CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Information is an important tool used in the realization of any objective or

goal of the library. Information is an important factor in any library because they

are needed by users. Every library user needs information of increasing variety and

diversity of levels, frequencies, volume sand with ease. Therefore, information

need stems from a vague awareness of something missing and as culminating in

locating information that contributes to understanding and meaning. Library

Patrons seek information because they need information resources to survive in all

sectors of life (Fiankor and Adams, 2004; Ajiboye and Tella, 2007; Fatima and

Ahmad, 2008). The information need (or need for information) is a factual

situation in which, there exists an inseparable interconnection with “information”

and “need”, information needs can therefore be said to be the amount of positive

information an individual or group of users need to have for their work, recreation

and many other like satisfaction. Thus, information need arise wherever

individuals find themselves in a situation requiring knowledge to deal with the

situation as they see fit.

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 There is no field of human activity where information is not a component.

Whether it is research and development, business and industry, the information has

to be acquired, processed, stored, retrieved and disseminated for communication.

(Prasad, 2000). Olabisi (2002) defined information as an assemblage of data in a

comprehensible form capable of communication and use facts to which a meaning

has been attached. Also, Reitz (2004) defined information as "Data presented in

readily comprehensible form to which meaning has been attributed within the

context of its use". According to Faibisoff, and Ely, (1974) information is that

which reduces uncertainty, assists in decision-making, which may exist as data in

books, computers, people, files and thousands of other sources.

Information needs are diverse and constantly changing and not amenable to

generalization. Information needs can be social, economic, political, cultural or

educational. Indeed, information need is characterized mostly by the information

seeking behaviour of the person in need of information. Information seeking

behaviour is a broad term, which involves a set of actions that an individual, such

as undergraduates, takes to express information needs, seek information, evaluate

and select information and finally uses this information to satisfy his/her

information needs (Fatima and Ahmad, 2008). It is therefore described as an

individual’s way and manner of gathering and obtaining information for personal

use, knowledge, updating and development. In other words, information seeking

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behaviour involves active or purposeful information as a result of the need to

complete course assignment, prepare for class discussions, seminars, workshops,

conferences, or write final year research paper.

The information field has developed a deepening understanding of the

concept of information need and its role in information seeking and use. The view

that information need motivates information behaviour is an embedded assumption

of the user-oriented paradigm which focuses upon what people think, do and feel

when they seek and use information (Case, 2002). In the words of Bruse (2005)

information need is a personal, psychological, sometimes inexpressible, vague and

unconscious condition. He articulated four levels of information need that an

individual passes through before he or she makes formal encounters with an

information system or the services of information professional. These levels are:

visceral need, conscious need, formalized need, and compromised need. According

to Birger (2007) the purpose of a library or an information system is to fulfill some

needs for documents and information for users or potential users. Such needs may,

for example, be related to educational, research and professional, recreation,

cultural or to personal development.

Information seeking involves the need for the information, the purpose for

seeking for the information, the type of information being sought for, the sources

consulted and the ways or methods employed in getting the information. It is a

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basic activity indulged in by all people and manifested through a particular

behaviour. Students seek information for various purposes. They make use of

printed documents or e-documents to gather information. Researches reveal that

with the emergence of web resources, the information seeking behaviour of

students are changing rapidly all over the world (Moly, 2014). Olsen and Diekema

(2012) mentioned that studying the way students find information is essential to

understanding them as a user group, helping them find research more effectively

and efficiently, and developing resources for their use. They also reported that

most used sources of information by students are Google, Wikipedia, news

websites, friends and family members, class notes, and selected subscription

databases. Few students made use of physical libraries, librarians and information

professionals, experts, books, magazines etc. Similarly, Mabawonku (2005) in

Lawal (2012) highlights ways in which students seek for information which

includes colleagues, library, friend, family members, internet etc.

Though, Singh and Satija (2006) see information seeking behavior as a

human process that requires adaptive and reflective control over the afferent and

efferent actions of the information seeker in which information seeking behaviour

results from the recognition of some needs, perceived by the user, who as a

consequence makes demand upon a formal system such as libraries and

information centres or some other person in order to satisfy the perceived

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information need. Thus, they pointed out that information seeking behaviour

essentially refers to locate discrete knowledge elements concerned with the three

basic resources namely, people, information and system.

