Seeking Online Information Sources: Science Faculties in Developing Countries

Abstract

Introduction Scholarly communication is essence of all scientific work (Gravey, 1979). With emergence of digital information resources and internet, modes of accessing, searching, retrieving and consuming scholarly information have been rapidly changed. This scenario is effectively transforming science into e-science (Robert, 2009). major developments in scientists' world are: globalization, exponential growth of ST 2003; Smith, 2003; Hiller and Self, 2002; Tenopir and King, 2004; 2001; Jamali, 2008). All over world library subscription, online subscribed and unsubscribed sources are playing an important role in meeting their scholarly needs at local, national and international level. Life scientists were found biggest users and repositories featured strongly in ranked lists of life sciences (Nicholas et al. 2009)* The scientists have high expectation for being able to access all information they need in online format (Jamali, 2008). While studying differences in information seeking behaviour of scientists from different subfields of physics and astronomy, he raises question for this community that What is not available online is not worth reading. Surridge rightly advocates importance of web 2.0 as an important mode to meet scientists' needs. He says that in principal, this transition to Web 2.0 is perfectly natural. Scientists of past or present are habitual of crowd sourcing of knowledge through open debate and Web 2.0 fits perfectly with science works (as cited in Waldrop, 2008, May). significant increase in use of electronic modes and systems has a positive influence on ease of communication without affecting inherent structure of process and this initiative is positively debated by faculty members and academic officers at some prestigious institutions by notion NO to big deal (Smith, 2007). awareness and adoption of e-journals is increasing rapidly while convenience of use has remained most important concern for users. However, the capacity to absorb scientific and technical knowledge is often weak in developing countries, leading to low levels of scientific output and further under-development (Chan, Kirsop, Costa and Arunachalam, 2005, p.3). ProQuest advisory board meeting viewed that permanent access is a big deal, and raised question to thoughts on institutional repositories, open access, ILS, and anything else that comes to mind (Arbor, 2007, May, 7-8). concept of has introduced by Harnad (1999) in a proposal. He suggested to place scholarly pre-prints along with post-prints of peer-reviewed published articles in open archives, and made available for free of cost. OA is now threatening to overturn $6 billion scholarly publishing industry and is forcing even largest publishers against ropes (Poyender, 2004, p.5). Providing speedy and reliable e-access to consumers is a fundamental prerequisite for promoting digital culture in a country. This study has been made at a time when Government of Pakistan initiated significant, concrete efforts by establishing ICT infrastructure in universities and providing e-sources to university libraries in order to meet changing needs of academicians, especially in field of Science and Technology (S&T). Government, through Higher Education Commission (HEC), is spending huge amount of budget for subscription of online sources and promotion of national digital library programme. …

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