Utilization of Institutional Repositories among Users in Selected Universities in Karnataka: An Empirical Study

Abstract:  The present study examines the utilization of Institutional Repositories among users in selected universities in Karnataka. The study is based on primary data collected through a structured questionnaire from teaching faculty and research scholars. The findings revealed that a large proportion of respondents (87.16%) were aware of Institutional Repositories, and a majority (75.31%) actively used them for academic and research purposes. Institutional Repositories were primarily utilized for accessing research-related materials and supporting scholarly activities. The study further indicated that users perceived several benefits, including enhanced accessibility and visibility of scholarly work, increased citation impact, and long-term preservation of institutional outputs. However, respondents also reported challenges such as technical issues, poor browsing ability, limited access to repository resources, and lack of institutional support, which affected effective utilization. Overall, the study highlights that while Institutional Repositories are widely recognized and used among teaching faculty and research scholars, improvements in system usability, accessibility, and institutional support are essential to enhance their effective utilization and maximize their contribution to scholarly communication and research dissemination.