Cross Country Comparison of Scholarly E-Reading Patterns in Australia, Finland, and the United States

Abstract

Surveys of academic staff in Australia, Finland, and the United States from 2004-2007 reveal readingpatterns of e-articles by academics that can be used to measure the purpose and value of e-reading and to demonstrate the value of library-provided electronic journal collections. Results can also be used to compare differences across subject discipline, age, and national boundaries, and how the decisions that libraries make influence reading patterns. The surveys used a variation of the critical incident technique to focus on the last e-article read, whether from the library collection or from elsewhere. Readings from e-journals and articles provided by libraries were more often for the purpose of research than were readings from other sources; were rated as highly valuable to that purpose; and have many reported values, including stimulating new ideas. Academics who published more also read more. Although there were some minor variations in e-reading patterns among the countries, most differences in reading patterns resulted instead from differences in subject discipline. Personal characteristics of the reader, including age and status, had much less influence on e-reading habits. AARL March 2010 vol 41 no1 pp 26-41

Scholarly article seeking, reading, and use: a continuing evolution from print to electronic in the sciences and social sciences

“…8,9 This convenience of e-access anywhere and anytime led to the situation where, by the mid-2000s, the majority of journal article readings were accessed by faculty electronically, mostly from having access through their library, and over half were read from an electronic version away from a physical library. 22 By 2011 in the United Kingdom, 94% of library article readings by faculty members in research universities were obtained through e-journal collections.…”

“…[11][12][13][14][15] Increasing availability of electronic articles, including backfiles, through libraries has been responsible for the largest percentage of the increase of e-article readings in the United States and elsewhere. 8,9 Therefore, libraries and publishers are both reacting to user preferences and driving changes in behaviour by changing to e-formats. Other studies also show the impact of electronic access and e-journals on changes to reading patterns.…”

“…Since 1977, King 7 and then Tenopir and King 5,8 have conducted surveys to examine information-seeking behaviour and scholarly reading patterns of faculty and other researchers in the United States. Beginning in 2000, it became clear that the shift to electronic resources had changed patterns of reading and usage, particularly in regards to scholarly articles and journals.…”

Measuring value and return on investment of academic libraries

“…Surveys from 2004 to 2007 of academics in the United States, Finland and Australia revealed that in the United States and Finland, faculty who published more also read more. 17 A recent study in the UK points in a similar direction: universities with more downloads of electronic articles had higher faculty publication rates. 18 A study at five US universities showed that faculty who publish more or who have won awards read more articles on average than their less productive colleagues.…”

Avoiding obscure topics and generalising findings produces higher impact research

“…Many paths may lead to an article being found and read (Tenopir, Wilson, Vakkari, Talja, & King, 2010). These include keyword searching, citation chaining and journal browsing.…”