Research collaboration among library and information science professionals in Nigerian universities

Abstract

PurposeThe necessity for continuous advancement in library education and practice requires research collaboration among library professionals. This study aims to investigate research collaboration among lecturers in the department of library and information science (LIS) and librarians in university libraries in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The quantitative study employed a close-ended questionnaire for data collection. The study covered all the librarians in academic libraries and lecturers in the department of LIS (LIS professionals) in public universities in Ekiti, Ondo and Osun States, Nigeria. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The criterion mean of 2.50–2.99 was used for the research questions.FindingsIt was found that librarians in academic libraries and lecturers in Nigeria rarely engage in research collaboration. The reasons for the research collaboration are to increase the quality of research in the library profession, make research in the library profession more in-depth and cross-fertilize ideas for generating novel insights.Practical implicationsIt is the engagement of librarians in academic libraries and the lecturers in the LIS department in the exchange of knowledge at national and international levels through research collaboration that can enhance the quality of research that emanates from the library profession.Social implicationsPromotion of the library profession requires the integrated effort of library professionals in academic libraries and lecturers in the department of LIS through research collaboration.Originality/valuePromotion of the library profession requires the integrated effort of library professionals in academic libraries and lecturers in the department of LIS through research collaboration.

Content analysis of articles in the University of Dar es Salaam Library Journal

“…This constant change makes it difficult to draw a definitive conclusion regarding the upward trajectory of this trend. Furthermore, similar to findings from other preceding studies (Adekoya, 2023;Noh & Chang, 2019), the present study also noted a small number of articles that involved international collaboration. The fact that most of the contributing authors are from Tanzania raises the possibility that they may not be sufficiently proactive in seeking international collaboration.…”

“…Research collaboration is considered one among the most important key predictors of research performance, reputation, visibility, and productivity of researchers (Adekoya, 2023;Mwantimwa & Kassim, 2023). It provides researchers a chance to partner and refine their ideas while devising multi-faced approaches to attain a common goal and uniform practice (Dlamini et al, 2021).…”

“…It provides researchers a chance to partner and refine their ideas while devising multi-faced approaches to attain a common goal and uniform practice (Dlamini et al, 2021). In particular, collaboration in LIS research has been acknowledged for its potency in providing opportunities for the improvement of both library practice and education (Adekoya, 2023). Similar to researchers from various other fields, LIS researchers also actively participate in collaborative research endeavours.…”

“…However, it seems that the majority of these collaborations remain confined to local settings, despite the widespread adoption of international collaboration among researchers (Ibáñez et al, 2013;Nguyen et al, 2017). Some studies (Adekoya, 2023;Noh & Chang, 2019) have reported a low number of publications by LIS authors that involve international collaboration. This, however, has been attributed to the low awareness of LIS researchers concerning the need and importance of international research (Noh & Chang, 2019).…”

Scholarly Publishing Practices among LIS Lecturers in Higher Institutions of Learning in Nigeria

“…However, LIS lecturers encounter specific challenges that impact their scholarly publishing practices. Adekoya (2023) argues that Nigerian universities often struggle with insufficient research funding, hindering LIS lecturers' ability to conduct robust research and disseminate their findings through scholarly publications. In furtherance, Obinyan & Tella (2022) reveal Nigerian scholars face challenges in navigating the publishing process, including high publication fees, language barriers, and limited awareness of reputable publishing outlets.…”