Volume 20, No.1, 2024
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EDITORIAL FOREWORD
AVAILABILITY AND USE OF MEDICAL INFORMATICS IN TEACHING HOSPITALS IN NIGERIA
Abstract
This paper examined the usage of medical informatics (MI) and its difficulties in Nigerian
teaching hospitals. It emphasizes how important MI is to enhancing patient management, clinical
decision support, and healthcare efficiency through the integration of information technology.
The important role that medical informatics plays in improving healthcare delivery in Nigerian
teaching hospitals was also explored. The study's main goal is to evaluate how integrating IT into
healthcare might enhance patient care and operational effectiveness. The study emphasizes the
difficulties teaching hospitals in Nigeria have in implementing medical informatics, despite the
fact that it is becoming more and more essential for contemporary healthcare. The authors
evaluated the state of medical informatics today and its influence on healthcare delivery by
reviewing case studies from different teaching institutions and available literature in order to
address these concerns. The results show that medical informatics has a number of important
advantages, such as better patient care through data management, increased operational
effectiveness, and easier access to vital health information. However, the report also finds a
number of barriers that prevent efficient adoption, including poor infrastructure, restricted access to technology, and inadequate training for healthcare personnel. The results of this study imply
that removing these obstacles is essential to medical informatics adoption success. Technology
integration, such as electronic health records (EHRs), has shown potential in enhancing patient
care procedures. The study's result highlights the necessity of implementing medical informatics
to improve healthcare delivery at teaching hospitals in Nigeria. To make this integration easier,
the authors advise strengthening IT infrastructure, offering thorough training to healthcare
personnel, and advocating for laws that will help. In summary, the study highlights how medical
informatics can significantly improve Nigeria's healthcare system.
Keywords: Informatics; Medical informatics; Teaching Hospitals; Information Technology
Chinwe N. Ezeani (Prof), Ify Evangel Obim, Jane Anyanwu Odu, Ozioma Eneasato. E., Dada Grace A.
TRENDS AND CITATION BEHAVIOUR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE RESEARCHERS IN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, MINNA: A 2015-2017 CITATION ANALYSIS
Abstract
Citation analysis is a very important concept in the research ecosystem. It is an approach used in
measuring the importance of research outputs by counting the instances in which an author, or
research output has been cited by other works. The study mapped out cited references in
computer science theses submitted to the university library, Federal University of Technology,
Minna, Nigeria. 30 copies of master's theses organised and available in the library. These theses
were between 2015 and 2017. The theses bibliographic details were extracted to determine the
research trends and citation behavior of computer science researchers. Using tables, frequency
counts and percentages, the results were presented. The study revealed that researchers mostly
prefer journal articles than books and conference proceedings. The study also found that
Algorithms was the most researched area for computer science in Federal University of
Technology Minna, Nigeria, while the least researched areas are System Design and
Management Information System. It is recommended that researchers be provided with the most
preferred type of publication and scholars encouraged to explore other areas of computer science
which has not been extensively researched.
Keywords: Bibliometrics, Research, Computer Science, Theses, Citation Analysis, Citation
Behaviour.
E. C. Iloka, S. A Salau., (Ph.D) P. I Chukwu., J. Hajara., and L. Y. Gana
EXPLORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ONLINE PUBLIC ACCESS CATALOGUE IN ENHANCING INFORMATION RETRIEVAL IN NNAMDI AZIKIWE LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA
Abstract
The study explored the effectiveness of Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) in enhancing
information retrieval in Nnamdi Azikiwe Library (NAL), University of Nigeria Nsukka
(UNN). It ascertained whether OPAC in NAL is meeting the expectations of users in terms of
facilitating effective information retrieval and access to the library resources. Three research
questions guided the study. The study uses a descriptive survey research design. A total of
seven hundred and seventy-four (774) users formed the population of the study. This
population cut across all levels and modes of study in the university. The data for the
research was gathered using questionnaire which was generated in line with the research
objectives and distributed among the students. The collected data were analysed using
frequency and percentage. From the analysis, the findings revealed that good number of
users believe that there is lack of awareness of the advantages of OPAC over traditional
catalogue system, and there is lack of information search skills that affect the ability to use
OPAC. The users were also challenged by limited access to internet network of which
without it, OPAC use will not be efficiently utilized. Based on the findings, the study
recommended that the library should increase the awareness of OPAC services among the
university community. It also recommended that the librarians should always be available to
assist user on how to use the library OPAC.
