Awareness and utilisation of digital resources among postgraduate students in selected universities in North-Central, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated awareness and utilization of digital resources among postgraduate students of selected universities in North-Central Nigeria. A total of 92 participants who were registered library users took part in the study. Their mean age was 31.69years (SD=6.54years). Fifty-three (57.6%) were male while 39 (42.4%) were female. A 35-item structured questionnaire tagged “Awareness and Utilization of Digital Resources Questionnaire” (AUDRRQ) was used to collect data from participants who were sampled from the universities using the random sampling technique. Findings showed that participants were very much aware of availability of web-based resources (Google, yahoo, and Alta Vista search engines) but less so of other digital resources including full- text articles, bibliographies, data base and Open Access Resources. Further findings revealed that the most utilized digital resources include data bases, books, catalogues and journals. Also, it was found that the internet was the most frequently used digital resource on a daily basis. The problems encountered in the use of the digital resources by the participants were slow internet speed, lack of access to full-text articles, physical inconveniences, lack of online resources in related topics, unorganized environment and difficulty to read through screen. The results of the three hypotheses revealed that; there is a significant positive relationship between awareness and utilization of digital resources; there are significant problems associated with accessing digital resources and there is a significant negative relationship between utilization and problems of accessing these resources by the participants. It was concluded that postgraduate students investigated are aware and utilize some but not all digital resources to a significant level and that they encounter significant problems in accessing the digital resources. It recommended that university libraries be better funded to enable them provide better resources and services that will enhance awareness and usage of digital resources in their libraries.