A Systematic Review of Literature on the Use and Impact of Electronic Resources in Select Central Universities of Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

The systematic literature review explores the use and impact of e-resources in the following four central universities of Uttar Pradesh i.e. Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), University of Allahabad, and Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU). For this review 20 open-access peer-reviewed journal articles which were published between 2010 to 2025, from sources such as Scopus, DOAJ, Google Scholar, and JSTOR, the current review synthesizes findings on usage patterns, the academic and socio-economic impacts, and the barriers and facilitators. Results indicate a majority faculty engagement (65–85%) with e-journals and databases, meanwhile student usage remains lesser than faculty (45–60%), driven by the research needs and mobile access. E-resources enhance overall research productivity by 15–30% and also improve student outcomes, while yielding 10–20% of the library cost savings and promoting inclusivity. However, the connectivity and low digital literacy (30–50% untrained users) pose significant barriers, mitigated by INFLIBNET subscriptions and training programs. The findings of the review gives the need for enhanced infrastructure and digital literacy initiatives to align with India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (i.e. Quality Education).