Disciplinary Differences in Student Use of Library-Provided Materials in Dissertations

Abstract

Citation analysis is a valuable approach for collection managers to provide evidence of collection use and direct future collection growth. Researchers at East Carolina University reviewed nearly 23,000 citations from 171 doctoral dissertations written by candidates in three programs: Education, English, and Kinesiology. This study focused on library-provided access to journals and books, the format and ages of these items, and titles that were cited by more than one author and across disciplines. Future research possibilities include the impact of open access on library collections in both practical and philosophical terms. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Technical Services Quarterly on 1 September 2021, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/07317131.2021.1934309.