Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Document Type
Article
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between information scoping skills and the research output of academic librarians in universities in South-South Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria with corresponding specific objective, research question, and research hypothesis. To effectively drive the study two theories were adopted. The theory of social cultural learning for the independent variable (information scoping skill), and the theory of self-efficacy for the dependent variable (research output of academic librarians). More so, conceptual review of literature on information scoping skills and research out were carried, and specific empirical review of literature with extrinsic similarity and dissimilarity to the study was also done. The study adopted the correlational research design as the research design while the study area was South-South Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria. The population of study comprised of 252 academic librarians working in the various academic library units and faculties. The census technique was used as the sampling technique with a sampling size of 252. The researcher-developed questionnaire entitled: Information Scoping Skills and the Research Output of Academic Librarians Questionnaire (ISSROALQ)was used to collect data while the reliability test results using Cronbach Alpha formula in SPSS showed an average coefficient of .85 which signified that the instrument was reliable for the study. Data was collected from the various universities by the researchers and their trained assistants by following the requisite ethical procedures. The data collected was analysed using frequencies and percentages for the research question, while the test of hypothesis at ≤ 0.05 level of significant was carried with Chi-Square Test of Independence. The result showed that information scoping skill has a positive significant relationship with the research output of academic librarians with p value 0.00, and Phi coefficient of 2.53 indicating of very large extent of positive relationship. In conclusion, it was recommended that the National University commission should make proficient utilization of information literacy skills by academic librarians as part of the requirement to assess their suitability for performance within the scholarly communities. Also, the university management should consider constant information literacy skills programs to improve the literacy skill of the academic staff to be able to carry out sound and rich research output.