Assessing the Usage of Electronic Information Resources and the Nature of Research Output by Postgraduate Students in Federal University Libraries in South-East, Nigeria

Abstract

This research work was designed to assess the usage of Electronic Information Resource (EIRs)and nature of research output among postgraduate students in federal university libraries in South-East, Nigeria. The population of the study consists of 1,522 registered postgraduate students in the university libraries from the five federal universities in South-East, Nigeria. The objectives of the study are to determine the types of EIRs used by postgraduate students for research output and to find out the nature of research output produced by PG students in universities in South-East Nigeria The study adopted a description survey designs. Multi-stage sampling method was used to select four hundred and twenty-one (421) postgraduate students that formed the sample size for the study. The instrument for data collection was questionnaire. The data collected from questionnaires distributed and returned were analyzed using Mean (X) and Standard Deviation (SD). The result of the findings indicated that the nature of research output carried out by postgraduate students in federal university libraries in South-East, Nigeria are, conference papers, workshop papers, and seminar papers; conference proceedings, book publications, undergraduate projects among others. Types of Electronic information resources used by these students for research included CD-ROM, Online Public Access Catalogue, electronic books, electronic thesis/ dissertation, electronic journals and internet. The study recommends that university management should make it compulsory for every postgraduate to publish one online journal, chapter of book and a conference paper in a proceeding before graduation to increase the nature and type of research produced and used by postgraduates. Also, university libraries should