Article

Identifying the Factors Influencing Digital Library Use among Research Students: A Case of National Digital Library of Pakistan

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Abstract

Purpose As the revolution of information takes place, industrialized societies are going to become information societies. Developing countries such as Pakistan are going to change due to technology and in turn, transform the whole structure of libraries. The concept of digital libraries (DL) has emerged due to technological advancements. This study aims to highlight the factors that encourage and discourage the use of the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) National Digital Libraries (NDL). Design/Methodology/Approach A quantitative research approach was selected for the investigation, while the data collection instrument was a questionnaire. Postgraduate research students were the population of the study. A convenient sampling technique was used for sample selection. Key Findings The results of the study indicated that the use of HEC (NDL) was frequent monthly. The display of search results, 24/7 access, the authenticity of items, availability of navigational assistance, and up-to-date information encourage researchers to use DL. However, their preference for print material over electronic material, slow downloading speed of the internet, and non-availability of older and archival publications were the common reasons for low use of DL. Furthermore, there are significant differences in terms of using the National Digital Library based on gender, the program of study, and the stage of the study. Originality/Value This study will contribute significantly to the literature from the developing countries and would also helpful for HEC (NDL) authorities and university libraries to design information services. Paper Type: Research Paper Keywords: HEC National Digital Library (NDL), Digital library (DL), Pakistan

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... Consequently, several studies have determined the impact of HEC digital library resources on research productivity (Ahmed and Uzair, 2017;Arif & Kanwal, 2009;Khan & Ahmed, 2013a, 2016b; Khan et al., 2017;and Rafi, Jian Ming & Ahmed, 2019). Some researchers also explored the issues influencing the use of HEC DL resources (Arif & Kanwal, 2009;Bhatti & Asghar, 2014;Iqbal, Akhtar & Muhammad, 2017;Khan & Ahmed, 2013;Khan, Ahmed & Masrek, 2014;Mubeen, Soroya & Mahmood, 2021;Warraich & Tahir, 2009). Hence, no systematic study has been conducted to investigate the users' satisfaction, motivational factors, and challenges associated with the use of HEC DL in the study context. ...
... Furthermore, several LIS experts reported that the lack of training and skills to search and use online resources are the major causes behind the proper utilization of HEC DL resources (Arif & Kanwal, 2009;Arshad & Ameen, 2014;Bhatti, 2014;Khan & Ahmed, 2020Khan, Ahmed & Masrek, 2014;Rafi, Ahmed & Ming, 2020;Warraich & Ameen, 2008;Warraich & Tahira, 2009) They further advocated the importance of ICT pieces of training to cope up with this issue. Some studies also documented that the low bandwidth or internet speed is one of the challenges that hinder the way of proper utilization of HEC Digital Library resources (Arif & Kanwal, 2009;Arshad & Ameen, 2014;Hussain, 2019;Khan & Ahmed, 2013a, 2020bMubeen, Soroya & Mahmood, 2021;Shafiq & Wani, 2018;Warraich & Tahira, 2009). The time taking downloading and browsing process is collectively the cause behind it. ...
... Out of them, seven (07) studies were published in Pakistani Journals, ten (10) in the UK, and only four (04) in USA LIS journals.Table 4shows details of the studies. Out of 22 extracted studies 17 studies used quantitative method(Arif & Amin, 2009; Arshad & Amin, 2014; Arshad & Amin, 2018;Bhatti, Chohan & Chohan, 2014; Hussain, Rafi & Raffique, 2019;Iqbal, Akhtar & Muhammad 2017; Khan & Ahmed, 2013a, 2016b, 2017c, 2020dKhan, Ahmed & Masrek, 2014;Mubeen, Soroya & Mahmood, 2021;Safdar & Rehman (2015); Shaffiullah, 2011;Sultan &Rafiq, 2021 andAmeen, 2008), while 04 of them ...
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This study examined the published literature on digital library resources and the users’ experiences (i.e. satisfaction level, motivating factors, and major challenges) with these resources in Pakistan. Several e-databases were consulted including Research Gate’, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to retrieve relevant literature. The study adopted a systematic literature review approach followed by PRISMA guidelines. Out of 323 articles, a total of 22 relevant studies were included based on pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings of this study reveal that most of the end-users are satisfied with the digital library resources, and they consulted these resources for academic and research endeavors. The authenticity and accuracy of the DLRs were the main motivating factors in the effective use of DLRs. Furthermore, this study consolidated several factors faced by end-users while using DLRs. The results of this study could help the policymakers, HEC authority, LIS professionals to further improve access to DLRs and resolve the problems facing end-users in the country. Moreover, the findings of this study will help the university administration and library authority to plan the subscription of resources keeping in view the associated barriers.
