How graduate students perceive, use, and manage electronic resources

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to investigate graduate student perceptions of electronic resources, their search behaviour, and their usage patterns.Design/methodology/approachInterviews were conducted in a research‐oriented university, and participants included 18 graduate students from three disciplines: humanities, social sciences, and science and technology.FindingsGraduate students are frequent users of electronic resources, particularly during the thesis‐writing period. Graduate students of science and technology perceive electronic resources to be considerably more important to their research and studies than students of other disciplines do. Few students use the metasearch tool to retrieve heterogeneous electronic resources in the library. Very few students use alert services to obtain updated information.Originality/valueThe findings of the study could help university librarians acquire an enhanced understanding of the usage behaviour of graduate students on electronic resources.