Issue #85 by Michael Seadle  (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) Jack Grove  wrote an article for the Times Higher Education  entitled “Junior researchers ‘cited more if PhD supervisor is well known’: Success of those mentored by highly regarded scholars suggests ‘chaperone effect’ is increasingly important, finds study”.¹ An important finding was that: “In a paper published in the Royal Society journal Interface ( https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2024.0173 ) on 14 August, researchers survey the ‘academic genealogy’ of more than 300,000 academics who published nearly 10 million papers to work out if the PhD graduates of highly cited authors are more widely cited than those whose mentors had a lower academic reputation – a phenomenon that has often been attributed to the ‘chaperone effect’.¹ “Political science, computing and anthropology … have high levels of ‘impact inequality’ …”, but apparently the effect was strongest in “philosophy, mathematics and linguistics.”¹ The study also found that the “‘impact persistence’ … was slightly higher if the supervisor was female.”¹   The issue may be more complex than simple numbers suggest. Grove notes that the study “... also argues that PhD students of well-known scholars are able to benefit from more networking opportunities.”¹ Well-known scholars may simply be better able to advise students about where to submit their work. Such supervisors may also help them understand the reviewer’s critical comments and how to address them, so that the paper can move forward. “[T]he study suggests that ‘academia has become less open and more stratified over time, as newer protégé cohorts are characterised by lower intergenerational mobility than their predecessors’.”¹    Stratification is nothing new: those doctoral students who are fortunate enough to get into top schools with well-known faculty are likely to benefit from the contacts, which is why students compete to get into the best programs. Top scholars also presumably have good judgment about whom to select as their doctoral students. There is good reason to think that the citation advantage is real, but it is like noting that people from well-to-do families have advantages in society, which is unsurprising.  1 : Grove, Jack. “Junior Researchers ‘Cited More If PhD Supervisor Is Well Known’: Success of Those Mentored by Highly Regarded Scholars Suggests ‘Chaperone Effect’ Is Increasingly Important, Finds Study.” Times Higher Education , August 14, 2024.   https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/junior-researchers-cited-more-if-phd-supervisor-well-known .

iConference 2025 will be the 20th annual conference of the international iSchools organization. The virtual academic program will take place 11-14 March 2025 and the onsite academic program will take place 18-22 March 2025. The 2025 iConference theme will be “Living in an AI-gorithmic world” and the host of the conference will be Indiana University Bloomington (USA). All information scholars, researchers, and practitioners are encouraged to submit their research and participate in the conference. An iSchools affiliation is not required. Call for Papers With the theme "Living in an AI-gorithmic World,” iConference 2025 seeks to explore the potentially profound implications of living in a world increasingly influenced by algorithmic processes, such as generative artificial intelligence, machine learning, large language models (LLM), data analytics, and related technologies. We invite researchers, practitioners, and thinkers to submit their papers, panels, and workshops proposals on this pivotal theme. Because so much of modern life is impacted by these technologies, we encourage scholars, practitioners, and thought leaders from across the intellectual landscape to join us in exploring the profound implications of living in an AI-gorithmic world. We solicit research and critical commentary that examines the multifaceted dimensions of algorithms and their role in contemporary life, to foster a deeper understanding of their benefits, challenges, and ethical implications. We welcome empirical and theoretical submissions that investigate the ways in which cultural, political, organizational, economic and other social dynamics have been and are/will be altered by algorithmic processes. We are interested in papers that critically analyze the economic transformations brought about by AI, LLMs machine learning, and predictive analytics. Additionally, of interest is work that investigates the psychological and sociological dimensions of living under algorithmic influences, offering insights into how we can retain agency in an increasingly automated environment. We encourage interdisciplinary approaches that bridge the gap between technology, society, and human values — for example, address questions such as how can we design algorithmic processes that enhance human wellbeing and promote societal good? Papers that explore collaborations between technologists, ethicists, policymakers, and community stakeholders to create more inclusive and human-centric algorithmic systems are also welcomed. Submission Deadlines 15 September 2024 for Full Research Paper Short Research Paper Posters (written Proposal) Spanish & Portuguese Research Paper 20 October 2024 for Workshops & Panels Student Symposium Doctoral Colloquium Early Career Colloquium Chinese Research Paper Decision Notification, Registration Opens: Mid November 2024 We encourage information scholars, researchers, and practitioners from all parts of the world to submit their research via the secure Conftool submission portal . All accepted papers and posters will be presented virtually. Accepted authors can request additionally a presentation slot in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. Please note that at least one author per paper needs to register in the Early Bird Registration phase of the iConference. Detailed information can be found on the iConference 2025 website and in the Call for Papers (PDF) .

