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E-book data mining: real information behavior of university academic community

Azra Rafique (National Library of Engineering Sciences, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan) (The Department of Information Management, University of the Punjab Quaid-i-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan)
Kanwal Ameen (Department of Information Management, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan)
Alia Arshad (Department of Information Management, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan)

Library Hi Tech

ISSN: 0737-8831

Article publication date: 24 March 2021

Issue publication date: 1 June 2023

829

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the evidence-based use patterns of Higher Education Commission (HEC) subscribed e-books databases by the academic community at institutions of higher education in Pakistan. The study also investigates the differences in usage based on points of access, scholarly disciplines and gender of users.

Design/methodology/approach

A transaction log analysis (TLA) method was used to explore the use patterns of HEC e-books databases at the University of the Punjab, utilizing the SAWMILL analytical software and MS Excel.

Findings

The results of the study showed that the use of e-books was at a growing stage at the university. Male boarding students of the university were more active users of e-books as compared to their female counterparts. The Central Library of the University of the Punjab, the Department of Zoology and the Institute of Communication Studies were the most frequently used access points for the e-book users, and the Faculties of Sciences, Life Sciences, Economics and Management Sciences had the most active e-book readers. Furthermore, it was found that the HEC e-books databases were only being used during the four months of summer vacations at the university.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides only descriptive use frequencies rather than a deep log analysis of e-books usage.

Practical implications

This research provides important practical implications for examining the evidence-based use patterns of e-books databases' users at the higher educational level. The research suggests that HEC should maintain subscriptions of the most required e-books databases and that the information professionals should conduct orientations and information literacy programs to enhance the utilization of these subscribed databases among female boarder students and those faculties where they were being used less frequently.

Originality/value

The study is the second part of the first phase of a Ph.D. project. This is the first large scale study conducted in a developing country which reports the close to actual, approximate use patterns of e-books based on raw transaction logs of local cache servers at the higher academic level.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Network Administrators, Muhammad Hamid and Rana Imran Nazir (PU, Lahore) in providing the log data. The authors would also appreciate the IT expert Fahad Islam (Karachi) for his continuous help in the log analyzing process and handling the compatibility and data analysis issues in the process to complete the first phase of the authors’ Ph.D. project.

Citation

Rafique, A., Ameen, K. and Arshad, A. (2023), "E-book data mining: real information behavior of university academic community", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 41 No. 2, pp. 413-431. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-07-2020-0176

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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