Student Survey
2003
Table of Contents
Introduction
2
Methods
3
The Sample
4
Objectives
5
Demographics
7
Use of Electronic Resources for Coursework
11
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Electronic Resources
25
Evaluation of Electronic Resources
31
Use of Library Resources
35
Conclusions
41
Introduction
The Electronic Publishing Initiative at Columbia (EPIC) is
conducting a series of interviews, focus groups, and surveys as
part of a comprehensive research program to examine the
impact of electronic resources on the scholarly communication
process. This includes examining the effect of electronic
resources on publishers of scholarly materials, academic
libraries, information technology departments at institutions of
higher education, college faculty, graduate students, and
undergraduate students.
The study reported here examines the use and effects of
electronic resources on college undergraduate and graduate
students.
Methods
•
•
•
A 25 minute online survey of college students was conducted in the
Spring and Fall 2003 semesters.
E-mail invitations were sent to students in the fields of Political
Science, International Affairs and Earth/Environmental Sciences at 4
year colleges and universities across the United States. We focused on
these particular disciplines because two of EPIC’s projects were
created for scholars in these disciplines (Columbia International Affairs
Online for International Affairs and Earthscape for the
Earth/Environmental Sciences.) Political Science undergraduate
majors were included because most colleges do not have an
undergraduate International Affairs major. Therefore, it is the Political
Science undergraduate majors that represent the undergraduate
population that uses CIAO.
The overall response rate to this survey was 8%. Of those who
responded, 1233 individuals met our inclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria
stipulated respondents be a graduate or undergraduate student at a 4year liberal arts college, master’s college or university, or
doctoral/research university, specializing in the field of Political
Science, International Affairs or Earth/Environmental Science.
The Sample
The original sample reflected the underlying distribution of students in four year liberal
arts colleges and universities for gender, based on the last year of data available (1999).
Weighting factors were used to match the sample to the population for control of school
(public vs. private), and level in school (graduate vs. undergraduate) (1999, U.S.
Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics). This means that the
sample matches the national demographics for undergraduate and graduate students in
4-year colleges and universities on gender, control of school attended, and level in
school. We also distributed discipline so that it was represented as 50% Political
Science/International Affairs and 50% Earth/Environmental Sciences.
The findings from this study indicate general trends among undergraduate and graduate
students, and may not necessarily be representative of every individual’s experience.
Further, this sample is limited to students in the fields of Political Science, International
Affairs, and Earth Sciences. The findings may not be generalizable to students in other
fields.
Objectives
The objectives of this study were to:
• Gain insights into how students are using
electronic resources in their academic work
• Gain insights into the perceived benefits and
disadvantages of electronic resources
• Learn how students perceive electronic
resources as affecting their scholarship
• Examine differences in use of electronic
resources based on level in school, type of
discipline, and type of institution
How to Read The Slides in
This Presentation
•
On each slide, the actual survey question is listed in the bottom left corner of
the slide.
•
The “N=“ that is listed under the title of the slide indicates the number of
respondents who answered a particular question on the survey.
•
The text under the graphs explain the responses and comparisons shown in
the graph. On some slides, bars on the graph are added together when
percentages are cited in the text. For example the text may list the
percentage who “agreed” with a certain statement. This percentage is
comprise of those who indicated that they either strongly or somewhat agreed
with the statement.
•
Some slides have a note in the bottom left hand corner stating that “All of the
differences on this chart are statistically significant”. This indicates that
statistical analyses were conducted and the two groups being compared
differ from each other at the .05 level of statistical significance testing on all of
the items listed.
Demographics
Grade Level and Major
N=1233
Freshman
14.0%
Sophomore
16.1%
Junior
Political
Science/International
Affairs
50.0%
Earth/Environmental
Science
50.0%
22.3%
Senior
27.2%
Graduate Student in
Masters program
10.3%
Graduate Student in
Ph.D. program
10.1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
•
Level in school was weighted to match the ratio of undergraduate students to graduate
students within the population of students at 4-year colleges and research/doctoral universities
nationwide.
•
Major field of study was weighted so that each discipline represented 50% of the sample.
