Research on the Usage of Electronic Information Resources of the Humanities Scholars in Korea

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of the electronic information resources of humanities scholars in Korea and propose the planning of academic library and information services to serve their needs. To collect data, a postal survey was conducted during the period of November 2007 through January 2008. Out of 799 humanities scholars sampled from 25 universities, 132 responded with a completion rate of 16%. The major findings of this study are as follows: Firstly, the majority of humanities scholars distribute their time equally between research and education, and conduct independent research. Secondly, they use, to a certain degree, electronic information resources largely in text format, and depend upon the electronic collection of their academic libraries. Thirdly, with the exception of a couple of sources of electronic journal resources, the electronic resources that these humanities scholars regularly use vary so widely that none could be considered to be a common resource. Fourthly, they value the convenience of accessing and using electronic resources, but worry about the quality and scope of the contents. It is suggested that academic libraries (1) become the gateway for the electronic information that is available both inside and outside the library, (2) provide integrated search feature for and a 'single sign on' access to electronic resources, and (3) plan customized user education for specific subject fields in the humanities.

A study on the effect of digital literacy on information use behavior

“…Meanwhile, instead of framing a study through academic area, some research instead focuses on information use demands, forms, and capacities (Kim, 1999;Yoo, 2004). A substantial number of studies compare information use behavior of online users and offline users (Chang, 2003;Choi, 1999;Kim et al, 2011;Yoo, 2000;Yoon, 2009). In particular, Tenopir et al, (2009) analyzed user behavior in terms of electronic journals.…”

A study on researcher use behavior changes since Covid-19

“…Initially, studies on information use behavior according to each specialized field were accompanied. There are various research including science technology realm (Bae, 2010; Han, 1976; Yoo, 2002), social science field (Choi, 1997; Kim, 2012; Park et al, 2000), medical field (Lee, 1999), law (Hong, 1997), humanities (Yoon, 2009), education (Park, 2011), theology (Ahn, 1991), art & design (Lee and Jung, 2012), industry & corporation (Cho, 1979; Kim, 1990), and so on. Lee and Kim (2015) researched/analyzed prior research related to various academic and professional fields with regard to researchers’ information use behavior.…”