... User interface and ease of navigation as a part of search convenience have been identified as dominant factors influencing users to opt for electronic information resources (Bhat and Ganaie, 2016;Masrek and Gaskin, 2016;Garg et al., 2017;Kumar et al., 2018;Mubeen et al., 2021). Search convenience has been described as "the time and effort required to identify and collect information about a specific product or service" (Benoit et al., 2017). ...
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Purpose This study aims to analyze the mediating role of attitude in understanding the impact of online service convenience on user engagement and intention to continuously use e-resources. Five components of online service convenience have been adopted for the present study: These are access convenience, search convenience, evaluation convenience, transaction convenience and possession/ post-possession convenience. Design/methodology/approach A total of 500 PhD scholars and faculty members from two different states of India were approached to provide their responses through a structured questionnaire, which resulted in 224 complete responses. These responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The statistical analysis has been performed with the help of Smart-PLS 3. Findings The study findings have proven the proposed conceptual model by showing a significant relationship between all the variables. Furthermore, it has been identified that the attitude of the users also positively impacts intention to continuously use e-resources. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on e-resources by providing implications for students, faculties, managers and society.
... They found that the most commonly used e-resources were e-journals, e-books and e-research reports, and users accessed "e-journals through general search engines, Google Scholar and open access e-journal websites" to stay updated and supervise research work. Mubeen et al. (2021) conducted a survey to identify the factors influencing the researcher students' use of the National Digital Library. The researchers found that the display of the search results, 24/7 access, authentic content, available navigation assistance and up-to-date information encouraged the use of the digital library. ...
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... Search convenience is "the time and effort required to identify and collect information about a specific product or service" (Benoit et al., 2017, p. 528). In this regard, user interface and ease of navigation of electronic information resources play a significant role in providing online search convenience (Dadzie, 2005;Bhat & Ganaie, 2016;Masrek & Gaskin, 2016;Garg et al., 2017;Kumar et al., 2018;Mubeen, Soroya & Mahmood, 2021). Apart from this, the sufficiency and availability of data may also impact the adoption intention of electronic information resources (Pant, 2015;Kumar et al., 2018). ...
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The present study elaborated on the impact of online service convenience on the adoption intention and adoption of electronic information resources. Factors of service convenience have been identified as access convenience, search convenience, evaluation convenience, transaction convenience, and possession/ post-possession convenience. Data were collected from 205 Ph.D. scholars and faculty members from Central Government Institutes in Northern India. The received responses have been analyzed and presented with the help of PLS-SEM using ADANCO 2.2 software. The present study's findings suggested a significant impact of access, search, transaction, and possession/ post-possession convenience. However, evaluation convenience has been found insignificant in arousing adoption intention for electronic information resources. The uniqueness of the present study lies in elaborating on the unexplored area of online service convenience concerning electronic information resources.
... In the case of digital resources, there are numerous reasons for accepting and rejecting the usage of digital materials. Finding the factors that affect digital resources acceptance is still an ongoing and significant issue for many researchers (Ali, 2005;Ankrah and Atuase, 2018;Bakhsh et al., 2017;Garg and Kumar, 2017;Kumar and Batra, 2018;Madhusudhan, 2010;Mubeen et al., 2021). ...
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... On behalf of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, Arif et al. (2017Arif et al. ( , 2018 conducted two studies to measure user satisfaction with Web-based services. Mubeen et al. (2021) identified the overall factors that encourage and discourage the HEC-NDL use through a quantitative analysis by using convenient sampling technique. Another HEC-NDL study (Khan et al., 2019) looks at the link between personal innovativeness, digital resource quality and generic usability with user satisfaction in Pakistan. ...
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... Anser et al. (2021) researched the role of e-service quality and e-trust among the users of digital libraries. Mubeen et al. (2021) investigated factors leading to the implementation of digital library initiatives. Findings mirrored that digital library system provided customer satisfaction and facilitated in the acquisition of quality results. ...
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... Promising growth in higher education and research was started after the transformation of the University Grant Commission into Higher Education Commission (HEC) in 2002 (Mubeen, Soroya & Mahmood, 2021;. A 2018 study appreciated the role of HEC in establishing new degree-awarding institutions as well as improving the quality of higher education in Pakistan. ...
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... Anser et al. (2021) researched the role of e-service quality and e-trust among the users of digital libraries. Mubeen et al. (2021) investigated factors leading to the implementation of digital library initiatives. Findings mirrored that digital library system provided customer satisfaction and facilitated in the acquisition of quality results. ...
