Findability and Accessibility of Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repositories of Newly Established Central Universities in India
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Date
2023-11-17
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INFLIBNET Centre, Gandhinagar
Abstract
As professionals and academicians, we are all aware of ETDs (Electronic Theses and
Dissertations) ' impact on the discourse, communication, and dissemination of research in
our respective fields. ETDs are more widely used and advantageous than their conventional
equivalents. ETDs, which are academic works that students submit as a requirement for their
degree programs, provide various advantages made possible by technological improvements.
One significant benefit is the simplicity with which digital research materials may be accessed
and distributed, making knowledge easy to share and retrieve. This paper discusses the
ETDs' importance, aim, and initiatives in India. In addition, it discusses the Central universities
and their role and contribution to ETDs. The study's primary objective is to evaluate the
ETDs platform aspect of newly established central universities in India. ETDs offer several
advantages over their traditional counterparts. They provide easy and convenient access to
research work, and their accessibility enhances the visibility and usability of the research.
We will try to evaluate the Findability and Accessibility of ETDs that are really easily
discoverable and accessible.
In this study, a webometric method is utilized for the evaluation of the websites of ETDs.
Webometrics is the quantitative study of developing and using web-based information
resources, structures, and technologies. As is common knowledge, a website serves as a
digital representation of the ETDs themselves, reflecting the discoverability and accessibility
of the ETDs' content. Using webometrics tools Google PageSpeed Insights, we assess the
discoverability and accessibility of the websites of ETDs. We also used a manual approach
for findability and accessibility; a simple Google search for findability and for accessibility,
we check whether ETDs provide contents openly, full-text availability, and how many platforms
a university uses for content dissemination. The present work is limited to newly established
central universities. The data were acquired and analyzed using the methods as mentioned
above and instruments.
This study's findings shed light on the applicability of webometrics in assessing the
ETDs'findability and accessibility. It also sheds light on the significance of other parameters
affecting discoverability and accessibility in ETDs. The study attempts to justify using a
webometric approach to evaluate the platform aspect of ETDs. By focusing on discoverability,
and accessibility, we provide a comprehensive website-evaluation approach to ETDs, which
will aid in assessing the quality, influence, and standing of ETDs. This method will apply to
other ETDs Platforms, and similar methods can also be developed in the future.
Description
26th International Symposium, ETD 2023, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 26-28 October, 2023
Keywords
Accessibility, Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD), Findability, Webometrics