Information seeking behaviour of master’s students using library electronic databases in the Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences of the University of KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of electronic databases by master’s students in the Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences (HDSS) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg (UKZNP) campus. The study which was based on a master’s thesis aimed to establish which electronic databases master’s students used and how frequently they were used. The conceptual framework for the study was rooted in Kuhlthau’s
Information Search Process. The methodological approach undertaken by the researcher was quantitative and data was collected using a questionnaire. The outcome of the study revealed that a majority of HDSS master’s students at UKZN-P used the electronic databases and a number of problems were experienced when using the databases. Recommendations for the library include ensuring that training or user education is ongoing and meets all the various users’ needs; improving students’ access to the databases by limiting the need for passwords; improving the internet bandwidth to enhance the speed of connection, and using the internet and web-based services such as newsgroups, bulletin boards, Web 2.0 facilities to communicate with users.