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Measuring use patterns of online journals and databases.
Sandra L De Groote1, Josephine L Dorsch
1Library of the Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1750 West Polk Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. sgroote@uic.edu
Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA
|July 29, 2003
Summary
Users in academic health sciences centers overwhelmingly prefer online biomedical journals over print. Convenience and full-text access drive this preference, impacting library collection development and resource promotion.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Informatics
- Health Sciences Librarianship
- Information Science
Background:
- Academic health sciences libraries provide access to extensive digital resources, including numerous online journals and databases.
- Understanding user behavior and preferences for these online resources is crucial for effective library services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the usage patterns of online biomedical journals and databases.
- To identify user characteristics associated with the utilization of online library resources within an academic health sciences center.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to 471 faculty, residents, and students at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Library of the Health Sciences-Peoria.
- The survey assessed online and print journal use, database utilization, computer literacy, and other user characteristics.
Main Results:
- A 41% response rate (188 surveys) was achieved.
- 98% of respondents had convenient internet access.
- While 53% used MEDLINE weekly, other databases had lower usage. 71% preferred online journals when available.
Conclusions:
- Users strongly prefer online journals over print, citing convenience and full-text availability.
- Databases and journal collections lacking full-text links or integration with bibliographic databases are likely to see reduced usage.
- Findings inform collection development, resource promotion, and end-user training strategies.