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Purpose To examine the use of library resources, focusing on e‐sources, by the members of the faculty of a higher educational institute in Thessaloniki, Greece; to reveal the factors which influence the effective use of sources for academic duties; and to provide reliable information to both the administration and the library of the institute, with the aim of the improvement of library services. Design/methodology/approach A census survey, using a structured questionnaire, among the faculty of the Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki was conducted to examine the frequency of use of resources, mainly e‐sources, and to reveal the impact of demographic or academic situational characteristics, the assumed positive influence of academic productivity, perceived usefulness of resources and access to e‐sources on the use of e‐sources as well as the assumed negative influence of barriers and computer anxiety on the use of e‐sources. Findings The great majority of the faculty of TEI uses printed sources more than e‐sources, but they also use e‐sources quite frequently. Use is mostly of books, websites and printed journals. It was also found that the use of e‐sources is higher in the School of Business Administration and Economics among those who hold a PhD degree and among younger members of the faculty. Also, the results indicated that the use of e‐sources is positively influenced by the respondents' perceived usefulness of resources, the convenience of access to the sources and their academic productivity. The examination of the computer anxiety rating scale (CARS) provided evidence that the less anxious the faculty feel about PCs, the more frequent users they become. Research limitations/implications Further research is needed to measure how faculty interact with information, what kind of electronic sources they prefer, what search strategies they use, as well as whether their information needs are satisfied. This research needs to be duplicated to other universities in Greece to determine whether the results can be generalized for Greek academic faculty. Practical implications University administrations need to improve library facilities, to include more workstations for access to electronic sources, as well as to improve the marketing and communication of these e‐sources. Originality/value This research tries to fill a gap in the literature, which has underemphasized so far the need for assessing and measuring the use of library resources in Greek academic libraries and the examination of the factors that influence this use.
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to this literature, we mean its free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself. The only constraint on reproduction and distribution, and the only role for copyright in this domain, should be to give authors control over the integrity of their work and the right to be properly acknowledged and cited." Chan, L. et al. 2002. Budapest Open Access Initiative. Abstract This paper is the result of a study that was conducted to investigate the accessibility and use of electronic information resources by the livestock researchers in Tanzania. One of the main objectives of the study was to assess the information literacy skills of livestock researchers. The study was conducted in three livestock research institutes in Tanzania with an overall sample size of fifty respondents consisting of livestock researchers and information professionals. Detailed questionnaires, interviews and observations were the methods used for data collection while data was analysed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and content analysis. One of the findings of the study was the lack of information literacy skills among most of the researchers and this was found to be limiting their access and use of e-resources. This paper discusses the level of information literacy that livestock researchers possess and its impact on these researchers' awareness and use of e-resources.
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The study investigated the factors that influenced the use of electronic information sources by postgraduate students in six Universities in the South West, Nigeria. Questionnaire was the main research instrument used. 2500 copies of questionnaire were distributed and 2,187 copies were returned. The findings revealed that the factors that influenced the use of electronic information sources by respondents varied according to their program of study, the need to carry out researches to excel in their academic endeavour and versatility in the use of information technologies to search for information recommendations were made for the identified problems in the use of electronic information sources.
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Many researches have identified that perceived ease of use will lead to the intention to use a particular technology and the intention in return will lead to actual behavior. In the context of this research the interface characteristics are classified as the external variable to the belief-intention relationship. Data was collected from 704 undergraduate and post graduate students of Universiti Sains Malaysia using a structured questionnaire through a convenience sampling technique. The findings of the study indicate that all three interface characteristics, terminology clarity (= 0.571,p< 0.01), screen design (= 0.268,p< 0.01) and navigation clarity (= 0.036,p< 0.05) were positively related perceived ease of use of the online library. Perceived ease of use (= 0.536,p< 0.01) was in turn positively related to intention to use. TheR 2 was 0.287, indicating that 28.7 percent of the variations in the intention to use can be explained by perceived ease of use. Implications for developers and the university authorities are considered.
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Purpose This study sets out to investigate the perceptions of LIS professionals regarding the usage and satisfaction of the Pakistani Higher Education Commission (HEC) National Digital Library (NDL) databases. The NDL Programme provides free access to electronic resources (30 full text databases including 24,000 peer reviewed online journals and e‐books) of world‐renowned publishers to public and private sector universities and non‐profitable research and development organizations, in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach The study used a multi‐method approach. The data‐gathering techniques used for the study were an online survey, group interviews, and observation. A total of 75 people from 40 institutions responded to the survey. Findings The findings reveal that younger professionals showed more interest in the use of databases. A majority of users accessed these databases through the HEC web site. The respondents were more satisfied with electronic journals and were least satisfied with e‐books. It was found that the resources of HEC NDL are underused. HEC NDL needs to develop a promotional strategy and a feedback mechanism with the assistance of LIS professionals to improve its usage, because they have better knowledge of the information needs of their potential clients. Practical implications The findings of the study and their implications will be helpful for universities and HEC authorities, as well as decision makers and LIS faculty, both in Pakistan and elsewhere. Originality/value The study is the first of its kind and thus a useful source for learning the perceptions of LIS professionals about this Pakistani programme.
