The impact of electronic information on the academic research community

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of electronic information on the academic research community. In early 1996 the University of Wales Cardiff conducted a survey of the information needs of its researchers. The survey established that printed material from the University libraries was one of the most important sources of information for research, along with contacts with other researchers. Staff anticipated that electronic publications would become more important over the next few years, but they did not see the importance of printed material diminishing. (Further details of the survey results are given in the appendix to this paper.) A literature review was carried out to discover whether published studies of the impact of electronic information were consistent with the findings of the internal survey. The review found that attitudes to electronic sources were generally positive, but printed sources of information were preferred by most academics contributing to published studies. A number of issues currently inhibit user acceptance and consequently limit the present impact of electronic information sources.