How French research scientists are making use of electronic journals: a case study conducted at Pierre et Marie Curie University and Denis Diderot University

There have been few studies to date on how French research scientists are u sing electronic journals in their work. Under a national programme for docu ment digitisation in higher education and research, a qualitative study was conducted at the Jussieu Campus in Paris among 25 researchers and doctoral students and nine documentalists. The main disciplines covered were physic s, chemistry and biology, with some representatives from mathematics, compu ter science and earth sciences. A user typology was built up, and several o f the findings agree substantially with those in the (mainly Anglo-Saxon) l iterature, which demonstrate the importance of factors such as the discipli ne concerned and the immediate working environment of researchers, includin g equipment, local practice, and the resources that are promoted or made av ailable. Other more subjective factors also need to be taken into account.