This study designed and evaluated a mobile application for offline access to medical science articles and journals for Iranian researchers and students.
In this study, A notable discrepancy was found among the three groups regarding the lowest-rated features, which can be justified according to the type of function and different needs of each group. Faculty members assigned the lowest average rating to the “learning”. Given their teaching roles and students’ learning needs, faculty members expressed a desire for the application to facilitate effective student learning. However, the application’s main focus is on providing accurate and easy article search capabilities. Students, on the other hand, gave the lowest rating to the”Screen”, which is understandable given their extensive use of various applications and their tendency to make comparisons and better visuals and customization. Since most users of this application are students and researchers, future versions should prioritize these areas to enhance user satisfaction. Librarians, conversely, awarded the lowest rating to the”Terminology and System Information “. This can be attributed to their specialized knowledge and experience with other professional library systems, which may set higher expectations for precise language and system feedback.
Offline access was a prominent strength as students emphasized the value of accessing journal metadata without the Internet, especially in Iran given the sanctions and cost constraints.A review of the literature by the research team revealed an absence of similar applications in Iran and more studies [19,20,21,22]. have investigated systems, digital libraries, and their challenges.
This study aimed to address these challenges by developing a mobile application focused on education, accessing articles and journals, and overcoming infrastructure and financial constraints, that have also been highlighted in previous research. The findings of Hajiahmadi and Norouzi [23] indicated that digital libraries in Iran are not in good condition in technology. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and address weaknesses by considering existing criteria and components and their relative importance. This would improve the design and development of systems and their services. The results of Malekmohammadi Zeinolabedini’s research [24] showed that designers of library software need to reconsider their designs based on the needs of librarians. Overall, studies have indicated that digital libraries in Iran face numerous challenges related to education, technology, needs assessment, and design.
Our findings are consistent with and support recent studies that highlight the usefulness of new educational tools—particularly virtual training—when facing infrastructure-related barriers. The results of the study by Fathi et al. [25] and the study by Khosravi et al. [26] showed that holding virtual workshops and classes leads to improved performance and increased academic levels of students. Participants also stated that these trainings changed their attitude and better understanding, ease, and usefulness of the materials and were generally satisfied with the workshops and training. The results of the study by Roozbehani et al. [27] and Karimi Rouzbahani et al. [28]showed that health education via SMS, as a simple, low-cost and accessible method, had a significant effectiveness in improving adherence to treatment and metabolic control in diabetic patients. Attention has also been paid to the importance of providing structured content and personalized training through mobile technologies. Although these two studies focus on the field of diabetes, the educational principles (behavioral reinforcement, microlearning and asynchronous communication) can be used in other health-care fields (generalizable). In the present study, the application was designed with the aim of promoting information literacy and empowering researchers in scientific search of articles and journals.
In Iran, users generally have limited knowledge about reliable and accessible information sources. Also, users face several problems such as the high cost of personal internet, low internet bandwidth, and various problems of accessing databases. To address these issues, a mobile phone-based application was designed to function offline and help achieve educational and research goals. By using this application, users can more easily access reliable and available information sources, thereby improving their knowledge and skills in searching for articles and journals.
Omeluzor et al. [29], focused on four areas of ICT tools in libraries: identification of administrative and electrical equipment, types of information resources, and the challenges of creating an electronic library in Nigeria. The results of a researcher-developed questionnaire indicated that most participants agreed on the use of electronic books and journals for library development. They identified “training” as a significant challenge for developing online libraries and considered inadequate training as a negative impact on the efficiency and skills of users (librarians and researchers). Ankamah et al. [30], investigated the usage and acceptance of electronic resources (Wikipedia, ScienceDirect, and PubMed) among library users at the College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana. The results indicated that most respondents were aware of and used various electronic resources.
