This study examined the effect of enhanced electronic access to information
on patterns of scholarly communication. Using a panel typology, the
academics at the Australian National University were surveyed in 1991 and
again in 1994, with the data collected by means of mailed questionnaires.
The research drew on the literature of scholarly communication and
information-seeking behaviour. Principles of systems theory were used to
explain the changes taking place within the academics' environments,
including both the system of scholarly communication and the culture of the
three disciplinary groupings: science, social science and the humanities. Three
research questions directed the study focussing on the effect of enhanced
electronic access to information on the academics' use of the library and on
their patterns of information seeking and dissemination.
Results found that between 1991 and 1994, while some aspects of
communication technologies - such as email - had been almost universally
adopted, overall, few changes had taken place in academics' information
related behaviour. Scientists were more likely to have adopted the new
technologies than social scientists or scholars from the humanities. However,
there was strong evidence that a small group of academics were adopting the
new technologies with enthusiasm suggesting that the overall pattern of use
would change in the future.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/218677 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Milne, Patricia A, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Information Management & Tourism |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Patricia A Milne |
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