Keywords: OPAC, Library catalogue, information resources, Information retrieval,
University library.
Perpetua O. Ukwueze, Oluchukwu Okeke (PhD), Constance Nnenna Ugwu, Augustine Chibueze Opah
MOTIVATION AND PERCEIVED JOB PERFORMANCE FOR ENHANCED EFFICIENCY AMONG LIBRARIANS IN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, IN SOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA
Abstract
This study investigates motivation and perceived job performance of librarians in selected
universities in South-West, Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted and total enumeration
method used to capture all. A survey research design was adopted and total enumeration method
was used to capture three hundred and fourteen (314) librarians from twenty-three (23) selected
universities in six (6) states in South-West Nigeria. A total of 314 copies of the questionnaire were
distributed while 309 copies were returned and used for the analysis. Data collected were
analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard
deviation, while Pearson correlation was used to test the hypothesis.
Results showed that perceived job performance of librarians in selected university libraries in
South-West Nigeria was high (= 4.42). The level of motivation among librarians was moderate
(= 3.06). The result of the hypothesis (r=0.247) indicates that motivation has a positive
relationship with perceived job performance. The study recommends the need for the university
library management in South-West Nigeria to use motivational strategies to improve the morale
of the librarians to increase job performance.
Ahmed Olakunle Simisaye (Prof), Babatunde Ogunbanjo (CLN), A B Oshinaike.(PhD)
INFORMATION LITERACY SKILLS AND PERCEIVE EASE OF USE OF EDUTAMS FOR EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES BY SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN OGUN STATE
ABSTRACT
EDUTAMS (Education Management System) aimed at enhancing the administration and
management of educational institutions through the use of technology as educational
platform that offers various features, including lesson planning, content creation, assessment
tools, student performance tracking, collaboration features, and communication channels, all
within one integrated system. This study investigated information literacy skills and perceived
ease of use of EDUTAMS for educational activities by secondary school teachers in Ogun
State. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. Total enumeration was
used to capture two hundred and seventy six (276) teachers in selected public secondary
school in Ijebu-ode using questionnaire as the main research instrument for data collection.
The findings revealed that the types of educational activities made available on the EduTAMS
for secondary school teachers in Ogun State are results upload 213(100%), payments
213(100%) and registration of students 210(98.6%). The information literacy skills possessed
by secondary school teachers in Ogun State was high ( ̅ = 3.49). The perceived ease of use
of EDUTAMS for educational activities by secondary school teachers in Ogun State was high
( ̅ = 3.21). The factors that may influence teachers' perceptions of EDUTAMS' ease of use
beyond information literacy skills in Ogun State are user interface design 203(95.3%),
technical support 199(93.4%) and personal motivation and attitudes 184(86.4%). There is a
relationship between significant relationship between teachers' information literacy skills
and their perceived ease of use of EDUTAMS in Ogun State (p = 0.644 > 0.05). The study
therefore recommends that the school management should develop and implement
information literacy training programs for secondary school teachers in Ogun State. These
programs should focus on improving teachers' ability to find, evaluate, and effectively use
digital resources and tools.
Key Words: Information literacy skills, EDUTAMS, Use of EDUTAMS, Educational
activities, Secondary school teachers
Temitope A. Osisanwo (Ph.D), Oluwaseyi Esther Afolabi
PROVISION OF ICT-BASED LIBRARY SERVICES FOR ENHANCED INFORMATION ACCESS AMONG STUDENTS OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN IMO AND ABIA STATES
ABSTRACT
The study focused on provision of ICT-based library services for enhanced information access
among students of public universities in Imo and Abia States. It was guided by four objectives
and four research questions. The study adopted survey research design. The population of the
study is 167 librarians from the university libraries studied. A self-developed questionnaire titled
Provision of ICT-based Library Services to Students (PICTLSS) was used for data collection.
