Using Referencing Software to Manage the Academic Writing Process: A Drumbeat for Zotero

By John Otieno Oredo*

Academic writing is an indispensable activity every scholar must engage in. This is more so because the responsibility of any scholar worth his salt is the generation and conservation of knowledge. The new knowledge generated is normally communicated to the members of the academic community in the form of a research report. Research reports must adhere to certain standards that make it possible to enforce the principles of the scientific method. The scientific method describes a body of techniques and principles for investigating real world phenomena with the view of adding to the corpus of knowledge. Academic writing therefore demands a strict writing style coupled with careful handling and acknowledgement of sources.

While there is a difference between plagiarism and misuse of sources, lack of source acknowledgement resulting from poor management of source documents could be construed as plagiarism. Sometimes, writers especially students fall in the rut of plagiarism due to the difficulties implicit in the manual management of sources. With the advent of referencing software, writers can now automate the management of sources for efficient citations and referencing. In this article, I will identify some of the important tools provided by referencing software that can be leveraged for efficient academic writing. I will put special emphasis on Zotero because it is open source. This means you can simply download and use it without dipping a dime.

The tools provided by Zotero will help you accomplish most of the tasks in the academic writing process. Here are some of the tasks you will easily accomplish using Zotero.

1. You can create a library of sources. Be they journal articles, books, newspapers, websites etc. The library can be divided into collections. Each collection could contain sources for a particular research project or even an article you are writing. A library can be created by adding sources manually or grabbing them from the internet. You can also create a local or cloud backup of your library. A library once in the cloud can be shared through a user group.

2. Zotero automates the citation of sources once they are in the library. Once citations are done, the references are generated automatically in whichever referencing style you prefer. You can further generate annotated bibliography.

3. Zotero provides sorting and searching facilities in case your library overgrows simple scrolling to locate source items.

4. For those who like taking notes while reading-which most scholars do, Zotero is armed with a note taking tool that you can then attach to the article you have read.

5. You will find locating sources from the net by using an item’s ISBN, DOI or PMID to be faster than typing titles or author names. Zotero provides a tool for searching items using the above mentioned identifiers.

6. Remember you can store your library of sources in the cloud – really a Zotero server far away from you. To ensure that the cloud copy of your library is up to date with the local copy, Zotero provides a sync tool.  The sync tool can be automated or manually managed. You loss you local copy through any threat or vulnerability, just log into the Zotero server and your library is restored.

7. Zotero integrates neatly with most word-processors.  The integration is seamless in Ms Word which I suspect you use mostly for your writing. So, no switching back and forth.

Zotero like all software applications has certain weakness. These are:

1. Zotero does not work with other internet browsers especially those that are proprietary. This is mainly because Zotero is open source. If I did not mention already, Zotero works with Firefox. Most of the tools in Zotero are created by extension developers since Firefox exposes all its underlying functionality unlike proprietary browsers like IE.

2. Zotero can not currently import items from bibliographies in text documents. This state may remain for sometime due to the large range of potential formats.

I will stop here for the disadvantages. Usually the advantages should weigh down the disadvantages. You realize that the disadvantages are mainly technical and may not hinder you from taking advantage of Zotero. There are other referencing software like EndNote which is proprietary or rather commercial. Two years ago, when I wanted to buy EndNote, the nearest retailer was in Uganda. I discovered Zotero before I could make an order.

 

*The writer conducts training on plagiarism and referencing software especially Zotero. He has in the past trained the Kenya Library Association members and assorted staff members and students of the University of Nairobi. He can be reached at john.oredo@gmail.com and

+254 724 702 691.

The Challenges of Technology in the Electoral Process: A Lesson for Kenya

John Otieno Oredo / John.oredo@gmail.com / @JohnOredo

Among the defining attributes of democracy are universal suffrage among adult citizens and fair and regular elections. The elections enable the citizens of a country to define the kind of a state they want. A state comprises a clique that claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of power within a given territory. Since this acquisition of power is done through elections in true-democratic and quasi-democratic countries, there is a great incentive for those seeking power to engage in electoral fraud.  Prevailing wisdom is that elections which are close – where the front runner and the first runner-up enjoy similar levels of support before the polls take place could highly motivate electoral corruption.

