DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
5.3 THEME 2:Research, teaching and other academic activities
5.3.2 Results from Document analysis
The study also analysed documents to address research question two of the study. The researcher assessed documents, such as Institutional Repository (IR), for this theme (See Section 4.9.5 of chapter four and Appendix 11). In terms of limitations regarding document analysis, U2 is yet to develop IR. As a result, the study analysed only IR in U1.
IR is an online store for gathering/ capturing, safeguarding, and disseminating digital forms of the institution‟s intellectual/ academic output (Cho, 2014).
This study analysed e-library databases in academics‟ publications uploaded on the IR of U1. Publications of six out of the twelve academicsinterviewed in U1 were analysed on the IR to confirm the interview results. The study presents some of the publications below:
P1 (2017).Genetic affinity and breeding potential of phenologic traits of acha (fonio) in Nigeria. Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, 4(10), 91-101.
P2 (2018). Some attempted strategies towards the control of Avian
Coccidiosis: A review. Direct Research Journal of Agriculture and Food Science, 6(6), 128-138.
P3 (2014). The impact of capital flight on educational development in Nigeria.
International Journal of Advanced Studies in Business Strategies and Management, 2(1), 71-80.
165 P4 (2015). A methodology for assessing the quality of corporate governance in Nigerian banks. International Journal of Development strategies in Humanities, Management and Social Sciences, 5(2), 92-193.
P5 (2011). Content and patterns of usage of Websites of Corporate
Organizations in Nigeria. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 3(1), 113-124.
P6 (2017). Correlative assessment of the bacteriological and physicochemical parameters of water sources in Magama and Bolgang villages of Langtang South, Plateau State, Nigeria. Researcher, 9(7), 1-10.
Among the six academic staff publications evaluated, all cited mostly journals with few books in the published articles‟ references. These could be printed or electronic formats. Also, the authors cited only a few online information sources.
5.3.3 Discussion of findings on research question two “How has the utilisation of e-library databases shaped the academic life of academics?
Concerning research question 2 on the outcome/result of e-library database used for research, the study found that academics who have adopted e-library databases use them to conduct research and develop lecture notes for teaching and learning. Abera (2019) and Leonard, Hamutumwa and Mnubi-Mchombu (2020) studies found a slight difference compared to this finding. While the first scholar found academic staff use online resources for communication and research (other than teaching), the latter reported that academics use e- resources for research, publication, and teaching. However, the study‟s finding is consistent with Abdel-Gaber and Abdel-Aleem‟s (2020) study. The scholar‟s study in Saudi Arabia on academics‟ use of e-resources at the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University revealed that most academic staff utilised the resources for teaching and research purposes. This
166 observation is similar to Bellary and Surve‟s (2019) finding. The scholars found that faculty members access e-resources for research, teaching, and learning purposes. Likewise, Eiriemiokhale and Idowu‟s (2021) study that explored the ease of use and value of e-databases by university academics in South-West Nigeria discovered that e-library database use enhanced the quality of their research and teaching and aided the writing of proposals for research grants.
Koranteng (2020) confirmed ICT‟s potential to improve educational efficiencies and address educational shortcomings in the developing world.
The scholar‟s investigation of South African Faculty of Commerce found that school teachers learning outcomes was driven by ICT (in this case, e-library database) use. The findings indicated that teachers‟ ICT utilisation boost their teaching capacity by improving instructional materials, and teaching. This finding is expected since academics‟ responsibilities are mainly teaching and research. Academics need the information to prepare for teaching and conduct research. As Mägi and Beerkens (2016) and Jabbarova (2020) noted, university teaching is a fundamental responsibility of academic staff, requiring continuous learning through research to disseminate outcomes of new knowledge.
In this present study, only two academics indicated an online database used for publications (research output). Previous studies found that research output, in the form of scholarly publication, is dependent on e-library database utilisation among academic staff (Ani, Ngulube & Onyancha, 2015; Mägi & Beerkens, 2016; Rafi, Ming & Ahmad, 2018; Iroaganachi & Izuagbe, 2018; Adetomiwa
& Okwilagwe, 2018). However, this finding disagrees with that. The use of e- library databases mainly for teaching revealed by the present study‟s findings
167 showeda low adoption and use of the library‟s e-databases by academic staff.
This result further demonstrates a lack of interest in using online library databases.
The current research‟s finding from IR seems conflicting. For example, a participant who indicated an inclination to printed sources in the interview included many online resources in the publication references. This finding implies the online sources cited by the participant were online journals accessed using the general search engine.
Supposing an academic staff with inadequate search skills is confident in accessing materials through the Google search engine and cannot use the library e-databases, there is a problem. The use of the e-library databases depends on ASLs‟ proactivity and competence. Mwaniki (2018) and Eiriemiokhale and Idowu (2021) suggestedthat information/digital literacy, advocacy, and quality monitoring are critical for ASLs to ensure easy academics‟ commitment e-library databases.
Regarding the result of online database utilisation, Garcia et al. (2020) examined the impact of long-standing university-industry collaboration on academic research output in Brazil. The study found that research groups that collaborate continuously with industry have better scientific performance (for this research, through e-database use), revealing that lasting collaborations between university and firms positively affect academic productivity. On the other hand, Butler and Spoelstra (2020) observed that academic research (in this case, using library e-databases) and publishing is becoming problematic.
The scholars observed that there is a difference between academics publishing and inherent momentous research (proper research). Above all, the study encourages academics to rethink thechoice of publishing that can shape the
168 academic environment.As Bazeley (2010) earlier noted, academic performance is not only related to research productivity (publication output) but to bring about a range of outcomes such as product, impact and reputation. Obviously, online library database use can enhance academics‟ productivity.
In this age, the pressure to publish dominates academics‟ thinking. Yet, building research cannot be limited to producing research outputs but needs to be recognised as a cultural movement focused on knowledge creation (Fyfe, 2017). Research publication, is dependent on the growth of a research culture among academic staff. Consequently, it is critical to understand human aspects of e-library database use. As mentioned elsewhere, Nygaard (2017) observed that publication output alone does not give a full description of a scholar‟s impact or influence. Academics must engage in other activities such as collegial engagements, community services, journal editorship, and advisory.
This present study‟s finding is similar to SIE theory‟s construct-Symbols. The construct suggests words (information/ knowledge) have meaning only if people share them (Plummer, 2002). Information, if shared, shapes the nature of the environment by expanding its scope (Hewitt, 2002). This statement implies that academics‟ e-library database use can facilitate and renew their knowledge, and this is invariably imparted through teaching, mentoring and other academic activities such as paper presentations at conferences, publishing in reputable international journals, and professional and community activities. Mentorship is a means of promoting educational maturity (Hunter &
Martins, 2021). Universities‟ mentoring programs could facilitate students‟
development by providing them with confidence. Also, conference attendance could encourage reflective thinking and knowledge acquisition and provide a platform for building networks, making conferences an essential professional
169 development tool for maintaining competencies (Dumbell, 2017). Naturally, academics‟ online database utilisation in conducting academic and professional activities shapes the academic life of academic staff.
Consequently, the academics‟ research performances will make the universities‟ academic products to be of high quality and standard.