Mindset on Use of Open Access Journals: A Study

The success of the use of Internet services and online services primarily depends on the prevailing mindset of the user. The same trend prevails in the case of online journals. In this study the mindset on the use of online journals among engineering professionals working in eight districts of Tamil Nadu was analyzed. The study was carried out with the objective to identify the Awareness; source of awareness, place of access, usability, sufficiency, quality and satisfaction over the speed of access of open access journals The questionnaires were distributed to the Library and Information Science professionals of 76 engineering institutions. Nearly 210 questionnaires were distributed. Out of 210 distributed 157 responded and the response rate works out to 74.76%. Nearly 78.3% of the respondents have accessed the open access journals. Similarly, 60.4% of respondents have cited open access journals in their publications and 36.3% of them published articles in open access journals. Out of 157 respondents, 87 (55.4%) indicated that “through library” as their sources of awareness. It is followed by “Peers and Colleagues” (38, 24.2%) and “through guide” (32, 20.4%). 86 (54.8%) respondents indicated that they access in all three locations such as home, office, and library whereas “Library” (39, 24.8%) and “Home/Office” (32, 20.4%). Nearly 80% of respondents indicated the usability of open access journals as easy. Nearly 90% of respondents indicated little to highly satisfied with the sufficiency of open access journals. Nearly 75% of respondents indicated somewhat quality to very high quality of open access journals. Nearly 85% of respondents indicated somewhat fast to very fast towards the speed of access to open access journals. In all, it seems that their existing mindset in use of open access journals among library professionals in Southern districts of Tamil Nadu.