Establishing an information network among Islamic Sciences Centers in Iran: a feasibility study

Purpose - This study aims to evaluates the existing and potential facilities in Iranian Islamic Sciences Centers (ISCs), including information resources, budget, human resources and facilities. It identifies the views of Center managers in order to find grounds for cooperation and collaboration and to develop communication and information exchanges between the Centers. Design/methodology/approach - The population of this research includes all 123 ISCs in Iran. Questionnaires were distributed in a three-month interval (August to October, 2008). The data were analyzed using SPSS software (Version 16). Findings - The findings show that ISCs support the establishment of a network and would join it; however, lack of professionals in the informatics and network development, lack of in-service training facilities, lack of financial and facilities, lack of access to the resources of other centers and the absence of fast exchange of information are among the problems that need much attention. Practical implications - To establish the network, three issues should be considered, i.e. human resources, budget, and facilities of the centers. Originality/value - The paper can serve as a driver to improve the efficiency in ISCs through establishing an information network to serve them.