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This research paper explores the roles of electronic texts in research projects in the humanities and seeks to deepen the understanding of the nature of scholars' engagement with e-texts. The study used qualitative methodology to explore engagement of scholars in literary and historical studies with primary materials in electronic form (i.e., e-texts). The study revealed a range of scholars' interactions with e-texts during the whole research process. It uncovered a particular pattern of information-seeking practices in electronic environments called netchaining and the main types of uses and contributions of e-texts to research projects. It was found that e-texts play support and substantive roles in the research process. A number of influences from electronic environment are identified as challenges and aids in working with e-texts. The study does not have statistical significance. It indicates a need for further research into scholarly practices, training requirements, and new forms of service provision. Study results are relevant for the development of digital collections, information services, educational programs, and other forms of support for the use of technology in research. The results can be also used to inform approaches to text encoding and development of electronic information systems and have implications for organizational and industry policies. The study found a range of scholars' interactions and forms of intellectual engagement with e-texts that were not documented and analyzed by earlier studies. It provides insights into disciplinary variations in the humanities and contributes to the understanding of scholarly change catalyzed by information technology.

Although studies have shown that electronic media exposure can negatively affect infants’ and young children’s language development, exposure to these forms of media is increasing in North America. To better understand the types of electronic media exposure and their potential effects, we utilized naturalistic daylong recordings collected in the homes of bilingual Spanish–English infants of Latinx descent (n = 37). The present study examines contextual aspects of electronic media exposure, and the effects of electronic media on two types of parent–infant social interactions associated with child language development: parentese (a style of infant-directed speech distinguished by its higher pitch, slower tempo, and exaggerated intonation) and parent–infant turn-taking. Using Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA), two daylong audio recordings were collected from each family. These recordings were manually annotated for electronic media type, directedness, language, parental support, parentese, and turn-taking. Our results showed that the infants in our study experienced exposure to many different forms of electronic media, in both English and Spanish, and that the programming was predominantly adult-directed rather than child-directed. While both parentese and turn-taking were reduced in the presence of electronic media, the strength of these effects was modulated by electronic media sources, demonstrating that various devices differentially affect parental language input. These results provide a glimpse into what types of media young bilingual Spanish–English learning infants are experiencing and can help researchers design language interventions that are inclusive and relevant for families from these populations.

The purpose of this paper is to explore roles of electronic texts (e‐texts) in research enquiry in literary and historical studies, and to deepen the understanding of the nature of scholars' engagement with e‐texts as primary materials. The study includes an investigation of references to e‐texts and discussions about researchers' citation practices in interviews.

Qualitative methodology was used to explore scholars' interactions with e‐texts in 30 research projects. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used to examine citations and any other acknowledgments of e‐texts in participants' prepublications and published works. In‐depth semi‐structured interviews provided data for findings about researchers' citation practices.

Formal acknowledgments of e‐texts do not represent the depth and breadth of researchers' interactions with e‐texts. Assessments of the relevance and trustworthiness of e‐texts, as well as considerations of disciplinary cultures, had some impact on researchers' citation practices.

The study was based on in‐depth data‐gathering from a small group of participants. It does not have any statistical significance and the findings cannot be generalized, but comparisons with other scholars in literary and historical studies are possible. The study indicated a need for further investigation of changing academic practices in general and citation practices in particular.

The findings have implications for the development of standards and institutional support for research in the humanities.

The study provides new insights into the phenomenon of a very small number of citations of electronic sources in publications in the humanities, and considers issues related to citations from the perspective of changing academic cultures.

The proliferation of electronic sources in reference departments has made them increasingly important in providing reference service to library patrons. These sources include the online public access catalog, electronic databases (both indexes and full‐text databases), and the Internet. Much has been written on evaluation of reference librarians in the traditional areas of reference desk service, the use of print sources, and bibliographic instruction. Discusses the establishment of guidelines for assessment of reference librarians’ effectiveness in providing service to patrons using electronic sources and methods of assessing individual effectiveness.

Aims to study human information behaviour as part of the research project on the interaction of man and the information environment (project VEGA 1/9236/02) and to analyse library users' information behaviour on both sides of the information coin – information usage and information production/publishing.

The methodology was composed of the following steps: pilot studies of students' information‐seeking behaviour; a large‐scale questionnaire survey of users of academic and research libraries; data analyses and interpretations; verification of hypotheses; multiple data sorting; and modelling of user groups.

