UTILISATION OF ONLINE DATABASES IN LIBRARIES ON ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE DEPARTMENTS POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS IN NORTH-WEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study is on the utilisation of online databases in libraries for academic activities of library

and information science departments’ postgraduate students in North-west, Nigeria. The study

was guided by two objectives and two corresponding research questions. The objectives of the

study were to: identify the level of utilisation of online databases in libraries for academic

activities by postgraduate students of library and information science department in North

west, Nigeria; determine the influence perceived of utilisation of online databases in libraries

on academic activities by postgraduate students of library and information science department

in North-west, Nigeria. The population for the study was 376 postgraduate students of Library

and Information Science Department in three (3) universities in North-west, Nigeria.

Descriptive survey research was adopted for the study. The study adopted census or total

enumeration to arrive at the sample size due to the manageable size of the population. Out of

376 copies of questionnaire administered, 329 copies were filled, returned and used for the

analysis representing 88% response rate. Descriptive statistical tool involving mean and

standard deviation were used to analyse the data. The findings of the study revealed among

others that postgraduate students of library and information science Department revealed high

level of satisfaction with the use of DOAJ, AJOL, EBSCOHost, JSTOR, HHINARI, AGORA,

ProQuest and Science direct databases for their academic activities and low level of satisfaction

of Research 4life, ProQuest theses Global, Scopus and Bio one. The study concluded that no

library irrespective of the type or kind can achieve its goals and objectives of meeting the

information needs of users without the provision of online databases to augment their academic

and research needs. The study recommended among others that the management of university

libraries in North-west, Nigeria should ensure that online databases such as Scopus,

Reserach4life. Bio One and ARDI are provided and made available for academic activities of

postgraduate students of library and information science department.