In order to safeguard democracy, which in many countries is won through a protracted struggle against the existing authoritarian regimes, we must regard elections, their processes and the individual vote as assets to be protected. This is a noble goal that can only be achieved when election boards superintend elections that accurately reflect voters’ intentions and ensure public confidence. In fact even competing parties should strive for a free and fair elections because as the sanctity of elections decline, so too does the legitimacy of the regime produced by such an election.

Election boards or commissions as we call them here must safeguard their integrity against any manipulation arising from the competing parties. One way of doing this is to ensure that the entire electoral process is beyond reproach. In the past we have conducted elections through the use of ballot papers. The word ballot comes from the Italian ballota which refers to an ancient election technique where balls were placed in a container to signify votes. What we use today is known as Australian paper ballot that was first used in 1888 for statewide elections in New York and Massachusetts.

Learning from the failure of ballot voting, electoral commissions the world over are gravitating toward the adoption of e-voting technologies to improve the quality of the voting process. In a rush to take advantage of the advances in Information Technology (IT), e-voting systems are being implemented by electoral bodies with a naïve confidence that it is the panacea to all the ills afflicting electioneering especially at the national levels. Due to hype and technology vendors’ rhetoric, risks to the use of e-voting systems are usually underestimated with the effect that contingency measures are ignored. Risks to any form of system are usually seen in terms of the threats to the system (exposure), the likelihood of the threats occurring (probability) and the loss due to the threat in case it materializes (consequence). The threats to an e-voting system may stem from the system developers and providers, election insiders, political party hawks usually in collusion with partisan civil service operatives. These threats include injection of malicious code into the tallying server and tampering with the voting equipment amongst others.  The probability of these threats actualizing is a factor of the motivation of the attackers and the vulnerability of the e-voting system. The motivation of attackers is driven largely by the level of stakes in the particular election. The vulnerability of the technology will mainly result from testing that focuses on functionality rather than weaknesses. The consequences or magnitude of loss in a failed electoral system can be seen in monetary terms which may be easier to deal with. The greatest damage results from the loss of public trust in the institutions mandated to conduct elections.

While election bodies try to put in place foolproof e-voting systems, they are faced with great challenges especially in the developing countries. On top of the list is the poor infrastructure especially in marginalized areas. Here we are talking about transport, communication and grid power networks. The election bodies lack the IT capacity to assess the risks associated with complex systems. They seem to rely mainly on the expertise of technology vendors. Borrowing from principal-agency theory, it seems that the election officials are at information disadvantage and therefore unable to make fully informed decisions. Other challenges include lack of close and continuous control over staff, infrequency of national elections - which limits quick acquisition of experience, political interference and the pressure of timelines resulting from poor planning or constitutional imposition. The opaque nature of the operations of technology vendors is also an issue. The vendors usually supply proprietary software making it difficult to transparently scrutinize them. The reason is to ensure security of the systems, a style known as security by obscurity in system security loops.

Any voting technology must address the concerns of security and transparency. Security in electoral systems refers to safeguarding the votes and the vote totals from fraud and any other form of manipulation. Transparency demands that voting technologies produce auditable results in which candidates and voters can have confidence. In a bid to employ e-voting systems, election boards must address the security concern by thoroughly testing systems with an eye to their redundancy and resilience. The process of acquiring, installing, testing and deploying electoral technology must be transparent. This requirement is not only a democratic principle but is also stipulated in chapter seven of the Kenya’s constitution as a tenet of free and fair elections. The improvement of voting systems must be seen as an on-going process which requires the judicial, legislative and executive branches of government to play their rightful role in strengthening the capabilities of our electoral body towards its mandate of conducting credible elections. While losing contestants will always want to pooh-pooh election results, their motivation should not derive from open negligence arising from the incompetence of the electoral body.

