USE OF LIBRARY ,STUDY SKILLS AND ICT

LECTURE NOTES
GST 105

COURSE CONTENTS:
 Course Introduction and General orientation to AFIT library.
 History of Libraries, types and functions of libraries.
 Book.
 Sections of the libraries.
 Information Communication Technology.
 Computer and the Library.
 Library Automation.
 Internet and Information Sourcing.
 Digital preservation.
 Preservation of Library Materials.
 Rules and Regulations Governing the use of Library.
 Library and the law.
 Plagiarism.
 Cataloguing and Classification.
 Shelving and Shelf Arrangement.
 Reference tools and Services.
 Tools for Information Access and Retrieval.
 Research
 Study Skills

THE CONCEPT OF LIBRARY

The word library is derived from the Latin word ‘liber’ meaning book.

Library has been in existence ever before the discovery of book. Clay tablets, papyrus rolls and
scrolls were initially used for writing and they are housed in repositories known as libraries.

The word Library is as old as when man began to keep records of events. The early idea of a
Library was a collection of books containing knowledge and information, preserved for
consultation only, or the building or room where such a collection is kept. The word Library
was derived from the Latin liber, meaning ‘’a book’’, whereas a Latinized Greek word,

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bibliotheca, is the origin of the word for Library in German, Russian and the Roman
Languages.

UNESCO defines Library as an organized collection of published books and periodicals and of
other reading and audio-visual materials, and the services of a staff able to provide and interprets
such materials to meet the informational, research, educational or recreational needs of it users.

Library is a place where book and non-book materials (including films, slides, phonograph records
and tapes) are arranged in an orderly manner and made accessible to persons or group of people

Library can be described as a storehouse of knowledge where professionally selected and acquired
print and non-print materials are processed and orderly arranged to make for easy location,
retrieval and use, as revealed Obiora (1995)

Library is a place where books and non-book materials are organized for easy retrieval. It is the
‘’heart or life blood’’ of higher education institution to fulfil their mission of supporting the
educational objectives of their parent bodies.

Libraries exist not only in schools but also in every establishment because good educational
environment consists of the teacher, pupils and the world of knowledge. Student without access to
supplementary reading material in a school Library or any library will be handicapped. Today we
have libraries in almost all institutions associated with human learning and career pursuits.

THE ORIGIN OF LIBRARY

Libraries have passed through series of historical development. The exact origin of libraries, like
the origins of speech and writing, are not known. In the early times man’s earliest and greatest
system for storing information and transmitting it from one person to another was language (oral
tradition), passes from generation to generation. However if we define ‘’ history’’ as that period of
man’s existence since he began to keep records, than libraries is as old as history. As soon as man
learned to write and to put down in graphic form some evidence of his experience and
observations, he began to save those graphic records; the collections formed an archive or proto-
library. Regardless of the format of his records or books, whether clay tables, papyrus rolls, printed
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books, man has devised a means of arranging, preserving and using them. The earliest Libraries
were more of archival materials such as papyrus, vellum scrolls, and manuscripts. The Library
holdings of king Ashurbanipal of Assyria contained more than 30,000 tablets (C. 625 BC)

The Important Libraries of ancient world were those of Aristotle, the great Library at
Alexandria, the Bibliotheca Ulpia of Rome and the Imperial Library at Byzartium set up by
Constantine the Great in the 4th century.

The World Book Encyclopedia (1971) stated that the simplest definition of a library is that it is
a ‘collection of books’. Some have regarded the library as a place where books are kept. It
must however be noted here that a collection of books in a room without any systematic
arrangement to aid easy retrieval can never be called a library.

The World Book Encyclopedia in (2006) defined library as an organized collection of books
and other materials, such materials may include magazines, newspapers, maps, films, compact
disc, electronics and other multimedia resources.

14TH AND 15TH CENTURIES CONCEPTS OF LIBRARY

During the 14th and early 15th centuries, access to library materials were highly restricted
leading to the following features:

 Books were chained together to prevent misuse and stealing.

 Access to the library and its collection was restricted.
 The library was more of preservation centre.
 Books were copied with hand by the solitary monks in the monasteries.
 Books were very scarce and expensive as such, only the noble could afford them.
 The invention of printing press in the middle of the 15th century changed the library
narratives.
 The orientation of the library changed from being a preservation centre to a free access
centres.
 More books became available at lower cost.

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The library today can be referred to as a collection of books and non-book materials arranged
in an orderly manner and made accessible to users. A library must disseminate the information
it houses and encourage the use of materials.

Ranganathan a famous Indian librarian and information scientist in his five laws of library
science postulate the following:

1st – “Books are for Use”

2nd – “Every Reader His Book”

3rd – “Every Book Its Reader”

4th – “Save the Time of the User”

5th – “The Library is a Growing Organism”.

OBJECTIVES OF LIBRARY

According to Alva Public Library (2015), library objectives are; to assemble and administer an
organized collection – books and related educational and recreational materials in order to
promote through guidance, stimulation and communication of ideas, an enlightened citizenship
and enriched personal lives; to serve the community as a centre of reliable information; to
support educational, civil, and cultural activities of groups and organizations; to seek
continually to identify community needs to provide programs or services to meet community
needs and provide opportunities for recreation through the use of literature, music, art forms,
and internet accessibility.

WHO IS A LIBRARIAN?

To the ordinary simple man on the street or the uninformed, the librarian is anybody who
works in the library. Who then is a librarian? A librarian is a professional library worker
trained to provide needed information promptly to users. In most cases, a librarian holds at

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least a degree or a master in library and information science or studies from a recognized
library school.

A librarian is trained in information organization and retrieval which will include such areas as
cataloguing and classification, special collections (rare books and archives), reference systems,
serial management, acquisition, collection development, school library, private and public
libraries administration etc.

Functions of the Library

Libraries according to their class differ in functions they perform, primarily the function is to
aid the parent institution in the conduct as well as the realization of its objectives. The library
contributes to the realizations of the institutional objectives thereby supporting the total
program of the institution by acquiring and making available the information materials and
services which are needed by all categories of its users. However libraries have some basic
functions:

1. Selection and acquisition of library materials: These services are carefully made by the
acquisition librarian through acquisition tool that are available such as purchase, gift or
donations.
2. Preservation of books and non-books materials in other to make information available
and accessible to future users,
3. Providing adequate and comfortable physical facilities for study including carrel for
private study and such aids as typing facilities and photocopying services which are
patronized by users or by the library staff.
4. Borrowing and leading materials or inter library loan.
5. Disseminate of material: Libraries disseminate information to users through circulation,
reference and reserve unit. Reference services includes answering questions from users
6. Organizing library materials: knowledge is made available accessible and usable to the
clientele, to achieve this the library makes it materials easily accessible by deporting a
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 system of organization through s scheme and displaying through open shelves or other
efficient means, providing key for location through catalogue bibliographies, indexes etc
for easy retrieval.

