PhD Thesis

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Start date: 2015End date: 2019

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    Design and development of a National Digital Repository System (NDRS) for Bangladesh
    (University of Dhaka, 2018-11-28) Rahaman, Md. Mukhlesur
    (R&D). Access to right information in right time is strongly required for decision making and policy implementation. Researchers are conducting research in different fields from different perspectives and creating knowledge. But very often users cannot access easily to the finding of the research due to scatter sources and other access barriers. As a result, research finding cannot contribute to the development activities as expected. Accordingly, managing and providing timely access to those pertinent explicit knowledge has become a vital issue for the knowledge management professionals. Appropriate knowledge management tools are required to ensure the accessibility and visibility of recorded knowledge. Information professionals are initiating and adapting different knowledge management systems to cope with the changing pattern of information management tools and services. Digital Repositories (DR) have received wide attention in recent years by allowing access to digital information. DR have become widely accepted and preferred information sources in the areas of education, science and technology. Institutional Repository (IR) is common part of Digital Repository. Collective IR efforts lead many countries to hoist national Digital Repository network. ICT facilities and services are increasing rapidly in Bangladesh. With the availability of technological apparatus and demand from both user and administrators Institutional Repository (IR) has been gaining importance in Bangladesh. Some well-infrastructural institutions implemented IR in Bangladesh while a lot of other organizations are on pipeline. But there are differences among the existing IR practices. Accordingly, the study aimed to identify the scenario of repository management in Bangladesh. Additionally, the study also investigated the constraints as well as assessed the needs of national based DR platform. One of the major aims was to design a DR platform considering the present scenario of DR in Bangladesh. With this view related literatures were reviewed, primary data were collected from around 300 researchers and 36 library heads. The study observed that both libraries and individual researchers have different types of intellectual resources. It is found that around 50% users possess journal articles, more than 85% libraries have thesis and dissertation while 82.86% libraries have conference papers and 80% libraries have annual report and other collections. But there were differences in terms of management and dissemination of scholarly output. It is identified that a large number of researchers (40%) preserve their research output in personal computers and around 34% researchers disseminate their research output by e-mail to the fellow colleagues and other concern. But those resources are difficult to access and use by other information seekers. However, the study identified that 48.31% researchers think having IR in their respective organizations is very important. Accordingly, more than 83% researchers like to preserve their research output in their respective IR. Most of the users (59.91%) strongly agree that with the help of IR archiving of their scholarly resources will be very easy. Librarians are considered as the main custodian of administering and managing intellectual resources of the concerned organization. Library professionals are trying to meet the demand of web-based repository management activities maintaining the gear and tear. But very often they feel difficulty for managing so. The study identified that 44% library head identified lack of IT support stuff is the most challenging factor for establishing IR in Bangladesh. In addition, 45.71% library heads think ‘inadequate financial support’ and ‘inappropriate infrastructure facilities’ hinders IR development in Bangladesh. Besides, 45.71% librarian think ‘inappropriate infrastructure facilities’ is obstacle for establishing IR. The study revealed that most of the librarian/library in- charges (68%) think that National Digital Repository System (NDRS) is very important for Bangladesh. Besides, more than 77% librarians/library in-charges assume that NDRS will be very useful for their organizations. Most of the librarians/library in-charges (69%) are strongly in- favor of joining NDRS framework. Accordingly, after a thorough consultation of different repository software and the requirements of the country the study proposed a National Digital Repository System (NDRS) model for Bangladesh. The proposed NDRS may be a gateway for individual researchers and research organizations to contribute to a national repository. The shared platform will ensure the standard, access opportunity and preservation protocol for all repositories of Bangladesh. Besides, an open access repository platform may help policy makers and analysts, academicians, training nstitutions, researchers and government and non-government organizations to know which research is already done in a particular topic, where to get the output or whom to contact. Users will be also able to search, browse and download full text report free of cost in a single platform. Moreover, by collaboration with leading online search engines viz. Google and Google Scholar, National Digital Repository System will increase the international visibility of research originating from Bangladesh. Open access to scientific literature will increase h-index of a scientist or scholar. It will also reflect the aggregated research output of all fields of the country. Above all, the NDRS will serve as a focal point for Research and Development (RD) as well as scholarly activities in Bangladesh. The study also described different issues relating to policy and implementation including smooth operation of NDRS. Finally, the installation process, guidelines and functional overview discussed in this study will be helpful for building national repository in other countries.
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    Analysis of LibQUAL+ scores for service quality assessment in academic libraries of Bangladesh
    (University of Dhaka, 2015-06-07) Shoeb, Md. Zahid Hossain
    This research investigated the service quality scores through LibQUAL+ attributes to find out the users’ thought of the services that a library might offer. This study additionally had a focus on improvement of services and strategic enhancement of academic libraries in Bangladesh. The assessment was conducted in six top-ranked university libraries in Bangladesh, i.e. University of Dhaka (DU), Rajshahi University (RU), Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), and Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). Data were collected from the faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students. The research questions that framed the investigation were related to service adequacy, service superiority, service quality expectation, services in the tolerable areas, dimensionwise data reduction and validity of dimensions, and several significance differences by gender and individual user. Descriptive statistics, analysis of dimension reduction, and various nonparametric tests were conducted for different statistical measures. The investigation revealed the overall scenario of service performance through the perception of the users. Overall, the users considered the library service operations are far behind from the minimum level except for one library, i.e. IUBL. The study found that most perceived service scores are low; these affected the minimum acceptable service performance by the libraries. The study revealed that the desired expectations are high, which affected service adequacy and service superiority scores. Statistically significant differences were found by gender and individual user groups. For two libraries, i.e. RUL and BUETL, more dimensions were extracted, whereas IUBL data revealed only two dimensions. The three-dimensional factors were loaded for the remaining three libraries. In-spite of the variations observed with the dimensionalities, confirmatory factor analysis endured overall LibQUAL+ original dimensions. Based on these analyses, this research made recommendations for the strategic and operational improvement of the libraries.
