Question 5 WSU Survey

5. If funding was limited and if only one of the following options (i.e. print or electronic) were available for journals or magazines in your discipline/major, which would you prefer?

All Respondents

	n	%
Print Only	115	30.2
Online Only	266	69.8
Total	381	100.0

Nearly 70% of all respondents would prefer online if they could choose only one format option for access to journals in their discipline.

(Count)

All Respondents by Academic Status

(n / %)	Online Only	Print Only	Total
Faculty	122	58	180
	67.8	32.2	100.0
Graduate	75	30	105
	71.4	28.6	100.0
Undergraduate	35	16	51
	68.6	31.4	100.0
Staff	29	10	39
	74.4	25.6	100.0
Other	5	1	6
	83.3	16.7	100.0
Total	266	115	381
	69.8	30.2	100.0

The overall preference for online versus print was similar across the various user groups. The percentages ranged from 68% for faculty to 74% for staff for “online only” and from 26% for staff to 32% for faculty for “print only”.

Faculty by Subject Division

(n / %)	Online Only	Print Only	Total
Business	14	5	19
	73.7	26.3	100.0
Education	15	4	19
	78.9	21.1	100.0
Engineering	18	0	18
	100.0	.0	100.0
Fine Arts	4	12	16
	25.0	75.0	100.0
Health Sciences	13	3	16
	81.3	18.8	100.0
Humanities	7	13	20
	35.0	65.0	100.0
Sciences	23	8	31
	74.2	25.8	100.0
Social Sciences	21	10	31
	67.7	32.3	100.0
Library	5	3	8
	62.5	37.5	100.0
Other	2	0	2
	100.0	.0	100.0
Total	122	58	180
	67.8	32.2	100.0

Overall, most of the faculty respondents – 68% - would opt for online only, given only one option. All of the Engineering faculty would prefer online only. A relatively high percentage of faculty in Business, Education, Health Sciences, Sciences, Social Sciences, and the Library would do the same although there was a higher percentage of Social Sciences and Library faculty who would choose print only than in the other disciplines. The majority of faculty in only two areas – Fine Arts and Humanities – would opt for print only if only one option was available.

Graduate Students by Subject Division

(n / %)	Online Only	Print Only	Total
Business	4	1	5
	80.0	20.0	100.0
Education	22	3	25
	88.0	12.0	100.0
Engineering	13	4	17
	76.5	23.5	100.0
Fine Arts	5	1	6
	83.3	16.7	100.0
Health Sciences	1	1	2
	50.0	50.0	100.0
Humanities	5	5	10
	50.0	50.0	100.0
Sciences	8	5	13
	61.5	38.5	100.0
Social Sciences	17	10	27
	63.0	37.0	100.0
Total	75	30	105
	71.4	28.6	100.0

A clear majority of graduate student respondents preferred online to print if only one format option was available for journals. The strongest support for online was found among Business, Education, Engineering, and Fine Arts. The responses were more evenly divided among students in other disciplines.

Undergraduate Students by Subject Division

(n / %)	Online Only	Print Only	Total
Business	9	2	11
	81.8	18.2	100.0
Education	1	1	2
	50.0	50.0	100.0
Engineering	2	1	3
	66.7	33.3	100.0
Fine Arts	2	3	5
	40.0	60.0	100.0
Health Sciences	3	0	3
	100.0	.0	100.0
Humanities	2	1	3
	66.7	33.3	100.0
Sciences	3	3	6
	50.0	50.0	100.0
Social Sciences	12	5	17
	70.6	29.4	100.0
Other	1	0	1
	100.0	.0	100.0
Total	35	16	51
	68.6	31.4	100.0

Overall, 69% of the undergraduate student respondents indicated a preference for online access if only one format option was available. Students in Business and the Social Sciences showed the strongest support for online only while a higher percentage of Fine Arts indicated a preference for print.