Subject-Based Reading Behaviour Differences of Young Adults under Emerging Digital Paradigm

Abstract

AbstractThere appears a change in reading trends in the growing digital culture around the globe. The current research intended to identify the influence of this culture on the reading behaviour of young adults. A survey of final year Masters students from public and private sector universities in various knowledge domains (sciences and technology, social sciences, and arts and humanities) was conducted. The findings revealed a number of significant differences in both reading patterns and preferred reading formats among students of three knowledge domains. The findings suggest that all subjects should be treated separately when deciding on collection development and library services. This exploratory study proves that the digital environment creates a significant impact on individuals’ reading behaviour which needs to be considered by academics and library practitioners. It is a baseline study and opens many potential directions for future research.