In the past, getting a copy of a research paper was a very herculean task for researchers.

1. Leveraging Electronic Resources
for Academic Research
Prof. Adebayo Felix Adekoya
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical
Sciences
Catholic University of Ghana, Fiapre - Sunyani

2. Agenda
Introduction
Types of Electronic
Resources
Benefits of Electronic
Resources
Effective Search Strategies
Accessing and Using
Electronic Resources
Navigating Copyright and
Licensing
Challenges and Solutions

3. Introduction
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Leveraging Electronic Resources for Academic
Research
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• In the past, getting a copy of a research paper was a
very herculean task for researchers.
limited access to a
finite collection of
resources
However, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
have proven to be a blessing for researchers as there is now
no need to wait for a hard copy of a book, journal, or
magazine.

4. Electronic Resources Have Transformed the Landscape of
Academic Research
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Leveraging Electronic Resources for Academic
Research
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• Today, the resources required for research are now available
at our fingertips with some clicks on the computing cloud
infrastructures. Chetan (2016, pp.37)
• Electronic resources have revolutionized this landscape by
making an immense volume of information accessible from
anywhere with an internet connection.
• Researchers can now access an extensive array of scholarly
articles, books, data sets, and other materials with just a few
clicks.
• This transformation has democratized access to knowledge,
allowing researchers from diverse backgrounds and
locations to engage in cutting-edge research.

5. Electronic Resources
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Research
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• Electronic resources, often referred to as e-
resources or digital resources, are digital or
online materials that provide information, data, or
content to users.
• These resources are accessible via electronic
devices such as computers, tablets,
smartphones, and e-readers.
• They have become increasingly important in the
digital age and are widely used in various fields,
including education, research, business, and
entertainment.

6. Types of Electronic Resources
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Research
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• Online Databases: These include academic databases (like PubMed,
JSTOR, and IEEE Xplore), business databases (like Bloomberg),
datasets (Kaggle, World Bank, WHO, UN) and general-purpose search
engines (like Google). They provide access to a vast amount of
information, including articles, research papers, books, and more.
• E-books and E-texts: These are digital versions of printed books and
texts that can be read on e-readers, tablets, or computers. Platforms like
Amazon Kindle and Google Books offer a wide range of e-books.
• E-journals: Electronic journals or e-journals are digital versions of
traditional print journals and magazines. They cover a wide range of
topics and are often available through subscriptions or open-access
platforms.

7. Types of Electronic Resources
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• Online Encyclopedias: These are digital versions of reference works
like encyclopedias and dictionaries. Examples include Wikipedia and
specialized online encyclopedias like Britannica Online.
• Multimedia Resources: These include digital audio and video
content, such as podcasts, webinars, online courses, and streaming
services like YouTube, Netflix, and Spotify.
• Open Access Repositories: These are online platforms where
research institutions and organizations make their research publications
and data freely available to the public. Examples include arXiv, SSRN,
and institutional repositories.

8. Types of Electronic Resources
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• Government Publications: Many government agencies provide electronic
resources, including reports, statistics, and regulatory documents, on their
websites.
• Digital Libraries: These are online collections of digital materials, such as the
Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) and the Internet Archive, which store a
vast array of books, images, videos, and more.
• Online Learning Resources: Educational platforms like Coursera, edX, Khan
Academy, and Moodle offer electronic resources in the form of online courses,
tutorials, and educational materials.
• Research Tools: Software and tools used for research, such as reference
management software (e.g., Mendeley, EndNote, Zotero), statistical analysis
software (e.g., SPSS, R), and data visualization tools.

9. Benefits of Electronic Resources
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Research
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• Vast Amount of Information:- Electronic resources provide access to vast amounts of
information, including books, journals, articles, databases, multimedia content, and
more. Users can explore a wide range of topics and subjects.
• Accessibility:- Electronic resources are easily accessible from anywhere with an
internet connection. This accessibility eliminates geographical barriers and allows users
to access information and content 24/7.
• Cost-efficiency:- Electronic resources often cost less than their print counterparts. E-
books, for example, can be more affordable, and digital subscriptions may eliminate the
need for physical storage and shipping costs.
• Searchability:- Electronic resources are highly searchable, making it easy to find
specific information or content quickly. Search engines and database search functions
enable precise retrieval of relevant materials.

