Improving Research Skills of Graduate Students: Focus On Library Instruction at the University of Ghana (original) (raw)
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2020
Researchers in institutions of higher learning are required to conduct researches that will expand the frontiers of knowledge, drive innovation in industries, and the economy at large. Consequently, research has become an integral component of a university's curriculum. However, there is an 'assumption' that undergraduates possess requisite research skills at the end of their training due to their exposure to research. To ascertain this, this study investigated the perceived research skills of graduating Library and Information Science (LIS) undergraduates in a Nigerian University of Education. The study is a survey of the ex post facto type. Total enumeration was used to capture all one hundred and eighty (180) graduating LIS undergraduates. Out of the one hundred and eighty (180) questionnaires administered, only one hundred (160) questionnaires were returned and found useful for the study. The findings revealed that the LIS graduating students perceive themselves as possessing a high level of general research skills such as information seeking, methodological, and research communication skills. However, their problem solving and evaluation skills as well as their statistical or quantitative skill were perceived as moderate. The male graduating undergraduates also showed a higher positive perception of their research skills than their female counterparts. The study concludes on a predictive implication that the graduating students are likely to perform well in research-related jobs or professions in the future. The study thus recommends lecturers to motivate students towards being committed when involved in research and to gradually build the quantitative/ statistical analytical skills of the students before they get to the final year of study.
Postgraduate students across Nigerian universities face various challenges in their quest for higher degrees. The study adopted a survey method to examine the research challenges faced by postgraduate students in three selected universities in Osun State and the role that university libraries play in mitigating them. The selected universities are Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Osun State University, Oshogbo and Redeemers University Ede. Structured and validated questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection. 370 copies of the questionnaire were distributed while 300 representing 81% were retrieved and found valid for analysis. The data generated for the study were analyzed using Mean and Standard deviation. Findings of the study showed that the postgraduate students are confronted with several challenges in their research activities. It equally revealed that, the libraries are not lacking in their role of offering necessary facilities/services to aid research by postg...
American Journal of Information Science and Technology
Library resources and services are essential in postgraduate studies to conduct successful research, demonstrate academic scholarship and gain recognition for creative thinking. Hence, this study evaluated the influence of library resources and services on research activities among postgraduate students' in southwest Federal Universities, Nigeria. A study research design was adopted for the survey. However, a multi-stage sampling procedure was applied to select 378 respondents for the study. Data were assembled with the use of a designed questionnaire on library resources and services influencing postgraduate research activities. Standard deviation, mean, frequency counts and percentages were used to analyse the data. Results reveal that textbooks (x = 2.96), World Wide Web (x = 2.80) and e-books (x = 2.76), (x = 3.12), books (x = 3.61) and e-books (x = 3.35) were the major resources that enhanced postgraduate students research activities by the respondents. Also, reference (x = 2.85) and Wi-Fi services (x = 2.75) Wi-Fi services (x = 3.17), referral services (x = 3.16) and user education (x = 3.10), were library services that promote postgraduate students research activities. Findings further revealed that books (x = 2.72), ejournals (x = 2.68), print journals (x = 2.65) internet (x = 2.61), reference services (x = 2.65) and reprographic services (x = 2.37) were the most influencing library services among postgraduate students. The study concluded that the library provides resources and services that influence the research activities of postgraduate students. However, the use of library resources and services is crucial in postgraduate studies to achieve their academic objectives. The study, therefore recommended that provision and preservation of library resources should be given more attention in the universities, while library services should be improved upon for better service delivery. In addition, the library should make enough internet access points available for students.
EXAMIN[NG GHANAIAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES l ROLES IN PROMOTING RESEARCH OUTPUT
The MAKTABA, 2017
University libraries have the responsibility of providing adequate information to satisfy the needs of a well-defined specialized clientele, namely faculty, researchers, administrators and students. To expand the literature on the role of university libraries in supporting research output in Ghana's academia, this paper focuses on libraries' role in promoting university research output. The study employs quantitative methodology. Using the Survey design, one hundred and fifteen (115) respondents comprising of faculty and postgraduates within the University of Ghana (UG) were sampled and examined on the university library'S role in promoting research. Questionnaires were the only research instrument used for data collection. The inferential statistics (Chi-square and Pearson Correlation Matrix) tool were used to generate relationships for dependent and independent variables. Some recommendations on how university libraries can promote research output were suggested.
