Internet Use by Faculty Members in Semnan University of Medical Sciences

Introduction. The universities attempt to facilitate the possibility of using the internet for faculty members by providing and expanding internet services. Since internet affects the quality of scientific researches at the university, it seems necessary to investigate the possibility and process of expanding the use of internet. This study was performed to investigate the use of internet among faculty members of Semnan University of Medical Sciences. Methods. In this descriptive study, all faculty members of Semnan Medical University were investigated. The data gathering tool was a questionnaire whose validity and reliability had been confirmed and contained 4 demographic questions and 14 questions related to the use of internet. The sampling method was census. Out of 100 questionnaires, 62 were completed by faculty members. Then, the data were analyzed by descriptive statistics using SPSS software. Results. In total, 91.9% of faculty members used internet among which 68.3% used internet at home and 30% at work, and 50.8% used internet less than one hour per day. Faculty members (66.7%) believed that the speed of access to internet was undesirable. Thirty seven point three percent had access to internet 24 hours a day. Sixty four point nine percent of the cases were in agreement with filtrating the un-ethical websites. Eighty point seven percent believed that subscribing academic databases by university was necessary. Faculty members used internet for research activities (74.2%), teaching information (72.6%), and electronic mail (59.7%). Fifty percent of them felt that taking part in internet training workshops was necessary. Conclusion. The faculty members of Semnan Medical University do not use internet in a vast level which could be because of time limits or their lack of capability in using internet properly. It is recommended to provide faculty members with educational workshops and classes so they can take advantage from internet facilities and on-line databases.