10. Benefits of Electronic Resources
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• Up-to-date Content:- Electronic resources are easily updated, ensuring that users
have access to the most current information and data. This is particularly important
in fields like science, technology, and current events.
• Convenience:- Users can access electronic resources on a variety of devices,
including computers, tablets, smartphones, and e-readers. This flexibility allows for
on-the-go access to information and entertainment.
• Annotation and Highlighting:- Many e-readers and digital platforms allow users
to highlight text, take notes, and make annotations, making it easier to study and
reference materials.
• Global Reach:- Electronic resources are accessible to a global audience, enabling
information and content to reach a wide and diverse audience.

11. Effective Search Strategies :- Tips for effectively searching and retrieving
information from electronic resources
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• Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) :- Boolean operators are fundamental search
tools used to refine search queries when searching for information in electronic
resources, databases, and search engines. They allow researchers to combine and
manipulate keywords and phrases to produce more precise or broad search
results.
• Example Scenario:- Suppose you are researching the impact of social media on mental
health among adolescents. Here's how you can use Boolean operators to refine your search:
• If you want to find research that discusses both "social media" and "adolescents," you can use
the AND operator: "social media AND adolescents." This will retrieve documents that
specifically address the intersection of these two topics.
• To expand your search to include related terms, you can use the OR operator: "social media
OR social networking OR online platforms AND adolescents OR teenagers OR youth." This
will retrieve documents that mention any of these terms in relation to adolescents.
• If you want to exclude articles that focus on positive impacts, you can use the NOT operator:
"social media AND adolescents NOT positive effects." This will filter out articles that discuss
positive effects and provide a more balanced view of the topic.
•
Boolean operators are powerful tools for refining
search queries, allowing researchers to control the
scope and specificity of their search results.

12. Effective Search Strategies :- Tips for effectively searching and retrieving
information from electronic resources
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• Advanced search techniques:- can help you refine and enhance the precision of your
queries, and retrieve more relevant results.
• Phrase Searching (Using Quotation Marks): Phrase searching involves enclosing a
set of words within quotation marks to instruct the search engine to find that exact
phrase in the documents. This technique is valuable when you want to find information
where specific terms appear together as a phrase, ensuring precision in your search
results.
• Example: If you're interested in finding articles specifically about "machine learning"
and "natural language processing," you can search for the phrase by using double
quotation marks: "“machine learning” AND “natural language processing”".
• Truncation (Using an Asterisk or Other Symbols): Truncation involves using a symbol (often an
asterisk "*") to represent multiple characters at the end of a word. This allows you to search for
variations of a word.
• Proximity Searching (Using NEAR or WITH): Proximity searching allows you to specify how closely
terms should appear to each other in the search results. It's useful for finding documents where terms
are in close proximity, indicating a strong relationship.

13. Effective Search Strategies :- Tips for effectively searching and retrieving
information from electronic resources
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Research
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• Utilizing filters and facets: Filters and facets are tools provided by many search
platforms to help you narrow down your search results based on specific criteria or
categories.
• Filters allow you to apply predefined criteria to your search results to exclude or include
specific attributes. This helps you focus on the most relevant content. Filters are handy
when you want to refine your results based on specific parameters, such as the time
frame of publication or the type of content you need.
• Facets are interactive features that display categories related to your search results.
You can click on facets to refine your search dynamically. Facets are particularly useful
when you're exploring a broad topic and need to narrow down your search iteratively.
They help you explore different aspects of your results.

14. Accessing and Using Electronic Resources
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• University Library Subscriptions:- how to access electronic resources
available through university library subscriptions.
• Most universities provide access to a wide range of electronic resources,
including databases, journals, e-books, and more. To access these
resources, you typically need to authenticate yourself as a current
student, faculty member, or staff.

