Printed and Electronic Resource Preferences among Ophthalmologists: A Study in India

Abstract

The Ophthalmologists – Eye Doctors continuously seek and use information for their evidence-based practice, career advancements and quality patient care. The study aims to examine and explore the ophthalmologists’ preference towards print vs. electronic information resources. The study design is cross-sectional and convenience sampling method is adopted. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. SPSS 18 PASW Statistical package was used for statistical analysis. Frequencies, percentages, Chi-square and Fishers’ exact test were used in the study. Around 633 ophthalmologists, working in 47 academic eye hospitals from 16 states of India were included in the study. The ophthalmologists prefer electronic resources more than the printed resources as a venue for access and publish. They consider both printed & electronic resources as more authenticated resources than electronic resources. They recognize electronic resources as easy to manage, use, economical, time savvy. They prefer electronic resources more than printed resources to improve their professional competency. The Ophthalmologists’ preference on resource choice doesn’t have any association with gender, age group, designation, experience, institution type. The study results revealed the ophthalmologists’ preferences on print and electronic resources. This will help the ophthalmic librarians to understand the resource choices of the ophthalmologists and manage information resources in libraries effectively. The study results will help the ophthalmic institutions and information providers for future planning