Report on
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DISCUSSION FORUM ON INFORMATION SERVICESIN THE ASIA-PACIFICBecky Skidmore ASEAN Forest Tree Seed Centre Project, Ottawa, Canada |
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[Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7] [Chapter 8] [Appendix 1] [Appendix 2] [Appendix 3] [Appendix 4] [Appendix 5] [Appendix 6] |
APPENDIX 2 FORESTRY INFORMATION SERVICESIN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAnalysis and interpretation of a questionnaire surveyconducted in preparation for a Discussion Forum on Information Services in the Asia-PacificJim Coles1 and Michael Ibach2 INTRODUCTION The rapid development of information technology brings tremendous changes at organisational levels as well as national levels. Studies predict the impact of information technology to be similar to the industrial revolution which turned agrarian economies into industrial economies at the turn of the last century (Nolan and Croson 1995). Already, more than half of total GDP in industrialised economies is knowledge-based, including sectors such as telecommunications, computers, software, education and research (The Economist 1996). As economies expand rapidly, the Asia-Pacific region is facing a period of increasing environmental pressure. With growing populations and the drive towards development, there is more competition in land-use, the oceans appear to be less able to support a viable fishing industry and the atmosphere and waterways are becoming increasingly polluted. The Asia-Pacific needs a cadre of well-trained and well-informed scientists and managers to assist with the development of solutions to problems and with the formation of policies and strategies for protection and sustainable use in such areas as agriculture, the environment, fisheries and forestry. Access to current scientific information is necessary if scientists and managers are to be well informed and respond to the needs of their countries. In the forestry sector, information is growing at a rapid pace. Under the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO), more than 700 member organisations in a network of over 15,000 scientists generate probably more information than is ever accessed by the majority of scientists working in this area (Kashyap 1995). In his paper, Kashyap refers to 581 institutions in 104 countries that were engaged in forestry and forest products in 1986. In 1995, FAO has registered 764 forestry research organisations in 112 countries (FAO 1995), with over 9,000 forestry graduated scientists in Asian countries alone. But scientific strength appears to be very unbalanced. Ten years ago, five institutions out of a total of 23 accounted for 50% of the total research capacity (Kashyap 1995). This information "explosion" shows no signs of abating. Indeed, the ability to access and utilise information has become intrinsically linked with a country's economic development (Broadbent 1992). The unfortunate reality in Asia and the Pacific is that most forestry and forestry research organisations and their staff neither have access to nor do they utilise the vast amount of information necessary in the decision-making process. Many forestry projects in the Asia-Pacific region have a mandate to improve information exchange among scientists and managers. Information exchange encompasses a wide range of services including electronic information networks; writing, printing and distributing a variety of scientific and technical publications; and maintenance of a living library with a well-organised, pertinent collection of books and journals, literature search capabilities and document supply services, all functioning in an increasingly electronic environment under the leadership of well-trained and committed staff. Information exchange is a common mandate of the ASEAN Forest Tree Seed Centre Project (AFTSC), the ASEAN Institute of Forest Management (AIFM) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). Collectively these agencies have perceived that the quality of the information services available in the Asia-Pacific region is variable and often weak. As such, an attempt is being made to identify the problems, prioritise them, find solutions and co-ordinate efforts to overcome the manageable problems. The initiative is in three parts: (1) the distribution of a questionnaire and the analysis of the returns which will identify current issues; (2) a discussion forum involving information specialists which should prioritise problems, recommend solutions and develop an action plan; and (3) a co-ordinating role to implement action plans in co-operation with other agencies such as the Asia-Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutes (APAFRI), Forestry Research Support Programme for Asia and the Pacific (FORSPA), CAB International, International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). The questionnaire (see Appendix 1) was sent to 24 national forestry research institutes, government forest research departments, forestry faculties of universities and projects in the Asia-Pacific. The questionnaire addressed two main functional areas: (1) organisation and management of the agency as a whole, completed by the Director or senior management; and (2) the information services unit within the agency, completed by information specialists. In the following, the results of the questionnaire survey from eighteen responding organisations are presented and some emerging issues are highlighted. ORGANISATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF FORESTRY INFORMATION SERVICES The Information Services Unit in the organisational context The