Use of book reviews by scholars: Implications for electronic publishing

Studies examining scholars' use of printed materials are necessary precursors to the development of electronic journals and the field of electronic publishing. Electronic publishing is of particular interest in scholarship, where timeliness and relevance of publications are crucial to the advancement of knowledge. Although considerable space is devoted to book reviews in scholarly journals, very few previous studies have examined or provided detailed data on the utility or importance of book reviews to scholars. This paper reports results from two surveys - one of science and technology scholars, and the other humanities and social science scholars at the University of North Texas. The surveys sought to learn: (1) the sources, importance and utility of book reviews for scholars' research and teaching, (2) scholars' criteria for useful book reviews, and (3) whether scholars use electronic book reviews. Findings from this study hold implications for the content and access to electronic publishing, and further research.