Information seeking behaviour is an area of dynamic interest among

librarians, information scientist, communication scientists, sociologist, and

psychologists. Information seeking behaviour is expressed in various forms, from

reading printed material to research and experimentation (Bhatti, 2010).

Information users make active and intentional attempts to seek up to date

information from the library resources, including, electronic sources. It is worthy

to also note that the advent of information technology has revolutionized the field

of library and information services and has brought about considerable changes in

the information seeking behaviour of users. Though there seems to exist many

reasons and sources of information to the information user, the academic library

occupies a central position in the information seeking process of researcher’s in

Nigerian libraries.

1.2 Statement of Problems

Undergraduate students in any higher institution of learning are expected to

maximally utilize the academic library as one of their major sources of

information. However, it has been observed that they do not use most of the library

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information resources. This may be unconnected with technical problems

undergraduate experienced by the multitude of information resources as available

in the library. Though, several research has been carried out in the library on

information needs and the information seeking behaviours of users in academic

library of various departments, but none has been carried out in LIS and SDV

respectively. Based on this, the study was embarked upon to fill this gap.

1.3 Objective of the Study

The study is conducted with the aim to investigate information needs and the

information seeking behaviour of HND I Library and Information Science (LIS)

and HND I Social Development (SDV) in academic library in Rufus Giwa

Polytechnic, Owo.

In specific, the study attempts to achieve the following objectives:

1. To find out the types of information needs of the students.

2. To determine the students’ information seeking behavior.

3. To find out the students’ most preferred information sources.

4. To identify the purpose for which information is sought by the students.

5. To investigate the challenges encountered by the students in their course of

information seeking.

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1.4 Research Questions

The study was designed to provide answers to the following research questions:

1. What are the students’ information needs?

2. What are the students’ information seeking behaviour?

3. What are the students’ most preferred information sources?

4. What are the purposes for seeking information by the students?

5. What are the challenges encountered by students in their course of

information seeking?

1.5 Significance of the Study

In the light of the stated objectives which the study is set out to achieve, the

findings of this study will be of benefit to the management of the institution for it

will motivate them to make provision/policy that will back up the information need

of both newly accredited HND programmes. It is expected that the findings of this

study would also assist academic staff in identifying various information needs and

behaviours of their students and improve teaching techniques. Furthermore, the

findings of this would be of great importance to the students of both departments

for it will help them to be on the tract of their information needs and behaviour for

proper utilization. Finally, the findings of this study would be an added

contribution to the existing literature.

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1.6 Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study sought to investigate information needs and information seeking

behaviour of HND 1 students in both Library and Information Science (LIS) and

Social Development (SDV) in academic library, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo,

Ondo State.

The study will cover all the students in HND 1, 2021/2022 academic session

of both departments based on the fact that they are the first set and their

information needs and information behaviour needs to be known for effective

delivery of services.

The study is limited to the departments of Library and Information Science

(LIS) and Social Development (SDV) students in Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo,

Ondo State.

1.7 Operational Definition of Terms

Information Need: Information need is the amount of positive facts/details an

individual or group of users need to have for their work and recreation satisfied

Information Seeking: Is the ways or methods employed in getting needed facts.

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Information Seeking Behaviour: can be described as an individual’s way and

manner of gathering and obtaining information for personal use, knowledge,

updating and development.

Academic library: Academic library is a component of higher institution

education systems which has an important role in providing better services.

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 CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERTURE

2.1 Information

The concept of information is increasingly ubiquitous and the same has

occurred with the information processing technology. Both of these areas have

undoubtedly been protagonists on the world stage for several decades in national

and international academic communities. Moreover, the upsurge of information

theory and technological-scientific development accompanying it has exerted

multiple impacts on society, culture and the diverse disciplines of science.

Common sense tells us that over the course of several decades the word

information has become indispensable in practically every situational context or

discipline. In the common parlance, we know the term has multiple meanings, or

otherwise takes on arbitrary meanings; and this rather indifferent usage is

something that must be corrected.

