ACADEMIC REPOSITORY AS A METHODOLOGY FOR SUCCESSFUL STUDENT RESEARCH
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
Information managers can use the ever-changing Internet platform and technological advances in the field of information management to develop new techniques for acquiring, storing, managing, and disseminating information (Davies, 1989). To that end, university libraries are constantly on the hunt for new technology to improve their user services.
Digital repositories are a new platform being integrated into library portals to provide additional digital materials and services. Extra cash and resources will be required to complete the design and deployment of institutional repositories.
Institutional repositories, often known as digital libraries, are used to provide services that assist users in completing tasks by interacting with systems and analyzing how they interact. Users, the given material, and the system on which they are performed are all critical components in the scenario of such services.
The most recent breakthroughs in the field of information for academic institutions and resource centers are digital information resources. According to Bhattacharya (2007), digital information resources include information-bearing materials in digital form, such as local and remote databases, CDs and DVDs, and electronic publications such as e-journals, e-books, and Web resources.
Many academic institutions throughout the world have used e-resources as vital infrastructure to provide better service to their customers. Digital libraries or repositories are defined as “a collection of records in an organized electronic form, available on the Internet or on CD-ROM for use by academic researchers.”
Digital repositories are gaining a presence in many academic and research institutions, much like libraries have become university trademarks. It appears to be a “must have” in universities and research centers. In a survey of 1152 information professionals, 70% claimed they have developed and deployed digital repositories, with the remaining 22% planning to do so.
As a result, the number of digital repositories can only increase, as many individuals believe repositories are becoming more significant. Because they are related to webometric rankings, which serve to increase the exposure of African schools’ research, digital repositories will surely grow more widespread at African universities.
“UNILAG,” the University of Lagos repository, uses DSpace (2), an open access proprietary software that is not only useful for archiving and disseminating research-related documents but also offers excellent utility features such as reuse and metadata storage that are in line with modern repository usage requirements.
Several approaches have been taken to address this issue, with traditional studies focusing on assessing the value of information technology to the organization and the determinants of that value, with the goal of assisting firms in “better deploying and managing their IT resources and improving overall effectiveness.
” Davies’ (1989) technique for analyzing the variables of IT adoption use by individual users is critical to this research. Delone and Mclean (1992) pioneered this idea, emphasizing on the use of usage as a proxy statistic for information system performance.
1.2 DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM
Academic institutions have adopted digital information resources in order to reach their rising user base wherever they are. Social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as e-resources and digital libraries, are among the services provided (Davies, 1989).
Digital resources and digital repositories in the library encounter a number of challenges. They encompass technological, legal, organizational, and operational concerns. One of the most difficult challenges is identifying the barriers that users have while engaging with or using digital libraries.
These challenges have arisen as important research areas in recent years. Use research is required to determine and assess if various user groups are on board and able to use goods and services on an institution’s digital platform, as well as whether usage is optimal among the communities for which it is built.
Usage research investigates current obstacles and gives information on the relationship between key user attributes such as effectiveness, efficiency, and happiness. The research findings will give a solid foundation for evaluating the optimal method for enhancing access to information in a repository and overall contribution to the organization’s goals in its pursuit of maximum online exposure.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
The primary goal of this study is to examine academic repositories as a resource for successful student research. The precise goals are as follows:
To investigate the difficulties that students encounter when utilizing the UNILAG repository.
To assess the impact of an academic repository on the academic achievement of Lagos State University students.
iii. To explore why students use repositories for their research projects.
To make recommendations on how repositories might be enhanced in order to ensure the success of a research project.
1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
The following study questions have been prepared:
What are the difficulties students have when utilizing the UNILAG repository?
What is the impact of academic repositories on the academic success of Lagos State University students?
iv. What are the reasons why students use repositories for their research projects?
What are some ways repositories can be improved to ensure the success of a research project?
1.5 THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE
Over the years, there has been an increase in research into the use of information systems. This study follows this path in order to provide insight into the use of digital repositories by academic institution students and how it affects academic achievement. Conclusions will be drawn after the results have been analyzed. On various problems, these conclusions will be crucial to Library Management, Academic Management, and the university community at large.
It will provide library management with information on the amount to which digital materials on the library’s digital platforms are used throughout the university by various user groups.
The existing hurdles to diverse user groups’ access to these resources.
The study findings would provide valuable insight and recommendations to the founders and managers of future Academic repositories being established in the country as a whole, as well as to the new domain of knowledge in Nigeria.
1.6 STUDY OBJECTIVES
The study will look into the difficulties students have when using the UNILAG repository. The study will also assess the impact of academic repositories on the academic performance of Lagos State University students. The study will go deeper into the reasons why students use repositories for their research projects. Finally, the study will include recommendations on how repositories might be enhanced to ensure the success of a research project. As a result, this effort will be limited to UNILAG.
1.7 THE STUDY’S LIMITATIONS
Various difficulties were experienced by the researcher during the research procedure. They included insufficient funding for stationery, transportation, and the purchase of other necessary items to support the study’s completion. There is also a time constraint because the researcher must attend lectures while conducting research.
1.8 TERM DEFINITION
Repository: A location or container in which objects are or may be stored.
Academic Repository: A digital repository intended exclusively for colleges to keep their materials.
Work on research: creative and systematic work done to improve the reservoir of knowledge.
1.9 THE STUDY’S ORGANIZATION
This research paper is divided into five chapters for simple comprehension, as follows:
The first chapter is concerned with the introduction, which includes the (overview of the study), historical background, problem statement, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms, and historical background of the study.
The second chapter emphasizes the theoretical framework on which the study is based, as well as a survey of related literature. The third chapter discusses the study’s research strategy and methodology. The fourth chapter focuses on data gathering, analysis, and presenting of findings. The study’s summary, conclusion, and suggestions are presented in Chapter 5.
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ACADEMIC REPOSITORY AS A METHODOLOGY FOR SUCCESSFUL STUDENT RESEARCH