The Ithaka S+R 2006 Faculty Survey sought to determine faculty attitudes and behaviors related to online resources, electronic archiving, teaching and learning, and related subjects.  This survey built on our 2000 and 2003 surveys queried faculty members at 4-year colleges and universities across the United States on their attitudes and behaviors on a variety of topics, including the changing role played by the library in their research, their evolving dependence on print and electronic research resources, publishing and dissemination preferences, and attitudes toward preservation. In addition to examining overall trends in relation to findings from previous surveys, our analysis of these survey findings explores patterns among respondents, offering insights into how disciplinary and other demographic differences between faculty members can have important implications on serving the needs of these scholars.

Methodology

Following an initial introductory letter, survey questionnaire booklets were physically mailed to 44,218 faculty members in September 2006. A total of 4,145  complete responses were received and tabulated, for a response rate of approximately 9.4%. Demographic characteristics, including discipline, are self-reported.

Findings

We have produced an in-depth white paper, Studies of Key Stakeholders in the Digital Transformation in Higher Education , details our findings and provides trend analysis and recommendations. For those who are interested in investigating this data on their own, we have deposited the raw datasets from the faculty and librarian studies with ICPSR.
Some of the findings that have proved to be of greatest interest have focused on these topics:

• Attitudes towards the possibility of a transition away from print format, both for scholarly journals and monographs

• Perceptions of libraries and their value, including specific library functions, and how these perceptions are changing

• Preferences in research practices, including disciplinary differences and changes over time

• Attitudes towards archiving of both print and electronic resources

• Preferences that lead authors to choose among scholarly journals in which to publish their articles, as well as attitudes towards digital repositories

Related Publications:

• Kevin Guthrie and Ross Housewright, “Attitudes and Behaviors in the Field of Economics: Anomaly or Leading Indicator?” Journal of Library Administration 48, no. 2 (August 2008), pages 173 – 193
• Roger C. Schonfeld and Kevin M. Guthrie, "The Changing Information Services Needs of Faculty," Educause Review (vol. 42, no. 4 (July/August 2007): 8–9).