AWARENESS AND USE OF ACADEMIC SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AMONG FACULTY OF KARNATAKA STATE UNIVERSITIES: A PILOT STUDY ON RANI CHANNAMMA UNIVERSITY, BELAGAVI
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34256/Keywords:
Academic Network, Social Networking Sites, Teaching and learning, Professional visibility, Linkedin, Google Scholar, Mendely, ResearchgateAbstract
The flexibility and myriad applications of Academic Social Networking Sites (ASNS) in academic and research endeavors have attracted the attention of many academics and their institutions. This attraction could largely be attributed to the power to reach the global audience for reciprocal benefits of better professional visibility, access to scholarly contents, expert seeking, research collaboration. This research attempts to assess the awareness and use of ASNS among the Faculty of Rani Channamma University, Belagavi(RCUB), Karnataka, India and to determine whether there is any significant association between designation and usage of ASNS. A descriptive survey was employed to collect qualitative and quantitative data using a combination of structured questionnaires and personal interviews. Questionnaires were distributed to all 120 faculty members from different schools, resulting in the receipt of 92 filled questionnaires. The SPSS statistical program was used to determine the significance of the data. The study observed that the ASNS 'Google Scholar' has the highest usage among faculty. Piirus and Zotero exhibit varied usage among respondents while connecting with experts and colleagues remains a primary purpose across all designations. Lack of time, technical knowledge, and poor internet facility are common challenges faced by most faculty members. The study implies that, to amplify the use of ASNS among faculty members, institutions should focus on enhancing awareness of ASNS benefits through targeted workshops, addressing barriers such as privacy and security concerns, and promoting the role of ASNS in facilitating research activities and academic collaboration. Additionally, leveraging the positive correlation between scholarly output and ASNS utilization could motivate faculty members to engage more with these platforms.
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