Data collected were analysed using mean (x). The findings of the study revealed among others
that; the ICT facilities used in providing library services for enhanced information access are
computers, mobile phones, internet facilities, printers, CD-ROM, slide projectors, library
oriented software, flash drive and scanners in the university studied and electronic delivery
services, online user education, institutional repositories services, provision of web access to
OPAC, document scanning services, online readers advisory services, Selective Dissemination of
Information services, document retrieval services and reprographic services are ICT-based
services provided for enhanced information access among students of the university studied.
Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommends among others that government
and university management should allocate adequate funds in their budget for university libraries
to ensure continuous procurement, installation and maintenance of ICT facilities.
Keywords: Provision, ICT, Library Services, University Libraries
Linda Ijeoma Uwandu Ph.D
DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION OF INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORIES IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES IN NIGERIA: PROSPECTS, CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES
Abstract
Institutional repository is a technology model for storing information which has created the
opportunity for libraries to collect, preserve and communicate university research output/data to
the global community. This has become a means of increasing the university's visibility, ranking
and reputation among others. Development, implementation and maintenance of an institution's
repository is a critical responsibility of the university as a whole and the library in particular.
Universities in developing countries are striving to develop their repositories by attracting the
required digital facilities to the library. The paper explores the development and preservation of
institutional repositories (IRs) within academic libraries in Nigeria. The study adopted a review
of views and opinions of related studies on the topic. It delves into the benefits and methods of
building IR contents in libraries, enhancing visibility and dissemination of scholarly
communications. The paper examines the challenges faced by academic libraries in establishing effective institutional repositories, including technology obsolescence, low level of awareness,
inadequate ICT facilities, lack of technical know-how, etc. Additionally, the paper outlines
strategies for overcoming these challenges. By addressing these issues, academic libraries in
Nigeria can maximize the potential of IRs to support research, teaching and learning within the
academic community.
Key words: Institutional repository, research outputs, university, data preservation, data security
Felicia N. Ugwu, (Ph.D), Patricia C. Ike, Anthonia N. Odo
TEAMWORK PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AS CORRELATES OF ETHICS AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR LIBRARY GRADUATE'S EMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYABILITY IN NORTH WEST NIGERIA.
Abstract
The study was carried out on the teamwork professional skills as correlates of ethics and legal
responsibilities for library graduate's employment and employability in north west Nigeria and
employed a correlation survey design. The area of the study is North West Nigeria, which
comprises of seven states, namely Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.
The population of this study is 84 graduate's librarians. The scale was measured using likert
scale. Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A) Undecided (UD) Disagree (D) Strongly Disagree (SD). In
order to determine the internal consistency of the instrument 15 copies of the instrument was
administered to graduates librarians in Kaduna State which is not part of the study area to
ascertain the internal consistency of the instrument. Research question (1). What are Teamwork
Professional Skills Ethics of Graduate's Librarians? (2).What is Ethics and Legal
Responsibilities of Graduate's Librarians? (3).What is Career Development of Graduate's
Librarians? Were analyzed using Pearson product moment correlation (R). Pearson product
moment correlation coefficient (r) with values ranging from 0.00-0.19 was considered as very
weak relationship, values with 0.20-0.39 was considered as weak relationship, values with 0.40-
0.59 was considered moderate relationship, values with 0.60-0.79 was considered strong
relationship, and values with 0.80-1.00 was considered very strong relationship. Pearson
product correlation analysis was used to ascertain the significant relationship among variables
of the study at 0.05 level of significance, the responses to the items were interpreted by
describing the strength of the correlation using the guide suggested for the absolute value of r as
stated. The decision point of acceptance is that any item that fall between 0.40-0.59 and above is
considered positive relationship. While items that fall between 0.40- below is considered
negative relationship. Findings show that: There is positive and moderate relationship between
Teamwork; Professional Skills; Ethics and Legal Responsibilities; there is no relationship in
Career Development and Ethics and Legal Responsibilities of Graduate's Librarians.
