Adefunke Sarah Ebijuwa and Iyabo Mabawonku
Undergraduates use electronic library resources for academic activities. However, literature has revealed that undergraduates’ use of electronic library resources is low in…
Abstract
Purpose
Undergraduates use electronic library resources for academic activities. However, literature has revealed that undergraduates’ use of electronic library resources is low in Nigeria owing to attitude, computer literacy and information retrieval skills, while little attention was given to computer self-efficacy. This paper aims to examine computer self-efficacy as a predictor of undergraduates’ use of electronic library resources in federal universities in south-west Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
The descriptive survey research design was adopted. Multi-stage sampling method was used to select 1,526 undergraduates from the population size of 30,516 from six federal universities in south-west Nigeria in four faculties (Arts, Engineering/ Technology, Science and Social sciences) and three departments from each of the faculties (English, History and Philosophy; Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering: Economics, Sociology and Psychology). Data were collected using a questionnaire and were analysed using descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, hierarchical and regression analyses at 0.05 level of significance.
Findings
There was a significant relationship between computer self-efficacy and use of electronic library resources (r = 0.13, p < 0.05). The result of the analysis showed that computer self-efficacy influenced undergraduates’ use of electronic library resources in federal universities in south-west Nigeria.
Research limitations/implications
The data for the research were obtained from undergraduates in the selected faculties in the six federal universities except for two faculties which did not have some departments that were common to the selected faculties.
Practical implications
The findings indicated that computer self-efficacy improves the use of electronic library resources for academic purposes. It therefore encourages the library management to provide the necessary support and training for the undergraduates to acquire the technical skills required for the acquisition of computer self-efficacy. This has greater influence on undergraduates’ ability to use the computer maximally to access electronic library resources for academic purposes.
Social implications
It will improve the undergraduates’ use of electronic library resources for academic purposes. This implies that the undergraduates will have access to information around the world that could be useful for development in and around their locality which will become easily accessible. Also, in this era of computer, it will encourage reading culture among undergraduates. This could inform policymakers on the need to provide more electronic library resources for libraries.
Originality/value
The study provides original data on computer self-efficacy as a predictor of undergraduates’ use of electronic library resources in federal universities in south-west Nigeria. This can provide valuable indicator for library managements considering enhanced utilisation of electronic library resources.
Details
Keywords
Women constitute a significant proportion of the Nigerian public servants. They have varied job related information needs and possess some information seeking behaviour. The study…
Abstract
Purpose
Women constitute a significant proportion of the Nigerian public servants. They have varied job related information needs and possess some information seeking behaviour. The study aimed to identify their job‐related information needs and assess the existing office information environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey method, using questionnaire and observation techniques were used in collecting data from 158 women in the top cadre of the federal and three selected state ministries and parastatals.
Findings
The study found that most of the information needs were related to governance, education, religion, family and domestic matters. Only one‐third of the respondents regarded information on women as very relevant to job performance. Newspapers, magazines, newsletters, colleagues, and conversations were the main sources of information. Although electronic sources, especially the internet were not widely available, the respondents were enthusiastic to use them. They also perceived positive relationship between good information environment and job performance.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of the study is the small sample considering that there are 36 states in Nigeria. Also, a study of all public servants, male and female, would have been better. The paper recommends an improvement to the information environment of the government establishments.
Originality/value
As not many studies have been done on women in public service and their information needs and use, the findings of this study will be useful to government and other decision makers in providing facilities and for infrastructural development to increase productivity of women and all public servants.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this study is to analyze the growth of academic librarians’ research output in Nigeria; it examined their research productivity and determined the authorship…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyze the growth of academic librarians’ research output in Nigeria; it examined their research productivity and determined the authorship pattern and degree of collaboration.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 1,106 articles were retrieved from Current index to Journals in Education and Library, Information Science and Technology Abstract databases for the period 2000-March 2018.
Findings
The study revealed that only few authors are productive in the field of Library and Information Science in Nigeria during the period under study. The author productivity pattern is, therefore, in agreement with Lotka’s Law of inverse square. Top journals in which the academic librarians in Nigeria publish their works were identified. Of the 153 recognized universities in Nigeria, the study revealed that only few universities are productive. The years 2011 and 2012 recorded the highest contributions by the academic librarians. The findings also showed a high level of teamwork with most publications being produced jointly.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of this study is that it only retrieved articles that were indexed by Current index to Journals in Education and Library, Information Science and Technology Abstract. Secondly, articles published by the academic librarians in local journals in Nigeria that are not indexed and not visible are not included in the study.
Originality/value
The findings call for researchers in developing countries to recognize that it is important to publish a substantial number of papers in journals that are indexed and are widely visible.