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Application Deadline: Dec 01, 2024 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time The University of Michigan's School of Information (UMSI) invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position specializing in digital archives and digital curation. This hire aims to further integrate our established expertise in archival and library science with our leadership in data science. Potential research areas include: Critical digital archival and data studies Computational approaches to archives, broadly construed  Data technologies and infrastructure Artificial intelligence and archives Infrastructures, tools, and policies for digital archives Records creation, curation, and preservation technologies, including data security mechanisms Data documentation, search, discovery, and reuse Building and managing large-scale digital data archives UMSI is committed to encouraging a collaborative academic environment. We are excited by a new colleague who shares our mission and offers unique and divergent perspectives on it. We look forward to your application and the possibility of you joining our team to push the boundaries of digital archives and data science at the University of Michigan’s School of Information. Job Expectations and Responsibilities: Job responsibilities  include research, teaching, and service. Job responsibilities include but are not limited to: Conduct scholarly research resulting in publications in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, edited books, books, and conference proceedings Seek external funding to support their research program Teach in UMSI’s five academic programs  Mentor students for independent studies, master’s projects and theses, and doctoral dissertations Provide service to the school, university, and the broader academic community through committee work, journal editing, community engagement, and other opportunities.

University of California Berkeley Application Deadline: 13 October 2024 Reporting to the Dean of the Berkeley School of Information (“I School”), the Assistant Dean of External Affairs & Development (AD) holds a key leadership role in a globally respected academic organization. The AD is tasked with developing goals, priorities, and the strategy for, and delivery of, fundraising, marketing and communications and alumni engagement activities and outcomes for the School of Information. Working closely with the Dean and senior leadership team, the AD establishes philanthropic priorities for the school and faculty, directs programs and services for alumni and donor engagement, and oversees a comprehensive marketing and communications team. This position currently manages a team of 4 positions and serves as a liaison internally and across campus. The AD, External Affairs & Development reports to the Dean with a dotted line to the Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) of Constituent Programs (CP), University Development & Alumni Relations (UDAR). This recruitment will remain open until filled.

University of California Berkeley Application Deadline: 26 September 2024 (11:59pm - Pacific Time) The University of California, Berkeley Library seeks a creative, collaborative, and user-centered Librarian to support world-class research and teaching through the management of the Library’s discovery services. The Discovery Librarian will design ways to make the Library’s discovery platform, services, and tools more accessible, inclusive, and welcoming to the campus community. They will apply product knowledge, provide expertise in user behavior, identify usage patterns in the Library’s discovery products, and recommend and deploy improvements to the user experience. In alignment with the Library mission to provide access to scholarly resources, the Discovery Librarian will ingest digital collections, datasets, services, and more into the Library’s discovery environment. This recruitment will remain open until filled.

