Awareness and use of open access journals by graduate students of the University of Ghana.

Abstract

The study examines the use of open access journals by graduate students of the University of Ghana. Using the survey method, a questionnaire was distributed to 200 graduate students being 5% of the target population of 3,974. The findings of the study show that the majority of students are aware of open access journals resulting in their high usage. Students indicated that open access journals increase developing countries' access to scholarly literature and promote the advancement of scientific knowledge. Nevertheless, the attitude of respondents towards open access was not very positive as many challenges were cited as obstacles to their use. The study recommends measures to address these challenges.