Research Note

As third level students of information systems and budding researchers, what should be our contribution towards addressing the challenges of migration from ballot to e-voting systems? In my previous blog, we realized that Information Systems is a discipline that deals with technology in use- in this case its use in electoral process. The following random thoughts came to my mind after completing this blog:

-Can our research critically examine the challenges of e-voting systems in developing countries like Kenya?

-Borrowing from literature in systems security, are we capable of conceptualizing and addressing system breaches that may compromise the credibility of results arising from e-voting systems.

-How can we use natural accident theory, high-reliability theory and other theories as lens to investigating issues and concerns surrounding e-voting systems?

-How can our research policy regarding use of technology in the electoral process.

Let us hear your thoughts.

The PhD Challenge

By John Otieno Oredo / @JohnOredo

Many of us are pursuing doctoral studies amidst so many other things. We are probably working full time or part time so as to put food on the table and to meet other needs. Going by anecdotal evidence, many people in developing countries like Kenya seem to start their doctoral studies when they are in their mid thirties and above. This implies that they have to balance between studies and their families. Again sponsorships for doctoral studies is dwindling, leaving many who are interested in puisuing such studies with no option but to work full time plus part time to meet their normal financial obligations and to fund their studies. And before I forget, how about the distractions of social life - the sports clubs, neighbourhood associations, Chamas, Church ministries, weddings  and others in pursuit of belongingness (Maslow’s pyramid).

While there seems to be very many visible impediments to pursuing and completing a doctoral  degree, a flash of courage runs within me when I think of all the men and women who have run this road. Juggling life’s pressures,family responsibilities, social responsibilities, work and daily routines, men and women across the world have carved out space in their lives to embark on the journey of  attaining a doctoral degree.

A doctoral degree is awarded in recognition of a candidate’s erudition in a broad field of learning and for notable accomplishment in that field through an original and substantial contribution to knowledge (Recker, 2013, p. 6). This is a gigantic undertaking  that requires a strong motivation that turns it from a mere undertaking into a vocation –“The intellectual life”. While it looks obvious that to succeed in any vocation, a kind of lifestyle is required, doctoral students are never inducted into this lifestyle in any formal manner.  Its like you will get it through osmosis as we used to say in high school.

In as much as we share the passion and calling of those who have succeed in this endevour before us, we need their  perspective and counsel. (Recker, 2013, p. 5)  summarises three dimensions of motivation needed by a doctoral student. These are:

1.      Ambition- This could be to enter or progress an academic carrier or as a recognition of thought leadership in industry or corporate careers.

2.      Dedication – Needed to work on a novel and intrinsically complex challenge for s substantial amount of time.

3.      Commitment -Willingness to free time and resources to work dedicatedly on the research.

In summary, a scholar should be carried along by the instinct of a conqueror, by an urge, an enthusiasm, an inspiration (Sertillanges, 1998). As scholars, we can not thrive in isolation but through continuous discourse with our peers and mentors. A scholar must be nourished and sharpened by his colleagues. The purpose of this blog is to facilitate discourse in our discipline. Our discipline is Information Systems (IS)-Information Technology in use. The IS research discipline is concerned with examining information technology in use (Paul, 2010)  including electronic voter systems and their challenges. This field is broad, multidisciplinary and exciting. Ladies and gentlemen, let us engage through this blog.

We can dedicate this first thread to share our hopes, challenges and the way forward. Lets us all participate in setting the agenda for this research community.

Finally I thank our techie Katiku Mwendo who created and administers the blog.

References

Paul, R. J. (2010). Loose Change. European Journal of Information Systems, 19(4), 379–381. doi:10.1057/ejis.2010.40

Recker, J. (2013). Scientific Research in Information Systems - A Beginner’s Guide. Springer. Retrieved from http://www.springer.com/business+%26+management/business+information+systems/book/978-3-642-30047-9

Sertillanges, A. G. (1998). The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods. (M. Ryan, Trans.) (Reprint.). Catholic University of America Press.