Use of Research Support Services and Tools by Undergraduate of the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Research Support Services (RSS) and Research Tools (RT) play an increasingly important role in research. The research and education factions are two sides of a coin. Being undergraduate students, they should set up the research environment to fulfill their academic life. As the heart of the university, the main library offers several types of RSS services. “Namely”, Document Delivery Service (DDS), OPAC, ask a Librarian service, Wayamba University Institutional Repository (WUiR), and conducted workshops and Seminars to make aware of RT. (Reference management tools, Literature search, Editing tools, Antiplagiarism Software, Thesis and Dissertation Databases). This study investigated the use of research support services and tools by undergraduate students at Wayamba University. The main library gives its services to three faculties. There are the Faculty of Business Studies and Finance, the Faculty of Applied Science, and the Faculty of Technology. The objectives of the study are to identify the use of RSS and RT in Wayamba University’s main library, the purposes for using these services, and to identify the difficulties associated with using these services. Using the Krejcie and Morgan sampling table, 340 questionnaires were distributed via Google Forms using Web 2.0 technologies (E-mail, WhatsApp, and Facebook). A result shows that 72% of students were aware of research support services and tools in Wayamba University’s main library. Most of them are highly aware of the availability of the "Ask a Librarian'' service. Students stated that they used RSS to find research articles, fulfill research projects, and enhance their academic work. Students mentioned that they used research tools to avoid grammar errors, create bibliographies, decrease the plagiarism level, and find more information. Major barriers reported by the students to the use of the research support services are lack of proper marketing, lack of free time, and lack of computer lab and internet facilities. Improved research support services may motivate students to fulfill their research work and academic career development.