Students and Faculties’ Searching Behaviour and the Internet: Use of Search Engines

Library Herald Year : 2008, Volume : 46, Issue : 1 First page : ( 21) Last page : ( 30) Print ISSN : 0024-2292. Online ISSN : 0976-2469. Students and Faculties’ Searching Behaviour and the Internet: Use of Search Engines for Retrieval of Scholarly Information

Biradar B S1, Rajashekar G R2, Kumar B T Sampath3 1Department of Library and Information Science, Kuvempu University, Jnana Sahyadri 577451, Shimoga. E-mail: biradarbs53@rediffmail.com 2T.C.S, G.R. Tech Park, K.R. Puram Roam, Bangalore. 3Department of Library and Information Science, Kuvempu University, Jnana Sahyadri 577 451, Shimoga. E-mail: sampathbt_2001@rediffmail.com

Abstract The article explores on university students’ and teachers’ perceptions regarding their use of search engines for retrieval of scholarly information. Examines the use of search engines, use of popular search engines, factor that influenced on search engines use, use of search strategy for information retrieval and also to know the methods of learning search strategy by students and faculties in the university environment. Result of the study shows that 100% of the students and 97.91% of faculties used search engines for retrieval of information on the Internet. Google and Yahoo received the highest overall ratings. It also reveals that majority of respondents took help from their friends and used help message of search engines to learn the search strategy.