TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Approval Page ii
Certification Page iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v
Table of Contents vi
Abstract viii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
Background of the Study 1
Statement
of the Problem 11
Purpose
of the Study 13
Research
Questions 13
Significance
of the Study 14
Scope
of the Study 15
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 16
Conceptual Framework 17
Concept of Grey Literature 17
Concept of Management of Grey Literature 29
Concept of Utilisation of Grey Literature 36
Concept of Academic Libraries 40
Challenges in
Managing of Grey Literature 43
Strategies for Improving Management of Grey Literature 46
Theoretical Framework 50
Review of Related Empirical Studies 54
Summary of Literature Review 59
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH
METHOD 61
Design of the Study 61
Area of the Study 61
Population of the Study 62
Sample and Sampling Techniques 62
Instruments for Data Collection 63
Validation of the Instrument 64
Method of Data Collection 64
Method of Data Analysis 65
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS 67
Summary of Findings 77
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, RECOMMENDATIONS
AND CONCLUSION 80
Discussion of the Findings 80
Implications of the Study 87
Recommendations 88
Limitations of the Study 88
Suggestion for further Studies 89
Conclusion 89
References 91
Appendices 95
ABSTRACT
This research investigated management
and use of grey literature in academic libraries in Niger State. The purpose of
it is to identify types of grey literature, examine
methods of acquisition, processing, preservation and utilisation. In addition,
to ascertain management challenges and strategies for improvement. Research
questions were formulated based on seven points of the purposes. A
descriptive survey research design was used for the study. One hundred and two
(102) librarians (professional and paraprofessional) from Federal University of
Technology, Minna, IBB University, Lapai, Federal College of Education,
Kontagora, Niger State College of Education, Minna, Federal Polytechnic, Bida,
and Niger State Polytechnic, Zungeru constituted the population. The
entire population was used. There was no sampling because the sample size was
manageable. The instruments for data collection were structured questionnaire,
interview schedule and observation checklist. Documentary evidences in
the area of grey literature formed the basis for construction of these
instruments. The instruments were face
validated by three senior researchers in the field of Library and Information
Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The research instruments were
administered directly by the researcher. In analyzing the data collected, frequency
table and mean score were used for the questionnaire and checklist, while the
interview was presented in prose narrative form substantiating information
obtained from questionnaire. The findings revealed that appreciable size and
variety of grey literature resources are available in most libraries but proper
management is where problems lie. The major methods of acquisition are donation/gift
and standing order deposit for staff.
Classification is the main method through which grey literature is processed,
while cataloguing, indexing and abstracting are neglected in most cases. It was
also found out that the major methods employed by most of the libraries for
preserving grey literature are the use of
shelves with labels and vertical files collection with content descriptions. The popular access points are print
lists and shelf guides. Some of the challenges encountered with the management and
accessing of grey literature resources in the area include lack of
national bibliography for grey literature, as well as unwillingness of
originating bodies to release copies of documents which topped the list. Strategies itemized for improving management
of grey literature resources include; provision of national bibliography, policy statements and adequate fund for acquisition and digitization of
the resources. Based on these, the study recommends for the provision of a national bibliography for grey literature, good policy statements for
acquisition and use of grey literature, digitization of the resources, as well
as government/institutions/libraries voting adequate fund for acquisition
of grey literature, especially electronic resources.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Gyasi (2003) defines literature in its broad sense as
‘anything that is written’, while Rees (2007) sees it in the narrow sense of
‘writing which expresses and communicate thought, feelings and attitudes
towards life. Literature is thus summed up as permanent expression(s) in words
(written or spoken), especially arranged in pleasing and accepted pattern or
forms. In an information
generating society, written literature in various forms is generated on daily
basis by individuals, corporate bodies, academic institutions, e.t.c. Many of
these are either unconventionally published or not published but exist and are
used frequently. These forms can be appropriately termed grey (or gray)
literature.
The earliest authorities in the area of grey literature
such as Chilag (1982) and Wood (1984), defined grey literature as all
categories of unconventionally published material. On the other hand, Auger (1989)
sees it as semi-published literature which is not formally listed or priced,
but is nevertheless in circulation. Collectively the term covers an extensive
range of materials that cannot be found easily through conventional channels such
as publishers, but which are frequently original and usually recent. According
to Alberani
(1990), grey literature publications are non-conventional, fugitive and often ephemeral. The Third International Conference on Grey Literature
(ICGL) held in Luxembourg in 1997, as reported in Aina (2000), unanimously came
up with the definition of grey literature as that information material which is
produced by government, academics, business and industries both in print and
electronic formats but which is not controlled by commercial publishing
interests and where publishing is not the primary activity of the organisation.
