Assessing access and use of PERii electronic journal resources at the University of Dar es Salaam : the case of postgraduate students in the School of Education

Abstract

This study aimed at assessing access and use of PERii electronic journal resources by postgraduate students in the School of Education at the University of Dar es Salaam. Specific objectives for this study were to examine if the postgraduate students in the School of Eduction are aware of PERii electronic journal resources; to examine if the postgraduate students access PERii electronic journal resources; to examine if the postgraduate students use PERii electronic journal resources; to examine the challenges encountered by postgraduate students in the access and use of PERii electronic journal resources; and to determine possible ways to improve access and use of PERii electronic journal resources. The study was basically a cross-sectional study and data were collected through a combination of questionnaire for postgraduate students and interview for the Reference Librarians. The findings of this study were that the majority of postgraduate are aware of PERii electronic journal resources through various sources including the Library website, notice board, fliers, posters, IL training, colleagues, librarians and supervisors. Again, the majority of them use PERii electronic journal resources for various purposes including working on the assignments, research proposal writing, literature review, research report writing, current awareness, leisure, and for extra exploration of ongoing scientific debates through peer reviewed papers. The challenges encountered include power outage, inadequate bandwidth, slow download speed, inability to access the resources from home, lack of training, lack of awareness, limited access to computers and difficult in making a search. Suggested ways to improve access and use of PERii electronic journal resources include seeking to provide training on how to access and use of PERii electronic journal resources; ensure stable and reliable power, ensure adequate bandwidth; increase awareness of the resources, improve ICT infrastructure, enable access of the resources from home; increase download speed and ensure relevant information is provided. Based on these findings it was recommended that training on access and use of PERii electronic journal resources should be integrated into the University curriculum; ICT infrastructure to support access and use of PERii electronic journal resources should be improved; ensuring stable and reliable power by buying heavy duty generators at the University; increasing awareness by improving methods for promotion and marketing of the resources; enabling access of PERii electronic journal resources from home; ensuring adequate bandwidth through shaping the available bandwidth allowing certain services such as ICT services to receive a large proportion of bandwidth than other services; and ensuring relevant information is provided through subscribing more database with relevant information to all courses at the University.