Electronic Information Source (EIS) Preferences by Faculty Members at the University of Peshawar
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Keywords

Online information use, electronic resources, University of Peshawar, faculty members, Library use, Information use pattern, Information use and seeking behaviour.

Abstract

Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) has been widely adopted by faculty members and students for education, study and research. It has changed the environment of Information. Higher education had a trend of non-adoption of technologies. However since the last few decades this trend has changed since almost every educational institution of higher learning uses electronic information sources for study, teaching and research. The present study is an attempt to analyze the use of Electronic Information Sources (EIS) by the faculty members of University of Peshawar, Pakistan and to find out their EIS preferences, EIS use experience, e-journal use experiences and preferences. The study is a descriptive survey designed to obtain data which described available trends in the use of electronic information sources by faculty members in the University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. A self-constructed questionnaire was administered to a sample of 285 faculty members working in the University of Peshawar. Two hundred and thirty five (235) questionnaires were returned back dully filled in with a response rate of 82.45%. Using SPSS-19, the data was analyzed using descriptive feature of statistical analysis. Cross tables were drawn to analyze whether faculty members’ electronic source preferences varied by designation, gender, age and number of publications in the last five years. Results of the study showed that Lecturers followed by Assistant Professors used EIS more than Associate Professors and Professors. Thus increased age and academic designation meant decreased frequency of EIS use. Those who had more publications to their names in the last five years were more experienced in using EIS than those who had few. It was observed that EIS use experience of the respondents was moderate and significant. One of the major findings of the study was that majority of the faculty members preferred e-journals than print journals. The study revealed that faculty members use EIS quite often. EIS has become a significant information assent for faculty members in the present world of information explosion. It can impact positively on educational development in Pakistan if they are used in a proper way.

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