15. Accessing and Using Electronic Resources
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• Understand Open Access: Open access resources are freely accessible to
anyone without the need for subscriptions or payment. They include a wide
range of scholarly content, such as research articles, journals, books, and
educational materials.
• Familiarize yourself with the concept of open access and its benefits.
Understand that open-access content is available to the public, promoting
knowledge sharing and dissemination.
• Utilize Open Access Repositories: Open access resources are often hosted
in dedicated repositories or on the websites of institutions, universities, or
organizations that support open access.
• Identify reputable open-access repositories in your field of interest. Examples
include OER Africa, PubMed Central for biomedical research, AGORA for
Agriculture, arXiv for physics, and DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals)
for various disciplines.

16. Navigating Copyright and Licensing
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• It is crucial for academic researchers to understand copyright and
licensing considerations, ensure responsible and ethical use of digital
content.
• Fair use: Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted
material without permission from the copyright holder. It's essential for
researchers to understand the principles of fair use, which may include
purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching,
scholarship, and research.
• Copyright compliance: Researchers should always strive to comply with
copyright laws when using digital content. This involves obtaining
appropriate permissions for copyrighted materials, citing sources correctly,
and respecting any licensing restrictions. Failure to comply with copyright

17. Navigating Copyright and Licensing
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• Creative Commons licenses: -provide a flexible way for content creators
to share their work while allowing others to use, modify, and distribute it
under specific terms.
• There are various CC licenses, each with different permissions and
restrictions. Researchers should be aware of CC licenses when using or
sharing digital content.
• It is important for researchers to always adhere to the terms specified by
the license (e.g., giving proper attribution, and not using the material for
commercial purposes).

18. Navigating Copyright and Licensing
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• Responsible and Ethical Use of Electronic Resources: Researchers
should prioritize responsible and ethical use of digital content. This includes:
• Properly attributing sources: Always give credit to the original creators and
sources when using their work.
• Seeking permissions: When in doubt about the use of copyrighted material,
seek permissions or legal advice.
• Avoiding plagiarism: Plagiarism is a serious ethical violation. Researchers
should properly paraphrase and cite sources to avoid it.
• Respecting licensing terms: Be aware of the specific licensing terms
associated with digital content and adhere to them.
• Promoting open access: Consider publishing research in open-access journals
or repositories to facilitate wider access to knowledge.

19. Challenges in using electronic
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• Information overload: - The vast amount of information available online
can be overwhelming, making it challenging to find relevant and high-
quality sources.
• Solutions:
• Refine Your Search: Use advanced search techniques like Boolean operators,
truncation, and filters to narrow down search results.
• Use Citation Indexes: Tools like Google Scholar and Web of Science can help
you find highly cited and authoritative sources.
• Consult Librarians: Librarians are experts in information retrieval and can
provide guidance on effective search strategies and resources.

20. Challenges in using electronic
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• Accessibility Issues:- Not all electronic resources are accessible to everyone,
which can create barriers for researchers with disabilities or those in regions with
limited internet access.
• Solutions:
• Utilize Accessibility Features: Look for resources and platforms that provide
accessibility features like screen readers, alt-text descriptions, and keyboard
navigation.
• Explore Open Access: Prioritize open access resources, which are freely
available to all, ensuring equal access.
• Advocate for Accessibility: Encourage publishers and institutions to improve
the accessibility of their electronic resources.

21. Challenges in using electronic
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• Subscription Costs: Many electronic resources, particularly academic journals,
require expensive subscriptions, limiting access for researchers at institutions
with budget constraints.
• Solutions:
• Open Access Alternatives: Seek open access alternatives to costly resources.
Many open-access journals and repositories provide quality research materials
for free.
• Interlibrary Loan Services: Use interlibrary loan services to access materials
not available in your institution's library. Libraries can often borrow resources
from other institutions. E.g. CARLIGH in Ghana
• Negotiate Licenses: Institutions can negotiate better subscription deals with
publishers, collectively reducing costs. E.g. Elsevier, ACM, IEEE, Science Direct

22. Conclusion
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• Rapid advancements in technology and changing digital platforms can be
challenging to keep up with.
• Continuous Learning: Dedicate time to learning and staying updated on new
technologies and platforms. Attend webinars, workshops, and training sessions.
• Peer Networking: Join academic communities and networks where researchers
share their experiences and insights about using electronic resources.
• Library Resources: Leverage resources provided by your institution's library,
such as tutorials and guides for using electronic resources effectively.

23. Thank You
2023 Leveraging Electronic Resources for Academic