Relationship between Online Journal Usage and their Citations in the Academic Publications: A Case Study

Jessy Abdul; Mahabaleshwara Rao; Amitha Puranik

doi:10.14429/djlit.38.5.13228

Jessy Abdul
Mahabaleshwara Rao Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal
Amitha Puranik

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14429/djlit.38.5.13228

Keywords: Online journals, Full text usage, Citations of journals, Spearman’s Rank-order correlation, Health sciences library, Journal usage

Abstract

The advancement of science and technology has impacted functioning of the libraries of higher educational institutions, and the mode of providing resources for various academic activities. For many years, libraries attached to educational institutions have been labouring with the question of how to determine the value of journals in their specific library collection. The Health Sciences Library of Manipal Academy of Higher Education at Manipal, subscribed a vast number of online journals for their users. A relation between the usage and citations of subscribed online journals might provide a basis for the collection management in the libraries of academic and research institutions. The current study resolved to identify whether relationship exists between usage of subscribed online journals and their citations in the academic publications of the health science professionals from 2010 to 2015. The study found a statistically significant relationship between subscribed online journal usage and their citations in the publications through the inferential test of Spearman’s rank-order correlation. For collection development of online journals, libraries can utilise the usage or citation data of journals as a decision making tool.

Author Biographies

Jessy Abdul

Dr. Jessy A. has obtained her MLISc and PhD in Library & information Science from MAHE, Manipal. She is currently working as a guest faculty member at Department of Library and information Science, MAHE, Manipal. She has 7 research publication in national and international journals.

Mahabaleshwara Rao, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal

Dr. Mahabaleshwara Rao is currently working as Associate Professor and Senior Librarian at Dept. of Library & Information Science and Health Sciences Library, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, india. He holds MA and MLISc and has completed his Ph.D. degree in library and information science from Mangalore university, Mangalore specialisation being on user study. His areas of interest include Health Sciences Librarianship, web resource, and information Literacy.

Amitha Puranik

Ms Amitha Puranik received her MSc (Statistics) from MAHE, Manipal, india. currently, she is doing her phd at department of Statistics, MAHE, Manipal. She has five publications in peer reviewed journals and presented papers at various national/international conferences in India. She had served as resource person in workshops on statistics conducted in medical colleges in India.