Use Of Electronic Information Services Research Articles

Use of Electronic Information Services in the Visually Impaired Libraries

The Libraries need to be committed to ensure full access of their range of services and facilities to their user community. Visually impaired have limited opportunities to access information especially those available in print. The Visually impaired library in India depend on two basic sources for their information one is Braille books and other is Talking book services. This study also Libraries /centers on meeting the reading needs of person with visually impaired through various assistive technology devices which include Braille Printer, Low Vision aid, Screen Reader to help them to achieve their education. Information Technology is an important tool in the inclusion process and can promote independence and autonomy of students with visually impaired Libraries.

Awareness and use of electric information services by academic staff.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the
 awareness and use of electronic information services by
 academic staff at Leeds Metropolitan University. This is to
 be done in two parts, firstly a quantitative study in the
 form of a questionnaire and secondly a qualitative study
 to further explore the findings from the first part of the
 research.
 This paper contains the findings from the first part of
 research into levels of use (or non-use) of electronic
 information services by academic staff at Leeds
 Metropolitan University (LMU).

The use of electronic information services by undergraduate nursing students at the University of Namibia’s Northern Campus: A descriptive study

This paper is based on a Masters’ dissertation submitted to the University of Cape Town, which investigated the use of electronic information services (EIS) by undergraduate nursing students at the University of Namibia’s Northern Campus. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to 163 students and interviews were conducted with 15 students in August and September 2007. The results revealed that the majority of students made the greatest use of the Internet. The OPAC was moderately used, while e-databases were substantially under-utilized. Students used EIS for a variety of purposes including obtaining academic information and current awareness. The main barriers that students faced in using EIS were the shortage of computers, unreliable Internet connection, and lack of skills. The majority of students relied upon their fellow students to acquire EIS skills. While many students were generally enthusiastic and held a positive perception of the Internet, only a few thought that the e-databases were useful.

The use of electronic information services by students at Glasgow Caledonian University: background to the project and introductory focus groups

This paper reports on the first stage of a study on the usage of electronic information services (EIS) by staff and students at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) and Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU). The study used by qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The questionnaires used at GCU were modeled on those developed at LMU. The project aimed to monitor off-campus usage of EIS, the use of passworded databases, and the freely available internet. The volume of electronic citations in students' course work and the possibility of developing routine performance indicators were also examined. Focus Groups were conducted with both staff and students between November 2001 and March 2002. These suggested, inter alia, that paramedics are the heaviest users of EIS and that paramedicine is the subject area where EIS are most integrated into the curriculum. Attitudes to the internet are extremely varied. Mode of attendance and workplace usage are important factors.

Use of Electronic Information Services in Research Libraries

The paper discusses the use of Electronic Information Services (EIS) introduced in the research libraries. The paper further analyses whether the awareness about the services and the background of the users have any impact on the use of Electronic Information Services.

The use of electronic information services and information literacy

The study was undertaken as part of the LIRG/SCONUL Value and Impact study and sought to establish direct evidence of the impact of electronic information services (EIS) on Glasgow Caledonian University students, both past and present. Evidence of the spread of information literacy among students and alumni was also sought. An electronic questionnaire was administered to current students and a traditional paper questionnaire was sent to alumni using the University's alumni database as a sampling frame. The outcomes from both questionnaires were used to create a longitudinal picture and establish key indicators. It was found that respondents broadly understood the concept of information literacy although this was much more marked among alumni as a result of the experience of work. The relationship of work activity to information literacy was found to be central and alumni felt that an understanding of information literacy gave them a distinct advantage in job finding and seeking promotion. Unemployed alumni are correspondingly disadvantaged. In many cases information seeking skills, learned at university, could be directly applied to the workplace and scholarly methods were found to be spreading there although the attitude of employers was variable. It was also found that, although the library does have an impact on users, other factors such as progression and retention, and an innovative learning and teaching agenda are also important.