Recommendations: Institutions should develop the mine set of students on career development:
graduates 'librarians to understand the values of Ethics; Legal Responsibilities and Students
should be made part of teamwork when learning professional skills Ethics.
Keywords: Teamwork, Professional Skills, Ethics and Legal Responsibilities. Library,
Employment and Employability, North West Nigeria.
Abdu, A. K., Rabiatu, A. M.
EXPLORING ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE GRADUATES FOR SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Abstract
This paper explored the entrepreneurship opportunities available to Library and Information
Science Graduates for sustainable national development. This study became pertinent due to the
increasing rate of unemployment or the difficulties in securing jobs by graduates of various
library schools in the country. It has been observed by various scholars in the field that a lot of
entrepreneurship opportunities are available in the profession but LIS graduates have not fully
explored them. Though the introduction of entrepreneurship courses at different levels in the LIS
curriculum has gone a long way in exploring some entrepreneurship opportunities; yet much
need to be done in this area regarding new opportunities that emerge alongside the changes in
the economy. The various opportunities presented in this paper when explored by LIS graduates,
will undoubtedly reduce the unemployment rate and thereby lead to sustainable national
development. Research of this nature will add to existing literature on the topic and
opportunities available to be explored for self-reliance.
Keywords: Explore, Entrepreneurship, Opportunities, Library and Information,
Sustainable National Development.
Michael Adebayo Ogbonyomi
STUDENTS' USE OF SEARCH ENGINES FOR ENHANCED ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ALEX EKWUEME FEDERAL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY NDUFU- ALIKE IKWO, EBONYI STATE
Abstract
Search engines play crucial role in navigating the vast amount of information available on the
internet, helping users find relevant content efficiently and effectively. This study investigated
student's use of search engines for enhanced academic performance in Alex Ekwueme Federal
University Ndufu-Alike. Five objectives were formulated which include to ascertain the level of
awareness of search engines, types of academic search engines used by students and extent of
use. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population of the study comprises of
605 registered undergraduate students library users at Alex Ekwueme Federal University.
Random sampling technique was used to select 121registered users at the interval of five (5).
Structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Out of the 121 copies of questionnaire
distributed, 86 (71%) were found useful for the study. The collected data was presented in tables
and analyzed using frequency, percentage and mean. The study found that students are highly
aware of Google search engine. They are unaware of semantic scholar, wolfram Alpha, yandex
among others. It therefore, implies that students, researchers and library users should make
concerted effort to attend library trainings and user education programmes to get informed and
aware of not only search engines but also other information resources relevant to them.
Nkiruka E. Iwundu, Felicia N. Ugwu, Angela Ajah,
PERCEPTION OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS ABOUT VIRTUAL LEARNING PLATFORMS: COVID–19 PANDEMIC
Abstract
This study explores the perceptions of undergraduate students in two public universities in
southwest Nigeria regarding the use of virtual learning platforms, particularly in response to the
challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing a Google online questionnaire
administered via WhatsApp, opinions were gathered from students in both a federal and a state
university. The analysis of responses, presented through simple frequency and percentages,
reveals that Zoom was the most commonly utilized platform due to its interactive features. While
virtual learning has advanced education, challenges such as network issues, data constraints,
dull lectures, and environmental distractions hinder its effectiveness. The findings emphasize the
need for stakeholders to address these challenges to enhance the overall quality of virtual
education in Nigerian public universities. The researcher therefore recommended that the
problems of network, data, boring lectures and environmental distraction be properly taken care
of by the stakeholders.
Keywords: virtual learning, virtual learning tools, virtual learning platforms, COVID-19, public
universities.