Access to Digital Scientific Information: Information Practices of Researchers in Sankuru, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

Access to digital scientific information is an important issue for research activities in territorial contexts characterized by infrastructural and documentary constraints. This study examines the practices through which researchers in Sankuru, Democratic Republic of the Congo, access digital scientific information. It is based on a descriptive and exploratory survey with a quantitative predominance conducted in 2021 among 122 respondents recruited through voluntary participation in digital scientific groups and networks. Data were collected using a 34-question questionnaire and analyzed mainly through descriptive statistics. The results show that universities and workplaces are the main locations for learning and connecting to the Internet. Most respondents report that they frequently find the information they search for online and use the Internet to access various types of information, bibliographic references, journals, books, and theses. Scientific discussion groups also play an important role in communication among researchers, bibliographic searching, training, collaboration, and information sharing. However, digital resources do not replace traditional documentary resources: printed documents remain widely used alongside databases and other electronic resources. Although a majority of respondents consider information found on the Internet to be reliable, a smaller proportion report verifying it through other sources. The study therefore highlights hybrid information practices combining digital resources, traditional documents, and interpersonal mediation. Its main contribution is empirical and context-specific, providing evidence on scientific information practices in a rural territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.