100%
Type of Institution
N=1233
81.5%
Doctoral/research university
Public
Masters college/university
65.5%
11.0%
Private
Baccalaureate college
34.5%
7.5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0%
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
The majority of respondents were from Doctoral/Research Universities (81.9%).
Control of institution (public vs. private) was weighted to match the underlying
distribution within the population of students at 4-year colleges and doctoral/research
universities.
90%
100%
Gender and Age
N=1233
18-20
38.1%
55.1%
Female
21-30
55.6%
31-40
3.8%
41-50
Male
1.6%
44.4%
51-60
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0.6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
•
Slightly more than half of the respondents were Female (55.1%).
•
The majority of respondents were 30 years old or younger (93.7%).
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Use of Electronic Resources
for Coursework
Frequency of Use and Proficiency with Electronic
Resources
N=1233
Every day
Extremely proficient
53.4%
10.1%
50.9%
Very proficient
A few times a week
36.9%
Somewhat proficient
A few times a month
36.9%
8.2%
Not very proficient
Once a month
0.8%
Less than once a month
0.7%
1.8%
Not at all proficient
0.2%
Don't know/No answer
0.0%
0%
0%
•
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
100%
Electronic resources are heavily used among students. More than half of respondents use
electronic resources for coursework everyday (53.4%). Only 1.5% use electronic resources for
coursework once a month or less.
Virtually all of the respondents considered themselves at least somewhat proficient (97.9%) with
electronic resources.
How often would you say you use electronic resources (excluding e-mail) for school purposes?
90%
100%
Use of Electronic Resources for Coursework
N=1233
To research an assignment or research/term paper
96.1%
To look up the literature on a particular topic
84.7%
Access data or datasets
49.4%
Clarify information learned in class
40.8%
Correspond with other people regarding coursework
related topics of interest
43.2%
Other
I do not use electronic resources for my coursework
3.0%
0.6%
0%
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
99% of respondents use electronic resources for coursework. Researching an
assignment or research/term paper (96.1%) and looking up literature on a particular
topic (84.7%) were the most common uses for electronic resources for coursework.
What do you use electronic resources for in your coursework?
Main Source for Learning about Electronic Resources
N=1225
Library website/portal
31.5%
Professors/teaching
assistants
27.1%
Search engines
13.7%
Other students
12.5%
Librarian
6.9%
Links you come across
while online
6.8%
Other
1.4%
0%
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Students learn about school related electronic resources primarily through their library
website (31.5%) and through their professors (27.1%). Internet search engines
(13.7%) do not play a large role in informing students about academic electronic
databases.
What is your main source for learning about school-related electronic resources?
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Types of Resources Students Depend On
N=1225
Very Dependent (4)
Somewhat Dependent
The World Wide Web (not including
library sponsored databases)
61.6%
E-mail
28.1%
49.8%
Library print holdings of your own
school
38.9%
16.1%
Listservs
10.0%
Library print holdings of other
schools
20%
24.3%
42.5%
23.8%
10%
9.8%
34.2%
26.8%
6.9%
0%
30.0%
7.9%
10.1%
37.1%
28.0%
Library sponsored electronic
databases of other schools
Not at all Dependent (1)
28.9%
59.8%
Library sponsored electronic
databases of your own school
•
Not very Dependent
39.7%
30%
40%
50%
Means
1.6%
3.50
1.9%
3.46
3.3%
3.33
8.7%
2.86
19.7%
2.43
20.7%
2.26
29.5%
60%
70%
80%
90%
2.08
100%
Respondents were far more dependent on electronic resources than print resources for their
coursework. Respondents said they were most dependent on the World Wide Web. E-mail and
library sponsored electronic databases of their own school were other electronic resources that
they relied heavily on.
How dependent are you on the following types of electronic resources for your coursework?
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Dependence on Types of Resources by Grade Level (Mean
Rating)
N=1225
The World Wide Web (not
including library sponsored
databases)
3.55
3.35
3.23
Library sponsored electronic
databases of your own school
3.73
2.74
Library print holdings of your
own school
Graduate Student
2.36
Library sponsored electronic
databases of other schools
2.68
2.00
Library print holdings of other
schools
2.41
-
•
Undergraduate Student
3.34
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
Undergraduate students are more likely than graduate students to use non-library sponsored web
resources, while graduate students are more likely to use library sponsored electronic and print
resources.
