Information Needs in ICT
Environment: A Study among the
Students of Assam Down Town
University
By
Prafulla Kumar Mahanta,
Research Scholar, Gauhati University
Cum
Librarian, Assam Down Town University
1
INTRODUCTION
INFORMATION
The word “Information” has derived from Latin word “Informare” means to give shape
to something. It can be defined as “some meaningful messages recorded in
conventional and non conventional media; stored and processed by messages and
dissemination to user.
Webster’s Third International Dictionary defines “Information as a) facts or figures
ready for communication or use as distinguished from incorporated in a formally
organized branch of knowledge b) the process by which the form of an object of
knowledge in impressed upon the apprehending mind so as to bring the state of
knowing.”
INFORMATION NEEDS
Ching-Chih Chen and Peter Hernom stress that an information need is more than a
question asked of an introduction provider. It occurs whenever people find themselves
in situations that require some form of knowledge for resolution.
The Librarian’s Thesaurus defines information need as “that need which library
services or materials are intended to satisfy.
According to Kuhlthau (1993) information need is often understood in information
science as evolving from a vague awareness of something missing and as culminating
in locating information that contributes to understanding and meaning.
2
Continued…
INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR
•
Wilson (1999) consider “Information behaviours are those activities a person may
engage in when identifying his or her own needs for information, searching for such
information in any way and using or transferring that information.”
•
According to Giraj Kumar (1990) Information seeking behaviour is mainly concerned
with who needs what kinds of information for what reasons, how information is found,
evaluated and used.
ICT AND INFORMATION NEED
•
The World has tremendous changes as well as also changes the requirements of
information. Thus changes the purposes of information needs and the way of seeking
and gathering information. The key factor which has influence on information needs
and the process of seeking and gathering information is the advancement of
information and communication technology (ICT). Information and communication
technology (ICT) may be defined as the convergence of electronic, computing and
telecommunications.
3
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
• To identify the frequency and reasons for visiting the library by
the students of Assam down town University;
• To determine the purposes of information needs in ICT
environment among the Students;
• To know the ICT skills possess to retrieved the required
information in ICT environment;
• To identify the types of information sources used by the students
in ICT environment;
• To find out the barriers for accessing and using the required
information by the students;
• To identify the strategies adopted to overcome the difficulties by
the students.
4
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This Study covers only the Students of Assam Down Town University,
Panikhaiti, Guwahati-26,
Assam. It is a State private University
established in the year 2010 providing courses like Engineering, Pharmacy,
Management, Nursing, Paramedical sciences etc.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
In this research, questionnaire method adopted to collect data
from the students of Assam Down Town University, Assam. Also
for collecting secondary data used the relevant research work,
journals, reference books and internet.
5
Analysis and interpretation of Data
RESPONSE OF THE SAMPLE
The questionnaire was distributed to
two hundred (200) students of Assam
Down Town University. One hundred
and
ninety
responded
questionnaire.
five
and
The
(195)
2.50%
students
return
percentage
response rate is ninety five (97.5%).
the
97.50%
of
Responded
Not responded
6
Continued…
FREQUENCY OF VISITING LIBRARY
The maximum 29.23% respondents
visit
library
everyday,
19.49%
respondent visit library three times
in a week, at least once in a week
Chart-2: Frequency of visiting Library
29.23%
30%
25%
19.49% 19.49%
12.30%
15%
and once in a month. Only 12.30%
10%
respondent visit library two times in
0%
a week.
19.49%
20%
5%
Every
day
Three
times
in a
week
Two
times
in a
week
At least Once in
once in
a
a week month
7
Continued…
DURATION OF TIME SPENDS IN LIBRARY
The maximum 29.74% respondents
spend time less than half an hour,
29.23%
respondent
one
to
two
hours, 21.54% respondent half hour
to
one
hour
and
only
19.49%
Chart -3 : Duration of time spends in library
29.74%
30%
29.23%
21.54%
19.49%
25%
20%
15%
10%
respondent spends two to three
5%
hours.
0%
Less than Half hour
One to
half hour
to one
two hours
hour
Two to
three
hours
8
Continued…
REASON FOR VISITING LIBRARY
The highest 87.69% respondents
visit
library
77.95%
to
visit
consult
library
for
books,
study
purposes, 68.20% visit library to
borrow books, 44.10% visit to search
online database, 38.97% visit to
photocopy relevant documents and
to find information on a specific
topic,
library
14.87%
to
respondent
view
audio
Chart-4: Reason for visiting Library
visit
100.00% 87.69%
90.00%
77.95%
80.00%
68.20%
70.00%
60.00%
44.10%
50.00%
38.97% 38.97%
40.00%
30.00%
14.87%
9.74% 9.74%
20.00%
5.13%
10.00%
0.00%
visual
materials, 9.74% visit to make book
reservation and to read news paper.
Only
5.13%
respondents
visit
library to consult journals.
9
Continued…
PURPOSE OF INFORMATION NEEDS
The
highest
needed
their
83.07%
information
notes,
respondents
for
73.33%
Chart-5:Purpose of Information Needs
preparing
respondent
Preparing notes
needed information to improve their
Writing articles
knowledge, 44.10% respondent for
keeping
up-to-date,
respondent for research work, 34.36%
respondent for writing articles. Only
19.49% needed information to share
knowledge with colleagues.
