Information technology and society - Assignment Example

Information technology and society Qn The issue that I have selected to research in this is education which is a major society problem and incorporates the use of information technology. Education forms a core concept in the society and influences growth and development. It involves knowledge provision on various subjects in relation to life concepts (Petersen, 2002). This issue has an impact on me and others positively through provision of effective means of communication and skills necessary for survival and work in modern contemporary living. Education promotes growth in any country and therefore should be acutely promoted in any society because, eventually, it will lead to growth. The society needs to care more on this issue because; through education people promote their social status and it also influences the way of life of individuals.
Besides this, education provides access to such items as employment opportunities and thus improves the way of living of people. It is an important issue to focus on because knowledge gained through education can be applied in various fields such as health, information technology and in technical skills (Petersen, 2002). The application of information technology in the education is important so as to obtain current knowledge and improve access to many people across the globe.
Qn. 2
What vendor, institution, or publisher supplies this database?
The name of the database is African Journals Online (AJOL) which provides access to African scholarly research online and is a non-profit making organization based in South Africa. The publisher that maintains this database is the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publication (INASP) supported by Google. The staffs in AJOL maintains this database using digitalized full texts and capable software such as Linux as an operating system, Apache and PHP for scripting.
Is the database freely accessible or does it require a subscription?
The database is freely accessible and provides a user front-end where those using can browse and access the contents of the database online. It also has an administrative end where the staff, journal publishers and editors can log in and manage the contents of the database.
What types of information and knowledge products are indexed in this database?
In March 2004, AJOL re-launched a data system that was more sophisticated to increase the functionality of site and to ensure compatibility. This included the indexing of all journal content listed with AJOL through Open Archives Initiative, OAI search engines. Basically, information and knowledge products that are indexed include journals article so as to make them available to a greater audience and increase their visibility among the research community.
What are some subjects covered by this database?
The journal covers a wide range of academic disciplines with major sections on agriculture and health subjects.
Is the database citation only, citation and abstract, partially full text, or completely full text?
The database is completely full text which is digitalized.
List one option for limiting a search.
An option for limiting a research would be narrowing the search to subject, title or the form of research work such as journals or articles. For instance, a person can browse peer-reviewed journal from African or even scholarly articles.
Do you think this database is useful for researching information technology and society issues? Why, or why not?
Yes. This database is useful for researching information technology and society issues because it offers articles on a wide range of subjects such as health, agriculture, education and sciences, business, technology among others. The database incorporates various items such as full text articles, abstracts, journals and issues.
References
Petersen, J. V. (2002). Absolute beginners guide to databases. Indianapolis, Ind.: Que.
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