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Abstract

The growth of electronic journals (e‐journals) in Western Europe and North America has been widely reported. The rapid development of e‐journal publishing in China is less well known. This paper provides a brief introduction to the development of e‐journals in China before examining their impact on libraries, particularly academic libraries. Several factors that may have affected the growth of e‐journals are noted, including the nature of government initiatives and pedagogical methods. As well as pointing to and reviewing some of the limited literature on the development of the publishing industry, the researchers also conducted some interviews in China. To provide an initial understanding of the impact on libraries, a small survey of academic libraries was undertaken. In addition, a study of the perspectives of the academic and library staff of Shandong University, one of China's largest universities, identified specific effects on user behaviour, the library staff and the budget.

How to Cite: Johnson, I., Wang, H. and Nie, F., 2008. Electronic journal provision and use in China: an initial study. Serials, 21(3), pp.210–221. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1629/21210