Library users appreciate easy access and well‐organised forms of information, with an emphasis on electronic sources. In their capacity as authors of professional papers, only few subjects considered print and electronic publishing to be equal. Two user types have been derived from the data analysis. Type S manifests pragmatic ways of information seeking and appreciates the low cost and speed of electronic publishing. Type A is characterised by analytic, in‐depth information processing, stressing the prestige and review process of print publishing.

Quantitative methods can form a starting‐point for typologies of human information behaviour. Additional qualitative methods, especially interviews with students, focus groups and observations, are planned for future research into modelling of users' information behaviour.

Based on the analysis, two information‐seeking styles have been identified: strategic and analytic. Differences between the search styles suggest that systems designers, knowledge managers and libraries should be open to the creative use and representation of electronic information, taking into account different information behaviours.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the academic scientists’ scholarly use of information sources, the disciplinary differences in their use and the barriers encountered, particularly while using journals.

A quantitative research design based on the survey method was used to achieve the objectives of this study. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all the academic staff of three disciplines – science, life sciences and pharmacy. Together, they constituted 24 departments of the University of the Punjab. This oldest and largest public sector university was selected as a sample.

The findings showed that e-journals, e-reports and online reference sources were frequently used. The disciplinary differences were found with regard to the use of e-journals and e-books. Users of e-journals lacked skills of advanced searching and were not able to determine the quality of e-journals. Respondents faced certain barriers in usage such as payment of e-journal articles not available through the Library, slow internet speed and lack of information literacy instructions program.

Previous researchers conducted studies that were focused mostly on the academic scientists’ perceptions and the extent of electronic information sources’ use. Researchers in Pakistan mostly examined students and research scholars’ use of electronic information sources and very few studies were conducted to investigate academic scientists’ scholarly information seeking behavior. This study is valuable, as it investigated the scholarly use of information sources by academic scientists and particularly disciplinary differences in their use, digital literacy skills and the barriers encountered while using e-journals.

As the amount of information on environmental issues expands rapidly, librarians and researchers require innovative techniques to keep abreast of it and manage it effectively. While numerous periodical and annual environmental publications are now available to help in this task, perhaps the most efficient means of gaining access to and managing timely information on the environment now lies in deploying various forms of electronic technology. After mentioning some of the major printed works with current environmental information, this article explores some of the most useful electronic sources for environmental research and describes an Electronic Research System (ERS), called Eco‐Link, that the author devised to conduct global environmental research at the Rockefeller Foundation where he was a Warren Weaver Fellow during 1989–90.

States that the use of information technologies in the provision of information and communication in libraries has had a far‐reaching effect on librarians and library users. Points out that the provision of information can be made more effective and efficient with the use of electronic information, and examines the extent to which electronic information sources have been used in Nigerian libraries. Reveals that there is nothing to show a widespread or intensive use of electronic information in Nigerian libraries. Identifies some problems facing the application and use of electronic information sources and proffers suggestions on how to overcome them.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the use of electronic information resources and facilities by humanities scholars at the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.

A questionnaire survey of faculty from arts and humanities departments at the University of the Punjab was conducted. In total, 62 faculty and research staff participated.

The results correspond with previous studies conducted in other countries. The humanists still stick to the printed information sources but they pay good attention to electronic resources. Most of them have access to computer and internet at office and home. They are regular users of a variety of electronic technologies. Although faced with many problems, the humanists perceive that modern technology made their work easier.

The study is based only on the humanities faculty in a large university of Pakistan. The survey should be replicated on a larger sample for generalization.

Keeping in view the positive trend of humanists towards modern technology, universities and libraries should give more funding to provide electronic resources and facilities in the arts and humanities discipline. Special training programmes for humanists should be organized.

This is the first study on this topic in Pakistan. The results can be useful to design services and facilities in humanities libraries and information centres in Pakistan and other developing countries.

This paper reports the findings of a part of a larger study investigating the sources of consumer health information (CHI) available to the public, with particular emphasis on the use of electronic sources of health information. During the investigation discussions were held with managers and information officers of CHI services to examine provision. Detailed here are examples of the services provided by the Trent region. In consideration of the study's emphasis on the use of electronic sources of health information, the availability of electronic public access community information systems as sources of health information within the Trent region of the UK is discussed, and examples of such local government‐run systems are reviewed.