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Electronic resources are becoming an integral part of the modern life and of the educational scene, especially the high education scene. In this research we wanted to verify what influences first degree university students&apos; use of electronic resources and their opinions regarding this use. Collecting data from 202 students and analyzing it using SPSS, we found that more than one half of the participants had high level of electronic media use and more than one third had moderate level of electronic media use. These levels of use indicate the students&apos; awareness of the role and benefits of electronic media use. Regarding the factors that influence the students&apos; se of electronic resources we found that the student&apos;s use of electronic resources had significant strong positive relationships with the provision of electronic resources by the academic institution. It had significant moderate positive relationships with the resources characteristics and the course requirement, and had significant weak relationships with the instructor&apos;s support and the student&apos;s characteristics. We explained these relationships as resulting from the influence of the surrounding community. Regarding the students&apos; opinions about the use of electronic resources, we found that the student&apos;s opinion of electronic resources has significant strong positive relationships with student&apos;s use of electronic resources, level of this use, the academic institution available facilities, student&apos;s characteristics and resources characteristics. It does not have significant relationships with the instructor&apos;s support or the course requirement. We explained these relationships depending on activity theory and its integration with ecological psychology.
Article
This article uncovers the reading trends of Millennials living in Pakistan by investigating their reading behavior within the digital paradigm. A cross-sectional survey-based quantitative research design was adopted. Masters students (16 years education) from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) recognized universities of Lahore, Pakistan was the study population. A total of 515 masters' level students from 7 universities participated in the survey. The participants were recruited by employing a two-stage stratified purposive total population sampling technique. The study findings confirmed that despite their preferences for print material, Millennials were using electronic material for reading more frequently. However, the study showed that the reading purpose influences the choice of the reading format. Furthermore, the availability of electronic reading content in the public domain and open access contents may be a reason for increased use of e-content, as free web-sites were the preferred method of millennials for obtaining reading material. Social networking websites and intelligent search engines like "Google" were also in use and play a role in finding the relevant information and reading e-content. The study shows that the digital environment has a significant impact on the reading behavior of individuals, a fact which needs to be considered by academics, practitioners, and the individuals themselves. It is considered a baseline study that opens various potential directions and avenues for future research.
Book
Preface. Acknowledgements. Part I: Overview of the Research Process. 1. Introduction to Research in Nutrition and Health. 2. Research Problem and Literature Review. 3. Framing a Research Problem: Hypotheses, Purposes, Objectives, and Questions. 4. Writing Method Sections. 5. Ethical Issues in Research and Scholarship. Part II: Statistical and Measurement Concepts in Research. 6. Statistical Concepts. 7. Relationships Among Variables. 8. Differences Among Groups. 9. Nonparametric Statistics. 10. Measuring Research Variables. Part III: Various Types of Research. 11. Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research. 12. Descriptive Research and Qualitative Research. Part IV: Writing the Research Proposal and Results. 13. Results, Discussion, and Abstract. 14. Publications. 15. Writing the Research Proposal. Part V: Using Computers in Research. 16. Using Computers. Appendix: A. Statistical Tables. Subject Index.
Article
Purpose: Present research aims to develop and validate a scale involving the factors affecting usage of e-resources. Design/methodology/approach: The present study identifies five factors affecting the usage of e-resources: training modes, awareness, influencers, utilitarian benefits and, experiential and hedonic benefits. To generate measurement items, two focus group discussions were carried out which resulted in 20 items. To empirically ensure reliability and validity of scale, data were collected from 347 post graduate students actively using e-resources. To test reliability of scale, internal consistency reliability and construct reliability were examined. The construct validity of scale (which includes convergent validity and discriminant validity) was verified through confirmatory factor analysis using structure equation modeling. Findings: Findings of the study present a statistically reliable and valid scale consisting of 5 factors and 18 items. Originality/value: The present study is one of the distinctive studies on introducing a scale employing factors affecting usage of e-resources.