Information Services Units (ISUs) in more than half the agencies were independent functional units reporting directly to the administration division. In five agencies, the ISUs were part of the research division. The agencies varied greatly in size from a small professional staff of 15 to a very large staff of 500. Most had between 50 and 150 professionals. In 11 of the agencies, the ISUs had just 1 or 2 trained librarians or information professionals, while three ISUs had 3 or 4. The ratio of professional librarians/information specialists to professional staff varied from 1:10 to over 1:100 with an average of 1:42. Virtually all agencies indicated that the lack of financial resources was the chief constraint to improving the quality and quantity of research. Others suggested that lack of well-trained staff and equipment and political support were also cause for concern. Nine of the agencies allocated no fixed percentage of total agency budget to information services. Four agencies allocated 1 or 2% and three agencies between 10 and 30%. Given additional funds, ten of the agencies said their first priority would be to upgrade the library and documentation facilities. This strong desire to improve information services, however, somewhat contradicts the survey findings which show the consistently low level of support in budgetary terms which libraries receive in most of the institutions. The Discussion Forum might focus on the reasons why libraries receive so little funding and explore possible solutions. ISSUE No. 1: Inadequate funding of Information Services Unit The salaries of senior librarians and information specialists were well below those of both senior professional staff and administrators and just above those of senior support staff. The salaries do not reflect the fact that most librarians must have a Masters level education to acquire the necessary technical and managerial skills to perform in their job. In a region where salary is often seen as a measure of a person's worth and importance, this lack of financial recognition clearly indicates the minimal regard and importance attached to those who work in information services. This low level of recognition for information professionals was further amplified by the fact that the information section of the questionnaire was completed, in five cases, by an agency Director or senior administrator. This was in spite of the fact that all five agencies indicated professional information staff were available. ISSUE No. 2: Lack of recognition for information professionals Research information management systems The management of research information among scientists and managers within agencies and to external user groups is extremely important to ensure continued support for research, effective research and application of research results. Seven of the agencies reported they had no information management system while six others reported they were planning one or had one that was not operational. Virtually all of the agencies said the means of keeping research staff informed was through distribution of results in informal publications, reports, newsletters and refereed journals. Ten agencies reported that informal discussions were also a means of exchanging information. ISSUE No. 3: Lack of research information management systems within organisations Information access and use In virtually all agencies questioned, literature reviews or problem analyses were required as part of all study plans or research proposals. Over half of the respondents indicated that the lack of literature search capabilities impeded the completion of high-quality literature reviews. Other respondents quoted the lack of synthesising and writing skills and language difficulties as impediments. Others reported the lack of time although it is the responsibility of every researcher to make time to keep current and write literature reviews for papers and proposals. When asked if researchers at the respective institutions had access to relevant published literature, 12 respondents replied in the affirmative while 5 others suggested they did not have access but could get the literature. This is in contrast to the replies when asked if having access to adequate information was perceived as a constraint to improving the quality and quantity of research. These replies indicate that 12 agencies thought lack of information was certainly or partly a problem. Although not clear from the questionnaire, it may be that lack of access to current literature is a problem in many research institutes in the Asia-Pacific region. Certainly, the authors' experiences at many ASEAN libraries confirm this view. It is also the authors' experiences that in hierarchically conscious bureaucracies, information is often collected and its distribution suppressed. Similarly, recent acquisitions of library equipment such as PCs and CD-ROMs have often been kept under lock and key, rather than being used as they were intended. Such actions are sometimes the result of staff inability to use the equipment, or worse, because of a wish for personal aggrandisement on the part of the individuals responsible for it (Mwinyimbegu 1993). Managers and senior staff need to be convinced that the free flow of information to all staff will contribute to the needs of the whole organisation. ISSUE No. 4: Lack of awareness of and access to current, world-wide literature Often, even though access to current literature is available, researchers/managers do not utilise the resource. More than half the respondents identified the lack of training in the use of information as the principal reason for this weakness. Others cited lack of incentives and