Scholarly Communication in the Sciences--A Third World Perspective

A study was undertaken to assess the impact of the Internet on scientific communication among a group of scientists and information professionals from leading research institutions in India. The object of the study was to understand the information-seeking behavior of Indian scientists and information professionals and the use of the Internet in their work. In order to determine subject specific differences in Internet use, participants included physicists, mathematicians, chemists, biomedical scientists and information professionals. This article also examines the perceptions of scientists on recent developments in scholarly communication and explores the role of Indian librarians and information professionals in the electronic environment.