Impediments to Harnessing Scholarly Electronic Journals on the Internet in Developing Countries: A Nigerian University Case Study
| Published date | 10 July 2007 |
| Pages | 27-32 |
| Date | 10 July 2007 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07419050710823300 |
| Author | Frederick Olatunji Ajegbomogun |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Impediments to Harnessing Scholarly Electronic
Journals on the Internet in Developing Countries:
A Nigerian University Case Study
Frederick Olatunji Ajegbomogun
LIBRARY HITECH NEWS Number 6 2007, pp. 27-32, #Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 0741-9058, DOI 10.1108/07419050710823300 27
Introduction
Scholarly electronic journals contain
periodical articles of new discoveries of
knowledge that are increasingly prolific
and are issued and published by
researchers in various fields of interest,
can be accessed through online formats
and can tremendously increase users’
acquisition of knowledge. This
information is usually channeled
through the library which is often
described as ‘‘the centre of knowledge’’,
rousing and stimulating intellectual
growth that always aspires to meet the
information needs of society. However,
the proliferation of information in the
global village has changed individuals’
perception of acquiring information. For
the library to continue to be relevant in
society it needs to move with time and
apply modern technology. This can be
achieved through ensuring easy retrieval
of information, and increase other
aspects of service delivery. The internet
is an instrument or vehicle used for
searching, retrieving and disseminating
information across the globe. The
changing phases of the world order is
characterized by an abundance of
information found through global
computer networks, which can be
accessed at any time, at any particular
location no matter the distance as long
as the necessary infrastructure devices
and the skills to retrieve information are
in place and functioning. Also, we have
discovered that having access to value-
laden information is a stimulus for
progress. However, rapid accessibility is
sometimes faced with difficulties either
in getting connected or retrieving
information. Most African states are
being eluded simply because they lack
the incentive to explore what the
internet has to offer. Not only that, their
apathy or resistance can be traced to
their level of socio-psychological
phenomenon that is greatly embedded in
their nerves. According to Prompt et al.
(1996), the learning process is a result of
both the structural condition derived
from the learning infrastructures and the
personal characteristics of the people
involved. In other words, for effective
use of technologies, the actors require
positive attitudes to grasp the new
technology. The internet constitutes a
source of information, literature of
academic work in all fields of
knowledge that enables users to
effectively identify valuable materials
for research advancement. The user’s
inquiring mind in getting such
information determines the
accessibility. This information has been
a source of knowledge for workshops,
seminars and conferences by
researchers.
Similarly the internet is a channel of
information dissemination which grew
out of scholars’ innovation and it has
expanded to become a center of
information sharing and a global
network of people, ideas and
information. Interestingly, the internet
represents different things to different
people depending on what is being
sought. To scholars, it facilitates the
extension of the frontiers of knowledge
and constantly enhances the drive to
keep abreast of scholarly publications
(Ajegbomogun and Akintola, 2004). To
a layman, it is an interface with other
people in the world through the globe.
Obviously, it is an engine room of
knowledge that constitutes current
literature in different fields of interest.
Moreover, it broadens users’
knowledge, supports baseline data
searching and produces results that
make research interesting. The internet
is an electronic computer network that
connects many smaller networks to form
a global network all over the world. A
vast number of publications can be
found through the electronic facility
and despite the enormous volume, it
continues to expand on daily basis.
However, the usefulness of the text
offered on the internet is of little
importance if access and retrieval is
difficult or impossible (Adeogun, 2003).
Librarians must provide a retrieval
system that will allow easy accessibility.
The veritable means of linking with
the global world by developing
countries is facing doubting challenges
in terms of effective integration with
what happens in the global society
because it lacks the infrastructure that
can accelerate such linkages. The
constraints to effectively utilize the
network resources are based on
inadequate provision of infrastructure
elements and Information
Communication Technology (ICT)
knowledge.
The internet is seen as the best source
of information from the users’
perspective but tracking down
information about scholarly electronic
journals and their contents can still be
fraught with difficulty (Woodward and
McKnight, 1995). Since e-journals are
relatively new in the developing
countries the exposures and experience
of the users are relatively low and this
has deprived the scholars the benefit of
utilizing of the full opportunity the
internet offers. Information seeking
awareness and access is sometimes
dependent on the understanding of
bibliographic control associated with
journals. The internet provides a
platform and accessibility to
bibliographic records of millions of
books, scientific periodicals, electronic
refereed e-print as well as the details of
academic collections around the world.
However, such bibliographic control
was not available to all institutions nor
was adequately subscribed to, and this
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