Types of Libraries

Libraries are divided into various parts, and according to the literature you may have
consulted however, there are five different types of libraries notable among are :

a. National Library
b. Public Library
c. School Library
d. Academic Library
e. Special Library

National Library

National library this is also called Apex Library. Olankun & Salisu (1985) started that when
the federal government appointed a library Advisory committee towards establishing
National Library, The National library was made the legal depository and Bibliographic
Center for the nation. It also has the power to establish braches in other states.

Function of National Library

 It acts as a collection and collation centre for all published literatures emanating from a
country.
 It helps in development of other libraries by setting standards, rules and regulations to be
abide by
 It is responsible for issuance of International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

Public Libraries

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They are established by states and located in cities and town meets the information needs of
the general public and they are usually maintained by public funds. Public library is often
called the people library.

Functions of Public Libraries

 They serve wider range of patrons than all other kind of libraries example children,
young, adult, male female, physically challenged etc
 They offer extension service to the grass root e.g mobile library, reading campaign,
debates among schools e.t.c

However the following services have been observed to be available in a good number of
public library across the world.

 Leading service e.g for home reading

 Mobile library service e.g extending services to the less privilege children, hospitals,
prisons e.t.c
 Inter library loan with other libraries.

School Libraries

Most public and private primary and secondary schools falls between these categories of
library, school libraries are designed to support the school’s curriculum. School libraries, refers
to libraries found in nursery, primary school their materials are based on the subject taught in
school.

Functions of School Libraries

They provide pupil with their first experience in using library.

They provide pupil with pictorial books to browse through.
They improve pupils listening domain through story telling it should be noted that school
library require students with equip students with the required skills they need to effectively and
efficiently utilize the library collection.

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Academic Library

They are designed to serve the parent institution with academic needs ranging from research
work, presentations, lecture notes and assignments.

Academic library have professionally organized collections of graphic and non-graphic

materials or information resources for the exploration of staff and student in the institute of
higher learning. Example of Academic Library is AFIT, Kaduna Polytechnic, and Federal
Colleges of Education libraries e.t.c

Functions of Academic Libraries

 They promote reader advisory service: this is done through their staff, they provide
answers and feed back to users who make enquires on the use of library and its
resources.
 They provide inter library loan services.
 They prepare materials for the use of students, lecturers, faculties and others who require
them.

Others include select and acquire information materials, preserve and store these materials for
future use, retrieve and disseminate knowledge.

Special Library

Is a term for library that is not academic, school, public, private national library, libraries
attached to organizations, ministry, parastatals, are based towards library clients are referred to
as special library, they are not usually open to the general public they are also known as
information centers. The rule of each special library is to support the information needs of its
users so that they can achieve the mission & goals of the organization. Examples are Research
Institute Library, Medical Library, Teaching Hospital Library, Arms And Armo (Military
Library)

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 Book

Books are important in human lives in that they empower mankind and bring about positive
changes to our lives. According to United Nation Education Scientific and Cultural
Organizations (UNESCO) 1985 define book as non-periodical publication consisting of at least
49 pages excluding the cover page.

Furthermore, Macmillan [Link] (2015) sees book as a set of printed pages fashion
together inside a cover that may contain a story, information, poem, or other form of writing.
In other words it’s a set or collection of written, printed, illustration or blank sheet made of
paper, parchment or other various materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A
single sheet within a book is called a leaf and each side of a leaf is called page. A book
produced in electronics format is called an electronic book (e-book)

Importance of a Book

 Books provide readers with the needed break from the chaos of life
 Books bring inner peace and make one relaxed from hustle and bustle of life.
 It is a form of mental exercise for the brain.
 It boosts the imaginative power of the reader and makes him a better thinker.
 Books appear to be the best panacea to overcome boredom.

A book may therefore be described as a collection of sheets containing hand written or printed
materials sewn and bound between covers, however, not all publication are books, for instance,
serial and other forms that are less than 49 pages are called pamphlets. Periodical are like
magazine, journals, newspapers. They appear at fixed intervals.

Parts of a book

A book maybe divided in four parts these parts are listed and briefly discussed below:

 The cover
 The preliminaries

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  The body of the text or text
 The subsidiaries

Cover: It protects the book , cover cloud be hard bound or soft cover. The cover itself is
made up of (3) three sections namely:

a. Front cover: it identifies the title, author and other information about the book.

b. Spine: same as above but also carries crest (logo) of the publisher.

c. back cover: contain general information about the author or information about the
content of the book ,it also carries name, crest of publisher and ISBN

Preliminaries: It precedes the main text and is numbered in roman figures, these part
consist of the following.

a. Fly page: These are blank pages at the beginning and end of a book which is not
pasted to the cover but serves as protection for the book.

b. Title page: This is the second page which gives the title and subtitle in full, the
authors name and qualification also publishers name and address are found on this
page.

c. Acknowledgement Page: It contains list of contributors and individual who

assisted in writing the book.

d. Forward: This is an explanatory statement on the purpose of the book, it’s usually
written by another person other than the author who has a good knowledge of the subject.

Others Includes: tables of content, dedication page, copy right page. e.t.c

Body of the fact (text) : Body of the text can also be called (Text) it is the main part of the
book consisting of the following: chapter by chapter presentation of the subject, tables and
graphics or photographic illustrations, footnotes, side notes, where necessary.

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Subsidiaries: These are located at the termination of the text they include: Reference /
Bibliography

R – Are list of books & other document to which a reference has been made in the
text?
B – Refers to a list of other source of information consulted and acted directly in
text or note.

Glossary: This is a list of technical/ unusual terms used in the book with
accompanying definitions and explanations

Kinds of books

There are (4) four main kinds of books namely:

1. Trade book.
2. Text book.
3. Reprint.
4. Reference book.

Trade book: are referred to most book in a book store which includes novels, travel books,
religious books among others, Trade books are published for public consumption

Text books: These are books for regular study in schools and colleges. They are usually
written by subject specialist on different discipline. Most books being used in schools are
text books

Reprint: Are copies of an earlier edition reproduce at intervals after the maiden copies
produced have been exhausted they are just reprinted version of the previous edition.
However there may be little modification in the title page.

Reference books: They are information bearing materials that are designed to be consulted
or looked up for specific piece of information, fact and are not intended to be read through.
Reference books are only consulted for specific information.

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 SECTIONS OF THE LIBRARY

A library or an information centre, like any other organization has various departments, units
or section to help accomplish its aims and objective of the parent body.

No matter the size of the library all the division are relevant for example in a special library
which is smaller in size, one person may be in charge and performs all the task required
successfully but in the academic library which is relatively bigger in size, it maybe a little bit
difficult for a librarian to perform all the functions required successfully. Depending on the
setup in the academic library there may be different departments /sections or units such as:

 Technical service
 Reader service
 Collection development
 Research

It should be noted that all these depends on the setup of the library however, in a typical
academic library the following sections: Acquisition, Audio–visual, Archive ,circulation
Bindery ,Serial ,Cataloging ,Security/IT, Classification, Reprographic

According to Malomo ( 2004) some traditional function of a library includes building the
library’s basic collection and providing various materials to satisfy patrons in all works of life
assisting patrons to satisfy their information needs, offering ancillary services such as audio –
visual, reprography, book bindery and later library – loan.