Weintraub (2010)
adopts the pattern of ICGL Luxembourg and refers to grey literature as
publications issued by government, academia, business, and industry, in both
print and electronic formats, but not controlled by commercial publishing
interests, and where publishing is not the primary business activity of the
organisation. Hirtle (1991)
identifies grey literature as the quasi-printed
reports, unpublished but circulated papers, unpublished proceedings of
conferences, printed programs from conferences, and the other non-unique
material, which seem to constitute the bulk of our modern manuscript
collections.
In the context of this
study, grey literature may be defined as recorded information resources of various media and format, that are unconventionally
or semi-conventionally published and often not formally listed or priced or
available through normal bookselling channels. For clear understanding and
distinguishing of grey literature from other types of literature in this study,
the following characteristics of grey literature elucidated by Omeje (2010) are
adopted:
- They are unconventionally published.
- They are not usually available through
the conventional sources of book supply.
- They are not covered by secondary
bibliographic services such as indexes,
abstracts and bibliographies.
- They are difficult to find and acquire.
- They contain original information (i.e.
they are primary sources of information).
The University of New South Wales
(UNE) Home Library
(2012) contends that the term grey literature is often attached to
the research that is either unpublished or has been published in non-commercial
form which include: government reports, policy statements and issues papers,
conference proceedings, pre-prints and post-prints of articles, theses and
dissertations, research reports, market reports, working papers, geological and
geophysical surveys, maps, newsletters and bulletins and, fact sheets. It
identifies academics, postgraduate students, government agencies, professional
associations, pressure groups, private companies, and research institutes as
some of the sources of grey literature. In recent years, technical and scientific literature has continued to
grow. The grey literature reports now come from many different avenues. The
following types of organizations issue grey literature: associations, churches (including Mosques), county councils, educational
establishments, federations, institutes, institutions, laboratories, libraries,
museums, private publishers, research establishments, societies, trade unions,
trusts and universities. This list has been copied directly from Charles
Augur (1989) seminal book, Information
Sources in grey literature (page 22).
According
to Alberani
(1990), grey literature publications include but are
not necessarily limited to the following types of materials: reports
(pre-prints, preliminary progress and advanced reports, technical reports,
statistical reports, memoranda, state-of-the art reports, market research
reports), theses, conference proceedings, technical specifications and
standards, non-commercial translations, bibliographies, technical and
commercial documentation, and official documents not published commercially;
primarily government reports and documents. Others are consultancy reports, annual reports, panel reports, seminar
or workshop reports, pamphlets, handouts, students/staff’s project works e.t.c. Scientific grey literature comprises newsletters,
reports, working papers, theses, government documents, bulletins, fact sheets,
conference proceedings and other publications distributed free, available by
subscription, or for sale at a token price.
An
increasingly important source of grey literature is the institutional
repositories on web being created by universities world-wide. Most
institutional repositories collect grey literature written by academics at
their institutions. Electronic communication is changing the notion of grey
literature which is expanding to include e-mails, faxes, blog postings, wikis
and podcasts (HLwiki, 2012). An increasing amount of grey literature is now
available on the Web in the form of Adobe Acrobat (PDF) documents. This means
that it is relatively easy to find recent grey literature using a simple Google search. Weintraub (2010) referred to earlier
also observed that in today’s
electronic information environment, the Internet has become a major source for
dissemination and retrieval of grey literature and often serves as a user’s
initial introduction to a topic area. He notes further that well designed Web
sites give users access to a body of digitally produced grey literature that
complements the existing body of print materials, and that such web sites are a
major source of information retrieval and dissemination such that there is a
growing acceptance of references to relevant Web sites in scholarly papers and
journal articles.
