Non research visibility of academic staff in institutions of higher learning (causes, consequences, challenges, benefits and solutions)

Abstract

Non-research visibility of academic staff in institutions of higher learning were investigated with a view to ascertaining the causes, consequences, challenges, benefits and solutions. Various literature materials were consulted and information therein were used for most of the studies. The paper defined research visibility as the ability and capability of a researcher to make high quality, influential and substantive contributions to the researcher's discipline which makes a great impact to the larger community especially for solving global problems. The outcome of the findings showed that most academic staff are not aware of academic social networking platforms such as research gate, linkedin, Blog, Googles scholar etc for dissemination of their research outcomes and as a result their works are not consulted, no feedback and collaboration, there is lack of online identity and impact metrics, with no academic reputation as some of the consequences. From the findings, some of the challenges include among others:- lack of computer literacy, high cost of publishing in high impact journals, no institutional e-mails, inability to track their impact metrics are factors responsible for non visibility. The outcome of the research indicated good opportunity for feedback, good collaboration among colleagues, increased research reputation, new job opportunities and job promotion as well as good career advancement as benefits of research visibility. Moreso, solutions to non research visibility include the use of social networking platforms, publishing on high impact journals, effective collaboration among colleagues, engaging with public lectures, publishing on widely read journals as well as maintaining a steady online identify and scholarly impact metrics as solutions. The paper therefore concluded that academic staff should strive to use the academic social networking platforms for knowledge dissemination and recommended the need to reduce the cost implications of publishing in high impact journals and public awareness on the use of social networking platforms for sharing research finding among academic staff in institutions of higher learning.