Supporting research through information literacy programmes: SMU Libraries' learning journeys
Singapore Management University (SMU) has been building its research programmes towards high-impact and larger scale research. The number of postgraduate students has grown from 615 students in 2010 to 1,260 students in January 2015. The growing population of postgraduates, especially those with research requirements, has posed both opportunities and challenges to library’s resources, facilities and services. Library is committed to provide resources and services that support research. This includes developing and implementing Information Literacy (IL) programmes that are relevant to researchers and postgraduates. The IL programmes were structured and offered within an Information Literacy Framework that SMU Libraries have been using for the past five years. With changes in graduates’ population, diversity in graduate programmes, advances in technology, and complexities in research information literacy; the Framework, eventually, required re-evaluation and re-alignment. The main goal of the Framework was still to achieve the IL competency standards as outlined in ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education (2000). However, the ways to develop, implement and promote the IL programmes, would benefit from a more flexible, yet practical Framework. By observing and critically evaluating the IL practice at SMU Libraries, this paper put together best IL practices that work well with postgraduates and molded them into a flexible IL Framework that supports research information literacy.
Transforming library research services: towards a collaborative partnership
Purpose – The paper aims to explore the new and changing role of the research librarian with specific reference to Charles Darwin University (CDU), Australia. In response to the changing research landscape in Australia, Charles Darwin University Library in the Northern Territory has developed a series of services and resources to meet the special needs of its growing research community.Design/methodology/approach – The impact of the support being provided to researchers by CDU Library has been measured through two survey questionnaires followed by focus group discussions. Feedback is also obtained regularly from workshop participants through an evaluation form. In order to meet researchers' needs, Library staff have successfully used both formal and informal methods of professional development on an ongoing basis in order to bridge any gaps that are identified through the evaluation exercises.Findings – In the face of the changing research landscape in Australia, the research librarian needs to ensure tha...
Brauer groups of genus zero extensions of number fields
We determine the isomorphism class of the Brauer groups of certain nonrational genus zero extensions of number fields. In particular, for all genus zero extensions E of the rational numbers Q that are split by Q(√2), Br(E) ≅ Br(Q(t)).