Information Seeking Behaviour of Graduate Students of University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria: A Qualitative Approach

The study evaluates how the graduate students behave towards seeking knowledge they need for academic activities in the institution. The study used exploratory qualitative research design. The population of the study was the graduates of University of Agriculture Abeokuta (UNAAB) for 2010/2011 session. An in-depth semi structured interview was explored to examine their information seeking behaviour. The study revealed that inaccessibility and ease of use were the major factors affecting the choice of information resources by the students and that the influences of people like lecturers and lead scholars in the institution shape and reshape the approach of students to information seeking behaviour. It was also observed that e-journals, agricultural CD-ROMs, handbooks and reference materials were the important sources of information to these students. However, lack of time, unawareness, information overload and epileptic power supply were the challenges hindering their information seeking. The study concluded that the information seeking behaviour of these students was more organized than being random and the use of internet do not improve the information use skills of the students, Thus, it was suggested that librarians should trigger their ability to validate sources of information that the students utilized to improve their relevancy, and they should train the lead scholars that the students consulted when they need information. Keywords Information Seeking Behaviour, Graduate Students, University of Agricultur

Population structure and evolutionary history of the greater cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus) from the Guinean Forests of West Africa

Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) is a large-body old world rodent found in sub-Saharan Africa. The body size and the unique taste of the meat of this major crop pest have made it a target of intense hunting and a potential consideration as a micro-livestock. However, there is insufficient knowledge on the genetic diversity of its populations across African Guinean forests. Herein, we investigated the genetic diversity, population structures and evolutionary history of seven Nigerian wild grasscutter populations together with individuals from Cameroon, Republic of Benin, and Ghana, using five mitochondrial fragments, including D-loop and cytochrome b (CYTB). D-loop haplotype diversity ranged from 0.571 (± 0.149) in Republic of Benin to 0.921 (± 0.013) in Ghana. Within Nigeria, the haplotype diversity ranged from 0.659 (± 0.059) in Cross River to 0.837 (± 0.075) in Ondo subpopulation. The fixation index (FST), haplotype frequency distribution and analysis of molecular variance revealed varying levels of population structures across populations. No significant signature of population contraction was detected in the grasscutter populations. Evolutionary analyses of CYTB suggests that South African population might have diverged from other populations about 6.1 (2.6–10.18, 95% CI) MYA. Taken together, this study reveals the population status and evolutionary history of grasscutter populations in the region

Influence of Information Literacy Skills on Information Needs and use among Banking Personnel in Ogun State, Nigeria

This study employed a survey method to investigate the level of information literacy skills of banking personnel, their information needs and use. The study is limited to banks located and operating in Ogun state, Nigeria. Five of such banks were randomly selected and 125 bankers in the banks constituted the respondents for the study. 125 copies of the questionnaire designed for the study were administered on the respondents out of which 75 (60%) were duly completed and returned. The study found out that bankers have high information literacy level and there is a significant relationship between information literacy and information use among them; Job related information, information health matter, and information on financial matters are information needs that are common among the bankers; Current awareness, research and service delivery are major purpose of information use among them. Constraints to information use among the bankers are lack of timely information, lack of access to available information, lack of detailed information, high cost of accessing information, and poor packaging of information. The study concluded that possession of the information literacy skills enable the bankers to identify their information needs, identify information sources to meet the needs, retrieve information from the sources identified and evaluate information retrieved. It recommended the need for adequate provision of information sources that are appropriate to the needs of the bankers by government and information service providers, packaging of information in the format that would be detailed, timely, and easy for the bankers to understand and use