Modelling the use of institutional repositories in selected Islamic university libraries in Indonesia

Abstract

In the last few decades, the issue of institutional repositories (IRs) has attracted the attention of academic libraries around the world, particularly among Islamic university libraries in Indonesia. They believe that IRs can be a strategic tool that contribute to improve the performance of professional tasks of lecturers as well as to enhance the performance of university. However, since the development of IRs is mainly to support scholarly programmes and facilitate professional tasks, it is imperative to understand the use of IRs among university lecturers for their professional work accomplishment. The university lecturers are professionals with specific task roles in knowledge production and transformation that are considered as complex tasks. They have certain needs and expectations associated with their professional tasks performances. This study investigates the influence of the task complexity, information needs, and user expectancy on the use of IRs among the university lecturers in Islamic university libraries in Indonesia. Specifically, the objectives of this study are (1) to examine the relationship of the task complexity, the information needs, and the user expectancy regarding the use of IRs, and (2) to develop a conceptual model of the use of IRs. Theories on task complexity, expectancy, and information need and seeking behaviour are reviewed to develop the research model. A quantitative research method is used to design and conduct the study. A total of 350 lecturers from six universities in Indonesia was chosen as respondents. Data were collected by using a survey questionnaire. The analysis of data is organized by using a Partial Least Square of Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and supported by SPSS and SmartPLS 2.0 software as research tools. The study confirms that 19 of 22 the hypotheses are supported while only 3 of 22 the hypotheses are not supported. The research findings show that academic tasks of lecturers are regarded to be a high complex task, and the use of IRs are highly needed and expected to really support their academic tasks either to the enhancement of their scholarly activities or to the improvement of their university performances. The task complexity, the information needs, and the user expectancy are also regarded to be significantly related to the use of IRs.The variables of task complexity, information needs, and user expectancy have influenced and have a high effect of the use of IRs, and support for the model’s predictive relevance. Overall, the research model substantially contributes to explain the use of institutional repositories by 67 % (0.673). Regarding the findings, the study comes up with the theoretical explanation and framework of the use of IRs as a technological innovation for supporting and accomplishing the academic tasks of lecturers as well as for enhancing the university scholarship and performances. The study also contributes to the development of IRs system practices within a university and among universities to collaborate in managing the IRs. The results recommend that further studies explore the other determinants of the use of IRs, and to validate the developed model.