Different Sections of the Library

a) Administration:

This is the head of library activities which is usually headed by a qualified librarian who most
have good visionary leadership. The librarian as a top manager is responsible for the
administrative and professional duties that include:

 Planning library budge

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  Developing & organization of the library policy.
 Supervising & organization of the library.
 Coordinating & maintenance of records.
 Displaying of new add time in library.
 Capacity building for library staff.
 Contiguous review of library programs.

b) Reference section

This section carries out reference service to the library patrons; it involves personal assistance
given to the user of the library who needs a particular item of information. The information
needed many involve quick answer, therefore reference librarian uses available reference tools
to satisfy his users, example of the reference tool includes encyclopedia, bibliographic,
directory, atlas, gazetteer, manuals e.t.c. A reference librarian is responsible for the following:

 Selection of special materials for the library.

 Library tour (taking visitors and new users round the library.
 Translation services
 Library exhibition
 Compilation of reading list
 Contributing or preparing library publication.

c) Circulation section

The circulation section is usually headed by a professional librarian who carries out various
circulatory services to the library patrons some routine service in this section includes:

 Loaning out books

 Planning books display
 Collection fines and due
 Inter library loan service
 Conducting orientation programs for new patrons
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  Keeping statistics of library users

d) Acquisition section

Acquisition section of any library is responsible for the identification, selection and
procurement of information materials and recourse, there services include:

 Book Identification
 Book selection
 Typing the order
 Mailing the order
 Receiving the order
 Inspection of the books
 Stamping the books

They also select vendors, negotiate consortium, price arrangement for standing orders and
selection individual tiles or resources.

e) Cataloging Section

This section is responsible for the organizing and processing of information materials,
especially books quire by the library. This section is in charge of cataloging & classification of
all information resources in the library. This are done by arranging or organizing information
item by subjects this are done through various scheme notable among is (LC) library of
congress and (DDC) Dewey Decimal Classification.

Some routine activities in the cataloging section include:

 Cataloging: this is a detailed description of book by listing out the important

bibliographies features. It is the process of assigning subject tracing to a little. It’s done
cataloging
 Classification: is the process of assigning a class number ( call mark) to a tittle that
corresponds within its subject contents

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  Description Cataloging: it entails putting the bibliographers information about a text
book on descriptive cataloguing sheet such information includes: author, title, publisher,
place and date of publication, edition, notes, ISBN e.t.c
 Labeling: This is the process of producing labels for the spine of a book, it entails
putting call mark of the title at the spine of a big book or front of a small book.

LIBRARY AUTOMATION

In traditional library system, every stage of library operation is carried out manually by the
library staff. In recent, application of computer in performance of various tasks has resulted in
automated library system. Here staff and machine now works together.

The sharing of responsibilities according to Modu (2004) in which human assisted by computer
should be referred to as human machine system.

Library automation is a process of mechanization of all the housekeeping operation in the

library which is of routine and repetitive in nature.

MADU (2004) also defines library automation as the use of computers and associated
technology to revolutionize the meaning of libraries and redefine their existences. This
automation as a process help is acquisition, organization, storage and dissemination of
information in the library. It facilitates their processes in more reliable electronic process.

Need and Purpose of Library Automation

Library operations and services involve cumbersome task. The traditional manual performance
of the task is prone for constant human error, time consuming and inefficiency. These
problems brought the need for libraries & information centers to join in information
dissemination system. However it should be noted that the overall purpose of embanking on
automation is to increase efficiency in our operation and services.

Purpose of library Automation.

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 a. Better services to users: library users require information at the speed of light. Where
ever and whenever manual catalogues cannot meet such requirement.
 Time saving: with manual catalogues user frequently roam about the flow of the library
for what may not be in the collection thence saving the time of the reader is one of the
major goals of any automation effects in the library
 Storage: libraries are growing organisms so without the application of computer it will
be very difficult to handle the space problem in the library.
 Professional prestige: librarian role as information manager are generally ignored by the
most number of the society. Application of computer in libraries helps to make positive
change of the people toward the and.
 Resource sharing: resource sharing among libraries demand library automation as a
manual requirement when resource are in reformat and in the light net mark
environment, sharing becomes very easy and fast shared across boards.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Introduction: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is often described as the

technology where computers and telecommunication devices are used for information
gathering, processing, storage, retrieval and dissemination to the relevant users. Nothing
characterizes modern life better than the computer. Whether we like it or not, computers have
penetrated every aspect of our society. Today, computers do more than just computing:
supermarket scanners calculate our grocery bill while keeping store inventory; computerized
telephone switching centers play traffic cop to millions of calls and keep lines of
communication untangled; and automatic teller machines (ATM) let us conduct banking
transactions from virtually anywhere in the world.

Definition of Basic Computer Terms

Computer: It is a machine or device that performs processes, calculations and operations

based on instructions provided by a software or hardware program.

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Data: it is a distinct piece of information, usually formatted in a special way. Information: It
is data that is accurate and timely, specific and organized for a purpose, presented in a context
that gives it meaning and relevance, and can lead to an increase in understanding and decrease
in uncertainty.

Input Devices: translate data into a form that the computer can process.

Output Devices: translate information processed by the computer into a form that human
beings can understand.

Information System: It refers to a collection of equipment involved in the dissemination of

information.

Network: It is a group of two or more devices that can communicate.

Hardware: Refers to the physical elements that make up a computer system. Software: It is a
set of instructions or programs instructing a computer to do a specific task.

Classification of Computer

Computers can be classified in several ways. It could be classified based on its size,
functionality and data handling.

Classification on the basis of size

Super: Largest, fastest and most expensive • Used for intensive computational task • Example:
PARAM, jaguar, roadrunner •

Mainframe: Large and general purpose computers with extensive processing and storage
capability • commonly known as the “big iron” Example: IBM z series, IBM 370 and IBM
704. •

Mini: Physically smaller in size and can fix on a desk • Used for word processing, multi-user
applications and industrial automation • Example: Personal laptop and personal computer

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Micro: They are very small in size but more powerful than their size • Applications are user-
friendly, very easy to use and learn • Example: Tablets, Smart watches and Smart phones

Classification on the basis of functionality

Word processor: General purpose computer used specifically for office automation and
secretarial duties.

Home Computer: Low cost computer designed for use at home • Used for domestic purposes
such as games, diary and family budgets. •

Personal Computer: Specially designed for individual use at work or home for business
purposes • Example: Laptop, notebook and briefcase.

Classification on the basis of Data Handling

Analog: Processes data in the form of physical quantities such as temperature, humidity and
electrical voltage •

Digital: Processes data that is represented in the form of discrete values • Data is represented
in the code of binary digits 0s and 1s or on and Digital off systems of electrical circuit

Hybrid: Its operation combines the features of both the digital and analog Hybrid computers

Computer and the Library

Introduction: ICTs have altered the way in which information is created and distributed
across the world today. It has changed the way in which libraries carry out their activities such
as selection, acquisition, organization and delivery of information.

Uses of Computer in the Library

Computer and ICT can be applied to the several operations of the library. Computers are
generally used for:

 Processing.
 Ordering.
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  Accounting for Library Materials.
 Purchase.
 Management of loan control systems with related tasks.
 Stock Recording.
 Search of on-line information sources for references.
 Library statistics of users.
 Literature searching.
 Internet Services.