The use of electronic resources at IIT Delhi Library: a study of search behaviours

PurposeThe paper seeks to examine the use of electronic information services (EIS) among the users of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Library in Delhi, India.Design/methodology/approachBoth questionnaire and observational methods were used for data collection where 300 valid samples were collected. The analysis of data collected covers awareness of EIS services, use of e‐journals, advanced search facilities, acquaintance with electronic information sources, the purpose of using e‐information, problems faced by the users while using EIS, infrastructure facility available and satisfaction level of users.FindingsThe study found that Boolean logic and truncation are the most often used search facilities by IIT users. Lack of printing facilities, terminals and trained staff are the major reasons that would discourage users from accessing the EIS. The survey also reveals that some 60 per cent of users face difficulties while browsing e‐information.Originality/valueThe paper provides suggestions for the further improvement of EIS to fulfill the information needs and requirements of users at the IIT Library, Delhi.

Student use of electronic information services in further education

This paper presents a profile of user behaviour in relation to the use of electronic information services (EIS), information skills, and the role of training and wider learning experiences in UK further education colleges. The research was conducted under the JISC User Behaviour Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. Work was conducted in two strands, by two project teams, JUSTEIS and JUBILEE. JUSTEIS profiled the use of EIS and assessed the availability of EIS. JUBILEE objectives focussed on understanding the barriers and enablers, with a view to developing success criteria. JUSTEIS used a multi-stage stratified sampling process, and collected data from 270 respondents from 17 departments in the baseline survey (2001/2002). JUBILEE conducted in-depth fieldwork in five institutions and snapshot fieldwork in 10 institutions, collecting data from 528 respondents. Information skills and experience develop across work, home and study. There is a growing use of EIS in curriculum, but practice varies between institutions and disciplines. Tutors express concern about student's ability to evaluate and use the information that they find. Assignments can promote EIS use. The main categories of EIS used by students are search engines and organisational web sites. Search engines are the preferred search tools and search strategies are basic. Information skills are acquired through a variety of routes, with peer instruction, surfing and personal experience, instruction from tutors, and LIS induction and training all making an important contribution. The solutions to improving students’ information skills may include use of the Virtual Training Suites, but librarians need to adopt different roles in promoting and evaluating use of such tools.

E‐measures: developing statistical measures for electronic information services

Purpose. Describes the work of the e‐measures project, which aims to produce a set of statistics for measuring electronic information services in UK higher education libraries, to be used nationally as part of the Annual Library Statistics produced by the Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL) and locally for library decision making and user support. Design/methodology/approach. A group of 25 higher education libraries are piloting a range of 21 e‐measures covering holdings, usage and costs of electronic services. Data collected over a four‐month period in phase 1 are currently being analysed and a review of issues raised will inform case studies planned for phase 2. Findings. Issues raised by phase 1 of the project are presented here. Reports from pilot libraries illustrate both the importance of the work being undertaken and its complexity. Research limitations/implications. The project has highlighted the issues involved in the collection of data for measuring use of electronic information services and drawn attention to the difficulties in getting reliable, consistent data. Practical implications. After testing by the pilot libraries, selected e‐measures will be incorporated into the SCONUL Annual Library Statistics, to be collected on a regular basis by all SCONUL libraries. Libraries will also have a greater understanding of their use of electronic resources through the guidance and support provided by the project. Originality/value. This paper, in describing the results of phase 1 of the e‐measures project, increases awareness of the project and the understanding of the issues involved in collecting data for e‐measures.

Use and awareness of electronic information services by academic staff at Glasgow Caledonian University

The present study reports on the use of electronic information services by staff at GCU. It is part of a wider study which reports on usage by both staff and students. It builds on previous work at Leeds Metropolitan University, and as the user population at GCU is well understood the outcomes contain useful baseline data for comparison. It reports on the views of 97 respondents out of an academic staff of about 700. The freely available Internet was the most widely used source, which some respondents viewed as a more appropriate source of vocationally orientated information than passworded databases. Less than a third used the catalogue to find EIS, which raises questions about the future of the catalogue as a free‐standing comprehensive resource. Non‐use of EIS was rarely due to difficulty of access or use. Staff were pessimistic about their student's skill levels in using EIS.

The use of electronic information services by students at Glasgow Caledonian University

Investigates, through the use of questionnaires, the use of electronic information services by students at Glasgow Caledonian University in a programme of research undertaken in conjunction with Leeds Metropolitan University. Presents a series of conclusions.

