Electronic networks and information services in South Korean universities

Electronic networking is becoming a familiar tool in higher education and research. Because the cost of telecommunications is decreasing, while the power of electronic networks and related computing resources is increasing, the resources and systems of electronic networks can now be used more easily. Access to the new global system of electronic networking has a great potential for the development of information services in South Korea. The principal aim of the research presented here is to determine what campus-wide and nation-wide information system will enable academic and research institutions in South Korea to share their information resources in an effective and efficient way via high-speed networks. The situation in South Korea has been modelled using Checkland's soft systems methodology. Data have been collected via both questionnaires and interviews, using a stratified sample of six South Korean universities as the main source. The factors at work have been examined, and the implications for the university system and for electronic networking in South Korea are considered.