Awareness and Use of Institutional Repository by Postgraduates of Library and Information Technology in Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State

Abstract

The research study investigated the perception of postgraduate students of Library and Information Technology on the university domiciled repository. This research study adopted the cross-sectional survey research and used a self-developed questionnaire to collect quantitative data from forty-two (42) 2018/2019 postgraduate students in the department of Library and Information Technology of Federal University of Technology, Minna, which was descriptively analysed using frequencies and mode. The findings from the study indicated that LIT postgraduate students were aware of the IR. The result also showed that the main source of awareness of the IR for the students was through the use of the Internet, followed by the library website/social media pages. Challenges on the acquiring institutional repository highlighted showed that inadequate skills for using institutional repository was the most perceived challenge hindering the use of the IR. The study recommended that the university library staff should liaise with the School of postgraduate studies to create awareness and advocate for the use of the IR. It also recommended that the School of Postgraduate studies should come up with the self-archiving policy of postgraduate theses similar to what the faculty members do. This will increase the interaction of students with the IR interface and by extension increase its use.