INFORMATION LITERACY COMPETENCIES AMONG RESEARCH SCHOLARS OF RANI CHANNAMMA UNIVERSITY, BELAGAVI: A STUDY.

This study investigated the information literacy competencies of research scholars at Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, using a well-structured and representative small sample. The study focused on how scholars accessed information resources, their strategies for searching and finding relevant research, and barriers in accessing materials used as resources for their research. Notable findings included that periodicals and books of competitive examination are not commonly used in search of information; instead, journals and electronic resources are the most commonly used materials. 85.4% of respondents prefer to use print and digital resources in their academic work. Google is the most popular search engine with 100%, followed by Yahoo at 34.3%, and Bing at 32.8%. Of all searches done simply by keywords, which stands at 100%, Boolean operators and fieldspecific searches have recorded low usage rates. Some major impediments include a lack of access to subscribed databases, limited access to computers, and ignorance about search options available. Despite these challenges, however, 95.4% of scholars feel their research would benefit from increased information literacy (IL). Findings indicate that enhancing access to digital resources and developing an IL competency framework will require further advanced training in search strategies and resource evaluation to improve university research productivity and academic success effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]