An Assessment of the Use of Electronic Databases by Academic Staff, Bowen University, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the use of electronic databases by academic staff of Bowen University, Nigeria. Descriptive analysis including percentage and frequency count was used to analyze the data. From the total population of 500 academic staff, a sample of 75 was taken using the simple random sampling technique. Questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection in this study. The questionnaire used was a closed ended or structured questionnaire divided into two sections. Section A captures the respondents’ bio-data while section B contained the structured items to achieve the research objectives. Five research questions were developed and answered by the study. The results show that majority of academic staff were aware of available e-databases, use it to improve teaching delivery and research output. Challenges encountered include inadequate time and an overwhelming workload. The study concludes by recommending a drastic reduction in workload, increasing bandwidth, hotspots and entrenching customer-friendly policies in the library.