Faculty Using E-Journals in Developing Countries: Issues and Challenges

Introduction

The application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the education context has revolutionized teaching and research. ICTs, especially the Internet, have transformed the formats and access to educational resources like texts, journals, theses, and so on. Educational resources, which hitherto were only available in print formats, now have electronic versions. Materials which could only be read in print form can now be accessed by multiple users through the Internet.

In institutions of higher learning like Universities, one of the most important information resources for teaching and research are journals. Omotayo (2010) opined that journals are the most valued information communication channel for researchers and academics. The production of journals dates to the 17th century, and their importance has not diminished. Academic journals contain current research findings and scholarly communication in given fields of study. The quality of any given research or scholarly work is measured by the number of articles reviewed and cited from reputable journals. Further, academics and scholars are rated globally by the number of articles and research they have published in reputable journals. When a journal appears in electronic version and may be viewed and accessed through the Internet, it is referred to as e-journal. Before the middle of the 20th century, journals only existed in print format. With the emergence of ICTs in education, this has changed.

Most journals are now published in print and electronic versions as well. Cole (2004) stated that there were 115 e-journals in existence in 1995. The same author alluded that the number had increased to 1300 within three years in 1998. By the year of 1999, the figure had increased to about 10,000 and by 2004, the number of e-journals in existence globally had increased to 30,000. The emergence of the “open access” and “open archiving” initiatives has brought about an unprecedented increase in the number of e-journals now accessible through the Internet. Major publishers of academic books and journals have also taken advantage of the Internet and online opportunities to market, sell, and create access to their products on subscription basis. Some journals are now exclusively published in electronic versions only.

Consequently, individuals and libraries are forced to purchase electronic journals (also called e-journals) for teaching and research. Trends in the academia show that faculty and researchers have become more interested in the use of e-journals, rather than journals in print format for their academic endeavors. This paradigm shift has become a global trend which cannot be ignored.