Using action research to investigate the use of digital information resources in further education

Within the Third Annual Cycle of the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) User Behaviour Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, six small‐scale action research interventions were undertaken in further education (FE) institutions. The aims of these interventions were two‐fold: (i) to develop understanding of the facilitators and barriers to the use of digital information resources by students in FE; (ii) to test the value of the action research approach in facilitating change and developing transferable knowledge in this context. The objectives for each intervention were developed in collaboration with the FE college site staff and students. The process generally involved identification and elaboration of the problem situation, development of an intervention that might help to overcome some of the barriers to more effective use of electronic information services and evaluation of the outcomes of the intervention. Both practical–deliberative and participatory action research methods were used, with interviews and focus groups used to determine the problem and assess the effectiveness of interventions. Six interventions are reported. These included: a database implementation, the development of a subject guide, training sessions, a major change project and a web site. The main findings on the use of digital information resources in FE were: (i) interventions can make the students more aware of resources available, but the immediate impact may be low; (ii) FE students are often part‐time and work in subject/cohort groups in the FE college, therefore targeted initiatives which are aimed at ‘their’ group are likely to be most effective; (iii) incorporation of the use of specialized digital resources in assignments is constrained by student preference for books and/or the Internet, a lack of new products aimed at the FE student market and physical information technology (IT) problems or the perceived lack of IT support. The action research methodology offers benefits not available through survey‐based methodologies. The challenges that arise from the integration of learning from different action research projects need to be balanced against the benefits accruing from embedding learning and knowledge creation in innovation and using research to promote change, rather than simply to measure it.

The JISC User Behaviour Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

Describes key aspects of the methodology and outcomes of the JISC User Behaviour Monitoring and Evaluation Framework in its first three annual cycles (1999‐2002). The Framework was initiated to assure the JISC that their investment in digital content and network infrastructure facilitates use and learning, and to identify barriers and facilitators to the use of electronic information services (EIS). Key Framework outcomes are: a multi‐dimensional across sector methodology for the continued monitoring of user behaviour in respect of EIS and the factors that impact on that behaviour; a profile of user behaviour in respect of EIS over the three annual cycles of the Framework; the EIS Diagnostic Toolkit that can be used to benchmark development in the provision and use of EIS in specific disciplines or at specific institutions; a methodology for monitoring, and a profile of the EIS resources available to higher and further education users; and a summary of some of the key issues in their provision. The challenge for the future is the embedding of EIS in curricula and learning experiences.

The need for a converged approach to EIS provision? Evidence from the JUBILEE project

This paper reports and reflects upon a number of the findings and issues emerging from evidence collated to date as part of JUBILEE (Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) user behaviour in information seeking: longitudinal evaluation of electronic information services), a significant, ongoing UK research project. The evidence is largely based on analysis and interpretation of the qualitative data from the research, with discussion focusing on information seeking behaviour and information skills in relation to electronic information sources. The background and aims of the research are outlined, succeeded by an exploration of the differing types of information technology (IT) skills needed by users to ensure effective use of electronic information services (EIS). Finally, extrapolating from the research data, there is consideration as to how these IT skills can be effectively developed in the higher education environment. Referring back to the title of this paper, a stress is placed on the importance of a converged, “joined up” approach to EIS provision.

Uptake and use of electronic information services: trends in UK higher education from the JUSTEIS project

The aim of the JUSTEIS project over the first three cycles (1999‐2002) was to examine the uptake and use of electronic information services in higher education in the UK, so that planning of services could be informed by trends in usage and evidence of specific needs. The objectives were to: examine which services were used by students and academic staff; how senior library staff planned services to purchase content and support its use; and examine how library and information services promoted services through their Web pages. Results over the three years explained the growing popularity of electronic journal services, the acceptance of the search engine model for information retrieval and the important role academic staff play in the promotion of electronic information services for student learning. Conclusions and recommendations concern the need for library and information staff to make their approach to integration of information skills into the curriculum appropriate for the discipline, the type of institution, and its strategy for implementation of any virtual or managed learning environment software.