Today ‘we live in the age of information’: this sentence has become a

commonplace of our times. Our everyday language includes the word

‘information’ in a variety of different contexts. It seems that we all precisely know

what information is. Moreover, the explosion in telecommunications and computer

sciences endows the concept of information with a scientific prestige that makes

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supposedly unnecessary any further explanation. This apparent self-evidence has

entered the philosophical literature: philosophers usually handle the concept of

information with no careful discussion. However, the understanding of the

meaning of the word ‘information’ is far from being so simple. The supposed

agreement hides the fact that many different senses of the same word coexist. The

flexibility of the concept of information makes it a diffuse notion with a wide but

vague application. If we ask: ‘What is information?’ we will obtain as many

different definitions as answers.

Attempts to answer the question ‘What is information?’ have, not

surprisingly, occupied the thoughts of information scientists for a long time: almost

certainly since before the term ‘information science’ was coined in 1955 (Wilson,

2009). The lay person, asked to define information, is most likely to regard it as:

An item of information or intelligence; a fact or circumstance of which one is told

(OED). This is just one of the many dictionary definitions of the word. Indeed,

information scientists appear to have been reluctant to propose definitions of

information, preferring rather to discuss concepts: the difference being, according

to Belkin (2008), a definition ‘says what the phenomenon defined is, whereas a

concept is a way of looking at or interpreting the phenomenon’. In their recent

paper, McCreadie and Rice (2009) review concepts of information proposed over

the last fifty years. A summary of the concepts they consider is given below.

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2.1.1 Information as a Representation of Knowledge

A concept usually connected with the notion of information is the concept of

knowledge: it is assumed that information provides knowledge, that it modifies the

state of knowledge of those who receive it. Some authors even define the measure

of information in terms of knowledge; this is the case of D.A. Bell in his well-

known textbook, where he states that information “is measured as a difference

between the state of knowledge of the recipient before and after the

communication of information” (Bell, 2007). In his Knowledge and the Flow of

Information, Fred Dretske presents an attempt to apply a semantic concept of

information to questions in the theory of knowledge. By identifying knowledge

and information-caused belief, he distinguishes between sensory processes and

cognitive processes – between seeing and recognizing – in terms of the different

ways in which information is coded, and analyzes the capacity of holding beliefs

and developing concepts. So it is logical to conclude that information is stored

knowledge which can store in various medium. Traditionally the storage medium

has been books, but increasingly electronic media are becoming important.

2.1.2 Information as Data in the Environment

Many information scientists accept that information is a property of all

living organisms (Debons and Horne, 2007; Vickery, 2007). It is not unreasonable,

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therefore, to illustrate the prime importance of context with an example from

biology. It has long been recognized by zoologists that there is an association

between brightly coloured markings on an animal and palatability or toxicity

(Ruxton, 2008). Predators learn to associate such markings with unpleasant

experiences and so are less inclined to attack similarly marked creatures in future.

So a potential predator, seeing the markings of a brightly coloured male butterfly,

will derive information about the insect’s suitability as a food source. A female

butterfly of the same species will derive no such information. She might, however,

find the markings useful in assessing the male’s quality as a mate. Clearly,

therefore, both the predator and the female butterfly derive information from the

markings, but the message of the markings depends on the context in which it is

read.

The importance of context in the interpretation of information has long been

recognized. The above example, however, indicates that, unless it is assumed that

butterflies and birds have knowledge, knowledge is not necessary for a signal to be

informative. Therefore, information can be obtained from a range of environmental

stimuli and phenomena; not all of which are intended to ‘convey’ a message, but

which can be informative when appropriately interpreted.

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2.1.3 Information as Part of the Communication Process

Message designed to communicate has two informing contexts: that of the

author and that of the receiver. These correspond to the two points described by

Shannon and Weaver (2009) when they stated that ‘The fundamental problem of

communication is that of reproducing at one point either exactly or approximately

a message selected at another point.’ However, Shannon and Weaver were merely

talking about the difficulties involved in transmitting a signal from a sender to a

receiver. If that signal is to be a message, it is necessary for the sender to be an

author, or the recipient to be a reader, or both. Therefore, meanings are in people

rather than in words or data. Timing and social factors play a significant role in the

processing and interpretation of information.

