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| Title: | Use of search engines for research by postgraduate students of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria |
| Authors: | Salako, O.A. Tiamiyu, M.A. |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Periodical: | African Journal of Library, Archives and Information Science |
| Volume: | 17 |
| Issue: | 2 |
| Pages: | 103-115 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Nigeria |
| Subjects: | students information Internet |
| Abstract: | The main objective of this study was to investigate the Internet search engine usage behaviour and experiences of research students in an African and Nigerian setting, using the postgraduate students of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, as the focal population. Data were collected through a structured 25 item questionnaire administered in April-May 2005 to 327 postgraduate students in a population of 6525. The response rate was 75.9 percent. Google and Yahoo! were by far the most popular search engines, in that order. Most of the students frequently used the two search engines together for browsing, and about 75 percent of them learned how to use search engines through friends or by trial and error. Students relied on search engines mostly for their academic work and for job searching. Although almost 90 percent of the students were at least 'somewhat confident' with their most preferred engines, only a third of them were aware of the advanced and Boolean search options provided by the engines, apart from experiencing problems with how to select words for searches. The findings indicate the continuing need for educational planners and administrators in African universities to integrate adequate information (technology) literacy content into the curriculum for postgraduate and research students in the universities. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract] |
