The majority of British academics, even in the least technological disciplines, are users of advanced computer-based communications technology, according to a THES survey of readers.
More than 85 per cent of respondents have computers in their offices, 75 per cent have them at home and 70 per cent have access to one at work. Almost 80 per cent of humanities academics have a computer in their office, the lowest of any subject area, while for science and engineering the provision rises to 90 per cent.
The survey also shows that computers in universities are used widely for communications.
The majority of users in every academic discipline turn to their computers for electronic mail, including more than 80 per cent of science academics with computers. Between 30 and 50 per cent of computer users also use their machines to access bulletin boards and online text services and to read material on CD-Roms.
In response to this overwhelming change in the working patterns of its readers, The THES is launching its own service on the Internet, the Times Higher Education Supplement Internet Service, this week.
The new service is designed to improve access to material in The THES and to allow us to provide new material which the printed THES cannot.
As of next week, it will include the full text of job advertisments in The THES. This will be available at 3pm on the Tuesday of the week of publication. The service will also provide a guide to the contents of the current issue, an expanded version of our Noticeboard section, called NetGazette, and a listing service for books.