International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications

Workshop Exercises and Activities

Downloading and Document Delivery

Small group discussion

In this short session the group will consider the benefits and drawbacks of the various ways of downloading and document delivery.

Document Notes

Author INASP [Sara Gwynn]

Date Last updated 30/01/2003 10:14

Summary

On completion of this session the workshop participants will have:

1.  Considered the main ways of obtaining the documents they require

2.  Assessed the benefits and drawbacks of each method

Contents

1. Introduction 2

2. Discussion 2

3. Exercise 3

1.  Introduction

1.1  Group work explained

Participants will split into 5 small groups and spend 10 minutes thinking about and noting down the benefits and drawbacks of one of the following methods of obtaining documents. Then a spokesperson from each small group will share their ideas with the rest of the group.

·  Reading online (i.e. directly at a computer terminal)

·  Printing

·  Saving to disk

·  Email

·  Paper document delivery

1.2  Timings

Ten minutes small group work, ten minutes report back.

2.  Discussion

Each group will focus on one of the ways in which people could obtain a document once they have found it, thinking of as many benefits and drawbacks of that method as possible.

An example is given for each of the document delivery methods.

Method / Benefit / Drawback
Reading online / Can decide of usefulness before going further / Downloading may be time
consuming
Print / Can be copied (within copyright!) / Requires a printer
Save to disk / Can be read on an offline computer / Document may not fit on a floppy
Email / No postal costs / Requires network resources
Paper document
delivery / No print costs for library / May get lost in post

3.  Exercise

Method:………………………………………………………………………..

Benefits

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

Drawbacks

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5.