19.49%
38.97%
73.33%
44.1%
83.07%
34.36%
Research work
Keeping up-to-date
38.97%
Improving
Knowledge
Sharing knowledge
with colleagues
10
Continued…
ICT SKILLS POSSESS TO RETRIEVE THE REQUIRED INFORMATION
Maximum 77.95% respondents have
skill
to
handling
computer
Chart - 6 : ICT Skills possess to retrieve the
required Information
to
retrieved required information. Again
e-mailing,
with
software and downloading of web
20%
48.72%
respondent
familiar
resources, 38.97% respondent have
skill to access to websites, 24.62%
respondent have skill to use digital
resources and keep touching bulletin
board. Only small amount 19.49%
respondent have skill on audio/video
conferencing.
48.72%
50%
40%
58.46%
48.72%
38.97%
24.62%
30%
24.62%
19.49%
10%
0%
Audio/video conferencing
and
58.46%
60%
Keeping touch with bulletin…
search
70%
Downloading of web resources
online
70.77%
Use of digital resources
on
77.95%
E-mailing
browse internet, 58.46% respondent
80%
Access to Website
to
Online search
skill
Internet browsing
have
Familiar with software
respondent
Handling of Computer
70.77%
11
Continued…
INFORMATION SOURCES IN ICT ENVIRONMENT USED BY THE
STUDENTS
The highest 87.69% respondent considered
Chart-7: Information sources used by the
Students
textbook and monograph as the mostly
used information sources. Again 77.95%
respondent used reference book, 68.20%
100%
90%
80%
used journals and magazines, 48.72%
70%
respondent used thesis and dissertation
60%
and 44.10% respondent used e-book,
24.62% respondent used newsletter and
77.95%
68.20%
48.72%
50%
44.10%
40%
30%
bulletins; e-journals and online database.
20%
Very least amount of the students 9.74%
10%
used proceeding of conference, workshop
87.69%
24.62%
9.74%
24.62%
24.62%
9.74%
0%
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
24.62%
7
8
9.74%
9 10 11 12 13 14
and seminar; back volumes of Journals; Ethesis and CD-ROM/DVD databases.
12
Continued…
BARRIERS FOR ACCESSING AND USING THE REQUIRED
INFORMATION
The highest 68.20% respondents
mentioned that they faced problem to
accessing
and
using
required
information due to low internet speed
and the required materials is not
available. 48.72% respondent faced
problem due to information scattered
in
too
many
sources,
44.10%
respondent feels lack of time for online
searching, 34.36% respondent due to
out-dated
information
materials,
19.49% respondent due to information
is too vast and lack of training in
electronic
resources,
14.87%
respondent for incomplete information
materials and lack of technical support.
Very less amount 9.74% of respondent
due to power supply and backup and
5.12% respondent due to lack of
computer hardware and software.
Power supply and backup
9.74%
68.20%
Low internet speed
Lack of training in
electronics resources
Lack of time for online
searching
Lack of Technical
support
Lack of computer
hardware and software
Incomplete information
materials
Out dated information
materials
Information scattered in
too many sources
Information is too vast
19.49%
44.10%
14.87%
5.12%
14.87%
34.36%
48.72%
19.49%
68.20%
0.00%20.00%40.00%60.00%80.00%
13
Continued…
STRATEGIES ADOPTED TO OVERCOME THE PROBLEMS
To overcome the problem faced by the
Chart-9: Strategies adopted to overcome the
problems
students for getting required information
the highest 83.07% respondent indicates to
faster
the
internet
respondent
services.
77.95%
indicates to develop library
collection as per the users or course need,
77.95%
38.97%
24.61%
34.36%
38.97% respondent state to conducive the
library environment, 34.35% respondent
mention
to
adopt
sufficient
ICT
infrastructure facility, 29.23% respondent
indicate to conduct workshop and training
1
2
29.23%
83.07%
24.61%
3
4
5
6
7
and 24.61% respondent mention to conduct
adequate user education program and
provide resource sharing facility.
14
RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
Sufficient library staff should be employed in the library for betterment of library services.
2.
Sufficient ICT infrastructure facility should be provided in the library.
3.
The library should provide more computer terminals with internet facility.
4.
The library should setup digital library and enrich the collections with different form of digital
materials.
5.
Effort should be made to increase the speed of internet access so that the students can make
accessible to web-based resources.
6.
Resources sharing facility should be introduced.
7.
The library should increase the space of library and hence provide group discussion facility
separately inside the library.
8.
The library should subscribe the enough print journals as well as e-journal for all the
departments.
9.
Required to fully automated the library and provide OPAC facility so that users can access the
every document in the library.
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CONCLUSION
The study investigates the information needs among
the students of Assam Down Town University. The
findings showed that the main reason for less
consulting journals by the students is the unavailable
of latest and updated print journals in the library. The
Library should increase internet speed and provide
sufficient ICT infrastructure with sufficient digital
materials.
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