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Peiling Wang
Use of Digital Information Resources Use of Digital Information Resources & Internet Tools by Academic Researchers in & Internet Tools by Academic Researchers in
the U.S., Greece & Chinathe U.S., Greece & China
Dimitris A. Dervos
Libraries in the Digital AgeLibraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) (LIDA) 20072007
May 28- June 2, Dubrovnik & Mljet, May 28- June 2, Dubrovnik & Mljet, CroatiaCroatia
Why this study?Why this study?
Scholarly communication and information seeking have always been topics of interest in the field
Information environment has changed rapidly as a result of the Internet
Researchers’ information seeking (IS) behaviors
Two-dimensional Framework Two-dimensional Framework Guiding Research DesignGuiding Research Design
Dimension A: IS activitiesA.1. General, pertaining to long-term research
needs
A.2. Task-based, corresponding to project lifecycle
Dimension B: Internet Information & Communication Technology/Resources (IICT) B.1. Internet communication tools
B.2. Internet-enabled information resources
IS activitiesIS activities
A.1. General IS Behaviors Pertaining to Long-term Research Needs Monitoring Monitoring Browsing Browsing Managing Managing ArchivingArchiving
A.2. Task-based IS Behaviors Corresponding to Project Lifecycle Starting Starting Searching Searching Accessing Accessing Chaining Chaining EndingEnding
Internet Information & Internet Information & Communication ToolsCommunication Tools
B.1. Internet Communication Tools Email Email Web Web FTPFTP ListservListserv Blog Blog WikiWiki Instant messagingInstant messaging
B.2. Internet-enabled Information Resources Database Database Digital libraryDigital library E-Journal E-Journal Online library Online library
catalogcatalog
Relating Research Questions Relating Research Questions to Frameworkto Framework
How do researchers engage in two types of How do researchers engage in two types of IS activities in today’s digital environment?IS activities in today’s digital environment?
What IICTs do researchers use/not use for What IICTs do researchers use/not use for IS?IS?
General IS activities Task-based IS activities
Internet Communication Tools
Internet Information Resources
Are there any differences in IS activities and Are there any differences in IS activities and the use of IICTs in the US, China, and the use of IICTs in the US, China, and Greece?Greece?
Research DesignResearch Design
Semi-structured interviewsPart I: checklist of 9 IICTs
Part II: paired questions (length & frequency)
Part III: sorting from most to least important
Part IV: How do researchers engage in IS activities? Which IICTs do they use to support specific IS activities?
Disciplines ConsideredDisciplines Considered
Productive and active researchers (faculty and doctoral students) from following fields:
Computer Science
Engineering
Information Science
Journalism
Humanities
Data Collection in ProgressData Collection in Progress
Summer 2005: Started in the US at a
research intensive state university
December 2005: Extended to China in
three national universities
September 2006: Extended to Greece in
three higher level institutions
Participants in CS and Engineering as Participants in CS and Engineering as Reported in This PaperReported in This Paper
R&D Expenditure (% GDP) in 2004 US is 4.6 times of Greece US is 1.9 times of China
Researchers (per million people) 2004 US is 3.4 times of Greece US is 6.8 times of China
Internet users (per thousand people) US is 3.6 times of Greece in 2004 US is 2.3 times of Greece in 2006 US is 8.6 times of China in 2004 US is 5.3 times of China in 2006
28
19
35
∑ = 82
IICT Usage: Communication ToolsIICT Usage: Communication Tools
email, Web, FTP, and Listserv are the four IICTs used by more than 50% participants in at least one country (Listserv is used only by 14% participants in China)
Blogs, Wiki, Instant messaging: not in our original lists, mentioned by some participants. Most CS and Eng researchers do not use
IICT Usage: Information ResourcesIICT Usage: Information Resources
All participants in the US and Greece use at least one of the four resources
The most used is digital library and the least used is e-journal
terminological confusion about e-journal overlapping in access to different resources converging and integrating resource access
Perceived IICT ImportancePerceived IICT Importance
Rank All (N=82) US (N=28) Greece (N=19) China (N=35)
1st Web Email Web Email
2nd Email Web Digital library E-journal
3rd Digital library Digital library E-journal Web
4th E-journal E-journal Email Digital library
5th Database OPAC Database Database
6th OPAC Database OPAC OPAC
Note: Based on median; the medians; means are used as tiebreaker.
Information Needs Satisfied by Information Needs Satisfied by Digital Resources Digital Resources
85% in Greece 81% in the US 74% in China
Note:
Participants from CS and Engineering
Reasons for Not Using IICTsReasons for Not Using IICTs
My opinion from the blogs I've seen so far, they're a lot of discussion, a lot of information, and you need a lot of time to process this discussion, and I don't have this time. ...
In my project, I used a lot of drawings and blue prints that will never be in electronic format. .
Even though we say "that's referred"[e-journals] ... I think it takes time for those old people to recognize the value of them
... large files like several gigabytes data that ftp couldn't support
Personal situation & perceptions
time constraints information overload availability convenience unknown nature of projects
Field or social context
trust peer-reviewed tenure tradition disciplinary norm network externality
Resource characteristics
form or mode organization & structure focus usefulness
IS BehaviorIS Behavior
Conferences continue to be an important informal channel of communication and information exchange
In CS and Eng some conferences are rated higher than journals in determining the value and impact of a research publication
Challenges to libraries and Challenges to libraries and librarianslibrarians
... thanks to the Internet, I don't have to rely on the library
Basically, the only reason I would go to the library is to get coffee.
I think that the role of the library will have to change.
General IS ActivitiesGeneral IS Activities
monitoring is much easier today with the Web and various alerts via email; online availability of conference programs/proceedings is also a boon
managing information is a big challenge
archiving with institutional repositories or disciplinary repositories is reported only by three Greek researchers
China has a university-based registry system to keep track of research output
Managing Digital InformationManaging Digital Information
A wide range of methods are adopted print out (do not save e-files)
piles, binders, file cabinet keep e-files for only a period (6 months to 2
years) personal bibliographic software multiple copies to folders and subfolders multiple copies in multiple computers group server rely on the Internet (“good stuff will be
there.”)
Task-based IS ActivitiesTask-based IS Activities
starting is not a critical stage for senior researchers; most use the Web as the first source
searching is often extended by visiting experts’ homepages for publications
accessing appears to be done in the following order: digital library, inter-library loan, author’s homepage, email to the author
chaining is made easier now with resources providing both forward and backward links (CiteSeer is the most mentioned)
ending
Implications Implications
Active researchers should maintain an up-to-date research homepage
Librarians and libraries must find new roles the physical library as we know it is being
challenged to transform to something new institutional repository a shift from service and user instruction to
user studies and design & redesign of information resources
Implications (cont’d)Implications (cont’d)
New digital tools and resources mustmeet needs and incorporate new behaviors incorporate what users know and how they use
information embed learning in use to facilitate correct
conceptual understanding revamp current personal bibliographic database
tools with new models that incorporate information needs and seeking behaviors