​​Information and Knowledge Management Research

The staff members recognise the importance of the advancement of knowledge in their individual fields of study through research and publications, contributing to the practical application of research results to solve various problems experienced in Southern Africa.

The Department’s commitment to research is evident in the large number of peer-reviewed articles (more than 40 during the past five years), as well as in the recently established Centre for Information and Knowledge Management, which is providing a dynamic research infrastructure for UJ’s Department of Information and Knowledge Management.

The emphasis on research is further reflected in the large number of postgraduate students that have completed their studies at this Department during the last five years. As an example of the various fields covered, completed and current topics for master’s and doctoral projects reflect the following broad research topics:

• IT and the Internet/World Wide Web
• Information management
• Management of information services

Research on information technology and the Internet/World Wide Web:

• World-Wide Web for developing a community information system
• World-Wide Web information systems for research in sport
• Web-based medical information services
• Electronic journals on the Web
• Push technologies via the Web
• The World-Wide Web and geographic information systems (GIS)
• World-Wide Web interfaces to online systems
• Task analysis of the Webmaster
• Web-based bulletin boards for current awareness
• Web-based distance education techniques.

Research on information management:

• Information as a resource at academic institutions
• Information audit in an insurance enterprise
• Information as a resource in municipalities
• Pricing of information products.

Research on the management of information services:

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• Participative management in academic information services
• Intercultural communication in a community information service
• Measurement of service quality in information services
• Scenarios and information services
• The information needs of rural black people in the Northern Province
• Management of change in information technology
• Motivation and job satisfaction of information workers
• New employee orientation in information services
• Application of Belbin’s team role theory in information services

If you would like to comment on or contribute to the various research projects mentioned above, please post your comments on the discussion link. We are also inviting potential external examiners for the postgraduate research projects undertaken in the Department.