How dependent are you on the following types of electronic resources for your coursework?
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
All of the differences on this chart are statistically significant
Dependence on Various Types of Websites
N=1225
Very Dependent (4)
Library portal of your school
Not very Dependent
40.7%
Government websites
Organizational websites
26.5%
Journal websites (non-library
sponsored)
25.8%
45.3%
46.8%
10%
30%
40%
15.4%
5.2%
17.7%
4.4%
28.1%
50%
60%
70%
80%
3.15
3.06
2.8%
25.8%
39.4%
20%
Means
23.9%
41.3%
23.2%
0%
Not at all Dependent (1)
38.7%
32.7%
Online newspapers
•
Somewhat Dependent
90%
2.97
7.2%
2.86
9.3%
2.76
100%
When asked specifically about types of websites they depend on for coursework,
respondents reported they were most dependent on the library portal of their school,
followed closely by government or organizational websites.
How dependent are you on the following types of web sites for your coursework?
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Dependence on Types of Websites by Grade Level
(Mean Ratings)
N=1225
3.06
Library portal of your school
3.49
2.82
Undergraduate Student
Online newspapers
Graduate Student
2.53
2.80
Journal websites (Not library
sponsored)
3.08
-
•
•
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
Graduate students were more dependent than undergraduate students on the library
portal and journal websites for their coursework.
Undergraduate students were more dependent on online newspapers than graduate
students.
How dependent are you on the following types of web sites for your coursework?
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
All of the differences on this chart are statistically significant
Use of Internet Search Vs. Library Database
N=1225
I am more likely to do a
general Internet search
46.5%
I am more likely to go to a
library database
21.9%
I use both equally
31.4%
I don't use either
0.1%
Don't know/No answer
0.1%
0%
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
When going online to do work for a course students are more likely to use an Internet search
engine (46.5%) than to go to a library database (21.9%). Almost 1/3 of the students report that
they use both methods equally.
When doing work online for one of your classes, do you typically do a general Internet search or use library sponsored electronic resources?
(Asked only of respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
First Source Used When Writing
a Research or Term Paper
N=1207
Library sponsored
electronic resources
37.6%
Internet search engine
32.7%
Physical library
11.4%
References from class
materials
10.5%
Professor/teaching
assistant
5.8%
Librarian
Fellow students
1.2%
0.1%
Other
0.7%
0%
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
However, when asked specifically about writing a research/term paper, the source most students
turn to first is a library sponsored electronic resource (37.6%) followed closely by students who
use an Internet search engine (32.7%) first. This indicates that for general assignments, students
are more likely to turn to the Internet, but for in-depth research assignments, they are more
somewhat more likely to turn to library sponsored electronic resources.
When writing a research/term paper, what is the first source you turn to?
(Asked only of those respondents who have written a term paper that required citation of resources used in writing the paper)
Types of Sources Cited in Last
Research/Term Paper Written
N=1207
Books
84.8%
Journals
77.8%
Websites
68.8%
Newspapers
32.1%
Magazines
27.5%
0%
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Books and journals are still cited by most students when writing a term paper, however the
number of students citing websites does not lag far behind. Books and Journals were each cited
by more than three-quarters of respondents as types of resources cited in the bibliography of their
last research/term paper (84.8% and 77.8% respectively), while websites were cited by 68.8% of
the students.
Thinking about the LAST research/term paper you wrote, what types of resources did you cite in your bibliography?
(Asked only of those respondents who have written a term paper that required citation of resources used in writing the paper)
Use of Electronic Resources by Professors for Courses
N=1225
One or more of my professors direct us to supplementary materials that
are found online
85.4%
One or more of my courses have a course website
85.3%
One or more of my classes place course materials online
82.4%
76.1%
One or more of my classes use online materials in addition to textbooks
44.0%
One or more of my classes use an online classroom program
31.9%
One or more of my classes use online materials instead of textbooks
None of the above
1.8%
Other
1.3%
0%
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Students are not the only ones using electronic resources for their courses. Electronic
resources also appear to be widely used by professors for the courses they teach.