Library Automation
Library automation is the term used to describe the use of ICT tools to make library services
more robust, effective and efficient. Aina (2004) defined library automation as the
computerization of routine tasks previously performed by human beings. The main purpose of
library automation is to enable the librarians and library staff to concentrate on the meaningful
spread of knowledge and information.

Advantages of Library Automation

 Improves accuracy and reduces redundancy.

 Faster record retrieval rate.
 Real-time update of records.
 It can accommodate bulky materials thus saving space.
 Errors are easily detected.
 Larger volumes of bibliographic data can be stored and accessed in one system.
 Better use of information resources through improved access.
 Improved resource sharing via virtual catalog or network.

Challenges of Library Automation

Lack of funds: it is expensive to purchase and maintain such information technologies

Socio-political problem: People prefer to do the job, they have phobia for embracing
technology fearing it may lead to retrenchment.

Lack of technical personnel: for library software to be properly maintained, it requires a

considerable time and expertise.
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Conservatism: people who are comfortable with using a particular thing finds it difficult to
change.

Unstable power supply: These technologies depend on electricity. In a situation where there
is no constant supply, there may be problem in the usage of these facilities.

Benefits of Library Automation to Library Staff

 Development of new patterns of communication among staff, especially between

computer services and library staff
 Empowerment of staff in decision making
 Acquisition of new skills and knowledge

INTERNET AND INFORMATION SOURCING

Introduction: The internet refers to a global or international conglomeration of

interconnected computer networks serving users worldwide. The network can be of local or
global scope, but are linked together by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical
networking technologies.

Format of Internet/Online Materials

As long as if you have access rights of the site you are retrieving information, online
information is easy to access. Internet/online materials are made available in the following
formats:

 PDF (Portable Document Format).

 Word Document.
 Audio File.
 Visual File.
 Excel.
 PowerPoint.

Authenticity of Internet Materials

Before using a website as a research resource, the following elements should be considered:
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Domain Suffix: provides a clue about the purpose/audience of a website. Examples of domain
suffix are: .com, .ng, .org, .gov and .edu.

Authority: verify whether or not the site gives credibility to an author or sponsor. This will
give you an idea of the author’s expertise and credentials.

Currency: ensure to check the currency of a research resource. An outdated site maybe
incomplete or incorrect.

Links: Beware of websites with several broken links. This may indicate an unreliable resource
or lack of frequent maintenance.

URL: Ensure you truncate the URL of a website to its root address. This will tell you where
the site is being hosted.

Comparison: always compare information found on websites with other sources to ensure
that you have the right information.

Advantages (Merits) of Internet

 Communication Forum: The internet enables individuals to have faster

communication. Platforms for products such as SKYPE allow video conferencing with
anyone in the world who also has access to it.
 Abundant Information: information on all subject are available on the internet with
just a click of mouse. A lot of resources can be found through the search engine in real
time.
 Unlimited Education: it is now possible for individuals to learn in a virtual worldwide
classroom. For instance, help is readily available for students online for their
assignments and projects.
 Online Services and E-commerce: The internet provides the services of emails, online
banking, online shopping, etc. Free mail service to anyone is easily accessible all
around the world. E-commerce enables one in America to buy things in Asia, Africa or
other area in the world through some simple clicks of the mouse.
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  Easy to access: It can be accessed from anywhere, no boundaries, no limitations as to
geographical locations.

Disadvantages (Demerits) of Internet

 Internet Addiction Disorder: excessive use of the internet can be harmful not only
physically but also mentally.
 Web Crime. Hackers can create viruses that can get into your personal computer and
ruin valuable data. Users' personal information such as name, address, credit card, bank
details and other information can be accessed by culprits when used on the Internet,
resulting in big economic loss.
 Social Alienation. Time spent online flies really fast without notice. Once attracted by
so many amazing things provided by the Internet, users are trapped by a "net", spending
less time with people in real life. Less interaction and face-to-face communication in
reality may result in decrease of networking abilities.

ONLINE MATERIALS

INTERNET has become the biggest repository of information in the world. It can be
considered as a global library where varieties of information in different language and format
are stored in digital form. The volume of information on web is very large and impossible to
estimate its size. Because of the storing mechanism of web information, finding relevant
precise and authentic information has become a difficult task. it is very important to learn the
basic skills of web searching and how to identify relevant and authentic materials on the net
together with the various formats of web materials.

ONLINE MATERIALS simply means any material provided online. According to

Lawinsider 2013, online material means any writing, visual image, video, sound recording or
data that is accessible to the general public through the internet on a website. Materials or
resources are found online through different search engines available and in different formats.
The formats of information storage differ from one search engine to another. However, the
general formats of materials or resources found online include but not restricted to the
22
following: - written document, videos, sound recordings, images (still or motion), and other
forms of data.

TYPES OF ONLINE RESOURCES

There are many different types of online resources, some are appropriate for research while
others are not. It depends on the type of content you are looking for. The following are few
among online resources that can be used for research.

1. Library databases, scholarly journals and eBooks for example RIT library website,
Ebook Central via ProQuest, ARTstor and journal of Applied Economics.
2. Current information such as stock quotes, sports scores, weather and news updates.
Examples include CNN, ESPN, NTA and France TV.
3. Information on colleges, museums, government agencies or non-profit organization. If
you are doing a research on a specific company or institution, you can find a lot of
information directly from the source. For example, AFIT website, or Department of
Environmental Conservation, or even Network for Good and Metropolitan Museum.

AUTHENTICITY OF ONLINE RESOURCES

Not all materials or resources found online are genuine, authentic, valid, timely or accurate.
With the internet, anyone can publish anything online at a low cost and distribute it virtually
worldwide. There is no editing body or reviewers to edit the credibility of these materials.
Therefore it is necessary to learn how to identify good materials and dispose bad ones. There
are many useful, high quality webpages that provides authentic and edited materials to be used
for any academic research. Many sites have been reviewed, authenticated or sponsored by
highly reputable organizations, while some sites are dedicated to gather valuable educational
resources for educators. So, before deciding to make use of any online resources, there is the
need to follow the following tips that will help in determining the authenticity and accuracy of
the material.

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 1. Who published the content? – the author of the content is a concern considering the
eligibility of the content. The author should be an expert on the subject discussed in the
article.
2. Where was the article published? – if the information about the author is not present,
the publisher of the resources can be checked for authority on the published article.
3. Currency and relevance of the published article – in conducting research, the
currency and timeliness of data are important in making inferences for data gathering
and analysis.
4. Accuracy of the published article (material) – in writing, accuracy refers to a writer’s
correctness in using language system. This means that the writer’s use of grammar and
vocabulary should be correct and as good as it could be.
5. Purpose and objectives – an online material should teach, inform, explain or persuade.
By reading the article, it should become evidence of what the article aims to impact to its
readers. The author should not be bias in his presentation. You should comprehend
whether the content is backed up with facts, based on opinion and propaganda.
6. Links – links are used for citing and to credit references found on other websites. Links
used on the content should be useful and relevant to the content.