2.1.4 Information as a Resource or Commodity

Messages are classified according to how focused they are. Traditionally,

information scientists have dealt largely with focused messages. Highly focused

messages are ones in which the context for interpretation is very specific, making

ambiguities difficult or impossible. The most obvious example would be a

mathematical document, but other examples include command line computer

interfaces and technical publications. Looser (but still focused) messages would

include descriptive works and histories, which will be interpreted according to the

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reader’s culture and experience. A less positive example would be poorly written

documents (Belkin, 2008), which may be confusing, ambiguous, or misleading: a

typical contemporary example of this is email. Totally loose messages would have

no obvious interpretation in any context.

An example is surrealist literature. In many ways this model is similar to the

communication model proposed by Jakobson (2000). This too comprises three

components (addresser, addressee, and message). Because it deals with the

intentional transfer of information, however, it places greater emphasis on the

means by which messages are transmitted, and excludes a great deal of information

sources. In summary, information is transmitted in a message from sender to

receiver. The receiver interprets the message as intended by the sender. There may

be added value as the information is disseminated or exchanged.

2.2 Information Need of Students

Needs is defined as something that must be achieved or owned. Information

needs are a need that someone has for the information they want to get. The

definition of information needs mentioned by Juhaidi and Syawqi (2017) is

something that arises because there is a gap between one's knowledge and the

information someone needs. The need for information is also explained by Hasan

(2016) as information that someone wants to get to support his daily life. The

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information needs of each person are varied according to the type of information

and the level of need. A similar opinion regarding information needs is stated by

Prezz (2008) as follows. "An information need arises when an individual senses a

problematic situation or information gap, in which his or her internal knowledge

and beliefs, and models of the environment fail to suggest a path towards the

satisfaction of his or her goals".

Another opinion expressed by Juhaidi and Syawqi (2017) says that the need

for information is the awareness of a person's uncertainties of information, and

thus, it requires someone to search for the information in order to be able to

overcome their uncertainties. In today's lifestyle, information needs are similar to

the demand for information. If someone is sure that information is indeed needed,

then the need or desire for that information will turn into a demand for information

because there is a need for the information. In the words of Bruse (2005)

information need is a personal, psychological, sometimes inexpressible, vague and

unconscious condition. He articulated four levels of information need that an

individual passes through before he or she makes formal encounters with an

information system or the services of information professional. These levels are:

visceral need, conscious need, formalized need, and compromised need.

Over time, the term information need has been used in a variety of ways.

Aina (2004) opined that “every individual whether literate or not, has information
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needs, which… are critical to survival. However, Baro, et al., (2010) in their study

of the information seeking behaviour of students in the humanities in three

universities in Nigeria, discovered that the information needs that make the

students search for information is academic information with the highest rating 233

(93.2 %), followed by personal information with 10 (4.0%), and sports information

with least rating 7 (2.8%). According to the study, students need academic

information to write their course assignment, seminar papers, prepare for their

class discussions, and prepare for their examinations and tests, and information to

write their final year research papers more than any other information such as

personal and sports information.

In the same vein, Fatima and Ahmad (2008) surveyed the information

seeking behaviour of an Indian College Students. The survey findings revealed that

30 (50%) out of the 60 respondents seek for information purposely for career

development followed by those who seek for information to solve problems, keep-

up-to-date and to write an article or research paper. Also, the information need and

information seeking behavior of faculty members and reported that most faculty

members needed information for academic work 100, writing papers 50, updating

knowledge 30 and research works 20. This brought us to the fact that students are

one of the most group or categories of people in need of information.

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2.3 Information Seeking Behaviour

Behaviour is a series of responses, actions, activities that a person does in

the process of thinking, learning, and working (Anwar, 2017). When the term

behavior is combined with information, it will produce a definition of all activities

or actions performed by people in obtaining and responding to information. The

definition of information-seeking behavior was put forward by several experts in

the field of information science. Wilson (2000) defines information-seeking

behavior as an effort or action carried out by humans when dealing with

information sources in both active and passive information sources, and

information utilization. Thus, both face-to-face communication activities with

other people, as well as a person's response to information passively, namely,

watching TV advertisements with no intention of reacting to the information

provided is included in the information-seeking behavior.

