SECTION 2: INTERVIEW RESULTS
4.2.4. The web and information needs
facilities’ situation is not one of overabundance but rather of sufficiency. Swelling student numbers are straining these facilities and both institutions are failing to accommodate them. It was felt that the available computer laboratories should not be used for classes; each department should have a separate computer laboratory dedicated to their students. Time limitations remained an issue for academic researchers, with respondents citing research and teaching engagements. This was voiced by several staff members, more so at Unizul than at DUT. However, one member of staff from DUT revealed that in their planning schedules, time was allocated for research. Students appeared to be content and flexible with time, their major worry being lack of access.
3. Quality of facilities (hardware)
The state of the facilities at both institutions was reportedly fairly high. Most academics were provided with modern computers, either a desktop or laptop, while the laboratories contained the latest computers (e.g. Pentium 4s) with the latest operating systems, Microsoft Office packages, and other useful programmes. Respondents also gave the impression that upgrades were frequently conducted.
4.2.3.3. Challenges relating to connection to the Internet/ World Wide Web The main challenge relating to Internet connectivity was cited as retrieval difficulties.
Given that the connection to the Internet was (described as) always either slow or down, respondents said that they often failed to download the documents they required for research, assignments, or the like. It was suggested that both institutions should purchase more bandwidth for improved connectivity.
activities respondents mostly engaged in were study (assignments, research) and work (teaching) related. A significantly large number also said that they used the web for entertainment and communication, further highlighting the growing social role of the Internet. Both students and staff appeared to engage in very few commercial activities.
The only reported commercial activity was banking, and again there were very few who indicated that they did their banking online. The interview responses indicate that despite the poor use of some channels by students and staff, a growing number has started doing more and more things on the Internet.
4.2.4.2. Factors influencing the choice of an information source
Students revealed that they mainly relied on the web because it guarantees the retrieval of information (3 out of 10, Unizul and 3 out of 8, DUT). Recourse to the web was also very common when students couldn’t find information in print. The questionnaire responses confirm this; most respondents stated that convenience and access to the medium were the main reasons for their choice in an information source. This trend was particularly evident among students from both institutions. Perhaps the most lamentable factor emanating from the interviews is that authoritativeness and credibility are not perceived as influential when deciding on a source to use. It is disappointing in the sense that when students are not concerned with the quality of the information they retrieve, lecturers later have to contend with questions about what is and isn’t accurate. As to why students would not care about what they retrieve, the reasons put forward were frustrations with retrieval difficulties and/or not knowing how to screen information for quality. Often, a good and useful article cannot be downloaded because the Internet is slow, or is in a journal that the institution does not subscribe to. Add to this a laboratory that is overcrowded, and one has a plethora of problems preventing access. However, it does appear as though those with more knowledge of the web appreciate it more and stop using it only because they will get/retrieve something. This was particularly the case in the responses of senior students and academics. Their reasons for relying on the web were more vivid; they raised issues such as the currency of material, meaning staying up to date in their fields of research, and questions about how informative a source is bearing in mind that information about many new areas of research can only be found online,
particularly in emerging research fields. With the move towards electronic publication, some journals are now published in electronic format only.
4.2.4.3. Web information channels
There is consistency in the types of resources or information channels that are most valued when searching for information online by both students and staff in the questionnaires and interviews. For students, use was dominated by a few channels, namely search engines, email and websites. When asked to justify why they relied on these channels, students stated that they obtained enough information from these channels to no longer see the need for other channels. Others said that they knew very little about other channels, for example specialized services such as electronic document delivery services. This would suggest that there is a correlation between experience and the use of various web channels, because staff appeared to use a wider range of web information channels. There were no significant differences in the use of web channels across the two institutions.
4.2.4.4. Reasons for not using or using less of the other channels
In terms of web information channels, familiarity proved to be a major determinant of use. Most users of web information channels, students in particular, appear to rely on the same information channels for various information needs, with little or no exploration of other web channels. Channels that are considered to be very demanding or too complex are generally avoided. This assertion was confirmed by a student at DUT, who said that he relied on Google only because it was very easy to use and was the only search engine that he was familiar with. Some channels, like document delivery services, were avoided because users are required to pay to use them. Other channels were used infrequently owing to the fact that respondents were not aware of their existence or importance. For example, some respondents claimed that that they did not know what subject portals are, and argued that online public access catalogues (OPACs) are not important because they could find the relevant library materials without them. Some also felt that OPACs often misled users by indicating that material is available in the library that users simply cannot locate. A Library and Information Science student from DUT bluntly stated that he did not use OPACs because they reported that material was available in the library when it
wasn’t. He felt that libraries need to constantly update their OPACs to keep track of all their material, which would help when a book has been lost or is out for binding.
4.2.4.5. Relevance of the information sought from the web
The web was considered to be very relevant by students and staff from both institutions.
Most students agreed that the web successfully met their information needs (7 of 10, Unizul and all students at DUT). Special mention was given to search engines, most notably Google. Staff members also regarded the web to be of immense relevance to their information needs (all at Unizul and 3 of 4, DUT). For staff members, the web was cited as particularly relevant given that many have to conduct research (publish or perish), and the material required for this is often housed in databases, journals, and conference proceedings that are offered online. Proof that the web is highly relevant to respondents’
information needs was also evident in the increased amount of time respondents allocated to web information sources. Regrettably, this has come at the expense of other traditional information media.