ADVANTAGES OF ONLINE RESOURCES

The advantages of online materials include but not restricted to the following:-

1. Expanded access to learning materials – students can access the material at any time
and everywhere in the world and re-access it repeatedly.
2. Online resources can supplement textbooks and lectures where deficiencies are
pronounced.
3. Online materials enhance regular course content – for example, multimedia materials
such as videos can accompany text, still or motion pictures can be presented together
with text content and it is capable of concretizing knowledge.
4. Quick circulation – online resources can disseminate more rapidly when compared to
information published in textbooks and journals.
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 5. Less expensive for students – the use of online materials instead of traditional
textbooks or course packs/handout can substantially reduce cost of course materials for
students.

DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE RESOURCES

The following are some among the disadvantages of online resources:-

1. Quality issues – since many online repositories allow any user to create an account and
post materials with little or no charges, some resources may not be relevant or accurate
to the course or topic of discussion.
2. Language barriers – although efforts are being made to make online materials in
multiple languages, many are only available in English which limits there uses to non-
English speakers.
3. Technological issues – some students may have trouble using some online materials if
they have a slow or erratic internet connection, while other online materials requires
software that students don’t have or may not be able to afford.
4. Sustainability issues – since the creators of open educational resources (OERs) do not
receive any form of payment, there may be little incentive for them to update the
materials regularly.

DIGITAL PRESERVATION

Introduction:

Digital preservation is the method of keeping digital material alive so that they remain usable
as technological advances render original hardware and software specification obsolete
(Harrods Librarian glossary). The digital preservation is very important due to the issues faced
by the digital world. It consists of software obsolescence, storage medium failures, and storage
medium obsolescence among others.

Digital Preservation Strategies

The following are the various strategies used in digital preservation:

25
  Bit stream Copying: It is referred to as the process of creating an exact copy of a digital
content in the system. It is popularly known as “backing up data” in the community. It is
not a long-term technique but widely used for data preservation. Refreshing: It involves
copying the digital details from one medium to another of the same type without making
changes. It addressed the issue of deterioration physical storage medium.
 Persistent Media Storage: It involves the use of long term digital media such as gold
CDs to backup the digital data. Gold CDs are highly resistant to corrosion.
 Technology Preservation: It involves the preservation of the digital environment that
the system runs on such as the operating systems, application software and media
device. It is commonly called the “computer museum” solution.
 Digital Archaeology: It is the process of recovering data from an already damaged
digital media. It is an emergency recovery strategy.
 Analog Backup: It involves the combination of the conversion of digital objects into
analog form with the use of durable analog media. It is performed by using the analog
media like digital images, HD Rosetta, etc.
 Data Migration: It involves the copying of data from one technology to another while
preserving the characteristics of the data.

PRESERVATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS

This refers to the utilization of all library resources in order to maintain a useable condition of
each item of the collection. In other words, it is called conservation of library materials,
William (1970) state that “everything in library collection is deteriorating today, as was
deteriorating yesterday and will continue to deteriorate tomorrow, although librarian out to
retard the process”.

FACTORS OR AGENTS OF DETERIORATION

1. Physical agents
- Light
- Heat
26
 - Humidity and moisture
- Dust and Dirt
- Water
2. Biological factors
- Insects
- Rodents
- Mildew (Micro-organism)
3. Chemical factors
- Acids.
- Dust and Dirt particles.
- Other atmospheric contaminants.
4. Human factor
- Theft.
- Mutilations.
- Pencil or biro marks.
-
5. Natural factor
- Fire
- Wind
- Water
- Others

PREVENTIVE AND PRESERVATION MEASURES

In order to preserve library materials, it is essential to adopt certain measures which may
prolong their life span. These measures which could be preventive or curative include:

- Binding
- Fumigation
- Periodic weeding
- Adequate ventilation
27
 - Lightening
- Disaster management preparation
- De-acidification
- Mending
- Lamination
- Dusting and good house-keeping etc

RULES AND REGULATIONS GUIDING THE USE OF LIBRARY

For the proper conduct of activities in a library, user are required to abide by the following
rules and regulations.

1. Books and journals consulted must be left on the reading tables.

2. Reference books and audio visual materials are not to be taken out of the library without
permission of the librarian or library staff.
3. Before leaving the institution or organization users must return all library materials in
their possession.
4. Eating/drinking in the reading room (library) is prohibited.
5. Seats may be reserved for thirty minutes or thereabout, after which other readers may
occupy them. (If need be)
6. Readers must enter and leave the library by the entrance designated for such.
7. Handbags, briefcases, umbrella, raincoats etc must be left at the section provided for
such.
8. Readers must show all books and paper file at the circulation desk or to the portal when
leaving the library.
9. Library users must produce their library tickets on entering the library, when borrowing
books and at other times as may be demanded by the officers in the library.
[Link]’s tickets are not transferable. Readers are advised to keep their tickets secured.

28
 LIBRARY AND THE LAW

Concept of Copyright: Copyright according to World Intellectual Property Organization

(WIPO) (2014), is a legal term used to describe the rights creators have over their literary and
artistic works. These could include books, music, paintings, sculpture, films, computer
programs, databases, advertisements, maps and technical drawings. This is the exclusive right
of printing or otherwise reproducing copies of the intellectual production, publication and
offering it for sale.

Works Protected by Copyright

1. Books, pamphlets and other writings.

2. Lectures, addresses and sermons.
3. Dramatic and musical works.
4. Choreographic works and entertainments.
5. Musical compositions.
6. Drawings, paintings, architecture, sculpture, engraving and lithography.
7. Photographic works.

Types of Rights

1. Economic right.
2. Moral right.
 Paternity right.
 Right of respect.

Benefits of Copyrights

Copyrights enables artists and authors to commit their time an efforts to the creation of
manuscripts, screenplays, songs and printings. It further encourages people to invest capital in
the production of books, motion pictures, sound recordings and computer programs. A strong
copyright system discourage investment in the privacy of copyrighted materials since law

29
enforcement agents such as The Nigerian Police Force, together with the Nigerian Copyright
Commission can impound, destroy and sell the equipment used by the copyright infringers.

Challenges of Copyright Law

1. Cost of books and other literary works.

2. Advent of modern technology which makes reproduction of cheaper version of
intellectual works very easy.
3. Ignorance of the law and lack of awareness from members of the society and copyright
owners alike.
4. Profitability of the illegal trade.

PLAGIARISM (ACADEMIC FRAUD)

Plagiarism could be regarded as an unlawful and dishonest way of ascribing words, ideas and
intellectual ingenuity of another person as being one’s own without due acknowledge of the
source of the information. To simply put, plagiarism is a literary theft or an act of fraud which
involves both pilfering another fellow’s work and therefore lying about it.

Evidences of plagiarism include the following:

1. Presenting another fellow’s work in full or in part as one’s own.

2. Giving false information concerning the source of a quotation.
3. Cloning another fellow’s work and presenting it as one’s own.
4. Copying ideas or sentences from another authors work without citation.
5. Changing keywords and phrases in a paper with the essential aspects of the content
remaining intact.
6. Copying ideas, words and thoughts from several sources without proper citation.
7. Failing to put direct quotations in quotation marks (“ “).
8. Paraphrasing or quoting sources without proper acknowledgement or proper citations.
9. Using materials from the web and presenting it as one’s own.