Educational workshop improved information‐seeking skills, knowledge, attitudes and the search outcome of hospital clinicians: a randomised controlled trial

A double-blind randomised controlled trial was conducted on a group of Hong Kong hospital clinicians. The objective was to test if a three-hour educational workshop (with supervised hands-on practice) is more effective (than no training) to improve clinical question formulation, information-seeking skills, knowledge, attitudes, and search outcomes. The design was a post-test-only control group; recruitment by stratified randomization (by profession), blocked at 800. End-user training was more effective than no training in improving clinical question formulation, in raising awareness, knowledge, confidence and use of databases, but had made no impact on preference for secondary databases. It changed the attitude of clinicians to become more positive towards the use of electronic information services (EIS). Participants had higher search performance and outcomes (satisfaction with information obtained (NNT = 3), EIS satisfaction (NNT = 3) and success in problem solving (NNT = 4)). The workshop improved knowledge and skills in evidence-based searching, but this effect gradually eroded with time. Search logs confirmed that follow-up is required if effects are to be sustained. Longer effects on search behaviours appear to be positive. A randomised controlled trial is valuable in identifying cause-and-effect relations and to quantify the magnitude of the effects for management decision-making.

Critical incident technique and explicitation interviewing in studies of information behavior

This article discusses two related techniques, critical incident technique (CIT) and explicitation, which are used in a variety of social science research settings, and critically reviews their application to studies of information behavior. The current application of both techniques is compared with Flanagan's early guidelines on the CIT and is discussed in relation to recent experience in the use of (1) the CIT in the JUSTEIS and VIVOS projects and (2) explicitation in projects concerned with text entering on interactive Web sites. The JUSTEIS project identifies trends, and reasons for those trends, in the uptake and use of electronic information services in higher education in the United Kingdom; this article examines experience gained over the first two cycles—1999 to 2000 and 2000 to 2001. The VIVOS project evaluated virtual health library services. Comparison of the experiences gained on the various projects suggests that critical incident methods could usefully be extended and enriched by some explicitation methods, to elicit the degree of evocation required for current and future studies of Internet use.

User Behaviour in Relation to Electronic Information Services within the UK Higher Education Academic Community

The User Behaviour Monitoring and Evaluation Framework has been established to investigate and profile the use of electronic information services (EIS) within higher education in the UK. Electronic information services are defined as: collections of information tools/products delivered to requesting users electronically, and usually computer mediated. This encompasses media of all types. This article discusses aspects of the methodology of the Framework, and preliminary findings from the first annual cycle of the Framework. Findings are based on interactions with 1500 users, including academic staff, library and information services staff, and students. Executed through three strands, the framework methodology uses an array of quantitative and qualitative approaches to lend a variety of insights into user behaviour with electronic information services, factors that encourage the use of electronic information services, and those that act as barriers to the effective integration of electronic information services into the learning experience.

CrossRef and SFX: complementary linking services for libraries

With the increase in the use of electronic information services in libraries, and in particular with the dramatic increase in the use of electronic journals, there is an urgent need by libraries for solutions that link the disparate information resources in a meaningful way for the end user and that optimize the use of these resources. Such linking solutions are now available for libraries, supported and assisted by the emergence of new standards such as the OpenURL and the Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Linking solutions built around these standards include SFX and CrossRef. Demonstrates how these different solutions, and the underlying standards, interact to meet library needs.

Use and awareness of electronic information services by academic staff at Leeds Metropolitan University - A qualitative study

Reports results of an investigation, undertaken at Leeds Metropolitan University, to study the awareness and extent to which university academic staff use and assimilate electronic information services (EISs) into their work. The research was conducted using two methods: a quantitative study involving a questionnaire mailed to a random stratified sample of 200 university staff (of which 101 were returned); and a qualitative study. The present report is based on the findings of the quantitative study, which addressed four specific areas: the characteristics of the respondents (age, gender, faculty); the perceived level of the information technology (IT) literacy of staff; the frequency of use by academic staff of different EISs offered by the university; and academic staff’s perception of student use. The study also investigated a number of further areas, including: how academic staff at the university obtain information for their work; what they do with the information they obtain; how aware are university staff of EISs; how confident are academic staff in using EISs and the barriers that exist to their use; the extent to which academic staff are integrating the use of EISs into students’ educational experience; and what the university can do to support staff better in their use of EISs. It is concluded from the results that the internet is the most popular information source but the factors affecting use at the expense of subscription-based services are complex. University staff, especially those with low level IT skills, frequently use the internet because it is easy to access and provides instant results. However, users who are aware and are confident in using subscription-based services still prefer to use the internet for a variety of reasons. It is clear that for those members of staff who used EISs regularly, the initial impetus had often come from either their own research or after embarking on some form of professional development such as a PhD. Once they have seen the value of these services in their own work, they began to incorporate them into their own teaching.