Factors affecting access to and use of scholarly scientific information: A model for health science graduate students in Colombia

This study examines the key factors influencing health sciences graduate students' perceived access to scholarly scientific information and use of electronic resources available on the Web for research purposes in Colombia. Four dimensions were considered in the proposed model as the central ones influencing the information searching process: the student; the library; the scholarly scientific information; and the information and communication technology (ICT). Using self-administered questionnaires, data was gathered from 886 graduate students in the three main public universities in Colombia---Universidad de Antioquia, Universidad del Valle and Universidad Nacional.; Using factor analysis, twenty-seven factors were obtained to explain the four dimensions. The key factors found in this investigation supported previous studies stating that Publishers' restrictions to access to scholarly scientific information, inadequate access to the Internet; lack of support for interlibrary loans; poor remote access to library services; and students' limitations in literacy and English skills are the key barriers to taking full advantages of the benefits of using ICT in academic environments.; Additionally, multiple regressions were conducted to test the hypotheses stated. Results supported the three hypotheses: (1) Internet and language skills; access to Internet, computer and printers; and perceived level of library services had significant effects in the students' perceptions about their access to scholarly scientific information; (2) research skills and access to Internet are positively related to the students' use of online resources for research purposes; and (3) there is a positive relationship between the students' perceived access to scholarly scientific information and their use of electronic resources available on the Web.; General results showed students' English and research skills as very strongly related to the use of peer-reviewed scientific information written in languages other than Spanish. Results provide directions to policy-makers, universities staff, librarians and students to focus their efforts on those key factors by implementing new programs to empower research among graduate students and, in that way, to improve research in universities and at the national level.