Transition to Electronic Resources in Undergraduate Social Science Research: A Study of Honors Theses Bibliographies, 1999–2005

Abstract

This citation analysis assesses use of print and electronic resources in advanced undergraduate research at Wellesley College. Using four years of social science honors theses bibliographies, the proportionate use of electronic versus print sources is determined. Consistent disciplinebased patterns in resource use are identified to inform future instruction and digital collections policies. Findings reveal: (1) an explosion in use of nonperiodical, nonbook Web sources; (2) a rapid decline in the use of print journals; and (3) a persistent lack of use of e-books. The authors argue that greater emphasis on starting research with scholarly indexes and bibliographies is a fruitful corrective to recent overdependence on random Web searching and will also better ground students in solid research practices as transitions in the scholarly publishing world continue.

Citation Analysis of M.A. Theses and Ph.D. Dissertations in Sociology and Anthropology: An Assessment of Library Resource Usage

“…Others work to create core lists of titles (examples are : Enger, 2009;Kaczor, 2014;Sylvia & Lesher, 1995;Waugh & Ruppel, 2004). A number of researchers have examined the use of materials in the Web environment (examples are: Conkling, Harwell, McCallips, Nyana, & Osif, 2010;Kriebel & Lapham, 2008). Others place the focus on information behavior and research skills of students for the purpose of evaluating library instruction (for example : Greenberg & Bar-Ilan, 2014).…”

“…Examples of such user studies are those focusing on undergraduate students' theses (examples are: Leiding, 2005;Kriebel & Lapham, 2008) or M.A. theses (examples are: Anunobi, 2002Riahinia, 2010;Sexton, 2006;Waugh & Ruppel, 2004).…”

“…Citation analysis became a popular research tool, and underwent an especially dramatic change in the 1990s, when libraries and the academic community responded to the introduction of electronic resources. Numerous studies explore the correlation between the book usage and the use of web sources (examples are Boyce et al, 2004;Kriebel & Lapham, 2008;Rogers, 2001). The 21st century brought another dramatic change by globalizing knowledge.…”

Trends of e-Government Research. Contextualization and Research Opportunities

“…However, we have preferred to use English-language academic and/or professional journals with major international impact (Braadbaart & Yusnandarshah, 2008). The main reason for this decision is that the importance of the book as a vehicle of communication has been weakened over time (Ullah et al, 2008), and it is being replaced by the use of online sources (Kriebel & Lapham, 2008), like e-journals, which are increasingly used by academics both for acquiring and for disseminating new knowledge (Nord & Nord, 1995).…”

Citation Analysis as a Tool to Measure the Impact of Individual Research Consultations

“…Citation analysis for this purpose may be done to assess the needs of a limited user population such as freshmen composition classes 23 or senior honors students. 24 In a 2003 study of first-year students, Hinchliffe et al 25 noted that books and journals were being cited more than Web sites, and that popular sources were used more than scholarly items. Carlson 26 considered the impact of class year, course level, and academic discipline on the number and types of sources being used and found that each variable did in fact contribute to differences observed in citation behavior.…”