Information seeking behavior can be divided into information behavior and

information seeking. Putu Laxman Pendit defines information behavior as

patterned human action to trace and obtain information (Huda, 2016). In life,

people needs, thinks, acts, explores, and uses information from various sources and

other information media. Meanwhile, Information seeking explanation was put

forward by several experts, and one of them was the opinion of Krikelas. From

those expert opinions, it can be concluded that information-seeking behavior is a

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pattern of actions or efforts made by people in searching, tracing, and finding

information from various types of information sources in order to fulfill their

information needs.

Whether or not information needs are pursued depends on the individual’s

ability to identify their need and then to express the need in terms that are

searchable by themselves or a third party (Davies, 2007). Chen (2000) remarked

that the information seeking pattern of an individual is determined by the

individual information environment, which consist of: background and

characteristics of the individual; the nature and type of information need with

which he/she is confronted; the type of availability of information providers;

information providers capability in responding to a request and the degree and

satisfaction perceived by an individual with the ability of one or more information

providers to respond to his/her information needs. Information seeking According

to Amin and Shima (2007) is a basic activity indulged in by all people and

manifested through a particular behaviour. It is also an aspect of scholarly work of

most interest to academic librarians who strive to develop collections, services and

structures that facilitate information seeking.

In the words of Aina, (2004) the information seeking behaviour of users

depends on education, access to library and the length of time a user devote to

information seeking. He went further to say that no matter how comprehensive the
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resources and services of a library are, it is important that the services are

publicized widely so that users could seek information from the libraries. Baro, et

al., (2010) also revealed in their study that students used the following search

strategies when seeking information: starting (using lecturers or colleagues),

browsing library collections on the shelves, chaining (using references at the end of

books), differentiating, monitoring and extracting (using the card catalogue).

2.4 Information Sources

An information source is where you got your information from; this can be a

book or a Website. Information sources are the various means by which

information is recorded for use by an individual or an organization. It is the means

by which a person is informed about something or knowledge is availed to

someone, a group of people or an organization. Information sources can be

observations, people, speeches, documents, pictures, organizations. Information

sources can be in print, non-print and electronic media or format. Higher institution

students may have challenging time in fulfilling their scholarly information need

during their study. As a university student, they are required to have the ability to

find and use scholarly information to carry out their course assignments and other

projects from the university (Thomas et al., 2017).

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 It is important that students have the ability to access and use any

information sources provided by the university as well as what is available outside

the university. Further, undergraduate students need to understand the importance

of using relevant scholarly information and locating such information from

academic databases provided by their university library to ensure they can do their

research well. However, some studies revealed that undergraduate students found

that using academic databases were challenging for them (Komissarov and Murray,

2016; Heriyanto, 2018a). Knowing about the availability of information sources is

not necessarily makes them use these sources (Flierl et al., 2018). Further,

undergraduate students may have their own preference when selecting information

sources (Komissarov and Murray, 2016). There are many studies of students'

ability to access and use information has been conducted. Most of these studies

were looking for the higher institution students’ information seeking behavior, and

some were observing students’ information literacy.

An example of research on the use of information sources with

implementing information seeking behavior theory carried out by Rosman et al.,

(2016). There is also research in the use of information sources that apply the

concept of information literacy conducted by (Mullins, 2014; Igun and Odafe,

2016). These studies provide new perspective in the field of information seeking

behavior and also the information literacy skill. Research that focuses on student

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ability levels tends to produce findings regarding high or low levels of student

ability on searching and using information. These research tends to be evaluative,

which means that it measures how high the ability of students to find and use

information that was found (Igun and Odafe, 2016; Sezer, 2020). In Indonesian

context, there isn’t study which investigates the ways Indonesian undergraduate

students engage with information sources when they research and write their final

project. This study aims to identify any factors that influence students in selecting

specific sources of information, as well as examining what students consider when

they use information sources.

