Reading Habits of College Students in the United States

How, and why, science and health researchers read scientific (IMRAD) papers

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of our study was to determine the order in which science and health researchers read scientific papers, their reasons for doing so and the perceived difficulty and perceived importance of each section.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

An online survey open to science and health academics and researchers distributed via existing research networks, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.

RESULTS

Almost 90% of respondents self-declared to be experienced in reading research papers. 98.6% of the sample read the abstract first because it provides an overview of the paper and facilitates a decision on continuing to read on or not. Seventy-five percent perceived it to be the easiest to read and 62.4% perceived it to be very important (highest rank on a 5-point Likert scale). The majority of respondents did not read a paper in the IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results And Discussion) format. Perceived difficulty and perceived importance influenced reading order.

CONCLUSION

Science and health researchers do not typically read scientific and health research papers in IMRAD format. The more important a respondent perceives a section to be, the more likely they are to read it. The easier a section is perceived, the more likely it will be read. We present recommendations to those teaching the skill of writing scientific papers and reports.

Social network sites for book readers: The example of 1000Kitap, a Turkish social network

1000Kitap is Turkey’s largest social network for book readers. This network is a social network that mediates readers to realize reading as a social activity with other readers. The first purpose of this research is to reveal how the readers who use this social network start using the network and what they aim by using the network. The second aim is to reveal whether this network has brought about a change in their reading habits and preferences according to the readers who use this network. Finally this research aims to reveal the positive/negative aspects of this network based on the users experiences. For this purpose, phenomenological design was used in this study. The participants are 54 users who are actively using the 1000Kitap. The results indicate that introducing such social networks to the readers and teaching them how to use these social networks correctly can be beneficial in terms of enabling them to reach the right books and motivating them to read. However, the results also indicate that such social reader networks may serve different purposes and lead to negative results if they are not used in accordance with their purpose or in case of excessive use.

The reader's way: student process guiding library practice

Purpose

This paper explores the academic reading behaviors of first-year students in an attempt to understand their experiences and develop potential reading interventions to support undergraduate students.

Design/methodology/approach

Researchers used qualitative research methods to elicit in-depth findings regarding reading behaviors. They interviewed fifteen first-year students who had completed a required writing course regarding their reading habits and used open coding to analyze interviews.

Findings

Investigators discovered that the narrative from national media that students do not read discounts the volume and variety of texts that students regularly interact with in a variety of contexts. Several themes emerged from the interviews: (1) Students like to read in a variety of designated spaces at any time of the day or night, (2) Students prefer reading in print, but mostly read online, and (3) Students reported difficult vocabulary as the most significant challenge in reading academic texts, but also reported emotional concerns regarding reading.

Originality/value

While previous studies have focused on factors such as format preference and time limitations that influence reading behaviors, this study contributes to the body of research looking at the reading behaviors of college students more holistically, providing new insights informing a range of library interventions to support student success in academic reading. In its use of student interviews, this study offers a student-centered contribution to the literature on student reading behaviors and considers the implications of these behaviors on librarian practice.

Reading-Assistance Tools Among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Computing Professionals in the U.S.: Their Reading Experiences, Interests and Perceptions of Social Accessibility

Automatic Text Simplification (ATS) software aims to automatically rewrite complex text to make it simpler to read. Prior research has explored the use of ATS as a reading assistance technology, identifying benefits from providing these technologies to different groups of users, including Deaf and Hard-of-hearing (DHH) adults. However, little work has investigated the interests and requirements of specific groups of potential users of this technology. Considering prior work establishing that computing professionals often need to read about new technologies in order to stay current in their profession, in this study, we investigated the reading experiences and interests of DHH individuals with work experience in the computing industry in ATS-based reading assistance tools, as well as their perspective on the social accessibility of those tools. Through a survey and two sets of interviews, we found that these users read relatively often, especially in support of their work, and were interested in tools to assist them with complicated texts; but misperceptions arising from public use of these tools may conflict with participants’ desired image in a professional context. This empirical contribution motivates further research into ATS-based reading assistance tools for these users, prioritizing which reading activities users are most interested in seeing application of this technology, and highlighting design considerations for creating ATS tools for DHH adults, including considerations for social accessibility.

Use of social media information sources: a systematic literature review

Purpose

This paper aimed to investigate reading format preference of undergraduate students with regard to various categories of information sources and use of social media information sources for academic and non-academic activities.

Design/methodology/approach

An exhaustive literature review was carried out in a very well organised way using total 56 publications which include 48 research papers, four conference papers, two books and two reports, which were selected for analysis on the basis of prescribed data schema and adopting the inclusion and exclusion criteria matching with the research objectives of the study.

Findings

Undergraduate students preferred text books in print format for passing the exams, and use of search engines and Internet sites were rated as the most crucial source for the academic information. In particular, Wikipedia, YouTube and Blogs were the most frequently used social media information sources by undergraduate students for their academic activities. However, Facebook and Twitter were most prominently used for social interaction.

Research limitations/implications

The population of the study was restricted to the homogenous group of users, i.e. undergraduate students to examine their choices and preferences for their academic and non-academic activities. Further research studies may be conducted covering the more diverse and heterogeneous user group of postgraduate students and research scholars of different disciplines.

Originality/value

Generally, many previous research studies depicted users' preference for print and electronic media format without paying special attention on the usage of a variety of information sources by user groups. However, the present study is a value addition to the existing literature which emphasised the use of various categories of information sources, particularly by undergraduate students in print and digital format for different purposes in the digital environment. A major shift from the use of print media to digital media to social media information sources by undergraduate students for their academic and non-academic activities.

Motivating Reading Compliance: Adaptation of Monte Carlo Quizzes for Online Delivery

Getting students to complete reading assignments is often a source of frustration for nurse educators. Monte Carlo Quizzes (MCQs) were adapted for online delivery in a hybrid nursing course to encourage timely completion and deep processing of readings. Students indicated that MCQs motivated them to complete the assigned readings and to read more carefully. However, there were no significant differences on scores for other course assignments between those who completed readings and those who did not.