Craving for Knowledge: The Urge to Access Online Reading Materials by Students during Scientific Research Writing, a Case of Urban Universities of Uganda
Loading...
Date
2024-05-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Uganda Higher Education Review Journal
Abstract
Addressing concerns related to online reading materials is paramount as the internet
establishes itself as the defining medium for literacy in higher education institutions among
the current generation. Globally current debates consistently underscore the relevance of
online reading materials to scientific research writing among university students. The current
study explored the students’ urge to access online reading materials based on four selected
universities in an urban geographical context of Uganda. Using a cross-sectional exploratory
research design comprised of mixed approaches, we used descriptive statistics and Analysis
of Variance (ANOVA) to investigate the disparity in accessed online reading materials across
the universities. An ordinal logistic model established the factors that influence access to
online reading materials. The study revealed that university students exhibited moderate
utilisation of online resources, primarily accessing materials through platforms like MyLOFT,
Google Scholar, University online catalogs, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and
Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB). Additionally, the findings underscored notable
variations in the mode of access across the studied universities, with access influenced by
factors such as sex, type of degree pursued, availability of university ICT equipment, and
the research level of students. These insights shed light on the need for tailored strategies to
enhance online reading materials accessibility and to support diverse student populations
in their academic pursuits, such as subscribing to the publishers of scientific journals. This
may improve students’ scientific research writing skills and completion rate, which have
remained a formidable challenge in higher education institutions in Uganda.
Description
Keywords
Accessibility, Online reading