Some Measures to Stem Plagiarism

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Plagiarism Detection: This is a process of tracking down some instances of duplication of
someone’s intellectual work within a document submitted for assessment. Plagiarism
checkers/detectors allow access to a large number of databases to ascertain the level of
plagiarism or similarity. It also enables lecturers and instructions to impress on the leaners
measures to improve on their writing and research skills. Some free plagiarism checkers are;
chimpsky, citeplag, copytracker, plagium and see sources etc.

While some commercial ones are; attributor, copyspace, iparadigms, ithenticate, plagiarism-
detect, plagscan, turnitin, unplag and very-guide etc.

FAIR USE: According to the United States copyright office (2012), fair use refers to the
limitation on the copyright holder’s exclusive rights. It is an exception to the rule of copyright
infringement which permits the reproduction of small amounts of copyright materials when the
copying will have little effect on the value of the original work.

Conditions for Fair Use

1. For research or private study

2. Criticisms or review or the reporting of current event if acknowledge is made.
3. Reproduced and distributed in a place where it can be viewed by the public
4. Reproduced and/or performed for judicial proceedings.
5. Use of works as illustrations for teaching.
6. Quotations compatible with fair practice.

PIRACY

This is an act of violating copyright law when people illegally reproduced work for sale, that
is, for commercial gains without permission from the owner of the work. Okwilagwe (2001)
notes that various forms of piracy take place in Nigeria; nothing that is reproduced is spared, be
it music records, audio cassettes, video tapes and all paper-based printed materials.

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 CATALOGUING AND CLASSIFICATION

Cataloguing is the preparation of technical information about a book which may be transferred
physically onto a card or electronically as online catalogue according to set rules as specified in
AACR2 or RDA. In other words, it is the process of describing a book in bibliographic terms.
This includes the name of the author, the title, sub-title, edition statement, place of publication,
publisher, the number of pages and the accession number.

An effective tool of any librarian in making the materials available to its users is an adequate
and effective catalogue. The Library catalogue serves as the gateway to the library’s
collections and further interprets the library to the user. The Library’s catalogue could be print
or electronic. The print catalogue of any modern library is done by preparing 3 x 5 inches
catalogue cards for each title of materials after its acquisition by purchase, gift or exchange.
The print version may also be available online, if the library has a functional online public
access catalogue (OPAC).

A catalogue is defined as a list of books, maps or other items, arranged in some definite order.
The catalogue records describe the resources of a library by given details of each item in terms
of bibliographic entries such as author, title, publication information, illustrations, paginations,
editions etc. all of these leading to locating and retrieving the book easily for the user.

Purpose of a library catalogue

1. To enable a person to find a document of which the author, title or the subject is known.
2. To show what a library has by a given, on a given subject, or on a given kind or form of
literature.
3. To assist in the choice of a document as to its edition, bibliography, literary or topical
form.

Functions of Library Catalogue.

i. To record each work in the library and part of a work under the subject of its
treatment.

32
 ii. To arrange subject entries based on similar topics.
iii. To record each work in the library using bibliographical descriptive terms that users
or readers may use to search for such items.
iv. To record titles of work appropriately.
v. To arrange author entries in such a way that all the works of one writer will be found
together under the author’s surname.
vi. To list the call numbers by which publication may be located or retrieved.
vii. To employ cross references by which a reader may be guided from one entry in the
catalogue to another.
viii. To provide a description of each publication by providing title, imprint, collection
and also notes when necessary.

Types/kind of catalogues

There are three types of catalogues;

1. The Author/Title catalogue.

2. The classified catalogue.
3. The subject catalogue

Forms of Library Catalogue

1. The card catalogue

2. The book catalogue
3. The sheaf catalogue
4. Computer catalogue
5. Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC)

CLASSIFICATION

Classification is the division of things into groups according to their types of subject.
Information items in the library may be organized or arranged by subject content, which entails
grouping similar items together. In the library, classification is the systematic arrangement of

33
information items which possess similar qualities or characteristic in groups or classes. The
major purpose of a classification system in the library is to provide a basis for organizing
books and other information materials so that the library users can find them quickly and
easily. The classification number of a book is the number assigned to a book to show the
subject area and to indicate its location in the collection.

When a book is classified using a classification scheme, class number is assigned to it, this is
called the notation or classification number. Call marks or call number determine where such
books are to be placed on the shelf in the library. The notation/call mark is written on the spine
or cover of the book so that, it can be easily put in the proper place with other books in the
same subject area. This is with the view to helping users to have stress free access to such
material. Examples of classification scheme;

a. Library of congress classification scheme

b. Dewey Decimal classification scheme.
c. Bibliographic classification
d. Universal Decimal classification scheme
e. Colon classification scheme.

Library of Congress was formulated in 1899 by Herbert Putman for the use of the congress
library in America. Today many large research, national, and university libraries use this
system. It provides greater precision than the Dewey decimal classification. It is alpha-numeric
in nature that is, a combination of letters and numbers for ease of expansion.

Presently, I, O, W, X, Y are not in use in the scheme. This further allows practitioners to
extensively use the LC scheme classification of materials proceeds from general to specific
classes. The main classes are marked with single letters as follows:

A – General works

B – Philosophy, Psychology, Religion

C – History, Auxiliary science

34
D – History, Topography (Except America)

E – F – American History

G – Geography, Anthropology, Recreation

H – Social Science

J – Political Science

K – Law

L – Education

M – Music

N – Fine Arts

P – Language and Literature

Q – Science

R – Medicine

S – Agriculture, Husbandry

T – Technology

U – Military Science

V – Naval Science

Z – Bibliography

Examples of principal sub-division are denoted by an added letter as we have in the following
examples;

BC – Logic

DD – Speculative philosophy
35
BF – Psychology, Para-psychology

BJ – Ethics

Dewey Decimal Classification scheme (DDC)

Melvin Dewey first published the DDC scheme in 1876 for use in his private library but was
widely accepted by some libraries. The scheme has 22 editions now and an electronic version.
Many important libraries especially public, special and school libraries use it. The British
National Bibliography (BNB) published by the British Museum also makes use of it. The
scheme divides the whole human knowledge into ten main classes 000 – 900. Each class is
further divided into ten.

The major class division of Dewey Decimal Classification are as follows:

000 – General works

100 – Philosophy

200 – Religion

300 – Social science

400 – Languages

500 – Pure science

600 – Technology

700 – Arts

800 – Literature

900 – History, Geography and auxiliary disciplines.

36
 SHELVING AND SHELF ARRANGEMENT

Having catalogued and classified the books, they are then arranged on the shelves according to
their classification marks as indicated on the spines. The call number is the class mark
comprising the subject’s number and the author’s first letter (or 3 letters) depending on the
format used in a particular library. This is the number the reader uses in locating books on the
shelves of the library. The books on the shelves are arranged by the class marks and not by
author or title.

