Researchers rely on theories to guide the research process. Theories provide directions in formulating research questions and in the interpretation of findings. The choice of theory to guide inquiry must relate to research paradigm and corresponding meta-theory. However, many beginning scholars experience difficulty in articulating philosophical paradigmatic assumptions and in identifying meta-theory and theory to guide investigation. The aim of this article is to discuss the relationships between research paradigm,  meta-theory, and theory in LIS research and to demystify the differences between paradigm, meta-theory, and theory. The author presents a  hierarchical philosophical framework to guide in the choice of theory in research

Musa, AI

English

AJOL - African Journals Online

Understanding the Intersections of Paradigm, Meta-Theory, and Theory in Library and Information Science Research: A Social Constructionist perspective

The study investigated the awareness and use of Open Access scholarly publications by postgraduate students of Faculty of Science in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU), Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study was guided by four research objectives namely to determine the channels of awareness of Open Access publications, among postgraduate students of faculty of science in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to determine the major sourcesconsulted for Open Access Publications by postgraduate students of the faculty, and to determine the impediments of using Open Access  publications by postgraduate students of faculty of science in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Survey research design was adopted. The population of the study consists of all the postgraduate students of Faculty of Science in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. A sample of 100 was purposely selected from the entire departments in the faculty. Questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection, 97 were successfully retrieved and analysed using descriptive statistics. The study found that majority of the  postgraduate students of Faculty of Science in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria became aware of OA publications by surfing/searching through the Internet haphazardly, majority of the respondent are not aware of the major sources of OA publications, the respondents predominantly use OA publications to support their thesis/dissertations among others. It is however, recommended that libraries should organise training on interval base for both staff and postgraduate students of Faculty of Science on the importance of OA publications Faculties should guide and encourage their students on the need for publishing in OA journals among others

Mohammed, A

Awareness and Use of Open Access Scholarly Publications by Postgraduate Students of Faculty of Science in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU), Kaduna State, Nigeria

Today the availability of e-resources in a university is very common. But their proper and maximum use is a matter for discussion. This study examines the use and access of various e-resource databases in Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola. The study specifically highlights the preferences and importance of online resources among the lecturers and students of the School of Management and Information Technology of the university. A total of 120 respondents, which represents the sample size of the study, were used to collect data for the purpose of analysis. The study found that MAUTECH, Yola does not have sound IT infrastructural facilities and only the well-known e-resources are preferably used by the students and lecturers, the rest of the e-resources i.e. e-bibliography, e-maps, e-thesis, e-books are comparatively less used