Article
The purpose of this study was to investigate students' awareness, usage and attitude towards e-books at the Zhejiang University in China. The research design was quantitative using a convenience sampling method and chi-square analyses were employed. Library staff responsible for digital resources collection had been interviewed. Results indicated that there was a significant difference of students' awareness and usage of general e-books and academic e-books. There was a higher awareness but lower adoption of general e-books. The awareness and level of usage of library provided e-books were both very low. A search engine was generally used to access e-books. Senior undergraduates and postgraduate students mainly accessed e-books from the library website and library catalog. Students, particularly undergraduate students, used e-books mainly for the purpose of leisure. In contrast, postgraduate students tended to use e-books more for academic purposes. The use of mobile devices and computers was preferred when reading e-books; but for academic e-books students preferred print part of them for reading. University students showed strong preference for printing books. Academic libraries should put more efforts on promotion, stimulating demands, and cooperation with teachers to improve e-books usage.
Article
Digital library resources have radical impact on the changing higher education environment. This study investigated the tendency of using DL including purposes, patterns, use of databases, e-journals and e-books that they use, DL usage places preferences, impact of DL on their teaching and research and the problems faced by faculty members at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, South Punjab, Pakistan. A structured questionnaire was utilized to collect data from the 120 faculty members from Faculty of Arts, Sciences, Education, and Islamic Learning. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics: frequency counts and percentages The study showed that the majority of faculty members of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur do not make the most productive use of HEC digital library as they ought to be. Of 120 respondents, 20% of faculty members research followed by 19% for doing MPhil and PhD. 13% are shown to consult DL for teaching purpose and 10 % for guiding their research students. The responses regarding the use of DL sources revealed that 24 % use databases, followed by e-journals by 23%. E-Books are preferred to use by 18% followed by abstracting and indexing services by 16% of faculty members. They have not been positively motivated due to some factors i.e. lack of computers, slow speed, overworked and electricity failure etc. It is interesting that DL use among faculty members in the Faculty of Science at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur is much higher than their counterparts in the faculties of Social Sciences, Education and faculty of Islamic Learning. It is broadly used for teaching and research purposes. The other issue was lack any formal training about how to locate these resources by saving time and efforts, English language problem, and lack of access from home are found to be the major problems. The Islamia University of Bahawalpur needs to improve its IT infrastructure, including providing more computers at workplace and the library. It also indicates the needs for organizing formal digital literacy programmes for teaching the users the art of searching pertinent information on the HEC digital Library.
Article
The paper discussed the impact of electronic information resources as an enabler of research activities in Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to survey the opinions of the researchers who are the regular users of the library under study. The study showed various electronic information resources available and the degree of its utilization by the researchers and postgraduate students. There is a significant influence of level of availability of electronic information resources on utilization [F(3,79) = 10,337, P<0.05]. The study also revealed that only 6.0% of respondents use e-resources frequently thus, the usage of e-resources is still very low in the university community. Consequently, it was recommended that the library should organize teaching of information literacy skills through user education programmes.
Article
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore multiple factors affecting online library resource selection by undergraduate students. Three dimensions of factors are investigated including usefulness and ease-of-use, resource quality, and individual differences. Design/methodology/approach – An instrument was developed to measure various aspect factors and online library resource use intention. A survey was administered to 332 undergraduate students. Quantitative analysis, including structural equation modeling, ANOVA, and t -tests, was used to statistically examine the effects of the identified 11 factors on the use intention of online library resources. Findings – The findings indicated that both usefulness and ease-of-use positively influenced the undergraduates’ use intention of online library resources. Also, five resource quality constructs – accessibility, credibility, coverage, currency, and format – were the determinants of online library resources use intention. Interestingly, the effect of accessibility was the strongest, while that of credibility was the weakest. In addition, this study found that familiarity with sources and use of good search skills had a significant effect on users’ use intention at the individual user level. Originality/value – This study is one of the few studies investigating multiple factors comprehensively that influence online library resource selection.