The arrangement of books on the shelves is just the same as the arrangement of the cards in the
classified catalogue boxes where arrangement or filing is by class mark. The call number on
each card is also on the spine of the book on the shelf.

If a reader checks through the catalogue cards and sees a preferred title, he/she writes down the
bibliography information. That is, the call number, the author(s) name and possibly the title of
the book. The user then proceeds to the shelves where books on the discipline are arranged, to
get it.

Cuttering

The essence of cuttering according to Oketunji (2005), is to differentiate materials on the same
subject by different authors (personal or corporate). It brings about uniformity in cataloguing
rules and it is arranged alphabetically on the shelves as emphasized by cutter (2005).

Filing of library materials

Filing in a library can be described as an act of arranging the bibliographic information printed
on the card in a logical order, usually, alphabetically, and or classified in the library catalogue
for consistency, these filing are based on internationally recognize filing rules. There are many
filing rules, but the ALA filing rules which are based on the 2 nd edition of AACR2 is
recommended for filing in libraries.

In a simple language, filing is a sort of index to library materials or a pointer to the library
resources. The 3’ x 5’ catalogue cards are usually arranged in alphabetical order in the card
37
cabinet by a library officer or a trained library officer or a trained library assistant. In filing
catalogue cards, there are basic rules to follow. The basic ways of filing arrangement are ‘word
by word’ and ‘letter and letter’. The most common filing practice is “word by word”.

REFERENCE TOOLS AND SERVICES

Reference services exist in the library because patrons need information that they must obtain
from a source other than themselves, thus, librarians facilitates the communication process by
offering themselves as intermediaries between patrons and information. Reference services
could be viewed as services provided by the reference librarian through the use of information
resources within the library to help users meet particular information needs. Quoting
Ranganathan, Chappell (1976) viewed reference services as personal assistance provided to
library patrons in pursuit of information to answer their requests exhaustively and
expeditiously. Simply put, it is the librarian’s aid in bringing the patron and materials needed
together for whatever purpose.

Types of Reference Services

a. Information services
b. Instruction in the use of libraries and information sources.
c. Guidance in the choice of library materials

Reference Materials / books

Reference materials or book refers to specific kind of publication which has been written for
the purpose of consultation on certain items of information, rather than to be read from cover to
cover.

Reference materials constitute reference collection of a library and enables the reference
librarian to answer users’ queries. These sources are usually not allowed on loan. They can
only be consulted within the library.

Reference materials include the following;

38
1. Dictionaries: Dictionary is a book that people do consult for definition, meaning
spelling (or orthography), pronunciation, syllabication of a word etc. other dictionaries
are called thesaurus or glossaries, wordbooks, lexicons etc.
2. Encyclopedias: An encyclopedia is the authority of general knowledge book and a good
place to research on almost any topic. It is a compendium holding a summary of
information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge.
The articles treated are arranged and accessed alphabetically by article name.
Encyclopedias could be general or subject based e.g Encyclopedia Britannica (30
volumes), encyclopedias Americana (30 volumes), Subject encyclopedias etc.
3. Biographical sources: biography is a book which gives an account of a person’s life. It
contains information on the personality, achievements, career, hobbies etc of an
individual. There are two types of biographies – individual biography and collected
biography e.g who’s in Nigeria.
4. Year book: Year books are reference materials usually published annually. They are
useful for historical research as they are often prepared and published soon after the
events have occurred. They provide information on a country’s social, political and
economic developments in the preceding year, e.g Nigerian Year Book.
5. Handbooks: A hand book is a portable reference materials that provides useful
information on a specific subjects in a concise and comprehensive form. It deals with
questions that require established facts. E.g Handbooks of education in Nigeria.
6. Manuals or users guide: These are reference tools that provide answers to such
activities as how to do, how to perform or how to make? A typical example is
Campbell’s Encyclopedia of World cookery which teaches how to prepare different
types of meals in different countries of the world.
7. Directories: Directory is a list that contains information about persons (their names,
addresses and phone numbers), organizations, institutions, ministries, recreation centers,
societies and associations etc. e.g telephone directory.
8. Gazetteer: Gazetteer is a geographical dictionary or directory that provides basic
information about geographical names and places usually with descriptive or statistical
39
 details when a researcher wants information about the political or legal status of a
country, its location or its features, a gazetteer is usually the appropriate book to consult
e.g Gazetteer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
9. Atlases: Atlas is a bound collection of maps, sometimes accompanied with charts, tables
and plates. These may provide information about the people, culture and economy of the
geographical region covered e.g An Atlas of African History.

Criteria for Evaluating references materials

i. Authority (expertise and qualification of author)

ii. Scope (completeness of information)
iii. Accuracy
iv. Currency (Up-to-date)
v. Objectivity of the author
vi. Publisher
vii. Documentation / bibliographies
viii. Illustrations
ix. Language
x. Ease of use

TOOLS FOR INFORMATION ACCESS AND RETRIEVAL

Information retrieval tools are instruments or devices that can be utilized to find access and
retrieve information. These tools could either be print or electronic. Some information retrieval
tools include; abstracts and indexes, library catalogues (print and electronic – OPAC),
bibliography subject directories, web search tools such as search engines etc.

1. Abstracts
An abstracts is a brief summary of a research work (article, thesis, review, conference
proceeding) meant to guide and assist readers to quickly ascertain the paper’s intent and
content.

40
 2. Indexes: An index could be regarded as a guide to the contents of information materials.
They serve as access points to the contents of periodical or serials, books, conference
proceedings and reports as well as other information material.
3. Bibliography: A bibliography refers to a list of all information sources such as books,
periodical articles, websites etc. arranged in a logical sequence having some relationship
with each other. In general, a bibliography should include author’s names, titles of
works, names and location of publishers, date of publications e.t.c.

Types of Bibliography

i. Enumerative bibliography
ii. Analytical bibliography
iii. Annotated bibliography
iv. National bibliography

4. Library catalogue
A library catalogue can be linked to a table of contents to a book. It is a gateway to all
information materials in a library.

Types of Library Catalogue

i. Author / title catalogue

ii. Subject
iii. Shelf list or classified catalogue
iv. Online public access catalogue (OPAC)
5. Web Search Tools
The basic tools for accessing the web can be categorized as search engines, meta search
engines, and directories.

41
 a. Search engines – this is a piece of application software that resides in a computer
server on the internet e.g Google, Yahoo, Bing, Alta Vista, Mozilla firefox,
webcrawler, Lycos, infoseek, chrome etc.
b. Meta-search engines – a meta-search engines is a search engine agent that helps in
scanning the contents of some of the sites by gathering information from several
search engines e.g Dogpile ([Link] Metacrawler
([Link] Mamma ([Link] they search many
engines at a time.
c. Subject Directories – This assist in browsing many sites on a topic. They are not as
broad as the search engines. Majority of subject directories are purely information
and not commercially oriented e.g purely information and not commercially oriented
e.g infoseek, infomine, Digital Liberian, Lycos etc.

