| dc.description.abstract | The study explored the utilization of institutional repository (IR) among
Law Undergraduates at Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), assessing
awareness, purpose of use, pattern of access and perception of undergraduates
as it is uncertain whether the law students at KDU possess knowledge of the
IR and utilize it for their academic endeavours. This study applied a mixed
methods research design employing qualitative and quantitative methods.
A questionnaire and a focus group discussion were used to collect data
from the sample of 101 respondents. Descriptive statistics were adopted
to analyze the data. Key findings showed a moderate awareness of KDU IR among respondents regarding its existence and benefits. The prominent
sources of awareness were library Orientation programs and library websites.
Respondents aware of KDU-IR had highly utilized it for their learning tasks,
finding theses and research papers, searching information not available in
other formats, updating their knowledge and finding author information. The
majority of them used it for learning support and to find author information.
However, overall utilization among the undergraduates of the Faculty of
Law was at a moderate level. The majority of the students who were aware
of KDU-IR held a positive perception. In contrast, others needed a clear
understanding of the content covered and its relevancy and quality. Most
students prefer to access the IR at home to download information. They
also suggested incorporating additional resource categories into KDU-IR,
along with modifying the user interface and ensuring the provision of up to-date information. The study found that lack of awareness of the function,
how to use it, and continuous power interruptions are the key barriers that
hinder undergraduates’ utilization of IR. The study recommends addressing barriers through continuous awareness programs, assessing strategies, and
upgrading KDU-IR services for better alignment with user information
needs. | en_US |
