Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Abstract
Research productivity is one of the major determinants of the prosperity and academic status of a nation. To ensure its continuity, universities have put in place doctoral education meant to initiate doctoral students into the research culture; nurture and groom them until they become productive researchers. However, evidence from the literature indicated that doctoral students in universities in Ogun state are experiencing low research productivity which poses a threat to the sustenance of scholarship and prosperity of the nation. Several studies have examined the research productivity of scholars and factors that are likely to enhance it. Some of these studies have established that information literacy, research self-efficacy and critical thinking influenced research productivity of scholars. While these studies have examined the separate influence of information literacy and critical thinking on research productivity, none of them considered the combined influence of these variables on research productivity of doctoral students. This study, therefore, examined the influence of information literacy and critical thinking on research productivity of doctoral students in universities in Ogun State, Nigeria.
The study used survey research design. The population of the study was 1, 418 doctoral students from six universities in Ogun State. Simple random and proportionate sampling techniques were used to select 306 respondents. A structured and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient for the constructs ranged from 0.72 to 0.98. The response rate was 92%. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential (simple and multiple regression) statistics.
Findings revealed that information literacy, research self-efficacy and critical thinking jointly influenced research productivity of doctoral students in universities in ogun State, Nigeria (Adj. R2=.090, F(3,280)=9.207,pR2= 0.076, F (1,282) = 4.582,pR2= 0.032, F (1,282) = 10.381,pβ=.259, t=3.015, px̅=1.86 ). Information literacy level was high (x̅=4.1). Similarly, critical thinking engagement of doctoral students in universities in ogun State was high ( x̅=3.62).
The study concluded that information literacy and critical thinking significantly improved doctoral students’ research productivity in universities in Ogun State. The study recommended that university administrators and the National University Commission (NUC) should focus on ways to strengthen the research capacity and productivity of doctoral students by creating conducive training environment and build positive learning experiences through targeted coursework, workshops, conferences and research collaboration with peers and mentors.