Article
Purpose – To purpose of this paper is to evaluate micro-factors influencing use of electronic information resources among postgraduate students in institutions of higher learning in Kenya, and suggest strategies to enhance and improve the utilization of these vital sources in the university learning environments. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses document or desk review analysis, professional opinions and ideas and case examples regarding utilization of electronic information resources. Findings – The study indicates how practices such as information literacy and learning skills, consultative or partnership meetings, use of portable brochures and guides, research, teaching and learning approaches, seminar and workshop trainings, public relations and attitudes influence the use of electronic information resources. Among the strategic measures that are instrumental for effective utilization of these vital knowledge resources, it is the ability to provide tailor-made programmes targeting postgraduate students and reaching out or going to where the students are through regular meetings and social media advertisements and announcements. Limitations/implications – This study is confined to postgraduate students in institutions of higher learning inclusively using document review guides and case examples of utilization and non-utilization of electronic resources. Practical implications – Possible strategies and solutions that enhance and improve use of electronic information resources among the postgraduate students include the need to integrate the use of information communication technology in research, teaching, learning and community services of the university, provision of compulsory literacy programmes to the students and regular partnership meetings with the faculty members, librarians and postgraduate fraternity. Social implications – Widespread use of electronic information resources in universities is proof enough that the libraries are proactively involved in advancement and creation of knowledge among the postgraduate students. One critical aspect of electronic information resources is the ability to facilitate return on investment if only the materials are effectively and efficiently used in supporting the goals and objectives of libraries and universities. These result in higher customer satisfaction, and better return on investment, leading to increased use of information services in the universities. Originality/value – Institutions of higher learning including libraries and universities are in a new dispensation of modernity and post-modernity increasingly dependent on electronic or digital information systems. In the modern knowledge and learning environment, information professionals, postgraduate students and other stakeholders need to agree to the simple rule that electronic information resources are the backbone of academic services in universities perhaps more than ever before. In the academic and educational quest in universities, electronic information resources fundamentally supplements print materials because most universities lack the necessary technological infrastructure.
Article
Purpose – This study aims to determine the influence of motivational factors: perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived enjoyment (PEJ) and perceived usefulness (PU) on utilisation of Internet health information resources among resident doctors in tertiary health-care institutions in Nigeria. The Internet has become a major source of health information for practitioners and the general public. Despite the availability of health information resources on the Internet, some resources are underutilised. There are numerous studies on Internet use among health-care workers; however, there is a dearth of information on motivational factors influencing utilisation of Internet health information resources among resident doctors in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach – A descriptive survey design was used. Total enumeration technique was adopted to cover 1,280 resident doctors in 13 tertiary health-care institutions in southwestern Nigeria. A validated, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire has four sections covering the demographic profile of the respondents, PEU, PEJ and PU. Four hypotheses were tested at the p < 0.0 1 level of significance. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression analysis. Findings – There were more males (69.0 per cent) than females (31 per cent); respondents mean age was 34 years. The result revealed that PEU( r = 0.181, p < 0.01), PEJ( r = 0.166, p < 0.01) and PU( r = 0.121, p < 0.01) have significant relationship with utilisation of Internet health information resources by the respondents. Also, PEU, PEJ and PU collectively ( F = 15.366, df = 3; 897, p < 0.01) have significant influence on utilisation of Internet health information resources of the respondents. Individually, PEU (B = 0.864, df = 897, t = 3.90, p < 0.01) and PEJ (B = 0.349, df = 897, t = 3.060, p [lt] 0.01) were found to have significant influence on utilisation while PU (B = 0.232, df = 897, t = 1.328, p > 0.01) does not significantly influence the utilisation of Internet health information resource of the respondents. Research limitations/implications – One major implication of this study is that system designers and web content developers should design programs and websites that are compatible with the user’s abilities. Medical librarians have a role to play in providing quality health content that is easy to navigate and pleasurable to use. Both the institutions and the government have a role to play in providing information and communication technology facilities to enable doctors access relevant health information resources easily. Practical implications – Introduction of information literacy training in the residency programme or inclusion as a component of the continuing professional development will enable resident doctors to know relevant online searching tools and search techniques for accessing health information resources which will be useful to their work. This will in turn increase their PU of Internet resources. Health sciences librarians (medical librarians) in the various institutions/centres have a role to play in training resident doctors on how to access, retrieve and evaluate online health information. Librarians should also train resident doctors on how to search evidence-based Medicine resources such as the Cochrane Library and PubMed Clinical Queries and Critical Appraisal of the medical literature to make informed decision in the management of their patients and for research purposes. They should be trained on how to organise bibliographic references using reference manager tools such as Endnote, Zotero or Mendeley. Social implications – The social implication of this findings is that systems that are easy to use should be designed, so that doctors will be able to access relevant information for research and patient care for better health outcomes. The easier and enjoyable the system is to use, the more resident doctors will access and use health information resources to improve their service and save more lives. Originality/value – This study examined three motivational factors (PEU, PEJ and PU) that influence the utilisation of Internet health information resources by resident doctors in tertiary health-care institutions in Nigeria. The result revealed that collectively PEU, PEJ and PU have significant relationship with the utilisation of Internet health information resources, but PEU and PEJ are the main drivers of use of Internet health information resources among the resident doctors studied. This study adds to the literature of motivational factors influencing utilisation of Internet health information resources by resident doctors in southwestern Nigeria. This paper is original because, to the best of our knowledge, there is no other study on motivational factors influencing Internet use among resident doctors in Nigeria.
