Use patterns of e-journals among the science community: a transaction log analysis
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-03-2019-0073 |
| Published date | 05 August 2019 |
| Date | 05 August 2019 |
| Pages | 740-759 |
| Author | Azra Rafique,Kanwal Ameen,Alia Arshad |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Use patterns of e-journals among
the science community:
a transaction log analysis
Azra Rafique
National Library of Engineering Sciences,
University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan, and
Kanwal Ameen and Alia Arshad
Department of Information Management,
University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract
Purpose –This study aims to explore the evidence-based patterns of e-journal usage, such as the most used and
least used databases, at a public-sector university in Pakistan, by analysing scientists’usage of databases over time.
Design/methodology/approach –Through transaction log analysis, the frequencies of page views,
sessions, sessionduration and size of the used data were calculatedthrough SAWMILL software and entered
into MS Excel.
Findings –The results revealed that the broad databasesof science and engineering were being used more
by users as compared to the narrowere-journal databases. Furthermore, the users were mostly accessingthe
e-journal databases from the university’s central library and its various academic departments. Early
morning hours, working days andstart of the academic year were found to be the most active timings of e-
journaldatabase utilisation.
Practical implications –The results of the study will help theHigher Education Commission (HEC) of
Pakistanand information professionals in betteraccess management of databases.
Originality/value –This study was conducted to check thefeasibility of a PhD project’sfirst phase and
presents the frequencies of HEC e-journal databases’usage by using transaction log analysis method. The
results will be used in preparing interview guide and sample selection for interview. Other Central Asian
studiesused COUNTER reports provided by publishersfor log analysis instead of using raw log data.
Keywords Pakistan, Databases, E-journals, Log analysis, Use patterns, HEC digital library,
HEC databases
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Quick and remote 24/7 access to information has made the accessibility to online information
sources easier and faster as compared to printed sources. The use of electronic information
resources has been increasing all over the world at a fast pace (Tenopir, 2003). Similarly,
Pakistan has experienced an increase in the use of electronic resources as well (Said, 2006). The
literature highlights a wide range of studies conducted to investigate various user information
seeking behaviours and use patterns of e-journals use in different settings. Self-reported
surveys, interviews, observations, and log analysis techniques were used in these studies to
explore the use, impact, and effectiveness of these e-journal databases.
The authors would like to thank the IT experts Fahad Islam (Karachi) and Muhammad Iftikhar
(Lahore) in completing the task of initial results for the project.
EL
37,4
740
Received19 March 2019
Revised5 July 2019
Accepted1 August 2019
TheElectronic Library
Vol.37 No. 4, 2019
pp. 740-759
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-03-2019-0073
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
During the last three decades, various web-based studies on the seeking behaviour of
search engine users have been conducted worldwide (Chau et al., 2007;Choi, 2013;Cooper,
2001;Fenstermacher and Ginsburg,2003;Kim et al., 2015;Koshman et al.,2006;Spink et al.,
2002;Stenmark, 2008;Taksa et al.,2009;Waller, 2011). However, only one such study has
been conducted in Pakistan by Arshad and Ameen(2015) who undertook a transaction log
analysis of the web page useof library users in the University of the Punjab.
Many studies have investigated the use of e-journals, online information resources, and
digital libraries based on self-reported data, however, evidence-based session duration,
timings, number of users, or entries of e-journal use cannot be counted via self-reported
surveys, observations, or interviews. Thus, there was a need for a study to find actual use
patterns of the HEC Digital Library databases through log analysisinstead of self-reported
surveys, especially those of e-journals,for ensuring better access management and efficient
use of e-journals. Several studies have reported data on the actual use of e-journals in the
digital environmentthrough transaction log analysis (Davis, 2004;Davis and Solla,2003;Ke
et al.,2002;Nicholas and Huntington, 2006;Nicholas et al., 2006). Several similar studies
have been conducted in Asian countriesas well (Guruprasad and Marimuthu, 2014;Suseela,
2011;Taghavi et al.,2012;Tripathiand Kumar, 2014).
The Higher Education Commission(HEC) spends over Rs. 900m annually on scholarly e-
journals subscriptions in order to cater to the information needs of higher educational and
research institutions in Pakistan (HEC, 2013). However, previous studies have found that
these HEC e-journals are being used to a lesser degree by researchers as compared to other
resources (Arshad and Ameen,2015,2017;Tahira, 2008).
This study analysed the log data of the HEC e-journal databases use, recorded
unconstructively by the local cache log servers in the year 2016, at the University of
Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore. The aim was to identify the HEC e-journal
databases that were being accessed most frequently by the research community at UET,
access points of database use, as well the date and time of use. The data wereobtained from
the university’s networkadministrator.
This study will help HEC in access management of e-journals and the information
professionals in designingdigital literacy instruction programmes and subscriptionpolicies.
The study will also add to the available literature on electronic scholarly journals in
developing countriesFigure 1.
Research questions
RQ1. Which are the HEC Digital Library e-journal databases that are most used and
least used by the appliedscientists?
RQ2. Which are frequent access pointsfor the users of the e-journal databases?
RQ3. What is the use of HEC subscribed e-journaldatabases over time?
Literature review
Various journal databases,LISTA, and Google Scholar were searched using different terms,
such as: “log analysis”,“transactionlog analysis þe-journals”,“transaction log analysis þ
e-journals þengineering”. Key studies based on log analysis investigations of electronic
resources and e-journalsin the international scenario were investigated.
Transaction
log analysis
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