Journal Usage among Aesthetic Studies Undergraduates during the Preparation of Projects Reports

Abstract

Journals are essential information sources for research to obtain current and relevant information in any field of study. Journals play an energetic role in academic activities especially in the research process. This study discusses the level of usage of journals articles among undergraduates during the preparation of the final year research report at Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies Eastern University, Sri Lanka. The study uses semi-structured questionnaires and evaluates (observation) the reference list of research reports as the data collection instrument. Hundred and sixteen undergraduates were attached during the academic year 2014/15 to the Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies, and their research reports formed the study population. Usage of journals during the research report writing was evaluated separately for print and e-journals. Rendering to the result, there are some similarities and differences in using the journals during the final year of research report writing in four fields of study. According to the result, Drama and Theater undergraduates (24.59%) highly used journals as references for their research activities. However, overall only 15.11% of the undergraduates used journals as a reference.