The UK e-information Group (UKeiG) is delighted to launch a call for nominations for three international awards in the fields of information retrieval, library and information services and open science. All three awards are open to individuals or groups from anywhere in the world. Nominations for all three 2024 awards must reach UKeiG by 6 pm GMT on Friday 27th September 2024. The three awards are:   The Tony Kent Strix Award was inaugurated in 1998 by the Institute of Information Scientists . It is presented by UKeiG in partnership with the International Society for Knowledge Organisation UK (ISKO UK), the Royal Society of Chemistry Chemical Information and Computer Applications Group (RSC CICAG) and the British Computer Society Information Retrieval Specialist Group (BCS IRSG) and awarded in recognition of an outstanding practical innovation or achievement in the field of information retrieval and search. Nominations must be for a major, sustained or influential achievement that meets one or more of the criteria listed below.   The Jason Farradane Award is presented in recognition of an outstanding, creative and enterprising contribution to the wider library and information profession. It will be awarded to an individual or a team in recognition of exemplary and innovative practice. This may take the form of a specific project, a piece of research or the development of a service or resource. The Award celebrates creativity and enterprise across the library and information profession in its broadest sense and honours Jason Farradane, who first made an impact on the LIS community with a paper on the ‘scientific approach to documentation’ presented at a Royal Society Scientific Information Conference in 1948. He was instrumental in establishing the Institute of Information Scientists  in 1958, alongside the first academic information science courses in 1963 at the precursor to City University, London, where he became Director of the Centre for Information Science in 1966. UKeiG’s inaugural open science award will be presented in recognition of an outstanding contribution in terms of digital/electronic information to one or more of the following areas of Open Science: Open Access, Open Data, Open Peer Review, Open Science Tools. It will be awarded to an individual or a team in recognition of exemplary and innovative practice. This may, for example, take the form of a specific project, the development of a service, resource or research activity

Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota Application Deadline: October 1, 2024 (Position will remain open until filled.) The Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication in the College of Liberal Arts invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position to begin fall semester 2025 (08/25/2025). Appointment will be 100% time over the nine-month academic year (late-August to late-May) and will be at the rank of tenure-track assistant professor. Salary and start up package is competitive. We are seeking outstanding scholars with research and teaching interests that address contemporary issues in journalism practice and the profession. This may include issues related to artificial intelligence, data science, data visualization and reporting on social issues. A preference will be given to individuals with quantitative social science expertise using emerging methods of data science to advance applied studies of journalism. The School seeks applicants whose research, practice, teaching, and service will further the undergraduate and graduate curriculum in journalism practice, as well as contribute to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education and at the University of Minnesota. Successful candidates for this position will show outstanding promise of sustaining a vigorous program of original research and publication with potential for external funding; show promise of excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching and advising (both M.A. and Ph.D.); and demonstrate the capacity and commitment to teach undergraduate courses in the areas of interactive and data journalism/data visualization, news reporting and writing, and other professionally-oriented journalism skills courses. The ability to contribute to the graduate curriculum in areas related to journalism and advanced research methods, and contributing to potentially new curriculum involving AI and data science and reporting, is preferred. Professional journalism experience and the capacity to contribute to the ongoing development and delivery of a rapidly evolving emerging-media focused professional journalism curriculum, including use of artificial intelligence, are also preferred qualifications. The faculty and staff at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication are committed to building a culturally and socially diverse community. We believe it is a vital component of the distinction and excellence of our research and academic programs. We are eager to welcome a colleague who supports and enhances the School’s efforts toward inclusion, equity and the creation of a place where all constituents can thrive. Faculty in the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication in the College of Liberal Arts are expected to maintain an active program of scholarly research or creative activity that includes publication, exhibition, or performance; develop and teach undergraduate and graduate courses; advise students; and contribute service appropriate for the rank of appointment to the school, college, University, and profession. Enter the Job ID 364381 into the University of Minnesota Job Board to view the full job posting.

Weber State University Application Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Position will remain open until filled.) We are seeking individuals who are inspired and passionate teachers at the college level. Applicants should have the ability to motivate students and faculty to think creatively and critically, have experience working with students and faculty and possess a thorough understanding of user experience design methodology and theories and web (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript). Candidates with expertise in interaction design, information architecture, visual design, web accessibility, user research, usability, behavioral science, and product management will be given special consideration. Additionally, backgrounds in psychology, human factors research, information visualization; human-computer interaction (HCI), the digital humanities, the history and anthropology of computing, and an understanding of the intersection of behavioral science and computing are also helpful competencies.

