Benefits and Outcomes of Library Collections on Scholarly Reading in Finland

Carol Tenopir; Sanna Talja; Elina Late; Lisa Christian

doi:10.1515/libri-2018-0139

Published by De Gruyter Saur May 31, 2019

Benefits and Outcomes of Library Collections on Scholarly Reading in Finland

Carol Tenopir , Sanna Talja , Elina Late and Lisa Christian

From the journal Libri

https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2018-0139

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Abstract

Results of an online survey distributed to faculty, PhD students, and researchers throughout Finland in 2016 show that library resources, journal articles, and books are important parts of scholars’ research and work life. The survey was disseminated through FinELib to heads of libraries, who were then asked to distribute it to their academic staff, researchers, and PhD students. The purpose of this study was to examine the value of readings obtained from library collections. To help answer this question, participants were asked about the amount and value of their reading and where they obtained readings, which allowed comparison of how the value of the library collection differs from other sources. The study found that researchers use many ways to identify and obtain articles, and the library collection is identified as one important source. Scholars use the library’s collection mostly to obtain articles for research and those articles help to inspire new ideas. Overall, this study demonstrates the importance of access to scholarly publications for scholars, from the library and elsewhere, such as open access sites and research sharing platforms.

Keywords: scholarly journals; reading; library collections; access to information resources

Appendix A

Proposed Survey of Scholarly Reading (Finland)

