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Academic Reading Format Preferences and Behaviours: An Exploratory Study amongst Undergraduate African University Students

To be academically successful a university student is required to read extensively on topics related to his or her field of study. The current proliferation and availability of electronic academic reading materials on various online platforms require academic staff to gain an understanding of their impact on the format preference and reading behaviour of students. Knowledge of emerging trends can guide academic staff to provide reading materials in the format best suited to the reading preferences of students. To establish the current format and reading behaviour trends a multiple case study design was employed targeting undergraduate students from the University of Zululand, South Africa and Delta State University, Nigeria. A questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 237 students. A combined return rate of 69.9% was achieved. The findings revealed a strong preference for reading textbooks in printed format. The preference for reading documents in electronic or print format was influenced by factors such as the  length of the document, the purpose of reading the document, and whether the document is written in the student’s native language or not. External factors such as access to electronic gadgets and data, and the cost thereof, as well as peer pressure also influenced preference for a specific format. The study recommends that regular surveys should be conducted in academic institutions to keep track of current and changing trends in the format preferences and resultant reading behaviour of the students to enable academics to adapt their prescribed reading materials to a format best suited to the students’ preferences.