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    Enhancing the role of ICT in disseminating agricultural information to farmers in Bangladesh
    (University of Dhaka, 2017-05-31) Das, Susmita
    Agriculture in Bangladesh is blessed with favorable agro-climatic conditions to grow a number of crops, fisheries and animals. Information Communication Technology (ICT) has proved to be significant to enhance agricultural production. Realizing its potential, Bangladesh has currently started using ICT for its agricultural development programs. However, the role of ICT in the field of agricultural information dissemination is yet to be fully realized to receive the potential benefit. Considering the fact, the study has been undertaken with a view to increasing agricultural knowledge delivery by enhancing the ICT use and minimizing the information gap between farmers’ needs and new technologies. The study reviewed the present status of the ICT initiatives in agriculture and the access of ICT among the end users and utilization of agricultural information to the farmers of Bangladesh through ICT tools. The main objective of the study was to explore the magnitude of contribution of ICT in the agricultural production system. The study also focuses on the role of ICT in creating difference on farmer’s agricultural production system and overall income. It also explores the impact of ICT on overall agricultural development. The research questions concentrate on what extent the role of ICT is contributing in disseminating agricultural information services to farmers, what factors need to be considered for enhacing the role of ICTs in agricultural information delivery systems, how the advancement of Information and Communication Technologies can be effeciently applied to help farmers increase their production and how the results of this study can be upscaled in wider area. The whole study presented in this thesis is divided into eight chapters; each chapter incorporates the specific issues of the study area. Chapter one outlines the background of the general context of the research and identifies the various constituents of the problems related to ICT based information dissemination services in agriculture. Chapter two offers the literature review of a number of empirical studies carried out on ICT based initiatives in agriculture all over the country and around the world. The literature review reveals different levels of ICT based initiatives and a strong relation to the production and income in general and development in agriculture in particular has been visualized. Chapter two focuses on present status of agricultural information service delivery systems in Bangladesh with some successful agricultural initiatives worldwide. Chapter four discusses the research design and methodology applied in this study. The chapter highlights how the different types of data were collected, analyzed, and presented. A mixed methods (MM) approach was used for data collection and analyses. The Chapter five presented on the summary and findings of fifteen focus group discussions. The results on different variables like farmers’ production, and income are discussed in the Chapter six with reference to the research questions designed and presented in the study. Description of crops, different technologies are shown in the sub sections following fisheries and livestock. Gender involvement in agricultural operation, the details of the respondents the way they lead their life, the tools they use in their farming, the production they produce and the income they receive associated with crops, fisheries and livestock farming, have been attempted to analyze in the chapter. The economic and the demographic feature of the farmers of the two groups are shown here. A farmer friendly ICT based model has been proposed in the Chapter seven. Recommendation and conclusion of the research results are described in the Chapter eight. This thesis contributes to the field of agricultural information dissemination system of Bangladesh. The study has significantly elicted the strong relationship between the use of ICT through successful initiatives as well as the production and income of the farmers. The proposed model is expected to help farmers adopt technology in an efficient way to get the easy access through agricultural information service delivery which could influence their production in a positive way.The study offers professionals and policymakers involved in agricultural development insights into application and best use of ICT. Most importantly, it highlights the contribution of information and knowledge of the farmers in Bangleadesh, the very important segment of the population who are stakeholders at the centre of food production and well being of the population of the country.
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    The role of university libraries in human resources development of Bangladesh: A study
    (University of Dhaka, 2018-06-07) Basak, Jayanti Rani
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    A plan for modernization of university libraries in Bangladesh
    (University of Dhaka, 2015-01-28) Rahman, Md. Zillur
    This study aims to propose a modernization plan for university libraries of Bangladesh. The study discusses the present conditions of the university libraries as well as finds out the systems and services provided by the sampled university libraries. The objectives of the study were to find out the advancement in university libraries in the developed world; to find out the present scenario of university libraries of Bangladesh; to specify the sectors and divisions of university libraries needed to be modernized to implement the proposed plan; to assess the requirements for modernization of university libraries of Bangladesh; to conduct a comparative study on public and private university libraries to assess the existing status; to develop a plan for modernization of university libraries of Bangladesh; to find out barriers and limitations of modernization issues; and to put recommendation and concluding remarks. A survey was conducted to gather information from the sample university libraries and their stakeholders. Twenty (10 public and 10 private) out of 111 university libraries have been selected purposively as a sample to conduct the study. Data have been collected by two sets of structured questionnaires, unstructured interviews of the senior professionals, observation and field visit of the sample universities to uncover the situation. The research finds that present condition of university libraries (public and private) of Bangladesh is not fully in line with the demand of higher studies and expansion of new education system. The findings of the study have been presented with eight chapters, 54 tables, and 32 figures/charts with detailed explanations. The researcher feels a larger percentage of the universities and its stakeholders may have participated but due to some constraints that was not possible. The research was conducted on the universities’ main library excluding seminar and institutional libraries. Twenty-three newly established university libraries were not included in the study. The cost benefit effect of the proposed model has not been taken into consideration. Furthermore, the technological aspects for implementation of the model have also not been taken into account due to resource constraints. This research provides an elementary model plan for establishing a modern university library for the country. Necessary phases have been incorporated to implement the plan so that university libraries can change their present conditions and future libraries can get right direction from the beginning. Therefore, it makes provisions not only for ensuring an effective guideline for policy makers from the part of the government but also university libraries of all kinds will find helpful directions to transform their existing situation towards modernization. The researchers’ in this field will find new possibilities towards further research.