Section 1: Demographics

Which of the following best describes your academic discipline?
1. Life sciences
2. Physical sciences
3. Medical sciences
4. Computer science
5. Mathematics
6. Engineering
7. Social sciences
8. Business
9. Psychology
10. Education
11. Humanities
12. Fine Arts
13. Law
14. Other (please specify): ________________________
What is your specific discipline?
______________________________________________
I currently work at:
1. University
2. University of applied sciences
3. State research institute
4. Other research institute
5. Other (please specify): ______________________
What is your academic status?
1. Director/manager of an institute
2. Professor
3. Assistant Professor
4. Project manager/program coordinator
5. Postdoctoral researcher
6. PhD candidate
7. Research assistant
8. Lecturer/university lecturer
9. Teacher/university teacher
10. Other (please specify): ______________________
What is your age?
______________________________________________
What percentage of your work time do you spend doing the following? (The total should equal 100 %. If the answer is zero, please enter “0” instead of leaving a blank.)
% Teaching ___________________________________
% Research and Writing ________________________
% Specialist work (chargeable services/research assignments) ________________________________
% Administration and service (academic/societal) ______________________________________________
% Consulting/advising _________________________
% Other ______________________________________
The focus of my research is on:
1. Basic/“academic” research
2. Applied/practice-oriented research
3. Development/constructive research work
4. Other (please specify): ______________________
In the past two years, how many of the following have you published? (If the answer is zero, please enter “0” instead of leaving a blank.)
National peer-reviewed scientific articles ________ ______________________________________________
International peer-reviewed scientific articles _____ ______________________________________________
National non-refereed scientific articles __________ ______________________________________________
International non-refereed scientific articles _______ ______________________________________________
Chapters in scholarly books ____________________
Scholarly books _______________________________
Conference proceedings ________________________
Publications intended for the general public ____ ______________________________________________
Publications intended for professional communities ______________________________________________
Public artistic and design activities ______________
Theses _______________________________________
Patents and innovation announcements _________ ______________________________________________
Audiovisual material, ICT software _______________ _______________________________________________
Other _________________________________________
In the past two years, have you received any awards or special recognition for your research or other profession-related contributions?
1. Yes
2. No
Section 2: Reading Practices
How important do you consider reading the following types of publications for your work?
Scale: Absolutely essential, Very important, Important, Somewhat important, Not at all important, I don’t know
1. Scholarly journals
2. Scholarly article compilations
3. Scholarly books
4. Conference proceedings
5. Research reports
6. Professional magazines/websites
7. Newspapers/news sites
8. Social media (e. g. blogs, Facebook, Twitter)
9. Other Internet resources
10. Textbooks/handbooks
11. Popular science books
12. Fiction
From which of the following scholarly fields do you read literature for your work?
Scale: often, sometimes, never
1. Life sciences
2. Physical sciences
3. Medical sciences
4. Computer sciences
5. Mathematics
6. Engineering
7. Social sciences
8. Business
9. Psychology
10. Education
11. Humanities
12. Fine arts
13. Law
14. Other (please specify): ______________________
  Section 3: Scholarly Article Reading (print and online)
In the past month (30 days), approximately how many scholarly articles have you read? Articles can include those found in journal issues, websites, or separate copies such as preprints, reprints, and other electronic or paper copies. Reading is defined as going beyond the table of contents, title, and abstract to the body of the article. If none, please enter “0” instead of leaving a blank.)
Number of articles read (including skimmed) in the past month:
____________________________ (If “0” skip to Q32).
The following questions in this section refer to the SCHOLARLY ARTICLE YOU READ MOST RECENTLY, even if you had previously read this article. Note that while this last reading may not be typical, it will help us establish the range of patterns in reading behavior.
What year was the last article you read published/posted?
______________________________________________
1. Within the last year
2. Within the last 2–5 years
3. Within the last 6–10 years
4. Within the last 11–15 years
5. More than 15 years ago
In what language was the article written?
1. Finnish
2. English
3. Swedish
4. Other (please specify): ______________________
How thoroughly did you read this article?
1. I read all of it with great care
2. I read parts of it with great care
3. I paid attention to the main points
4. I read only specific sections (e. g. figures, conclusions)
5. I skimmed it just to get the idea
Had you previously read this article, i. e. is this a re-reading?
1. Yes
2. No
How long (in minutes) did you spend reading this last article at this reading?
In minutes: ____________________________________
How did you become aware of the last article you read?
1. Found while browsing in a publication or website (without a specific objective in mind) (skip to Q19)
2. Found while I (or someone on my behalf) was searching (e. g. by subject or author’s name) (skip to Q20)
3. Cited in another publication (skip to Q21)
4. Another person (e. g. a colleague) told me about it (skip to Q21)
