Availability and Awareness of Electronic Databases for Teaching and Research by Lecturers in Public Universities in South-West, Nigeria
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Research Publication
Abstract
The introduction of databases by university
libraries has presented lecturers with opportunities of
obtaining accurate, timely and up-to-date information with
little effort. However, research reports have revealed that
there is low level of awareness of electronic databases by
university lecturers. Hence this study investigated
availability and awareness of electronic databases for
teaching and research by lecturers in public universities in
South-west, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to: ( I )
identify the types of databases available to lecturers in
public universities in South-west, Nigeria; and (ii) examine
the extent of awareness of available databases for teaching
and research by university lecturers in South-west, Nigeria.
The study adopted the descriptive research design of a
correlational type. The population comprised 10,452
lecturers in fifteen public universities in South-west, Nigeria
from which a sample size of 836 was drawn using a multi stage sampling procedure. Questionnaire was used as
instrument for data collection. Data were analysed using
descriptive and inferential statistics at 0.05 level of
significance. Findings of the study revealed that numerous
electronic databases were available in public university
libraries in South-west, Nigeria and that university
lecturers’ level of awareness of most of the electronic
databases for teaching and research was above average
(60.6%) as against below average reported in the literature.
It can be concluded from the study that the university
libraries in South-west, Nigeria are not creating much
awareness of their electronic databases. It is therefore
recommended that university libraries, especially in South west, Nigeria should intensify their promotional activities
geared towards marketing their electronic databases.