Accessibility and Utilization of Electronic Information Resources for Research by Academic Staff at Selected Nigerian Universities Between 2005 and 2012

Abstract

This paper explored the extent of the accessibility and utilization of electronic resources by academic staff at two Nigerian universities: the University of Calabar and the University of Ibadan. A quantitative research method was adopted in the study and a questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. The study population comprised 2035 academic staff at the surveyed universities, and a sample size of 586 academics was used in the study. A total of 324 completed copies of the questionnaires were retrieved and used for data analysis representing a response rate of 55.3%. The findings of the study revealed a poor electronic information environment at the surveyed universities. There was no significant influence of demographic variables (discipline, gender, age, education and professional rank) on the accessibility and utilization of electronic resources among respondents in the survey. The paper concluded that an increase in investment in ICT facilities by university management will lead to improvement in electronic information environment at the surveyed universities and recommended that, Nigerian universities should considerably increase their investments in ICT infrastructural facilities to be in line with the emerging digital trend at universities around the world.