Investigation into the use of electronic journals : perspectives of researchers in the social science disciplines at a New Zealand University

Abstract

With the spread of the information revolution, the nature of mass communication is fast changing. In the scholarly world of universities, libraries are trying hard to adapt to the new electronic media of communication so that they may continue to meet the needs of their users, and, at the same time, keep their costs within limits. The advent of the electronic journals and other electronic channels of scholarly exchange has made it necessary that libraries examine using these media either alongside, or in preference to, the more traditional, print, media in the area of journals, data bases and magazines in their collections. In order for libraries to make informed decisions in these and other, related, matters, it is essential that they take the preferences of their users in the different subject disciplines into consideration. The purpose of this study is to investigate how much use academics in the social science disciplines of a selected New Zealand university make of electronic journals in the pursuit of their teaching and research activities. Using a carefully designed questionnaire survey, the study has gathered information relevant for the purpose of ascertaining the nature and extent of the use of electronic journals by its target population. Its findings show that, while the use of the electronic journals is currently rather low amongst social scientists in the university in question, there is distinct potential for such use to increase provided the library took the initiative to inform its users about the existence of relevant electronic resources, and also educate and train them to use the technology adequately. The study also finds that there is a degree of reluctance amongst the academics to publish their research in the electronic media. This is because they feel that there is inadequate recognition of the academic merit of such publication. The findings point to the need for both the university administrators and the publishers of the electronic journals to re-examine their practices in the area of refereeing and acceptance of research in the electronic media. The study is believed to be the first of its kind involving university academics in New Zealand.