Information Literacy Competency among Female Research Scholars of Karnatak University, Dharwad: A Study

Abstract

With the phenomenal growth of information in both print and electronic forms, it has become difficult for individuals to get the required information when it is needed. Thus, competency of information literacy is required to transform the information society of today into the learning society of tomorrow. Hence, the present study was undertaken to assess the competency level of information literacy among female research scholars of Karnatak University, Dharwad. The objective of the study was to determine the female research scholar’s skills to access the information, to identify their awareness about different information resources, search strategies, ability to evaluate information and to ascertain the awareness regarding the legal and ethical implications of information usage. The study also analyses the problems encountered by female research scholars. The major findings of the study revealed that the majority of the respondents i.e., 122 (95.31%) preferred to use e-journals, 110 (85.93%) respondents are aware of Research gate, 114 (89.06%) use simple keywords as a search strategy and majority of the respondents i.e., 114 (89.06%) stated about poor network connectivity, 104 (81.25%) opined access denied by the university, 78 (60.93%) respondents felt time constraints as a problem which are encountered by the respondents while searching for information.