Aliyu, M

Samaru Journal of Information Studies Vol. 13 (1 & 2)2013    Page 20  Access and Use of E-Resources by the Lecturers and Students of School of Management and Information Technology in Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola BY Murtala Aliyu  Abstract Today the availability of e-resources in a university is very common. But their proper and maximum use is a matter for discussion. This study examines the use and access of various e-resource databases in Modibb  Adama University of Technology, Yola. The study specifically highlights the preferences and importance of online resources among the lecturers and students of the Sc ool of Management and Information Technology of the university. A total of 120 respondents, which represents the sample size of the study, were used to collect data for the purpose of analysis. The study found that MAUTECH, Yola does not have sound IT infrastructural facilities and only the well-known e-resources are preferably used by the students and lecturers, the rest of the e-resources i.e. e-bibliography, e-maps, e-thesis, e-books are comparatively less used.  Introduction Advances in computer applications during the past few decades have brought radical changes in the way information is gathered, stored, organized, accessed, retrieved and consumed. The application of computers in information processing has brought several products and services to the scene. The Internet and the Web are constantly influencing the development of new modes of scholarly communication; their potential for delivering goods is quite vast, as they overcome successfully the geographical limitations associated with the print media. Further, the distribution time between product publication and its delivery has been drastically reduced. The Internet can be used for efficient retrieval and meeting information needs. This is very important for university libraries like Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH) Library, since most of them call for more and more research work. This important fact is convincing many libraries to move towards digital e-resources, which are found to be less expensive and more useful for easy access. This is especially helpful to distant learners who have limited time to access the libraries from outside by dial-up access to commonly available electronic resources, mainly CD-ROM, OPACs and Internet, which are replacing the print media.  Information is an essential part of a nation’s resources and access to it is one of the human rights. Information is not only a national resource vital forscientific and economic progress, but also a medium of social communication. However, access to information is a function of its availability. This  consequently dependent on the predisposition of the society. Although individuals and societies create or generate information independently and collectively, access to this information is only achieved when the originators recognise the right of access to it by others and as such package it in a form that will ease its accessibility.   Every piece of information has its target audience or expected users as intended by the originator of the information. Good access to information will enhance research. Thus reliable access to recorded knowledge is necessary to meet teaching and research requirements.  It is necessary to devise and maintain aids which will help readers to locate information in this era of information explosion. Therefore it is unnecessary to have information unless it is made accessible to people that need them. There are six barriers to overcome to enable information access to be achieved. These are;  1. Identification-a suitable source needs to be identified; 2.  Availability-the inquirer needs to be able to inspect the source or a copy of it;  3. Price to the user-the toil and trouble of acquiring it must be acceptable to the user; 4. Cost to the provider-what has to be expended by the provider of the information?  5. Cognitive access-the sufficient expertise of the enquirer to understand it;  6. Acceptability-the reluctance of the enquirer to accept a particular source as credible.   Thus each one of the dimensions constitutes a type of barrier to access. Hence each one must be satisfied if access is to be effected. Information use by individuals and societies ultimately differ because of differences in characteristics and disciplinal factors. Hence in order to meet the needs of information users adequately, emphasis must be placed on the predisposition of both the sender and receiver/user of the information. Information to beutilised must be properly stored, retrieved and made available in usable forms. The ultimate value of anyinformation should be thought of in terms of uses being made of it and the subsequent impact it has on the users. This denotes that although information could be available and accessible, its value depends only on its utility function. Ehikhamenor (2003) inhis study of the use and non-use of Internet facilities by the Nigerian University scientists, observed that although the internet culture is creating a new scientific communication system with new facilities that are competing with, and might replace, the present printed information sources, the scientists Samaru Journal of Information Studies Vol. 13 (1 & 2)2013    Page 21  were still heavily dependent on printed information resources like journal, indexes and abstracts.  