarians also feel they have been excluded in the process of implementing floating collections as well as during further centralization of the collection management in 2022. The centralization and user centered perspective have decreased the librarian’s control and knowledge of the collection. The data from the interviews has been analyzed in relation to existing literature on floating collections and with the perspective of following theoretical concepts: democratic equality, segregation, periphery and peripheralization. I conclude that the drawbacks of floating collections outweigh the benefits from an equality point of view. The structures of floating collections do not take the full spectrum of library users into consideration, which connects to an uneven flow of items in the city. Items tend to flow from socioeconomic peripheries to socioeconomic centers which increases the peripheralization and segregation of Gothenburg city. The public libraries of Gothenburg need to reconsider their collection management and readjust the structures to create more equal conditions for all users regardless of digital knowledge, age, and other social factors. This includes giving the librarians increased influence over the collections to increase and practice their knowledge. The librarians should also be encouraged to maintain the local perspective at each library while simultaneously seeing to the needs of the city as a whole. The users’ needs could still be the center of the system without being at the expense of the librarian’s ability to influence the collection. Many users are dependent on the librarians to use, affect and be inspired by the collection. This is a two years master's thesis in Library and information science.