The most common ways electronic resources are used include directing students to
supplementary materials online, using a course website, placing course materials
online for students to retrieve, and using online materials in addition to course
textbooks. Many students also report that one or more of their professors use online
programs (such as Blackboard), and almost a third of the students report that at least
one of their classes use online materials in place of textbooks.
In which of the following ways do your professors use electronic resources for their courses:
(Asked only of respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Importance and Satisfaction With
Electronic Resources Used
N=1162
Full Text Available
3.84
2.88
Ease of Navigation
3.82
2.98
Ability to print materials
Search capabilities of database
3.71
3.00
Currency of information
3.22
Speed of site
3.19
Ability to download materials
2.90
3.66
3.53
Importance
Satisfaction
3.45
3.11
Availability of older/archived information
3.40
3.01
3.27
Reputation of provider
2.96
3.13
Text is in preserved format
2.71
2.81
Ability to tell if a source on the site is peer reviewed
2.49
Availability of high quality images/graphics
-
•
3.72
3.35
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
2.91
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
Respondents were asked to rate the importance of several features of electronic resources, along with their
satisfaction with these features in the electronic resources they use. The largest disparities in importance and
satisfaction are with the availability of full text, ease of navigation and search capabilities of database. In each
case the respondents rate their satisfaction with the feature significantly lower than the importance of the feature.
Features where satisfaction outshone importance were the reputation of the provider of the electronic resource,
having text in preserved format, the ability to tell if a source was peer reviewed, and the quality of
images/graphics.
Please rate how important the following qualities of online databases are to you:
In general, how satisfied are you with the following qualities of the online databases you currently use?
(Asked only of those respondents who have used online databases)
Overall Effect of Electronic Resources on your Coursework
N=1225
54.0%
Very positively
39.4%
Somewhat positively
Neither positively nor negatively
6.0%
Somewhat negatively
0.6%
Very negatively
0.0%
0%
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
The majority of respondents believe that electronic resources have had a positive impact overall
on their coursework.
Overall, how positively or negatively have electronic resources (not including e-mail) affected the quality of your course work?
(Asked only of respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Advantages and
Disadvantages of Using
Electronic Resources
Advantages of Electronic Resources
N=1225
Strongly Agree (5)
Somewhat agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Somewhat disagree
Strongly Disagree (1)
Means
Don't know/No answer
3.0% 0.8%
Electronic resources make it possible for me to work from my
home/residence hall or other location outside the library
71.9%
19.0%
1.5%
3.9%
4.61
2.7% 0.6%
62.4%
Electronic resources save me time
28.3%
5.4%
0.6%
4.50
1.0%0.4%
61.3%
Electronic resources give me greater access to current information
32.7%
4.4% 0.2%
4.54
2.5%
I can get more information with less effort using electronic resources
46.3%
33.3%
9.7%
7.6%
0.6%
4.14
3.4%
4.00
0.7%
3.87
0.7%
3.48
2.1%
Electronic resources give me increased access to pictures/graphics
35.1%
36.6%
16.6%
6.2%
3.3%
Electronic resources provide materials that make it possible for me to
do projects that I otherwise wouldn't be able to do
29.5%
13.7%
43.3%
9.5%
4.6%
Electronic resources give me greater access to older information
19.3%
0%
•
10%
36.4%
20%
30%
40%
20.8%
50%
60%
70%
18.2%
80%
90%
100%
Electronic resources allow students to work from a location outside the library, save
them time, give them greater access to current information, and allow them to get
more information with less effort.