Article
This paper presents the results of a quantitative and systematic investigation exploring online e-book usage at the J.N. Desmarais Library of Laurentian University over a 9-year period. The size of an e-book collection was determined to show evidence of an extremely strong relationship with the level of usage e-books experienced. Of all factors examined during the course of this study, it was the size of the collection that exhibited the strongest association to usage levels and would suggest just how important the size and content of a collection can be to patron acceptance and utilization. Of all student academic levels, doctoral students exhibited the strongest relationship with e-book usage, while undergraduate students showed signs of the weakest. Faculty demonstrated the overall weakest relationship with e-book usage.
Article
Studies of the resources and services provided through university digital libraries have focused on evaluation criteria which consider usability, content, technology, and context. The factors influencing user perception of university digital libraries have not been explored and discussed from the perspective of specific library service types. Structural equation modeling was used to explore influencing factors and the relationships among them, based on 353 responses to survey questionnaires regarding academic DLs in China. Findings show that information providing services, information retrieval services, and individual services are direct influencing factors, while information organizing services affect user perception indirectly through information retrieval services and individual services. Various services also demonstrate interactions.
Article
Purpose – This study aims to investigate graduate student perceptions of electronic resources, their search behaviour, and their usage patterns. Design/methodology/approach – Interviews were conducted in a research‐oriented university, and participants included 18 graduate students from three disciplines: humanities, social sciences, and science and technology. Findings – Graduate students are frequent users of electronic resources, particularly during the thesis‐writing period. Graduate students of science and technology perceive electronic resources to be considerably more important to their research and studies than students of other disciplines do. Few students use the metasearch tool to retrieve heterogeneous electronic resources in the library. Very few students use alert services to obtain updated information. Originality/value – The findings of the study could help university librarians acquire an enhanced understanding of the usage behaviour of graduate students on electronic resources.
Article
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of e‐journals by the users of IIT Delhi and Delhi University. Design/methodology/approach Survey research was conducted to access e‐journal use among IIT Delhi and Delhi University users. A stratified random sample method was used for selection of respondents. The survey was conducted through a structured questionnaire taking a random sample of 300 users (PG and PhD) from different disciplines of IIT Delhi and Delhi University libraries and the response rate was 66.66 per cent. The questionnaires were administered personally among the users of IIT Delhi and Delhi University during the survey period (March‐May 2011). Findings From this survey it was found that most of the users are aware of e‐journals and they are not only using them for building and updating their knowledge but also for collecting relevant material for their study and research purposes as information can be acquired expeditiously through e‐journals. The main aim of consulting these journals is for retrieving information regarding research, publishing research papers and manuscripts, assignments, presentations, seminars, and largely to update their own knowledge. However, this study also reveals several inherent problems especially with the use of e‐journals e.g. slow downloading as revealed by maximum IIT Delhi and Delhi University users. Other mechanical deficits like non‐availability of a particular issue, lack of training and limited access to terminals are also present while using e‐journals. Research limitations/implications The present study consists only of e‐journal users of IIT Delhi and Delhi University. The geographical coverage is restricted to Delhi. The responses have been taken from users and the data have been collected during the months of March‐May 2011 only. Practical implications The problem is selected by the investigator to understand the use of e‐journals by IIT Delhi and Delhi University users so that libraries can make further improvement in their e‐journal services depending upon the results and suggestions. Originality/value The paper provides suggestions derived from the analysis of data which in turn will help to enhance the use of e‐journal services and fulfill the needs and requirements of users in the libraries of IIT Delhi and Delhi University.
Article
Dutch faculty was surveyed as to their use of electronic journals. It was concluded that electronic journals have become indispensable for scientists and social scientists, and have a profound effect on information behavior, varying from methods of becoming aware of relevant articles to benefits on research.
Article
Purpose This paper aims to examine the perception and use of e‐resources and the internet by the engineering, medical and management academics in Bangalore City, India. The prime objective is to find out how academics compare e‐sources with print sources and how they perceive the advantages of e‐sources and problems for accessing them. It further aims to establish the extent of internet use, the purpose of such use and factors influencing it. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 300 students and faculty members in selected engineering, medical and management colleges of Bangalore City. The questionnaire consists of 15 main questions with many of them having a number of subsidiary questions. The questions are designed for the students and faculty members to elicit their experience with the e‐sources and internet use for their study and research work. Findings Study results show that the students and faculty who participated in this survey are aware of e‐sources and also the internet. Even though a majority of the academic community use electronic information sources for their academic‐related work, most of them prefer print to electronic information sources. Many of the students and faculty learned about the electronic information sources either by trial and error or through the advice of friends. Practical implications Librarians need to reallocate more budget to expand the availability of electronic resources for students and faculty. Library professionals should also help users to ascertain what high‐quality free resources are available on the internet and how to search these resources more effectively and efficiently. Originality/value This is the first comprehensive study of the use of e‐sources and internet by engineering, medical and management students and faculty members in India. Its findings will help library professionals in respective college libraries to plan for effective and efficient use of the internet to fulfil information requirements of the students and faculty members.