Libraries have witnessed a great metamorphosis in recent years both in their collection development and in their service structure. Over the last several years, a significant transformation has been noticed in collection development policies and practices.  Print medium is increasingly giving way to the electronic form of materials, Poornima (2005). A number of relevant studies have been carried out on the use of e-resources by teachers, students and research scholars of universities and research organizations. E-journals are becoming a basic needfor the academic research scholars every day. E-resources can be good substitutes for conventional resources if the access speed is fast, access to all the important e-journals is provided and more computer terminals are installed to provide access to e-resources. Users use all the sources available to them regularly, like CD ROMs, online databases, Web resources and audio/video tapes.  In his study Madhusudhan (2008) reported that Seventy-eight percent of the respondents feel that the use of the UGC-Infonet e-journals has created high dependency value on their research work and they needed current article alert services and electronic document supply services. Monawwer (2007) also reported from his findings that 67.64% of research scholars of faculty of science and 69.23% of research scholars of engineering use e-journals for research work whereas 35.29% of teachers use e-journals to update knowledge and 23.70% of engineering use these for study, Similarly, Naidu (2007) opined that availability and ease of accessibility of information causes the users to use electronic resources more frequently. Husain (2007) in his survey indicates that the use of e-resources in Jamia Milia Islamia is not satisfactory and needs constant guidance/orientation to enhance their usage,   Objectives The objectives of this study are to determine the: •  availability of IT infrastructure in MAUTECH, Yola;  •  Satisfaction of IT infrastructure in MAUTECH, Yola; • different types of electronic resources used by lecturers and students of School of Management and Information Technology (SMIT)  in MAUTECH, Yola; •  purpose and frequency of using the electronic resources and services available in MAUTECH, Yola by lecturers and students of School of Management and Information Technology ; • accessibility of e-resources by lecturers and students of School of Management and Information Technology in MAUTECH, Yola  Methodology The research design of the study was survey and limited to the lecturers and students of SMIT in MAUTECH, Yola with the target population of 62 Lecturers and 3275 Students. The researcher used proportionate sampling in drawing 120 respondents as the sample for the study. The data for this study were gathered from the questionnaire retrieved back from the respondents. Frequency tables and percentages were employed for the purpose of data analysis in this study. A total of 120 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to collect the primay data out of which 82 questionnaire were found usable for analysis. The Questionnaires were distributed randomly to the users. The collected data was analyzed and presented in the tabular form.  Results and Discussion The table 1 below presents the responses on the availability of IT infrastructure in the University under study. Table 1 shows that the majority of lecturers, 31 (59.62%), and students, 17 (56.67%), indicated that the existing IT infrastructure within the University s not adequate. Only 21(40.38%) lecturers and 13 (43.33%) students are of the opinion that the IT infrastructure of the University is adequate.  Table 1. Availability of IT Infrastructure in MAUTE CH Yola  Respondents Total Yes No Lecturers 52 21 (40.38%) 31 (59.62%) Students 30 13 (43.33%) 17 (56.67%)        Samaru Journal of Information Studies Vol. 13 (1 & 2)2013    Page 22  Table 2. Satisfaction with IT Infrastructure in MAU TECH Yola The table 2 below presents the responses on the satisfaction with IT infrastructure in the University under study. Respondents Total Satisfied Not satisfied Lecturers 52 21 (40.38%) 31 (59.62%) Students 30 13 (43.33%) 17 (56.67%)  Table 3. Different types of e-Resources being used The table 3 below presents the responses on the types of e-resources being used by the respondents in theUniversity under study. Databases Respondents           Lecturers          Students