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each statement below:
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Disadvantages of Electronic Resources
N=1225
Strongly Agree (5)
Somew hat agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Somew hat disagree
Strongly Disagree (1)
Means
Don't know /No answ er
0.9%
Search engines are not as precise as I would like them to be
31.1%
49.1%
12.2%
6.6%
0.2%
4.03
2.4%
The use of electronic resources increase the need for me to separate out the
"reliable" information from the "unreliable" information
24.8%
46.9%
15.7%
9.7%
0.5%
3.82
2.2%
Search engines are not as thorough as I would like them to be
20.9%
The use of electronic resources can result in an overload of information
18.7%
Electronic resources make it easier to plagiarize
17.2%
I sometimes find that I settle for materials that are available online rather than
make a trip to the library to get what I would really like
17.1%
I spend less time thinking or deliberating over course assignments because the
whole research process is sped up by the use of electronic resources
•
10%
18.4%
38.7%
18.9%
30.6%
28.7%
20%
30%
11.3%
16.7%
40%
13.1%
50%
20.7%
22.5%
60%
70%
8.8%
3.73
5.7% 0.3%
3.47
90%
3.37
7.2%
10.9%
16.1%
80%
0.7%
11.4%
17.6%
23.1%
38.0%
14.4%
0%
•
46.4%
2.0%
1.6%
3.30
3.03
100%
Search engines appeared to be a major difficulty in the use of electronic resources. 80.2% of
respondents agreed that search engines were not as precise as they would like them to be and
67.3% agreed that search engines are not as thorough as they would like them to be.
Further, 71% agree that electronic resources increase their need to separate out the reliable from
unreliable information, while half of the respondents report difficulty making these judgments (next
graph).
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each statement below:
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Disadvantages of Electronic Resources (cont’d)
N=1225
Strongly Agree (5)
Somewhat agree
The amount of information available
through electronic resources can be
overwhelming for me
14.1%
11.0%
I have difficulty judging the quality of
content of some online information
11.0%
I have a tendency to go no further than
electronic resources in my search for
information
10.6%
25.0%
The availability of electronic resources
makes it more likely that I will put off a
task to the last minute
9.8%
27.2%
When using electronic resources I find
that I easily get distracted or go on a
tangent
9.7%
Strongly Disagree (1)
35.4%
10%
20%
30%
23.0%
60%
3.30
10.2%
0.5%
12.9%
41.1%
50%
1.3%
19.7%
23.5%
40%
6.8%
21.1%
24.3%
18.0%
10.5%
16.8%
20.1%
30.6%
17.9%
3.23
20.0%
18.1%
11.8%
0.9%
9.6%
19.3%
19.3%
40.1%
Means
Don't know/No answer
22.8%
41.6%
6.0%
0%
Somewhat disagree
33.4%
I am sometimes unsure if the information
I find online is reliable
My use of electronic resources has
resulted in my not learning how to use
the physical library
•
Neither agree nor disagree
70%
80%
90%
3.22
0.9%
2.73
1.1%
2.83
0.9%
3.06
2.0%
2.21
100%
More than half of the respondents somewhat or strongly agree that electronic resources can result
in an overload of information (previous slide), and almost half of the respondents agree that this
overload of information can be overwhelming for them. 1/3 of respondents admit they tend to go
no further than electronic resources when looking for information, and 1/5 of respondents agree
that their use of electronic resources has gone as far as to keep them from learning how to use
the physical library.
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each statement below:
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Disadvantages of Electronic Resources by Grade Level
(Mean Rating)
N=1225
4.07
3.89
Search engines are not as precise as I would like them to be
The use of electronic resources increases the need for me to separate
out the "reliable" information from the "unreliable" information
3.45
The use of electronic resources can result in an overload of information
3.52
3.29
3.92
I am sometimes unsure if the information I find online is reliable
3.41
2.89
I sometimes find that I settle for materials that are available online
rather than make the trip to the library to get what I really would like
3.01
3.38
The amount of information available through electronic resources can
be overwhelming to me
3.29
3.02
I have difficulty judging the quality of content of some online
information
3.27
3.02
I spend less time thinking or deliberating over course assignments
because the whole research process is sped up by the use of
Graduate Students
3.19
2.39
3.14
I find that I easily get distracted or go on a tangent
2.76
The availability of electronic resources makes it more likely that I will
put a task off until the last minute
3.01
2.12
I have a tendency to go no further than electronic resources in search
for information
2.84
2.33
My use of electronic resources has resulted in my not learning how to
use the physical library
1.81
-
•
Undergraduate Students
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.32
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
Undergraduate students seem to have more difficulties with electronic resources than graduate students,
particularly with determining the quality of information. Undergraduates are also more likely to put things
off until the last minute and to go no further than electronic resources for information.