Article
Purpose This paper aims to provide quantitative and qualitative data on students' use of mobile devices and to consider the benefit of academic mobile library services to students. Design/methodology/approach Initial mobile library research included an online survey that attracted 1,716 participants. This was followed up with two discussion groups of six undergraduate and five postgraduate students. The survey followed‐on from an earlier survey conducted by the University of Edinburgh's Information Services (IS) in March 2010. Findings The dramatic growth of smartphone ownership among students in an eight‐month period was surprising: a 17 per cent increase between March and November 2010. In addition, 68 per cent of students who plan to change their mobile handset would upgrade to a smartphone. Research limitations/implications As students were unable to provide feedback on University of Edinburgh's own mobile library services, their feedback is speculative and subject to change. Practical implications The paper provides evidence for libraries to determine the value of developing their own mobile services. It also demonstrates the proliferation of mobile device usage within the university and library context and indicates which services students would find most useful on a mobile device. Originality/value The paper provides insight into a rapidly moving area of technology as demonstrated through the research. The increasing use of mobile devices among students is important to acknowledge. The role of the academic library is to embrace changing student behaviour by providing services optimised for mobile devices.
Article
In this paper I review the Information Systems (IS) research on how developing countries have attempted to benefit from information and communication technologies. First I identify three discourses on IS implementation and associated organizational and social change that coexist in Information Systems in Developing Countries (ISDC) research, namely as a process of technology and knowledge transfer and adaptation to local social conditions; as a process of socially embedded action; and as a process of transformative techno-organizational intervention associated with global politics and economics. I then point out the distinctive research agenda that has been formed for ISDC studies both in the more familiar IS themes - failure, outsourcing, and strategic value of ICT - but also from studies of themes relevant to the context of developing countries, such as the development of community ICT and information resources. Finally, I call the reader's attention to the potentially significant theoretical contributions of ISDC research for understanding IS innovation in relation to social context and in relation to socio-economic development theories and policies.
Article
This study elaborated relations between digital library use by university faculty, users' discipline and the availability of key resources in the Finnish National Electronic Library (FinELib), Finnish national digital library, by using nationwide representative survey data. The results show that the perceived availability of key electronic resources by researchers in FinELib was a stronger predictor of the frequency and purpose of use of its services than users' discipline. Regardless of discipline a good perceived provision of central resources led to a more frequent use of FinELib. The satisfaction with the services did not vary with the discipline, but with the perceived availability of resources.
Gender variation in reading habits in schools in moland: a case study of asantekwaa SDA junior high SCHOOL
  • S Ameyaw
  • S K Anto
Ameyaw, S. and Anto, S.K. (2017), "Gender variation in reading habits in schools in moland: a case study of asantekwaa SDA junior high SCHOOL", European Journal of Education Studies, Vol. 3 No. 5, pp. 688-704.
A survey on the reading habits among colleges of education students in the information age
  • L S Connaway
  • R R Powell
  • California Abc-Clio
  • O F Fatiloro
  • O A Adesola
  • B A Hameed
  • O M Adewumi
Connaway, L.S. and Powell, R.R. (2010), Basic Research Methods for Librarians, ABC-CLIO, California. Fatiloro, O.F., Adesola, O.A., Hameed, B.A. and Adewumi, O.M. (2017), "A survey on the reading habits among colleges of education students in the information age", Journal of Education and Practice, Vol. 8 No. 8, pp. 106-110.
A survey of digital library education
  • T Saracevic
  • M Dalbello
Saracevic, T. and Dalbello, M. (2001), "A survey of digital library education. Proceedings of the american society for information science and technology", Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Vol. 38, pp. 209-223.
A study on Pakistan's digital library
  • U Sheraz
  • A B Qazi
Sheraz, U. and Qazi, A.B. (2016), "A study on Pakistan's digital library", INASP, available at: www. inasp.info/sites/default/files/2018-04/Pakistan%20digital%20library%20study.pdf (accessed 3 October 2020).
Eligibility criteria
  • HEC Digital Library
HEC recognized universities and degree awarding institutions
  • Higher Education Commission