CITATION AND REFERENCING

In writing academic papers such as term papers, seminars papers, research reports or journal
articles, we often make use of ideas from other sources or works. We are usually expected to
provide proper citations to such sources or works as well as providing information that will be
helpful to the readers in identifying and retrieving the source of information if need arises.
Standard formats exist for making such citations. Bell (2002) highlighted some of these
standard formats to include.

1. American Psychological Association (APA)

2. Modern Language Association (MLA)
3. National Educational Association (NEA)
4. Turabian; Kate L.
5. Hubbed; Geoge S. Attribution
6. Ballow; Stephen N.P

42
Indeed, no one citation format could be said to be better than the other, in any case, one may
prefer one citation format to the others. But when writing an academic paper one should be
consistence in the chosen style.

The APA and MLA Reference styles

In an academic write-up following APA & MLA formats requires that sources be written in
two separate but equal important ways which are;

i. How to cite references within the body of the text

ii. How to list or provide complete references at the end of the write-up.

RESEARCH

Research could be viewed as an organized and systematic way of finding solutions or answers
to problems or questions. It must be noted that questions are central to research. Research must
focus on relevant, pertinent and important questions. Hence without questions, research is
meaningless and has no focus or purposes. Creswell (2008) views research as a process or
steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or issues.
According to him, research comprises three steps one; to pose to question, two; to collect data
to answer the question, and three; to present an answer to the question.

Characteristics of Research

i. It must be controlled.
ii. It must be rigorous.
iii. It must be systematic.
iv. It must be valid.
v. It must be verifiable.
vi. It must be empirical.
vii. It must be critical.

43
Basic Steps in Conducting Research

The steps to be adopted when carrying out a research depend to a large extent on the type of
nature of the research, the topic of investigation, the scope and the overall objectives of the
research. Nevertheless, research in social and Behavioural sciences follows a systematic
procedure that starts with the identification of research problems and ends with the researcher
drawing conclusions on his/her findings. Some of the steps are;

i. Identification of the research problems.

ii. Survey of literature relating to the problem.
iii. Specifying the purpose of the research.
iv. Determining specific research questions or hypothesis.
v. Collecting data for the research.
vi. Analysis and interpretation of data.
vii. Result and discussion.
viii. Drawing conclusions regarding the null and research hypothesis.
ix. Communication research findings and recommendation.

Criteria of a Good Research Work

1. The statement of problem, the scope, significance and limitations of the research should
be well stated to avoid ambiguity.
2. The research procedures adopted must be described in sufficient details to permit
another research to repeat or replicate the work.
3. The design of the research must be carefully planned so as to yield results that are as
objective as possible.
4. The flows or limitations in the research process or procedures must be reported by the
researcher.
5. The date used for the analysis must be adequate and sufficient for its significance and
generalization

44
 6. Finding, conclusions and generalizations should be justified on the basis of data
collected.
7. The researcher must be experienced, and possess high sense of integrity and reputation
in the area of his research.

Parts of a Project, Thesis or Dissertation

a. Preliminary pages: title page; abstract; acknowledgement; certification; table of

contents; list of tables; list of figures.
b. Chapter one: Introduction
A brief introduction, background of the study, statement of the problem, purposes,
objectives, research questions, hypothesis, significance of the study, limitations,
delimitations, assumptions if any, definitions of special terms, summary, references.
c. Chapter two: Literature Review
Literature review point out flaws or gaps in previous related researches which serve as
basis and justification for conduction the study.

Chapter Three: Methodology is concerned with the procedures for undertaking the
research e.g design, population, sample & sampling procedures, instrumentation, source of
data etc.

d. Chapter four: Result

e. Chapter five: Findings, conclusions and recommendations
f. Reference/Bibliography

STUDY SKILLS

INTRODUCTION

It is expected of every student at all tertiary institutions to attend lectures, take notes, read books
and write examinations. All these require a great deal of time devoted by students to studying.

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Skills are the capacity to perform particular tasks or to achieve particular goals – they are often
acquired through long periods of training and practice (Dictionary of education, 2005). Students
therefore need to develop skills in reading, writing and retention of materials read. At this level,
student’s work is more of independent reading; they are responsible for their success, there input
will determine their output. It is student’s responsibility to plan personal time table, when to study
and how to study.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

It is obvious that we read to learn – that is self-improvement or acquisition of knowledge, and the
value we attach to examination motivates us to study. Individuals study for different reasons;
through studying we develop new ideas, new approach of thinking, and discover facts. When we
study, we should try to go beyond what the lecturer has taught because the lecturers themselves are
not the only repository of knowledge. Ukaga, (2000) revealed that students study for the following
reasons:

 To pass tests and examination.

 To discover and acquire skills that will enable them success in their academic work and
function well in society.
 To discover and obtain facts that will enhance their status in life.
 To gain mastery in various subjects areas so as to improve their performances in chosen
careers.

Through studies people are exposed to the world of knowledge which has the capacity to help
them solve their immediate and future problems.

WHEN TO STUDY?

Your priority as a student is your studies. Your study hours therefore must be planned as soon
as you get your class schedule at the beginning of the semester.

When is the best time to study? The best time to study depends on the nature of the subject you
are studying, the amount of time at your disposal to finish your assignment. If for instance, you
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have a lot of work to do at a given period of time, you will soon realize that neither the day nor
the night alone is enough for your studies. Study when you can naturally concentrate well.

WHERE TO STUDY?

1. A quite place
2. A comfortable chair and table
3. Moderate temperature
4. Adequate lighting
5. Essential tools
6. The library as a place of study

PLANNING AND SUCCESS IN STUDY

Planning is essential for success and it requires the following:

1. Planning requires patience

2. Planning involves setting objectives; Objectives are measurable ways aimed at achieving
the goals you have set for yourself. Objectives are measurable in terms of time and
money.
3. Planning requires realistic self-evaluation.

SUCCESS

Success means to struggle to be the best you can in what you do at a given time. Successful
people are not born; they are made.

Essential Elements of Success

1. Motivation: This means that inner positive drive that makes you want to do something.
2. Courage: You must be firm in your mind and in your purpose that no matter the
difficulties; you too can make it, just like others have.
3. Determination: A student must resolve not to only do his/her best, but also to keep on
being their best.

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 4. Self-Discipline: Be determined to discipline yourself. Get up and study when it is time
to do so. Do not procrastinate.

TIPS FOR PLANNING A TIMETABLE

1. Plan for a whole week

2. List first all your regular class periods
3. Have for each regular class 30-60 minutes of preview.
4. Have for each regular class a one hour of review
5. Plan to study the difficult subjects when you can naturally concentrate best.
6. Create five to ten minutes intervals between your transitions from one subject to another.
7. Provide for two one-hour periods of emergency during the week.
8. Make all your study periods hourly.
9. During the weekend, have at least a three-hour period of revision for all the courses
taken.
10. Allot for yourself eight hours of sleep per every 24 hours.
11. Exercise 30 – 60 minutes per day and for three days a week.
[Link] timetable should be flexible.

ADVANTAGES OF A WELL PLANNED STUDY

1. It gives you a sense of direction.

2. It helps organize your work.
3. It saves a great deal of your time.
4. It helps produce the self-discipline you need.
5. It serves as a ready reminder to you.
6. It helps control your movement.

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