The Study of Electronic Journal Database Usage by Loei Rajabhat University’s Lecturers and Graduate Students

Abstract

The purposes of this research were: 1) to study state and problem of using electronic journal databases by Loei Rajabhat University’s lecturers and graduate students; and 2) to get recommendations and guideline for promotion of using the electronic journal database. The sample was lecturers and graduate students of Loei Rajabhat University.

The results showed that: 1) Mostly, lecturers and graduate students had used electronic journal earlier. Most of graduate students got informed by lecturers on the database-service availability. Lecturers knew and learned how to use the database services availability from the university library website. Graduate students and lecturers mostly used the university-library-links. Mainly database-using objectives were for research and thesis. Students’ main access point was the university library, and lecturer’s access point were their departments. Mostly both students and lecturers used more than 1 hour for database, 2-3 times a week. The graduate students and lecturers used full text format the most. Preferred time was from 01.00 – 05.00 for graduate students whereas the lecturers’ hours were uncertain. The graduate students used ACM Digital Library the most and the lecturers used Science Direct the most. Problems found in using databases included inadequate publicity, limitation in foreign languages, insufficient Wi-Fi access points, outdated content, and data speed processing; and 2) Recommendations and guidelines to promote the use of databases include: librarians should enhance English language skills facilitating the services, the university library should inform services to lecturers and graduate students individually, provide Wi-Fi access points sufficiently and efficiently, provide guidelines for acquiring more databases corresponding with coursework, and co-network with other universities for database.