5. Do not know/Do not remember (skip to Q21)
6. Other (please specify): ____________________ ______________________________ (skip to Q21)
Found while browsing: (after answering, skip to Q21)
1. Personal print subscription
2. Personal online subscription
3. Library print subscription
4. Library online subscription
5. School, department etc. print subscription
6. School, department etc. online subscription
7. Website
8. Open access journals
9. Research social networks (e. g. ResearchGate, Academia.edu)
10. Other (please specify): ______________________
Found while I (or someone on my behalf) was searching:
1. Web search engine (e. g. Google or Google Scholar)
2. Electronic indexing/abstracting service (e. g. Academic Search Premier, Web of Science)
3. Print index or abstract
4. Online journal collection (e. g. JSTOR)
5. Online current awareness service (e. g. Current Contents)
6. Preprint/e-print service (e. g. arXiv.org)
7. Open access journals
8. Research social networks (e. g. ResearchGate, Academia.edu)
9. Other (please specify): _____________________
After you became aware of this article, from where did you obtain it?
1. Personal subscription
2. Library subscription
3. School, department etc. subscription
4. Institutional or subject repository
5. Free web or open access journal
6. Preprint copy
7. Copy of the article from a colleague, author etc.
8. Interlibrary loan/document delivery service
9. An author’s website
10. Other website
11. Research social networking sites (e. g. ResearchGate, Academia.edu)
12. Other (please specify): ______________________
This source was:
1. Print
2. Electronic
In what format was the article when you read it?
1. Print article in a print journal
2. Downloaded and printed on paper
3. Previously downloaded/saved and read on computer screen
4. Online computer screen (desktop or laptop)
5. On a mobile phone, e-reader, or tablet screen
6. Other (please specify): ______________________
Where were you when you read this article?
1. Office or lab
2. Library
3. Home
4. Traveling or commuting
5. Elsewhere (please specify): __________________
For what principal purpose was this article read? (Choose only the most relevant answer)
1. Research
2. Teaching
3. Administration
4. Current awareness/keeping up
5. Writing proposals, reports, articles etc.
6. Writing funding/grant opportunities
7. Consulting, advising others
8. Internal or external presentations (e. g. lecture or conference paper)
9. Continuing education for self
10. Check or verify facts
11. Interest/pleasure/inspiration
12. Other (please specify): ______________________
For what other purposes did you read this article? (Choose all that apply)
1. Research
2. Teaching
3. Administration
4. Current awareness/keeping up
5. Writing proposals, reports, articles etc.
6. Writing funding/grant opportunities
7. Consulting, advising others
8. Internal or external presentations (e. g. lecture or conference paper)
9. Continuing education for self
10. Check or verify facts
11. Interest/pleasure/inspiration
12. Other (please specify): _____________________
How important is the article to your work?
1. Not at all important
2. Somewhat important
3. Important
4. Very important
5. Absolutely essential
In what ways did the reading of the article affect your work? (Choose all that apply)
1. It improved the result
2. It narrowed/broadened/changed the focus
3. It inspired new thinking/ideas
4. It resulted in collaboration/joint research
5. It wasted my time
6. It resulted in faster completion
7. It resolved technical problems
8. It made me question my work
9. It helped to justify my work or make critical comments
10. It saved time or other resources
11. Other (please specify): ______________________
Did you cite this article or do you plan to cite it in a paper or report?
1. No
2. Maybe
3. Already did
4. Will in the future
Did you share the article or ideas raised by the article in social media?
1. Yes, I shared the article
2. Yes, I shared the ideas raised by the article
3. No
4. No, but I will in the future
Section 4: Other Publication Reading (print and online)
In the past month (30 days) approximately how many other publications (non-article readings) did you read for work/research? Include books, conference proceedings, government documents, technical reports, magazines, trade journals etc. A book reading may include just reading a portion of the book, such as skimming or reading a chapter (if none, please enter “0” instead of leaving a blank.)
1. Scholarly books ____________________________
2. Scholarly book chapters _____________________
3. Article in conference proceedings _____________
4. Government documents or other technical or research reports ____________________________
5. Article in newspapers/news sites _____________
6. Article in magazine/trade journals ____________
7. Non-fiction ________________________________
8. Fiction ____________________________________
9. Blogs _____________________________________
10. Other publications __________________________
The following questions in this section refer to the PUBLICATION FROM WHICH YOU READ MOST RECENTLY. Note that this last reading may not be typical, but will help establish the range of patterns in reading behavior.
What type of publication did you most recently read?
1. Scholarly book
2. Scholarly book chapter
3. Conference proceedings
4. Government document or other technical or research report
5. Newspaper/news site
6. Magazine/trade journal
7. Non-fiction
8. Fiction
9. Blog
10. Other (please specify): ______________________
About how much total time (in minutes) did you spend reading this publication in the past month?
______________________________________________
What year was the last publication you read published/posted?
______________________________________________
1. Within the last year
2. Within the last 2–5 years
3. Within the last 6–10 years
4. Within the last 11–15 years
5. More than 15 years ago
How thoroughly did you read this publication?
1. I read all of it with great care
2. I read parts of it with great care
