Perceptions of Research Students about Information Resources of Digital Library and Difficulties faced during usage

The basic aim of this study was to examine the perception of research students about the importance of online sources of information in digital libraries and the problems faced by research students while consulting online information resources in digital libraries. To achieve these goals, a quantitative research method was used. A self-administered questionnaire was developed and used for data collection. The population of the study has consisted of research students studying in M. Phil and Ph.D. in the Faculty of Behavioral & Social Sciences and Pure Sciences. Data was collected from 278 respondents and analyzed by using SPSS software. Results showed that respondents were aware of different online information resources and had positive perceptions regarding online information resources. They possessed satisfactory searching skills. They have obtained training sessions to use online information resources. They preferred digital form, print form, and electronic form to receive information. Respondents pointed out problems in using online information resources. These problems include information overload on the web, subscription issues, infrastructure problems, load shedding issues, etc. They demanded training to increase online searching skills. The study concluded that research students studying at the University of Punjab have a good level of searching skills. It was recommended that librarians working at the University of Punjab should offer adequate training programs to assist the research students in searching for online information