Title: The Place of Institutional Repositories in the Research Activities of Academic Staff of the University of Nigeria Nsukka
Author(s): Chukwudi P. Mensah & Chukwuemeka Chukwueke
Publication Year: 2021; Volume 16, Issue 1, pages 133-145

The study investigated the place of institutional repositories in the research activities of thernacademic staff of the University of Nigeria Nsukka UNN. Four objectives guided the studyrnwhich include the finding out the materials housed the materials adopted for researchrnactivities among other objectives. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study.rnThe population of the study was 82 while the complete census was used to study the entirernpopulation. A structured questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection.rnDescriptive statistics using mean and standard deviation using the SPSS was the methodrnadopted for data analysis. The findings of the study revealed that foreign and local journalsrnas well as students projects were among the materials housed in the IR of UNN. Theses andrndissertations link to databases conference papersworks etc were highly adapted forrnresearch activities of the academics. The IR was found highly effective in the areas ofrnreduction in the number of the week it takes to complete research increase in globalrnvisibility carefulness during research among other areas. Different factors were foundrnmilitating the use of IR for research activities of the academics. They include the absence ofrnprogrammes to train the academics on the issue of IR absence of well-articulated policy andrnnegligence of some academics towards depositing in the IR among others. Based on thernfindings the study concluded that IR has a prominent place in the research activities of thernacademic staff of UNN as it is found to be highly effective in numerous research areas. Tornthis end the study recommended that Nigeria university regulatory bodies should make thernestablishment of IR a compulsory issue and further monitor compliance as well as encouragernthe academics on the use of such repositories among other things.