Information Sources Used by Postgraduate Students in General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University: A Citation Analysis of Theses

Abstract

This study is based on 2627 citations, appended in sixty five M.Sc. theses submitted to the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) during the time period from 2008 to 2013. The objectives of the study were to identify the bibliographic form of the used information sources by postgraduate students in KDU; determine types of information sources such as primary, secondary and tertiary used by them and determine subject-wise distribution of citations. The study revealed that books were the most cited bibliographic form of information source sused by postgraduate students at KDU. Thirteen (13) different bibliographic forms were identified among the citations. Secondary sources were the most preferred information source type (64%) used by them. According to the study, management is the most favored subject discipline among the cited books.