ASSESSMENT OF RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY OF ACADEMIC STAFF OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE SCHOOLS IN FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study assessed the level of research productivity of academic staff in Library and Information
Science (LIS) schools in federal universities in Nigeria and identified the challenges affecting their
research productivity. The study adopted a survey research design. The population comprised 344
academic staff from 27 LIS schools in federal universities in Nigeria, and total enumeration
technique was used to include all the respondents in the study. Questionnaire was used as the
instrument for data collection, while descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages,
mean, and standard deviation were used for data analysis. Out of the 344 questionnaires
administered, 298 were properly completed and returned, representing an 86.6% response rate.
The findings revealed that the overall level of research productivity among academic staff of LIS
schools in federal universities in Nigeria was high with a weighted average mean of 2.74. Articles
in learned journals and conference proceedings constituted the most common research outputs,
while patents and monographs recorded low output levels. The study further revealed that
financial constraints, workload, family challenges, low internet bandwidth, lack of mentorship,
and time constraint were major challenges affecting research productivity, with a weighted
average mean of 4.46. The study concluded that although academic staff in LIS schools
demonstrated a relatively high level of research productivity, several institutional and personal
challenges continue to hinder optimal research performance. The study recommended increased research funding, reduction in workload, improved internet facilities, mentorship programmes,
and institutional support mechanisms to enhance research productivity among academic staff in
LIS schools in federal universities in Nigeria.