Internet use by faculty members in various disciplines: A comparative case study

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare use of the Internet among various sectors of the faculty, in order to verify the influence of a number of parameters on this use, e.g.: (1) The field and research interests of the faculty members; (2) formal training in the use of the Internet via courses, workshops, etc.; (3) self-instruction in the use of the Internet by means of manuals, how-to books, etc.; (4) general use and knowledge of computers; and (5) perceived need for the information this network can provide. Questionnaires were sent to faculty members in all departments and professional schools of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a total population of 918 for both the pilot project and the main study. Results indicated that Internet use is consistently higher among faculty members in the sciences and agriculture ("Sciagr") than among those in the humanities or social sciences ("Humsoc"), suggesting that, among other things, the connectivity level of the Humsoc group may be lower than that of the Sciagr group. The Humsoc group also showed a higher demand for courses in Internet use. Suggestions for raising the level of Internet use among the various disciplines of the faculty are included.