Research Publications in Library and Information Science (LIS) in Nigeria: Publishing to the Wrong Audience?

Abstract

Library and Information Science (LIS) research in Nigeria span over five decades. However, despite these decades of LIS research and education in Nigeria, problems continue to plague the development of the profession in Nigeria. This paper is a comparative study of Nigerian LIS researched articles published in foreign and local LIS journals. An analysis of LIS researched articles, as contained in the online version of Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA), Library Literature (LL) and Information Science Abstracts (ISA), from 1968 to June 2002 was carried out in order to compare LIS research publications about Nigeria by Nigerian authors that were published in foreign and Nigerian journals. The results show that a majority of the authors published in foreign LIS journals since the early 1980s till date. Owing to the difficulty encountered in accessing foreign journals in Nigeria, publishing Nigerian LIS research in foreign journals deprives the nation of the benefits of utilising these research results for the solution of LIS problems in Nigeria. The practice of Nigerian researchers publishing in foreign journal titles is examined and the problems associated with local access to these foreign journals and its implications on the growth of the LIS profession in Nigeria are highlighted. Suggestions are provided to encourage local publishing of LIS research in Nigeria.



Af. J. Lib. Arch. & Inf. Sc. (2003) 13, 93-106