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ProQuest Dissertations & Theses User Survey Dissertation Information Seeking Behavior

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses User Survey Dissertation Information Seeking Behavior. The Survey. About PQDT. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database. 1743 to current North America; UK, China (2010), and Beyond! 2.7 million citations 1.2 million full-text PDFs

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ProQuest Dissertations & Theses User Survey Dissertation Information Seeking Behavior

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  1. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses User Survey Dissertation Information Seeking Behavior

  2. The Survey

  3. About PQDT ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database • 1743 to current • North America; UK, China (2010), and Beyond! • 2.7 million citations • 1.2 million full-text PDFs • Full-text Searching (2009, 2008 back file) • Reference Linking (2009, 2008 back file)

  4. PQDT USER SUMMARY Over three quarters (76%) of PQDT users are students. Nearly half (45%) are graduate students, and a third (31%) undergraduates. Post docs and faculty (10%), researchers (6%) and librarians (7%) are occasional users. BASE N = 2535 (ALL); 1164 (33%) REVIEW THESES ; 525 (21%) FREQUENT USERS Q: Are you a(n): Undergraduate; graduate student; etc.

  5. Current Educational Status Nearly half (46%) of those accessing PQDT are either working on their master’s theses (13%) or studying for their doctorate (33%). A majority of users are thus working neither on master’s theses nor doctorates: they are either already qualified as PhDs or are undergraduates. PQDT USERS: % INVOLVED IN MASTER’S OR DOCTORAL PROGRAMS BASE N = 2793 (PhD); 2862 (Master’s) Q: Are you studying for/working on/already completed [master’s/PhD]?

  6. Survey Participation Just under half (48%) of those who accessed PQDT during the survey viewed full-text doctoral dissertations or master’s theses. About a fifth (22%) had already accessed the database at least five times in the previous month. PQDT USER SURVEY PARTICIPATION BASE N = 2889 (ALL) NOTE; CHART NOT ADDITIVE Q: Are you a(n): Undergraduate; graduate student; etc.?

  7. Subject Areas Social sciences (the subject area of concern to 24% of those accessing PQDT), business (22%) and education (18%) are the leading disciplines among PQDT users – accounting for nearly two thirds of all users. PQDT USER SUBJECT AREAS The mix of subject areas associated with using PQDT is consistent among all constituencies. One exception is that undergraduates are much less likely (10%) to be involved in educational topics. BASE N = 2720 Q: Which of the following subject areas best describes the topic you are researching today?

  8. Access Two thirds (65%) of those accessing PQDT do so on their own initiative. SEARCH INITIATION INFLUENCE Undergraduates are more likely than others to have had their PQDT search suggested to them by faculty. BASE N = 2296 Q: Did you access PQDT on your own initiative or was it suggested to you by someone else?

  9. Nature of Search Nearly half (47%) of PQDT users are focused, directing their searches specifically at dissertations. Most undergraduates (71%) are much more likely than others to be conducting general searches that happened to include dissertations. NATURE OF SEARCH/ACCESS BASE N = 2262 = 608 = 605 = 1074= 233 Q: Was this search … of dissertations databases .. more general that .. Included dissertations?

  10. Aspects of Search PQDT searches are most often (76%) conducted in relation to a specific topic associated with academic studies. Over half (55%) of searches are part of a more general literature review. Nearly half (46%) of all accesses are specifically seeking dissertations or specific titles (45%). APPLICABLE ASPECTS OF “THIS” SEARCH The two leading reasons for accessing PQDT (specific topics and literature search) apply to all constituencies BASE N = 2090 NOTE: STATEMENTS ABBREVIATED IN EXHIBIT Q: Did any of the following statements apply to this particular search/access?

  11. Access to Datasets A majority (55%) of PQDT users would prefer access to datasets underlying theses and dissertations. INCIDENCE OF PREFERRING ACCESS TO DATASET BASE N = 1939 = 626 = 487 = 958 = 196 Q: Would you prefer to be able to access the dataset underlying [dissertations]?

  12. Importance of Library Websites It is obvious that PQDT users accord substantial influence and importance to their library websites in accessing this database and the ProQuest platform generally. Influence of library websites in accessing PQDT or the ProQuest platform BASE N = 1931 = 625 = 484 = 958 = 196 Q: What if any was the influence of your grad school/college library website on .. accessing PQDT?

  13. PQDT from the Czech users’point of view

  14. PQDT usage in CZ • NO current subscription to ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database in CZ • BUT fragmentary subfiles available as parts of ABI/INFORM and ProQuest Medical Library – thus available widely within • ProQuest 5000 International • ProQuest Central • in total approx. 30 000 fulltext dissertations from PQDT available in CZ

  15. PQDT usage in CZ PQDT Fulltext Downloads (Jan-Sept 2009) Standard PQDT download price: $60

  16. PQDT usage in CZ Hypothetical amount of fulltext downloads (1,2 milllion dissertations instead of 30 000) Standard PQDT download price: $60

  17. PQDT usage in CZ Alternative view: PQDT … … collection of 1,2 million ebooks

  18. Thanks for your attention!! Vladimír Karen Albertina icome Praha s.r.o. vladimir.karen@aip.cz www.aip.cz Amanda Ross ProQuest Publishing amanda.ross@proquest.com www.proquest.co.uk

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