This study investigated the impact of library use on research productivity. The study was carried out using the survey research method. The population was made up of 359 postgraduate students at Babcock University, Ogun state. Sampling was enumerative as all members of the population were used for the study. A self designed questionnaire was used for data collection. Results showed that library services are of utmost importance to the research productivity of postgraduate students as all the respondents who were able to have at least one publication within the last two years affirmed using the library. However, printed books were ranked as the most important library service for research. Although personal assistance of library staff was ranked very low in importance, suggestions made by the respondent for the training of library staff in order to improve staff-user relationship show that the respondents value the assistance of library staff but may not be happy with the way library staff relate to users presently.
2017
Source of academic information is very relevant to graduate students. Basically, academic libraries provide much relevant research materials in both printed and electronic formats to support graduate studies. Higher institutions such as the University for Development Studies have therefore, invested resources in acquiring library infrastructure to facilitate research work. This study sought to analyse graduate students use of library and internet resources for academic activities. Primary data were collected using a questionnaire from 126 graduate students who were selected using a simple random sampling procedure. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and bivariate probit regression framework. The results indicate that students use both library and internet resources for their academic work. However, the use of internet is more than that of the University’s Library resources. Demographic and economic variables were identified as determinants for the use of library and...
2021
Research exposes students and lecturers to the availability of information resources for research. Students require quality information resources in order to conduct research. Libraries are meant to serve the students, lecturers and other members of the university community. However, libraries have been the source of keeping and disseminating information through books, journals, maps and other resources that are used by students and lecturers in the universities. The need of library resources and services is indispensable to students in order to achieve their set goals. Hence, this study evaluated the information needs and constrains that hinder use of library resources and services among postgraduate students in southwest Federal Universities, Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted for the study. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 378 respondents for the study. Data were collected with the use of a structured questionnaire and focus group discussion on researc...
Library and Information Perspectives and Research, 2022
Analyses of students" researches that are conducted by universities will often indicate the direction in which a specific subject field is moving as well as regards the issue of the quality of students" research work. This research carried out a content analysis of undergraduate degree projects submitted by undergraduate students of Gombe State University, Gombe in all the 32 disciplines that had graduated at least a set of undergraduate students between 2014 and 2019. Through the use of Statistical Package and Service Solution (SPSS), each project was analyzed thoroughly in terms of research paradigm, research questions, research design, data collection instruments, type or form of data collected, procedures for collection, data analysis as well as presentation of results. Data were presented analyzed with frequencies and percentages. The study revealed that the largest percentage of research design employed by the students is the mixed research method that involves the use of both Qualitative and Quantitative methods. Despite the advancement of information and communication technologies in conducting researches, online method to collect data through the use of questionnaire was underutilized; this is also true of focus group. The students preferred to use hard copies of questionnaire and physically distribute to their research respondents. Moreover, despite the presence of advanced software for qualitative data analysis such as ATLAS.ti, NVivo, MAXQDA, RQDA. Hyper RESEARCH, etc. no such software was used to analyzed any qualitative data collected by the students. The study recommends that, there is an urgent need of teaching students" online data collection and use of various data analysis software/statistical packages in the university.
Library Philosophy and Practice, 2015
1.0 INTRODUCTION Information is a vital and an indispensable component of any academic environment. It makes for effectiveness in any academic system. Both faculty and students need to use information daily in their various academic endeavors. For decades, faculty and students have actively used the library and its resources as their main information source. Alemna, (2000) states that for centuries libraries have served as repositories of information and knowledge that have provided the vital underpinnings for socio- economic, political and cultural development in any civilization. Their relationship with cultural progress has been so interdependent that it is needless to argue whether man's cultural advancement merely produces libraries as by product. According to Robinson (2006) simplistically, libraries and archives came into being to provide a central location for hard-to-find, scarce, expensive or unique material. Scarcity of information is the basis for the modern library....
Research by academic librarians at public universities in Ghana: A realistic expectation?
South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science
This study explores how the academic environment facilitates the ability of academic librarians at public universities in Ghana to fulfil their research and publication mandate. A web survey of academic librarians was conducted to explore the opportunities and resources for research. Based on a bibliometric analysis of journal articles, the study also investigated the nature of research production of academic librarians in Ghana, specifically their co-authorship patterns, publication outlets and research visibility. The results show that academic librarians mainly produce single-authored articles and articles that are co-authored within their home institution, with a preference for publishing in local journals. Their research visibility, operationalised as time-based citation scores derived from data in Google Scholar, is also limited in light of a lack of international co-authorship. Opportunities and resources for project participation, funding, conference participation and publishing are all mostly linked to having completed a research qualification. The results further suggest that, for some librarians, it seems indeed possible to engage in research despite the odds.