3. I paid attention to the main points
4. I read only specific sections (e. g. figures, conclusions)
5. I skimmed it just to get the idea
In what language was the publication written?
1. Finnish
2. English
3. Swedish
4. Other (please specify): ______________________
How did you become aware of this last publication from which you read?
1. Found while browsing (without a specific objective in mind)
2. Found while I (or someone on my behalf) was searching (e. g. by subject or author’s name)
3. Cited in another publication
4. Another person (e. g. a colleague) told me about it
5. Promotional email or web advertisement
6. Do not know/Do not remember
7. Other (please specify): ______________________
After you became aware of this publication, from where did you obtain it?
1. I bought it for myself
2. The library or archive collections
3. Interlibrary loan or document delivery service
4. School or department collection (e. g. not managed by library)
5. Institutional or subject repository
6. A colleague, author, or other person provided it to me
7. A free, advanced, or purchased copy from the publisher
8. Author website
9. Other (please specify): ______________________
In what format was the publication when you read it?
1. Print (e. g. book, newspaper, etc.)
2. Downloaded and printed on paper
3. Online computer screen
4. Previously downloaded/saved and read on computer screen
5. On a mobile, e-reader, or tablet screen
6. Other (please specify): _____________________
Had you previously read this publication (i. e. is this a re-reading)?
1. Yes
2. No
Where were you when you read this publication?
1. Office or lab
2. Library
3. Home
4. Traveling or commuting
5. Elsewhere (please specify): __________________
For what principal purpose did you use, or do you plan to use, the publication you read? (Choose only the best answer)
1. Research
2. Teaching
3. Administration
4. Current awareness/keeping up
5. Writing proposals, reports, articles, etc.
6. Writing funding/grant opportunities
7. Consulting, advising others
8. Internal or external presentations (e. g. lecture or conference paper)
9. Continuing education for self
10. Check or verify facts
11. Interest/pleasure/inspiration
12. Other (please specify): ______________________
For what other purposes did you read this publication? (Choose all that apply)
1. Research
2. Teaching
3. Administration
4. Current awareness/keeping up
5. Writing proposals, reports, articles etc.
6. Writing funding/grant opportunities
7. Consulting, advising others
8. Internal or external presentations (e. g. lecture or conference paper)
9. Continuing education for self
10. Check or verify facts
11. Interest/pleasure/inspiration
12. Other (please specify): ______________________
How important is the information contained in this publication to your work?
1. Not at all important
2. Somewhat important
3. Important
4. Very important
5. Absolutely essential
In what ways did the reading of the publication affect your work? (Choose all that apply)
1. It improved the result
2. It narrowed/broadened/changed the focus
3. It inspired new thinking/ideas
4. It resulted in collaboration/joint research
5. It wasted my time
6. It resulted in faster completion
7. It resolved technical problems
8. It made me question my work
9. It helped to justify my work or make critical comments
10. It saved time or other resources
11. Other (please specify): ______________________
Did you cite this publication or do you plan to cite it in another publication (e. g. article, report, book, published proceeding)?
1. No
2. Maybe
3. Already did
4. Will in the future
Did you share the article or ideas raised by the publication in social media?
1. Yes, I shared the publication
2. Yes, I shared the ideas raised by the publication
3. No
4. No, but I will in the future
Section 5: Social Media
You’re almost finished!
How important do you consider each of these platforms to your work (e. g. research, teaching, etc.)?
Scale: not at all important, somewhat important, important, very important, absolutely essential
1. Email lists or listservs
2. Blogging (e. g. Wordpress, Blogster)
3. Microblogging (e. g. Twitter, Tumblr)
4. Institutional repository
5. Cloud services (e. g. Dropbox, Google Drive)
6. Reference management software (e. g. Mendeley, Zotero)
7. Research social networks (e. g. ResearchGate, Academia.edu)
8. General social networks (e. g. Facebook, Goodreads)
9. Collaborative authoring (e. g. Google Docs, Sharepoint)
10. User comments in articles
11. Image sharing (e. g. Instagram, Flickr)
12. Audio sharing (e. g. podcasts)
13. Video sharing (e. g. YouTube, Vimeo)
How important do you consider each of these e-publication features to your work (e. g. research, teaching, etc.)?
Scale: not at all important, somewhat important, important, very important, absolutely essential
1. Mobile phone compatible
2. Tablet compatible
3. Ability to share publication or content with colleagues
4. Enhanced navigation (ability to jump to footnotes, tables, and graphics and back to the body of the text)
5. Note-taking and highlighting capability
6. Global language support (includes vertical writing and writing from right-to-right and vice versa)
7. Video embeddedness component
8. Audio embeddedness component
9. Other (please specify): ______________________
What other features/characteristics would you like to see in e-scholarly articles in the future?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
How has your reading and sharing of scholarly materials changed in the last few years and how do you expect it to change in the next year or two?
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
You’ve reached the end of the survey. We appreciate your participation. Thank you!

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Received: 2018-10-23

Accepted: 2019-02-15

Published Online: 2019-05-31

Published in Print: 2019-05-26

Benefits and Outcomes of Library Collections on Scholarly Reading in Finland

Abstract

Appendix A

References

Journal and Issue

Articles in the same Issue