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A snapshot of information use patterns of academics in British universities

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Library Science and Information Literacy Library Science and Information Library Collection Development and Digital Resources

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to study information behaviour of academics in the digital age. Compares information behaviour of British university academics in three disciplines – computer and information sciences, business/management, and English literature. Design/methodology/approach Discusses information behaviour of academics in the digital age. Findings English academics make higher use of printed information resources, such as text and reference books, than academics of any other discipline included in this study; they generally tended to be the least frequent users of electronic resources such as full‐text databases, indexing and abstracting databases, search engines, and internet sites. CIS academics generally tended to make greatest use of electronic‐based information resources, and the least use of print‐based information resources, and business/management academics fell somewhere in between these two disciplines. CIS academics were generally the most enthusiastic about the benefits of electronic resources, whereas English academics were the least enthusiastic about them. Nearly a quarter of English academics disagreed to some extent that electronic information was easier to use than printed resources, which might go some way to explain their lower use of electronic materials, and higher use of printed materials. Research limitations/implications Results of the quantitative study should have been supported and substantiated by quantitative analyses. Similar studies involving users from many more disciplines could show better discipline‐wise differences in user behaviour. Originality/value This is a research paper based on a nation‐wide survey of academics in British universities.

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References

2003Serendipity and information seeking: an empirical study 2002Information seeking and mediated searching: Part 2. Uncertainty and its correlates 2005Information Seeking by Humanities Scholars 2005Digital libraries' support for the user's 'information journey'2002How Different Are They? A Comparison By Academic Area Of Library Use, Priorities, and Information Needs at the University of Washington.2003Uptake and use of electronic information services: trends in UK higher education from the JUSTEIS project 2002Use and awareness of electronic information services by academic staff at Leeds Metropolitan University - A qualitative study

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2011Tenure and promotion in the age of online social media 2011Google Scholar Users and User Behaviors: An Exploratory Study 2014Information Needs: Developing Personas of Humanities Scholars 2008User studies in the electronic environment: Review and brief analysis 2016Modes of information seeking 2014Exploring the effect of individual differences on user perceptions of print and electronic resources

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