motivation. This corroborates an earlier reply that suggested lack of synthesising and writing skills were an impediment to good research. ISSUE No. 5: Lack of training in literature synthesising and scientific writing The Information Services Unit Resources Human All information professionals who completed the information services portion of the questionnaire had a professional library education and many years of experience. The Directors who completed the section did not have information training but indicated that their librarians were trained in library science. The information professionals replied that on average, more than three support staff were employed for each trained librarian. Thus, availability of support staff does not appear to be a problem. Many of these support staff no doubt have considerable experience and enthusiasm and, with training, could become competent para-professional information staff. There appears to be a need to develop necessary skills and permanent professional education in order to keep up-to-date with the developments in the information technology sector. ISSUE No. 6: Lack of training for support staff in information services Physical All but one of the 17 libraries responding had personal computers and CD-ROM drives. Only 3 did not have photocopiers. Less than half had local area networks and access to e-mail, online services or the Internet. There is obviously a great deal of variation in the equipment available in the libraries in the Asia-Pacific region. If these ISUs are to be brought together with others in the area in an information exchange network, some minimum level of equipment will be required. ISSUE No. 7: Considerable variation between libraries in equipment levels There are some major forestry libraries in the region. Seven of the libraries reported having over 15,000 books or monographs and receiving over 50 journals. Similarly, there are a number of mid-sized forestry libraries having roughly 5,000 books or monographs (7) and receiving approximately 20 to 30 journals (8). Very few libraries received an electronically published journal. Twelve of the 17 libraries subscribed to abstracting/indexing services, with CAB ABSTRACTS, Current Contents and TREE-CD being the most popular. However, the questionnaire does not fully address the quality of the collection with regard to its currency and accessibility, and these aspects should be explored at the Discussion Forum. Similarly, the availability of abstracting services on CD-ROM and diskette (e.g., TREE-CD, AGRIS or Current Contents) was noted for several of the libraries but the various responses referring to the availability of or access to relevant literature and inter-library loan services question the value of these resources if there is no timely and affordable document back-up. ISSUE No. 8: Limited exchange of available forestry information within the region Use of information services Virtually all libraries record number of visitors and number of loans. However, few indicated whether they felt the library was well used or under-utilised. Those who did reply stated that the predominant users were staff and, in the case of universities, students. The libraries are used for a wide variety of endeavours research and review papers, proposals, teaching material and, to a lesser extent, in-house database collation. No one use predominates. Most users preferred to receive the information on diskette, CD-ROM or in printed form but few were set-up to receive electronic transfer through the Internet. There seemed to be a slight preference for receiving information as an abstract although most replied that either abstract or full-text form was acceptable. Most respondents stated that cost was the determining factor. Six of the respondents suggested that they had difficulty getting the full text original document after reading the abstract. This comment confirms the problem identified above i.e., limited exchange of forestry information which is available in the region. Management of the Information Services Unit The decision to purchase new books or journals seems to be a two-step process. In most libraries a combination of scientists, managers and librarians recommended appropriate purchases with the final decision being made by the Director in 8 institutions and by a library committee in 7 institutions. All institutions with photocopiers (14) provided a photocopying and document delivery service to their staff and to other libraries. Ten of the libraries which provided this service charged an amount sufficient to cover costs. In many cases, this charge applied to only those requests from outside the agency. Twelve of the ISUs questioned did not subscribe to an external document delivery service. Ten, however, said they had arrangements for inter-library loans. Most of these inter-library loan arrangements were with other libraries in the same institution or with nearby institutions. Seven ISUs stated they had no arrangement for inter-library loans and two librarians said is was desperately needed. The lack of viable forestry networks was repeatedly emphasised. Roughly half the respondents indicated they were not part of any network while seven responded that they belong to networks, with CARIS, AGRIS and IILP being the most common. Twelve said they would like to subscribe to existing or planned networks, with Internet and any forestry network being the most common mentioned. All 17 respondents indicated they would actively participate in any new networks with ten agencies stating the dire need for a forestry information network. Also mentioned was the need for an information service management network. One respondent