Awareness and compliance of science-based researchers to legal deposit obligations in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper investigated the awareness and compliance of science-based researchers to legal deposit obligations in Southwest Nigeria. Survey research was adopted. A purposive sampling technique was used for the study. Thirty-five scientists from eight research institutes and centres volunteered to participate in the study. Data were collected with the questionnaire. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. The findings showed that science-based researchers in research institutes in Nigeria had a low awareness of their legal deposit obligations. The findings also revealed that their compliance with the legal deposit obligations was equally low. The study recommended that public enlightenment and sensitisation campaigns, monetary incentives, designating specific personnel for legal deposit campaigns and collection in research institutes and an upward review of the penalty for non-compliance be put in place by the National Library of Nigeria as motivating factors for awareness and compliance.