{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,24]],"date-time":"2026-01-24T18:57:14Z","timestamp":1769281034411,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2015,2,2]],"date-time":"2015-02-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1422835200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2015,2,2]]},"abstract":"\n Purpose<\/jats:title>\n \u2013 The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and assess the awareness and extent of the use of social networking sites (SNSs) by the students and research scholars of universities of North India. <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n \u2013 The study is a questionnaire-based survey on the usage of SNSs among the students and research scholars of the universities of North India. The data of the study were collected through questionnaires, which were personally distributed to the identified population, i.e. undergraduate students, postgraduate students and research scholars, by the authors. The survey was based on a sample of 610 questionnaires; of which, 486 questionnaires were received, having a response rate of 79.67 per cent. <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Findings<\/jats:title>\n \u2013 The study showed that all the respondents were found to be aware of and making use of such applications in their academic affairs. It was revealed from the study that Facebook is the most popular SNS by all categories of respondents. To determine the purpose of SNSs, it emerged that SNSs are mostly used for entertainment and communication. The study also found that the majority of respondents were aware about the security aspects of SNSs. It signifies that excessive time consumption and fear of misusing personal information were the major hurdles in the way of accessing SNSs. <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title>\n \u2013 The study covers the students and research scholars of select universities of North India. It also signifies the use of SNSs in their research and academic environment. <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n \u2013 The paper provides reliable and authentic data. The study is worth, justifiable and enlightens the salient findings on the topic, which will be very useful for researchers in this area.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/el-12-2012-0165","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,1,29]],"date-time":"2015-01-29T06:59:15Z","timestamp":1422514755000},"page":"19-34","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":19,"title":["Role and users\u2019 approach to social networking sites (SNSs): a study of universities of North India"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"33","author":[{"given":"K P","family":"Singh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Malkeet Singh","family":"Gill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b1","unstructured":"Akyildiz, M.\n and \n Argan, M.\n (2011), \u201cUsing online social networking: students\u2019 purposes of Facebook usage 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5864-5869.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sbspro.2010.03.958"},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Boyd, D.M.\n and \n Ellison, N.B.\n (2007), \u201cSocial network sites: definition, history, and scholarship\u201d, \n Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication\n , Vol. 13 No. 1.","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x"},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b6","unstructured":"Brady, K.P.\n , \n Holcomb, L.B.\n and \n Smith, B.V.\n (2010), \u201cThe use of alternative social networking sites in higher educational settings: a case study of the e-learning benefits of Ning in education\u201d, \n Journal of Interactive Online Learning\n , Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 151-170."},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Brandtz\u00e6g, P.B.\n and \n Heim, J.\n (2009), \u201cWhy people use social networking sites\u201d, in third international conference on online communities and social computing, LNCS 5621, San Diego, CA, July 19-24.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-02774-1_16"},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Coyle, C.L.\n and \n Vaughn, H.\n (2008), \u201cSocial networking: communication revolution or evolution?\u201d, \n Bell Labs Technical Journal\n , Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 13-18.","DOI":"10.1002\/bltj.20298"},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b9","unstructured":"Hampton, K.N.\n , \n Goulet, L.S.\n , \n Rainie, L.\n and \n Purcell, K.\n (2011), \u201cSocial networking sites and our lives\u201d, available at: www.pewinternet.org\/Reports\/2011\/Technology-and-social-networks.aspx"},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b10","unstructured":"Lack, C.W.\n , \n Beck, L.\n and \n Hoover, D.\n (2009), \u201cUse of social networking by undergraduate psychology majors\u201d, \n First Monday\n , Vol. 14 No. 12."},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b11","unstructured":"Landis, C.\n (2010), \n A Social Networking Primmer for Librarians\n , Facet Publishing, London."},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b12","unstructured":"Luo, L.\n (2010), \u201cSocial networking websites: an exploratory study of student peer socializing in an online LIS program\u201d, \n Journal of Education for Library and Information Science\n , Vol. 51 No. 2, pp. 86-102."},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Miller, R.\n , \n Parsons, K.\n and \n Lifer, D.\n (2010), \u201cStudents and social networking sites: the posting paradox\u201d, \n Behaviour and Information Technology\n , Vol. 29 No. 4, pp. 377-382.","DOI":"10.1080\/01449290903042491"},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mohamed, H.K.\n and \n Sumitha, K.\n (2011), \u201cPerception and use of social networking sites by the students of Calicut University\u201d, \n DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology\n , Vol. 31 No. 4, pp. 295-301.","DOI":"10.14429\/djlit.31.4.1109"},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b15","unstructured":"OCLC\n (2007), \u201cSharing, privacy and trust in our networked world\u201d, available at: www.oclc.org\/reports\/sharing\/"},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b16","unstructured":"Olasina, G.\n (2011), \u201cThe use of web 2.0 tools and social networking sites by librarians, information professionals, and other professionals in workplaces in Nigeria\u201d, \n PNLA Quarterly\n , Vol. 75 No. 3."},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pempek, T.A.\n , \n Yermolayeva, Y.A.\n and \n Calvert, S.L.\n (2009), \u201cCollege students\u2019 social networking experiences on Facebook\u201d, \n Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology\n , Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 227-238.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.appdev.2008.12.010"},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b18","unstructured":"Richter, A.\n and \n Koch, M.\n (2008), \u201cFunctions of social networking services\u201d, Proceeding of the 8th International Conference on the Design of Cooperative Systems, Institut d\u2019Etudes Politiques d\u2019Aix-en-Provence, Carry-le-Rouet, France, pp. 87-98."},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Roblyer, M.D.\n , \n McDanielb, M.\n , \n Webbc, M.\n , \n Hermand, J.\n and \n Wittye, J.V.\n (2010), \u201cFindings on Facebook in higher education: a comparison of college faculty and student uses and perceptions of social networking sites\u201d, \n Internet and Higher Education\n , Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 134-140.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.iheduc.2010.03.002"},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b20","unstructured":"Schaefer, C.\n (2008), \n Motivations and Usage Patterns on Social Network Sites\n , ECIS, Galway, Ireland."},{"key":"key2020122604432686900_b21","unstructured":"Singh, K.P.\n and \n Gill, M.S.\n (2012), \u201cUse of social networking sites in India: practices, prospectus and problems\u201d, LAMBERT Academic Publishing AG & CO.KG, available 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