Web literacy among the researchers and faculty members of select universities in India during COVID-19

Abstract

Purpose: The study is taken to assess the awareness, ability, use and web literacy skills of social sciences researchers and faculty of select universities in Punjab and Chandigarh from North India during COVID-19.

Methodology: A survey-based study was conducted on social science departments of select universities in Punjab and Chandigarh from North India. The data were collected from a sample of 532 respondents using a structured questionnaire through emails via Google docs. The data were analyzed using SPSS and MS Excel using statistical techniques viz. percentage, Pearson Chi-square test etc.

Findings: The study has found that most of the social sciences faculty and researchers of the universities under study used open web during COVID 19 for read/download web content most of them were found having the ability to use the web to some extent. The faculty was found to be more familiar with data security, digital privacy than researchers. The most of them learned how to use the web through self-study and were willing to improve their web literacy skills through some digital literacy programs.

Originality: This study is original study that was focused on assessing the web literacy skills of social science faculty and researchers which helped them to use the web especially during the period of COVID-19.

Practical implications: The results of this study can be used for university libraries to plan and organize some digital literacy/capacity building programs for the social sciences faculty and researchers according to their specific needs and it will help users to use web in situation like COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Awareness, ability, use, web literacy skills, COVID-19, digital literacy program.