the role of different journal access models in meeting the information needs of shiraz university researchers

the aim of the present study is to investigate and compare the role of journals with different access models (including print, database, print/database subscriptions) as well as unsubscribed models in meeting the information needs of shiraz university researchers. using a bibliometric method, the communication studies the references used in shiraz university scientific papers indexed by thomson reuter’s citation indexes (i.e. sci, ssci and arts & humanities ci) in 2010. a vast number of scientific journals are found to be available in shiraz university, most of them repeatedly provided via different models. over 90% of the journals receive no citations from shiraz university researchers. the researchers generally tend to refer to unsubscribed journals as well as subscribed database journals. however, the journals mostly referred to by shiraz university are found to be covered by database and print/database models. the uncitedness of a wide range of print journals confirms the rationality of the policy of discontinuation of print journals subscription in favor of e-collection development. it seems that the database model performs well not only in meeting the variety of information needs of the researchers, but also in providing the required core resources for the users. the unsubscribed model is revealed useful merely to fulfill the variety of the users' information needs; whereas it plays a minor role in providing the core needs of the researchers. the print model, following the database and the print/database models, is more or less effective in providing the core resources needed by the researchers of shiraz university. since a number of the core journals of shiraz university are available in print model, it is suggested to renovate the subscription to the core print journals, preferably in online format.