Grey literature materials are valuable information
resources. One of the values of grey literature is its immense value of being a
primary source of information. In other words the information contained in it
is original (i.e. directly from the originator-producer). Grey literature, as
highlighted by Kwafo-Akato (1988), contains information which is vital in a
nation’s socio-economic plan. A report to document the findings of a
small survey on the availability of academic grey literature to Small And
Medium Sized Enterprises in the UK (SMEs) made the key finding that SMEs
require grey literature for practical benefits like using resources and
university facilities as well as training opportunities and scouting for
potential recruits.(JISC Scholarly
Communications Report, 2008). Grey literature is often the best source of
up-to-date research on certain topics, such as rural poverty or the plight of
homeless people in Sydney.
(The UNE Home
Library, 2012).
Grey
literature may be of questionable relevance or quality but may still have an
impact on research, teaching and learning especially in tertiary institution of
study (The wiki
index, 2011), So much of it is highly intellectual and is significant for research and
development in many subject areas. According to Aina (1994) and Auger (1998)
studies have revealed that many researchers in basic and applied science use a
high proportion of grey literature. They
go further to state that over the years, grey literature has come to
constitute a section of publications ranking in importance with journals,
books, and serials. Among other reasons cited for this are its greater speed
and flexibility of dissemination.
Grey literature has manifestly been a very
important means of communication. Augur (1989) recalls that ‘‘Grey literature
was for many years synonymous with reports
literature. At the turn of the 21st century, documents coming
out of research and development, particularly from the aircraft and aeronautics
industries, were a very important means of communicating the results of
research testing’’. White (1984) observes that the hallmark of the Second World
War was the development of technologically-advanced weaponry, from
sophisticated tanks to the atomic bomb. These breakthroughs in science made
accurate and speedy communications a necessity. The technical report was then
widely used to disseminate information. The one thing that made grey literature
so attractive and enabled it to attain its importance as a separate medium of
communication was an initial need for security or confidentiality of information
which prevent documents being published in the conventional manner.
The
importance of grey literature lies in its ability to communicate complex
information in simple terms and to disseminate results more quickly. Much of
the grey literature is derivative and designed to make technical material or
research findings easily understood by a lay audience. For example, policy
briefs, issue briefs, and fact sheets are often produced by summarizing more
technical reports. They are also a way for organisations to get results out to
their target audience more quickly. Grey literature has long-term value,
particularly because it provides policy context and implications that may not
be found in the published literature. In fact, advisory committee members of United State National Library of Medicine
believe that the value of grey literature is at par with that of traditional
published literature (U.S.
National Library of Medicine, 2008). Grey literature often is used to
establish historical documentation. The progress of a document from draft to
its finished form can sometimes be as valuable as the finished product, and the
various drafts of a document can fill in gaps in the historical record.
Grey literature provides citizens with the
information they require to make decisions about their lives and the societies
in which they live. Whether individuals are taking a trip, conducting a study,
buying an appliance, treating an illness, repairing machinery, joining an
archaeological dig or a host of other activities that they experience as part
of their daily lives, grey literature will continue to serve as a source of
information that is consulted most often (Mukhtar, 2009). Grey literature that
is more desirable in print such as handbooks, repair manuals, consumer product
ratings, tourist guides, and other resources that we usually take with us and
consult on a regular basis, are likely to continue being issued in print format
as long as the demand exists. Weintraub (2010) argues that in a world in which free trade and
instantaneous communication have eliminated many of the barriers to information
flow, grey literature is gaining greater importance as a source of information
for much of the world’s population. It is now an indispensable resource for an
informed and enlightened public and will undoubtedly continue to serve as a
necessary supplement to journal literature well into the future. Apparently,
effective and efficient management of these resources is what is now required.
Aina (2004) defines management as a concern mainly
with the human and material resources, activities and tasks of an organisation.
He stressed that the overall objective in the management of organisation is to
produce the best result within the resources available to the organisation.
Management in this study means acquisition (collection), processing
(registering, accessioning, organising) preserving and dissemination of grey
literature resources in libraries. Organising here involves cataloguing,
classifying, indexing and abstracting of grey literature.
A library is a collection
of books as well as non-book materials organised systematically to ease access.
Arua (1997) defines library as ‘‘a collection of books and related materials
housed, organized for access and made available for use.’’ Apparently, there
are different types of libraries performing different functions according to
their types, such as the academic, school, public, private and special
libraries.
Academic generally refers to issues pertaining to
educational institutions; primary, secondary or tertiary level. Strictly, it is
