The purpose of this survey is to determine the information-seeking behavior of graduate students of the Faculties of Philosophy (8 Schools) and Engineering (8 Schools) at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Discipline did not seem to affect information-seeking behavior critically. The Majority of the sample demonstrated a low to Medium level of information-seeking behavior. This survey revealed the need for improving the level of graduate students' information literacy skills.
Abstract. The aim of the present study is to report the results of a meta-synthesis of the empirical literature on scholars' attitudes towards Open Access (OA) journals. A total of 16 articles published in scholarly journals since 2002 (when the Budapest Open Access Initiative was released) were included in the study and five major themes emerged from their examination and analysis. The literature indicates that attitudes and perceptions of OA are varied across countries and across disciplines. Free access, which is perceived to facilitate wider dissemination of research outputs, is a strong incentive for publishing in OA. However, quality and reputation are the most important factors in selecting a journal and take priority over the availability of free access. Although OA is perceived to have many advantages over the traditional publication model, it raises some concerns too, especially in regard to the author-pays model, the quality of peer-review and the impact of the journals.
Purpose -To examine the use of library resources, focusing on e-sources, by the members of the faculty of a higher educational institute in Thessaloniki, Greece; to reveal the factors which influence the effective use of sources for academic duties; and to provide reliable information to both the administration and the library of the institute, with the aim of the improvement of library services. Design/methodology/approach -A census survey, using a structured questionnaire, among the faculty of the Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki was conducted to examine the frequency of use of resources, mainly e-sources, and to reveal the impact of demographic or academic situational characteristics, the assumed positive influence of academic productivity, perceived usefulness of resources and access to e-sources on the use of e-sources as well as the assumed negative influence of barriers and computer anxiety on the use of e-sources. Findings -The great majority of the faculty of TEI uses printed sources more than e-sources, but they also use e-sources quite frequently. Use is mostly of books, websites and printed journals. It was also found that the use of e-sources is higher in the School of Business Administration and Economics among those who hold a PhD degree and among younger members of the faculty. Also, the results indicated that the use of e-sources is positively influenced by the respondents' perceived usefulness of resources, the convenience of access to the sources and their academic productivity. The examination of the computer anxiety rating scale (CARS) provided evidence that the less anxious the faculty feel about PCs, the more frequent users they become. Research limitations/implications -Further research is needed to measure how faculty interact with information, what kind of electronic sources they prefer, what search strategies they use, as well as whether their information needs are satisfied. This research needs to be duplicated to other universities in Greece to determine whether the results can be generalized for Greek academic faculty. Practical implications -University administrations need to improve library facilities, to include more workstations for access to electronic sources, as well as to improve the marketing and communication of these e-sources. Originality/value -This research tries to fill a gap in the literature, which has underemphasized so far the need for assessing and measuring the use of library resources in Greek academic libraries and the examination of the factors that influence this use.
Purpose -The purpose of the present study was to expand the knowledge of student computer competencies and IT self-efficacy in two LIS departments in Greece. Design/methodology/approach -The participants in the study were students in the two LIS departments of the Technological Educational Institutes (TEI) situated in Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece. The survey was addressed to sophomores, juniors and seniors, because IT courses are taught after the first year of study. The instrument of the survey was a structured questionnaire comprising three parts, measuring a total of 48 variables. Findings -The levels of students' IT self-efficacy is rather high, while the mean score of computer competence indicates a rather low level of perceived ability in using computers. Students were more competent in using e-mail and Facebook, as well as using the internet for personal purposes. IT self-efficacy and perceived computer competence were positively related to the frequency of use of certain electronic activities and previous PC/internet experience. In addition, the frequency of IT use was a strong predictor of IT self-efficacy, and both frequency of use and experience were predictors of computer competence. The findings also suggested that increased levels of self-efficacy and computer competence were associated with higher grades. Originality/value -By being aware of the factors that predict self-efficacy and perceived ability, educators in both LIS departments can design instruction or other interventions in a way that will boost self-efficacy beliefs. Such an approach is likely to increase the acceptance and use of IT and help LIS students meet the learning objectives of IT courses.
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