E-Journals 46 (88.46%) 28 (93.33%) E-Data archives 8 (15.38%) 2 (6.67%) E-Manuscripts  6 (11.53%) 2 (6.67%) E-Maps  4 (7.69%) 4 (13.33%) E-Books    16 (30.77%) 5 (16.66%) E-Magazines  14 (26.92%) 19 (63.33%) E-Thesis 5 (9.61%) 3 (10.00%) WWW  30 (57.69%) 23 (76.66%) E-Newspaper 14 (26.92%) 3 (10.00%) E-Mail  41(78.84%) 18 (60.00%) E-Research Reports 16 (30.77%) 15 (50.00%) E-Bibliographic Databases  10 (19.23%) 3 (10.00%)   Table 2 shows that the majority of lecturers, 31 (59.62%), and students, 17 (56.67%), indicated that they are not satisfied with the existing IT infrastructure within the University. Only 21(40.38%) lecturers and 13 (43.33%) students are of the opinion that they are satisfied with the  IT infrastructure of the University.   Table 3 shows that the majority of the lecturers 46 (88.46%) and students 28 (93.33%) prefer to use e-journals. Second highest preference is WWW and use of e-mail with 30 (57.69%) and 41 (78.84%) among lecturers whereas 23 (76.66%) and 18 (60.00%) among students. 50% of students and 30.77% of lecturers make the use of e-research reports.   Table 4 elaborates that majority of the lecturers prefer to use e-resources in comparison to traditional resources because 39 (75%) of them feel that e-resources are time saving, followed by easy to use,i.e. 34 (65.38%), further followed by more useful and more informative, i.e. 27 (51.92%) and 25 (48.08%) respectively. 60% of students prefer to use e-resources because they feel that e-resources are time saving, more informative and more useful. 80% of students use e-resources due to their easiness. 6 (11.54%) lecturers and 12 (40.00%) students use e-resources because they are less expensive. Only 3 (5.77%) lecturers think that e-resources are less useful.         Samaru Journal of Information Studies Vol. 13 (1 & 2)2013    Page 23  Table 4. Purpose for Using E-Resources The table 4 below presents the responses on the purposes of using e-resources by the respondents in the University under study. Reasons for Using E-Resources     Lecturers    Students Time Saving 39 (75.00%) 18 (60.00%) Time Consuming 3 (5.77%) ----- Easy to Use 34 (65.38%) 24 (80.00%) Difficult to Use 4 (7.69%) ---- More Informative  25 (48.08%) 18 (60.00%) Less Informative 3 (5.77%) --- More Expensive 5 (9.62%) 6 (20.00%) Less Expensive 6 (11.54%) 12 (40.00%) More Useful 27 (51.92%) 18 (60.00%) Less Useful 3 (5.77%) -----   Table 5. Frequency of Using E-Resources The table 5 below presents the responses on the frequency of using e-resources by the respondents in the University under study. Respondents Total Usually Sometimes Rarely Lecturers 52 33 (63.46%) 15 (28.85%) 4 (7.69%) Students 30 26 (86.67%) 4 (13.33%) -  Table 6. Frequency of Use of Different Databases The table 6 below presents the responses on the frequency of using different databases by the respondents in the University under study. Databases Use Often Use Sometimes Never Use Unfamiliar With  Lecturers Students Lecturers Students Lecturers Students Lecturers Students IEEE 8  (15.38%) 8  (26.66%) 9  (17.30%) 5  (16.66%) 15  (28.84%) 6  (20%) 9  (17.30%) 2  (6.66%) Nature 6  (11.53%) 2  (6.66%) 12  (23.07%) 6 (20%) 16  (30.76%) 4  (13.33%) 9  (17.30%) 4  (13.33%)  Emerald 5  (9.61%) 4  (13.33%) 14  (26.92) 5  (16.66%) 9  (17.30%) 6 (20%) 6  (11.53%) 4  (13.33%)  Web of Science 5  (9.61%) 4  (13.33%) 13  (25%) 8  (26.66%) 7  (13.46%) 8  (26.66%) 7  (13.46%) 4  (13.33%)  Science Direct 24  (46.15%) 18 (60%) 8  (15.38%) 4  (13.33%) 10  (19.23%) 2  (6.66%) 6  (11.53%) 2  (6.66%) ACM  6  (11.53%) 3 (10%) 7  (13.46%) -- 15  (28.84%) 9 (30%) 10  (19.23%) 6 (20%) Health Sciences Library System  1  (1.92%) -- -- 2  (6.66%) 19  (36.53%) 10  (33.33%) 11  (21.15%) 9 (30%) Wikipedia 18  (34.61%) 8  (26.66%) 16  (30.76%) 6 (20%) 4  (7.69%) 5  (16.66%) 1  (1.92%) 2  (6.66%) Springer Link 20  (38.46%) 16  (53.33%) 9  (17.30%) 7  (23.33%) 7  (13.46%) 2  (6.66%) 6  (11.53%) 2  (6.66%) UGC Info Net 5  (9.61%) -- 21  (40.38%) 8  (26.66%) 7  (13.46%) 7  (23.33%) 5  (9.61%) 5  (16.66%)  Samaru Journal of Information Studies Vol. 13 (1 & 2)2013    Page 24  Table 5 reveals that 33 (63.46%) lecturers and 26 (86.67%) students usually use e-resources. 15 (28.85%) lecturers and 4 (13.33%) students use the e-resources sometimes, whereas 4 (7.69%) lecturers use e-resources rarely. It is noted that students use e-resources more frequently than the lecturers.  Table 6 shows that majority of the lecturers use Science Direct, Springer Link and Wikipedia often, i.e. 24 (46.51%), 20 (38.61%) and 18 (34.61%) respectively, whereas 18 (60%) students use Science Direct often and 16 (53.33%) use Springer Link often. Use of IEEE is not frequent among respondents; it may be due to access being restrictd to five users at GGSIPU. 12 (23.07%) lecturers and 6 (20%) students sometimes use Nature Bundle. 14 (26.92%) lecturers and 5 (16.66%) students use Emerald Xtra sometimes. 