Overall, this study aimed to incorporate as many features and findings from previous research as possible, given the constraints of infrastructure, technology, and budget. However, in light of the increasing use of mobile phones, a particular focus was placed on developing an offline mobile application. This approach was deemed most suitable for the Iranian context based on user needs and expert recommendations. Moreover, in addition to providing search functionality, the application was designed to offer educational resources for novice researchers. Kato’s study [31] identified key factors influencing information discovery, including searching across various sources and databases, designing a user-friendly interface, implementing both simple and advanced search engines, and ranking results effectively. De Leon et al. [32], found that to improve stakeholder satisfaction and usability at the Santo Tomas University (UST) library, aspects such as simple and advanced search and navigation functions, organization, and accuracy of resources needed improvement. Khan and Shahzad [33] identified key features of a Digital Library Management System (DLMS) such as advanced search, Boolean operators, electronic book sharing, full-text search, reliability and security, access control, customization, and a user-friendly interface. Fitriana et al. [34], identified key challenges and requirements from stakeholders to improve library services, stating that a new system should simplify processes, enhance user experience, and improve efficiency and access to resources. Xiaocui et al. [35] study showed that the adoption of mHealth applications is influenced by key factors such as ease of use, perceived usefulness, and user needs, which led to the application being not only technically efficient, but also motivationally and educationally effective.
In the present research, after a needs assessment and design of a mobile application, in addition to educational features, the ability to search for articles and journals were also provided to users. Then, to assess the level of user satisfaction, an evaluation of the usability of the application was conducted. In this evaluation, for a more comprehensive review, the views of 3 groups of key stakeholders in different areas of usability were examined across different usability dimensions, and the average score was reported as good. In the study of Astiti et al. [36], conducted a study to design a prototype of a web-based digital library was designed to serve as a resource for elementary schools.In studies [37, 38], improvements in the effectiveness of structured behavioral models such as health action process approach (HAPA) model in measuring health behavioral intentions and actions are demonstrated. Given that the mobile application of the present study includes an educational and behavioral intervention platform in addition to a search tool. Using similar assessment strategies in the mobile application leads to personalized features and allows users to receive content and articles that are contextually aligned with their motivational or cognitive readiness in addition to searching for text.The needs assessment for this library was conducted through observation and interviews. After the design, the study was evaluated by 5 experts in 7 areas using the DigiQUAL tool and achieved an average score of 4.4 (excellent category). Mohideen et al. [39], conducted an evaluation using user acceptance tests (UAT) and system acceptance tests (SAT), which showed that library staff found the system to be engaging, accessible, and useful. Fang and Chiu Wu’s study [40] found that a mobile library application for children, motivated reading and served as a self-learning tool for children. Soltaninejad et al. [41] emphasizes that the design of the educational environment plays a key role in improving learning performance and reducing stress. On the other hand, the lack of attention to visual comfort, ease of use, and physical interactions of users and ergonomics with digital devices can lead to reduced concentration and physical problems, just like physical environments. Therefore, there is a need to extend the principles of ergonomics from physical space to software design. Based on these results, in the present study, an attempt was made to pay attention to these principles in the design of the application, and a usability evaluation was also conducted based on this issue to assess the level of user satisfaction.
This study examined the role of mobile phones in addressing students’ demands for academic education and research and addressing various types of constraints. Although the study was conducted in Iran, but this offline and customizable application can be used in digitally constrained areas or other developing countries with similar infrastructure and constraints, according to the needs of researchers and different languages, so that everyone can benefit from the opportunity for educational and research equity. Today, the use of artificial intelligence in various fields is expanding and has increased efficiency and improved work efficiency. Similarly, the results show that the widespread use of mobile-based applications can significantly improve access to education and research resources, so integrating artificial intelligence in improving strategies and recommendations for intelligent search and automatic categorization can improve efficiency.
Limitations and future work
In this study, there are financial and infrastructure limitations, so the information of articles from a limited number of universities in Iran was included in the application, which is suggested to include information from all universities in Iran, considering the satisfaction of users. Also, due to financial limitations and sanctions conditions, the application was designed only in the Android version. It is better to design its IOS version as well. On the other hand, due to the lack of speed and appropriate geographical coverage of the Internet, this application is designed offline, so the application needs to update articles and journals in a specific period. This study was conducted in Iran due to educational infrastructure and limitations, so generalizability is reduced. It is suggested that future research should examine universities, countries with different languages, and focus on its greater generalizability.
This study also has external influences on user engagement. Although this application is designed function offline, factors such as internet access, academic resources, and user familiarity still affect the interaction and efficiency of the application. For example, the need for an internet connection is necessary if articles and journals are updated or new training or features are added. It is also possible that the level of user satisfaction is affected by the limited comprehensiveness of the articles (due to economic sanctions and access to the database). The level of digital literacy of different users also affects their ability to use the advanced features of the mobile-based application. To address these challenges, it is recommended to use an integrated online module, pre-loaded training, and the use of the university’s internal network in the future. These measures would help users access all features more easily and ensure that the information remains up-to-date.
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