Scholarize: A Digital Ecosystem for Enhanced Research and Collaboration

Abstract

At Paragon International University, undergraduate ICT students face significant challenges in their final year research projects, including lack of references for past research papers and ineffective management of their research project. Advisors also struggle with managing multiple student groups which results in ineffective and restrictive collaboration. This paper introduces "Scholarize," a web-based digital platform designed to address these issues by integrating a research repository, task management, file storage, and scheduling tools into a single, unified system. The platform was developed using a Simplified Extreme Programming (SXP) model and evaluated through user acceptance testing with junior students, senior students, and academic advisors, guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework. The findings indicate that Scholarize is well-received by all user groups, who expressed a strong intention to use the system. The study reveals that the key drivers for adoption vary by user group, social influence is most critical for juniors, performance expectancy for seniors, and effort expectancy for advisors. This research provides a validated blueprint for an integrated platform that effectively supports and enhances the academic research process within a university setting.