21 (40.38%) lecturers and 8 (26.66%) students use UGC InfoNet sometimes whereas 20% of respondents are unfamiliar with ACM which is shocking in a technology university.  Table 7 represents that 42 (80.77%) lecturers and 26 (86.67%) students are able to access the e-resources very easily. Only 10 (19.23%) lecturers and 4 (13.33%) students feel that to use the e-resources is not easy Table-8 reveals that most of respondents access e-journals and search engines to get required information at MAUTECH,Yola.  24 (46.15%) lecturers and 17 (56.67%) students prefer to use e-journals whereas 37 (71.15%) lecturers and 14 (46.67%) students make the use of search engines to get the desired material. Online databases are also very popular among students, as 9 (30.00%) of them prefer to use these.    Table 7. Ease of Access to e-Resources The table 7 below presents the responses on the ease of ccess of e-resources being used by the respondents in the University under study. Respondents        Total Yes No Lecturers         52      42 (80.77%)     10 (19.23%) Students         30      26 (86.67%)      4 (13.33%) .   Table 8. Where Do You Mostly Access Required Information The table 8 below presents the responses on where t e-resources being used by the respondents in theUniv rsity under study are mostly accessed.    Discussion Results of the study shows that MAUTECH, Yola does not have sound IT infrastructural facilities. A  such the staff and students of SMIT in MAUTECH, Yola are not satisfied with the IT infrastructural facilities in the University. Table 2 highlights that only the well-known e-resources are preferably used by the students and lecturers, the rest of the e-resources i.e. e-bibliography, e-maps, e-thesis, e-books are comparatively less used. The results fromtable 5 reveal that e-resources are much preferred by respondents due to their nature of being more informative, more useful, and less expensive. Although MAUTECH, Yola is a technology University, there is still a need to train lecturers and students in the use of e-resources. Use of e-books is less by the lecturers and students in comparison to other online resources. It is noted that the students access the maximum relevant material from e-journals.  Conclusion Study shows that the use of e-resources is very common among the lecturers and students of SMIT in MAUTECH, Yola and majority of the lecturers and students are dependent on e-resources to get the desired and relevant information.  Secondly infrastructure and training programs should be available as per requirements. It is observed that the availability of e-resources on the campus is almost sufficient for all the existing disciplines but the infrastructure to use these resources is not adequat  and can hinder the ability to meet the requirements of users.    E-Resources     Lecturers      Students E-Books       5 (9.62%)    2 (6.67%) E-Journals      24 (46.15%)    17 (56.67%) Online-Databases      9 (17.13%)     9 (30.00%) Search Engines     37 (71.15%)    14 (46.67%) Samaru Journal of Information Studies Vol. 13 (1 & 2)2013    Page 25  Recommendations From the findings of this study the following recommendations are made: 1. The University authority should as a matter of urgency provide infrastructure and training programs as per requirements. 2. The University authority and the central library need to train lecturers and students in the use of e-resources.  3. The University library should have enabling environment for access and use of the e-resources.  References  Eqbal Monawwer & Khan Azhar Shah, (2007). Use of Electronic Journals by the        Research      Scholars of  Faculty       of Science and Faculty of Engineering,        In:NACLIN, p309-319. Madhusudan M, (2008). “Use of UGC infonet e-journals by research scholars and       students        ofUniversity of Delhi,       Delhi”, Library Hi Tech, Vol. 26 No.       3. pp. 369-       386. Naidu GHS, Rajput Prabhat & Motiyani Kavita, (2007). Use of Electronic        Resources and     Services in University       Libraries: A Study of DAVV        Central Library, Indore.    In:NACLIN. p309-319. Narayana Poornima and Goudar IRN, (2005). E-Resources Management through         Portal:      A Case Study of       Technical Information Center, In: International       Conference on Knowledge Management (ICIM2005), 22-25.  P 1-19.  Naqvi Shehbaz Husain, (2007). Use of Electronic Resources at Jamia Millia        Islamia (A       Central University): A       Case Study, In:NACLIN , p320-324.   

Access and Use of E-Resources by the Lecturers and Students of School of Management and Information Technology in Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola

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Understanding the Intersections of Paradigm, Meta-Theory, and Theory in Library and Information Science Research: A Social Constructionist perspective

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