Kyungwon Koh , associate professor and director of the Champaign-Urbana (CU) Community Fab Lab , has been awarded a $149,995 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services ( IMLS grant LG-256680-OLS-24 ). The award is part of the National Leadership Grants for Libraries program, which supports “projects that address critical needs of the library and archives fields and have the potential to advance practice in these professions to strengthen library and archival services for the American public.”   The goal of the IMLS-funded project, “National Forum to Connect and Advance Library Makerspaces,” is to enhance the capacity of makerspaces to meet the evolving needs of their communities as well as advance the maker movement nationally. Koh’s team will include co-principal investigator Rebecca M. Teasdale , assistant professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago, and project coordinator Emilie Butt , instruction and engagement coordinator at the Fab Lab. The researchers will collaborate with partners from the American Library Association ; Nation of Makers , a national nonprofit supporting America’s maker organizations; and Library Makers , a community of library makerspace professionals.   According to Koh, with the remarkable growth of makerspaces over the past decade, there is a critical need to reflect on the achievements and challenges within the maker movement in libraries and strategically envision the future of library makerspaces.   “Initially seen as a trend, makerspaces have now become a staple in various types of libraries—public, school, academic, special, rural, and urban—and come in diverse forms. As of 2024, many U.S. libraries have integrated makerspaces or maker programs as standard services, similar to reference or interlibrary loan services,” said Koh.   To develop and realize a vision for the future of library makerspaces, the project will enhance coordination among key maker groups that provide leadership to library makerspaces. Over the next eighteen months, the project team will convene a series of online and in-person forums, inviting all stakeholders—including current and prospective library maker professionals, as well as educators and researchers in higher education—to engage in dialogue.   Koh’s areas of expertise include digital youth, the maker movement, learning and community engagement through libraries, human information behavior, and competencies for information professionals. She holds an MS and PhD in library and information studies from Florida State University .

University of Tennessee Knoxville Application Deadline: 1st April 2025 The School of Information Sciences in the College of Communication and Information (CCI) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), seeks exceptional candidates to fill one 9-month tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level starting August 1, 2025, in the areas of information sciences, archives and records management, data curation, human-computer interaction (HCI), user experience design (UXD), data science, and information security/integrity to join us in our quest to enrich, elevate and transform communities and the information professions through excellence in research, education, and service.

School of Information Science, University of Kentucky Application Deadline: 8 November 2024 The School seeks candidates for teaching and research responsibilities in areas including, but not limited to, digital curation, archives, health information, health technologies, information systems, artificial intelligence, data science, and knowledge organization. Candidates are expected to hold an earned Ph.D. or be in ABD status in library and information sciences, computer science, or a related field at the time of the interview. The Ph.D. is required by August 2025 for the successful candidate to hold the rank of assistant professor and begin the probationary period toward tenure.

University of California Berkeley Application Deadline: 24 September 2024 (11:59pm - Pacific Time) The University Library is seeking an academic librarian with demonstrated leadership and acquisitions experience to fill the position of Head of Acquisitions. This position is responsible for organizing the acquisition and delivery of digital and print collections to the Library and its users in the most effective and efficient ways possible, as well as managing the Library’s consortial agreements and assisting the Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Resources in managing the Library’s collections and budget. This position reports directly to the Head of the Collection Services Division and is part of the Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Resources’ portfolio. UC Berkeley's library system is one of the largest academic library systems in the United States, with over 15 million total volumes, of which 3 million are e-books, and a current collections budget of over sixteen million dollars. The Library, a key part of one of the nation’s premier public universities, is tasked with the dual imperatives of being responsive to immediate service demands and anticipating future needs. To achieve this, staff members are required to operate in a spirit of close collaboration, cooperation, flexibility, and a commitment to continuous professional development. The Library must continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of its users.