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each statement below:
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
All of the differences on this chart are statistically significant
Electronic Resources and Plagiarism
Have purchased a term/research
paper online to hand in for a class
assignment
0.4%
N=1225
Have copied text from a website
and pasted it into their own paper
for a class assignment/research
paper
39.9%
N=1225
81.7%
Cited copied text in paper
N=488
0%
•
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Slightly more than one-third of respondents said they had copied text from a website and pasted it
into their own assignment/research paper (39.9%). However, 81.7% of these respondents said
they cited the copied text in the paper.
Less than one percent of respondents said they had purchased a paper online to hand in for a
class assignment (0.4%).
Have you ever purchased a term/research paper online to hand in for class? (Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Have you ever copied text from a website and pasted it into your own paper for a class assignment/research paper? (Asked only of those respondents who use electronic
resources for their coursework)
If you responded “yes” to the above question, did you cite it in your term paper? (Asked only of those respondents who have copied text from a website and pasted it into their
own paper)
Evaluation of Electronic
Resources
Steps Taken To Evaluate Electronic Resources
N=917
Reputation of the source
51.2%
Cross-check the information
20.6%
Author
18.6%
If there are references to other legitimate sources (links, citations)
17.1%
Whether they are journals or peer reviewed/refereed documents
16.0%
9.7%
From the URL (org or gov vs. com)
8.4%
I ask professors or peers
Also found offline
7.3%
Date it was published or updated
7.3%
6.2%
Known source
21.5%
Other
9.7%
Don't know/No answer
0%
•
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
74.9% of respondents said they take steps to evaluate the trustworthiness of online information
they are using for coursework.
Of those who do take steps to evaluate electronic resources, slightly more than half rely on the
reputation of the source. 20.6% of respondents cross-check the information found online with
another source and 18.6% rely on the author when determining the reliability of online information.
How do you evaluate online information for use in your coursework?
(Asked only of those respondents who said they take steps to evaluate trustworthiness of online formation)
Instruction on the Evaluation of Electronic Resources
N=1225
No, I have not received any
instruction
49.5%
Yes, by one or more of my
professor's or TA's instructions
26.7%
Yes, I participated in a library
training program
10.2%
Yes, I participated in a required
course
7.0%
Yes, I participated in an optional
course at my college
2.0%
I don't know/Not sure
3.2%
Other
1.5%
0%
•
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Almost half of the respondents have not received any formal instruction on how to evaluate
electronic resources (49.5%).
Of those who have receive instruction, most of them received it from a professor or TA.
As a college student, have you received any formal instruction in how to evaluate the quality of online information?
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Benefits of a Course on Evaluating Electronic Resources
Very beneficial
32.7%
Somewhat beneficial
How beneficial do
you think a course
like this would be?
N=607
49.4%
15.8%
Not very beneficial
Not at all beneficial
2.2%
28.3%
Very beneficial
How beneficial was
this course?
N=561
64.7%
Somewhat beneficial
6.7%
Not very beneficial
Not at all beneficial
0.3%
0%
•
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Of those who had not received any instruction in the evaluation of electronic
resources, the vast majority (82%) thought that this instruction would be beneficial.
Of those who had received instruction in the evaluation of electronic resources, 93%
thought it had been useful.
Use of Library Resources
Dependence on Library Resources
N=1225
Means
Very Dependent (4)
Somew hat Dependent
The library's website/portal to retrieve articles or books from electronic
resources
Not very Dependent
Not at all Dependent (1)
47.1%
3.21
34.4%
11.1%
7.4%
3.10
The library's website/portal for the online card catalogue
43.0%
The physical library to retrieve articles or books
34.0%
30.4%
The physical library as a place to study
45.4%
23.2%
The library's website/portal for interlibrary loan
The physical library for interlibrary loan
22.6%
14.0%
The physical library for Internet access
10.9%
The physical library for access to word processing facilities
21.5%
8.3%
20.7%
15.0%
2.27
28.0%
2.25
51.1%
23.0%
3.01
2.57
31.1%
33.0%
17.3%
4.9%
22.5%
30.2%
25.0%
9.8%
19.3%
32.8%
17.1%
13.1%
1.88
53.7%
1.78
The physical library for the card catalogue
7.1%
13.6%
37.4%
41.9%
1.86
0%
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Students are almost as dependent on the physical library (75.8%) as they are on the
library’s website to retrieve books and articles (81.5%). However, dependence on the
online card catalogue (77%) is much higher than dependence on the physical library
for the card catalogue (21%).
