From Hidden to Highlighted: Transforming Scholarly Visibility Through Metadata Practices in Nigeria

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between metadata practices and scholarly visibility within Nigerian institutional repositories between 2020 and 2024. Recognizing metadata as the backbone of digital resource discoverability, the research investigates how metadata quality influences citation metrics and overall accessibility of scholarly outputs. Employing a quantitative methodology, data was sourced from the Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) to evaluate 27 functional repositories across Nigeria. Key descriptive metadata elements, including titles, authors, abstracts, and keywords, were assessed for completeness and adherence to international standards. The findings reveal significant gaps in metadata practices, with repositories displaying varying levels of completeness and citation impact. Notably, repositories with comprehensive metadata fields exhibited higher citation levels, highlighting the importance of metadata in enhancing scholarly visibility. The study emphasizes the urgent need for skilled personnel, adherence to global metadata standards, and institutional support to optimize Nigeria's repository infrastructure. A strategic framework is proposed to address these gaps, focusing on repository functionality, metadata completeness and user engagement to improve the discoverability and impact of Nigerian academic outputs.