DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AS CORRELATES OF LIBRARIANS’ RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY IN FEDERAL AND STATE POLYTECHNIC LIBRARIES IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study examined the demographic variables as correlates of librarians’ research productivity in federal and state polytechnic libraries in the South East Nigeria. The study was guided by nine research questions. The correlational research design was adopted. The population of the study was made up of 56 academic librarians from the whole federal and state polytechnic libraries in South East Nigeria. There was no sampling technique since the whole population was used. Data relevant for the study was collected using questionnaire and interview. A total of 45 out of 56 questionnaires distributed were returned and used for the study. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation) and correlational statistics (Pearson moment correlation coefficient statistic package for social science (SPSS). The instruments were validated by three experts. The instrument was trial tested using 15 respondents outside area of study and the collected data were subjected to statistical analysis using Cronbach’s Alpha to establish the internal consistency of 0.75 for section C, 0.85 for section D and grand coefficient of 0.80. The instrument was administered and collected from the respondents personally. The findings revealed that librarians in polytechnic libraries publish more of journals to other publications, there was a positive low relationship between demographic variables such as years of experience, educational qualification and age and research productivity; there was moderate positive relationship between designation and research productivity; it was only gender that has inverse/negative relationship with research productivity.It was also revealed that lack of sponsorship, time constraint, lack of fund to carryout research, excessive cost of publishing by journal outfits, poor electricity supply, lack of motivation to publish, lack of mentor and mentorship, lack of internet connectivity in our institutions, lack of collaboration with colleagues, rejection of manuscripts by journal management, poor internet connectivity and inadequate ICT facilities are some of the challenges faced by the librarians in the course of research. It was equally revealed that sponsoring librarians to carry out research, provision of research grants to librarians, incentives such as allowances, scholarship, funding, etc. being provided,involving in collaborative research with other researchers, availability of ICT facilities, librarians being mentored by the senior librarians, librarians being encouraged by giving them research leave,librarians subjecting their research reports and findings  to in-house peer review before submitting them for publication,   librarians should be given staff awards on research, librarians being allowed to have research leave, librarians being allowed to have sabbatical leave, staff/librarians’ training on research  and proposal writing, librarians having interest in research and passion for it, training on how to use modern technologies in sourcing information for research and librarians/researchers should choose researchable topics are the measures in enhancing librarians’ research productivity. To this extent, recommendations such as encouraging and supporting librarians to publish more textbooks and monographs, training librarians on general issues on successful research activities, provision of infrastructural facilities such as ICT facilities and internet connectivity, etc. were made in the course of the findings.