suggested that any new network should be electronically operated. The replies to the questions on inter-library loans and on networks point to a major shortcoming in forestry information services in the Asia-Pacific region the lack of exchange of existing information. There is obviously a great need for a network of forestry libraries, perhaps connected electronically, who would share their resources and capabilities. The opportunities for co-operation are endless table of contents exchanges, literature search services, inter-library loans, professional and support staff training and exchanges, and consultancies. ISSUE No. 9: Lack of formalised networks of forestry libraries in the region There is a tremendous amount of forestry information published by the respondents. All but one of the ISUs produces regular publications. Most produce newsletters with various foci and technical papers, the national agencies produce national journals of forestry or forest science and most produce internal reports. All the ISUs reported they had database software to manage their library although one ISU said they had the software but not the computer to run it. By far the most common software was CDS/ISIS; others mentioned were PRO-CITE and IMAGE (a New Zealand program) along with a range of database packages. Ten of the ISUs said they had no access to external databases while the other seven had access to a few, mostly local databases. One ISU reported they subscribed to DIALOG which provided access to over 500 external databases. Virtually all agencies reported that they developed and maintained databases with their ISU for their internal consumption. These databases covered a wide range of topics from books, theses, periodicals, resources, researchers, completed research projects, on-going forestry projects, to more specific topics like growth and yield plots, and biodiversity plots. A few ISUs reported they had access to other databases within the same institution. Most of these databases were peripheral to forestry such as maps and environmental management databases. Unfortunately the questionnaire did not cover the dissemination of the locally produced newsletters, technical publications and journals to other agencies in the region or the access of the internal forestry information databases to other agencies. From the authors' experiences, distribution and access of internally produced information (grey literature) appears to be variable and generally limited. ISSUE No. 10: Limited distribution of published forestry information and databases CONCLUSION From the responses to questionnaire it is clear that the Information Services Units in the Asia-Pacific region are variable with respect to their facilities, resources and management. Of the eighteen agencies responding, there were four who considered that they had sufficient professional and support staff, well stocked libraries in terms of books, periodicals and databases, adequate computer hardware and software, and good access to networks of other libraries for loans. Only two ISUs considered themselves well funded however. The constraints to achieving the objective of providing good information services, as listed by the other ISUs were long and varied. Twelve of the ISUs listed inadequate funding; six reported a lack of trained professional and support staff; six listed lack of computer hardware and software; four specified inadequate and poor quality space; three listed language problems; two reported lack of time for new initiatives, lack of networking opportunities, lack of training opportunities for support staff and one stated there were no young people on staff. The issues below, which were identified by the respondents to the questionnaire, cover many of the above constraints. ISSUE No. 1: Inadequate funding of information services unit ISSUE No. 2: Lack of recognition for information professionals ISSUE No. 3: Lack of research information management systems within organisations ISSUE No. 4: Lack of awareness of and access to current, world-wide literature ISSUE No. 5: Lack of training in literature synthesising and scientific writing ISSUE No. 6: Lack of training for support staff in information services ISSUE No. 7: Considerable variation between libraries in equipment levels ISSUE No. 8: Limited exchange of available forestry information within the region ISSUE No. 9: Lack of formalised networks of forestry libraries in the region ISSUE No. 10: Limited distribution of published forestry information and databases All respondents indicated a willingness to actively participate in a discussion forum as it is considered to provide support to reaffirm the above identified issues, prioritise them, seek solutions to tractable problems, and devise action plans to ameliorate those problems. REFERENCES: Broadbent, K.P. 1992. Challenges for development in the Asia-Pacific region: the information sector, South Korea and the Philippines. Journal of Information Science 18: 193-202. The Economist. 1996. The World Economy: The Hitchhikers Guide to Cybernomics; September 28. FAO. 1995. Directory of Forestry Research Organizations 1995. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. Kashyap, A. 1995. Briefing Paper for the Discussion Forum on Information Needs in National Forestry Research Institutions. Mwinyimbegu, R.W. 1993. Obstacles to information technology transfer to the Third World. Library Review 42(5): 28-37. Nolan, R.L. and D.C. Croson. 1995. Creative Destruction: A Six-Stage Process for Transforming the Organization. Harvard Business School Press, Boston. 1 ASEAN Forest Tree Seed Centre Project, Thailand 2 Center for International Forestry Research, Indonesia |