Research visibility, publication patterns and output of academic librarians in sub‐Saharan Africa

Dennis Ng’ong’ Ocholla · Lyudmila Ocholla · Omwoyo Bosire Onyancha

32 citations0/0 files storedAslib Journal of Information Management

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scientometrics and bibliometrics research Library Science and Information Information Science and Libraries

Abstract

Purpose This study seeks to establish and compare the research and publication patterns and output of academic librarians in Eastern Africa from 2000 to 2009 using informetric techniques. Design/methodology/approach The study confined its scope to publications produced between 2000 and 2009. The informetric technique (through content analysis) was used as a research method. The documents that were sourced for content analysis were obtained from the LISA database, which is one of the largest abstract databases in the field of library and information science (LIS). Data were extracted using the names of the librarians obtained from various sources, including: the libraries' web sites, Europa World of Learning and Wikipedia. Findings The results reveal that the research visibility of academic librarians was insignificant; that publication of research findings over the period was minimal; that publications from university librarians and directors were also minimal; that most academic librarians preferred publishing individually; and that the most published authors come from Tanzania. Originality/value Few informetric studies focus on research output of academic librarians in Africa, and also on LIS research in the continent. Furthermore, the library profession is not well understood by many (including the academic community) because people do not appreciate how qualified librarians are, or that their promotion can be linked to research. This study raises issues that relate to the research output and research visibility of university librarians.

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References

1991Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches 1997What is research collaboration?2004Research Methodology: An Introduction 2005Research procedures used by Master of Information Studies students at the University of Natal in the period 1982–2002 with special reference to their sampling techniques and survey response rates: A methodological discourse 2000Collaborative Authorship in the Journal Literature: Perspectives for Academic Librarians Who Wish to Publish 2013Research in Library and Information Science in South Africa : an analysis of journal research output from 1993-2006 1994Successful publishing in scholarly journals 2013LIS research in Africa : how much is it worth? A citation analysis of the literature, 1986-2006

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2014The moderating roles of academic age and institutional sector on the relationship between co-authorship network centrality and academic research performance 2020Collaboration clusters, interdisciplinarity, scope and subject classification of library and information science research from Africa: An analysis of Web of Science publications from 1996 to 2015 2022Mapping research output on library and information science research domain in South Africa: a bibliometric visualisation

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