How dependent are you on the following for your coursework?
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Dependence on Library Resources by Grade Level
(Mean Rating)
N=1225
The library's website/portal to retrieve articles or books
from electronic databases
3.09
3.67
3.00
The library's website/portal for the online card catalogue
3.51
2.94
The physical library to retrieve articles or books
3.31
2.70
The physical library as a place to study
2.04
The physical library for interlibrary loan
2.13
The library's website/portal for interlibrary loan
2.11
1.99
1.45
1.90
1.70
The physical library for the card catalogue
The physical library for access to word processing
facilities
1.90
1.33
-
•
Graduate Students
2.86
The physical library for Internet access
•
Undergraduate Students
2.70
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
Undergraduate and graduate students are differentially dependent on the library’s services. Graduate students are
more dependent on the library’s portal to retrieve articles or books from electronic databases, the online card
catalogue, for interlibrary loan and they are dependent on the physical library to retrieve articles or books as well
as for interlibrary loan.
Undergraduate students are more dependent than graduate students on the physical library as a place to study,
for Internet access, for the card catalogue, and for access to word processing facilities.
How dependent are you on the following for your coursework?
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
All of the differences on this chart are statistically significant
Frequency of Physical Library Use
N=1225
5.3%
Everyday
26.0%
A few times a week
A few times a month
36.4%
10.9%
Once a month
18.2%
Less than once a month
3.2%
Never
0%
•
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
The majority of respondents use the physical library more than once a month
(67.7%).
3.2% of respondents said they never use the physical library.
How often do you use the physical library at your school?
(Asked only of those respondents who said they use electronic resources for their coursework)
100%
Frequency of Foregoing Information Rather than Going to
the Physical Library to Retrieve it
N=1225
Always
3.8%
17.3%
Often
Sometimes
36.0%
Rarely
33.9%
9.0%
Never
0%
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Student use of electronic resources often leads them to settle for information that is
available online even though better materials might be available at the library. About
20% of the students say they often or always settle for information that is available
remotely rather than going to the physical library to retrieve what they would really
like. Another 36% say they do this ‘sometimes’.
When an article, book, or other resource is not available online, how often do you choose to forgo the resource rather than going to the physical library to
retrieve it?
(Asked only of respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Preference of Print vs. Electronic Resources
N=1225
It depends on the situation
55.5%
Electronic resources
26.0%
Print resources
18.4%
0%
•
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
More than half of the respondents said their preference for print or electronic resources depends on the situation
(55.5%). Slightly more than one quarter prefer electronic resources and 18.4% prefer print resources. Print is
preferred by some because it is easier to read, it is portable, you can take notes on it, it is easy to evaluate if it is a
reliable source, and it is easy to browse through. Electronic resources are preferred by some because they are
easy to access, easy to use, they save time, and they make it easy to search for information. Print is preferred for
situations where the material is long or dense, and the reader has to fully comprehend the material. Electronic
resources are preferred for situations where the reader is obtaining supplementary or background materials, for
current events materials, or when working on short papers/homework assignments.
Do you prefer print or electronic resources?
(Asked only of those respondents who use electronic resources for their coursework)
Conclusions
• Electronic resources have become the main tool for students’ information
gathering.
• Undergraduate students in particular are heavily dependent on the World
Wide Web. Graduate students are more likely to report a dependence on
library sponsored electronic resources.
• Electronic resources are seen as providing convenience by letting students
work from their home or residence hall, and by saving them time.
• Electronic resources increase the need for students to separate out the
reliable from unreliable information, which students have difficulty doing.
Conclusions (cont’d)
• Formal instruction on how to evaluate electronic resources would be
beneficial to most students.
• The physical library is still an important destination for students. Both
undergraduate and graduate students use the physical library to retrieve
articles and books. Undergraduates are more likely to use the library as a
study space, for the computing facilities, or for Internet access. Graduate
students are more likely than undergraduates to use it for interlibrary loan.
• Future efforts could focus on increasing access to full text materials, and
improving navigation and search capabilities in order to better meet students’
needs.