Content area
Full Text
Keywords
Internet, Academic libraries, Systems design, Libraries, Transactional analysis, Korea
Abstract
The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) system is a national digital library of ETDs in South Korea. Provides a comprehensive picture of how this system has been used during its first two years in service since June 1999. The system transaction logs were collected and analysed to reveal the usage patterns of the system. Results of the study indicate that the KISTI ETD system usage has seen a significant increase since its second year. While most users appear to be domestic users, the system also attracts users from many other countries, suggesting that the KISTI ETD system has become a part of the international networked digital library of theses and dissertations. It was also found that there are a very large number of one-time visitors to the KISTI ETD system. Nevertheless, the system began to maintain a frequent user group in its second year in service. The usage statistics regarding system features and the characteristics of users' visits indicated that the search function was by far the most frequently used system function. Finally, discusses the implications of the findings.
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Introduction
Digital libraries of theses and dissertations help promote the distribution of student research, enhance graduate education, improve information and network technology in universities, and advance digital library technology (Fox, 1999; Kipp et al., 1999). More and more universities are beginning to embrace the idea of creating and maintaining a repository of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). As of early October 2001, the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD), established in 1997 to coordinate international efforts related to ETDs, has 120 members, including 105 member universities (three consortia) and 15 institutions from the USA and many other countries (NDLTD, 2001). In addition, there may be many other individual universities, consortia, and institutions that have initiated their ETD projects but have not yet become NDLTD members.
Compared to other types of digital libraries, a digital library of ETDs is unique in its collection, user...