Comparing electronic vs print book preferences between students in the social sciences, the arts and STEM

摘要

Print still has many advantages over electronic format in terms of how scholars will use the material (visibility of images, ease of navigation and note taking). Although there is still a large percentage of students across disciplines that prefer print, data from this study indicate that many students are willing to adapt to the e-book option. Change may occur whether it is desired or not, but most learn how to work around these changes. Just as the printing press worked as an agent of change (Eisenstein, 1980) so too will certain elements that can be found in e-books. Certain e-book features make them a more inviting option. PDF availability is key, but e-books also need to be easy to access, easy to navigate and easy to read. As researchers at the Universiti Putra Malaysia found, students are willing to use e-books provided they are easy to access and easy to use (Letchumanan and Tarmizi, 2011). If such features are lacking, or if the user perceives difficulty, the likelihood of the e-book being used is decreased.