Paper or Pixels: What are People Reading Online?

Summary: This study evaluated the reading habits of Internet users across five document types - journal articles, news, newsletters, literature, and product information. Internet users completed an online survey indicating how likely they were to read a document online or on paper. Journal articles were primarily reported to be read in printed form, while documents such as online news, newsletters, and product reviews were reported to be read mainly online. Users reported that they tend not to use online sources for reading literature. Primary factors determining whether a document was printed or read online were size, importance, and intended purpose of document.

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