Student experience in interacting with information sources is a study in the

field of library and information science which was introduced by Bruce, Davis,

Hughes, Partridge, and Stoodley (2015) as information experience. This

information experience provides insights about unique perceptions, opinions, and

views of each student regarding their engagement with their information

environment. Moreover, information experience is a concept that describes the

complex interaction between information and its users (Bruce et al., 2015). These

experiences can be complex experiences because they involve several aspects of

student interactivity with the information aspects. The interactivity includes

sources of information known by students, and aspects of students themselves

when determining the choice of information sources. Bruce et al., (2015) added

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that the concept of information experience describes a person's experience related

to the information aspects when a person is learning. This study aims to explore the

experience of students in using information sources. It is hope that the findings will

be useful for libraries, especially university libraries in developing services, as well

as being useful as a basic material for policy makers in libraries in managing and

disseminating information resources to the community in the university.

2.4.1 Types of Information Sources

Information sources in which higher institution student search and get their

information from can be group or categorize into three namely; Primary,

Secondary and Tertiary source. The following sources are discussed below.

2.4.1.1 Primary Source

Primary sources are original materials on which other research studies are

based. Primary sources report a discovery or share new information; they present

first-hand accounts and information relevant to an event. They present information

in its original form, not interpreted or condensed or evaluated by other writers.

They are usually evidence or accounts of the events, practices, or conditions being

researched and created by a person who directly experienced that event (Huber and

Fred, 2004). Primary sources are the first formal appearance of results in print or

electronic formats. The definition of a primary source may vary depending upon

23
the discipline or context. A diary would be a primary source because it is written

directly by the individual writing in the diary (Huber and Fred, 2004). Interviews

are primary sources because the individual talks about the topic directly from what

he/she knows about it. Examples of primary sources are:

1. Eyewitness accounts.

2. Journalistic reports.

3. Financial reports.

4. Government documents.

5. Archeological and Biological evidence.

6. Court records.

7. Ephemerals (posters, handbills), literary manuscript and minutes of meetings

e.t.c.

2.4.1.2 Secondary Source

A secondary source of information is one that was created by someone who

did not have firsthand experience or did not participate in the events or conditions

being researched (Huber and Fred, 2004). They are generally accounts written after

the fact with the benefit of hindsight. Secondary sources describe, analyze,

interpret, evaluate, comment on and discuss the evidence provided by primary

sources. Secondary sources are works that are one step removed from the original

24
event or experience that provide criticism, interpretation or evaluation of primary

sources (Huber and Fred, 2004). Secondary sources are not evidence, but rather

commentary on and discussion of evidence. A secondary data is one that has been

collected by individuals or agencies for purposes other than those of a particular

research study.

For secondary sources, often the best are those that have been published

most recently. If you use a secondary source that was published decades ago, it is

important to know what subsequent scholars have written on the topic and what

criticism they have made about the earlier work or its approach to the topic. The

definition of a secondary source may vary depending upon the discipline or

context. Most often how a source is used determines whether it is a primary or

secondary source. For the purposes of a historical research project, secondary

sources are generally scholarly books and articles. Also included in this category

would be reference sources such as encyclopedias (also considered tertiary). Other

examples of secondary sources are:

1. Bibliographies (also considered tertiary).

2. Biographical works.

3. Commentaries.

4. Criticisms.

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 5. Dictionaries.

6. Histories.

7. Journal articles (depending on the discipline, these can be primary).

8. Magazine and newspaper articles (this distinction varies by discipline).

9. Monographs, other than fiction and autobiography.

10.Textbooks (also considered tertiary).

11.Websites (also considered primary).

2.4.1.3 Tertiary Source

Tertiary sources consist of information which is a distillation and collection

of primary and secondary sources. Generally, tertiary sources are not considered to

be acceptable material on which to base academic research. Tertiary sources are

usually not credited to a particular author. They are intended only to provide an

overview of what the topic include, its basic terminology, and often references for

further reading. Some reference materials and textbooks are considered tertiary

sources when their chief purpose is to list, summarize or simply repackage ideas or

other information. Examples of tertiary sources include dictionaries and

encyclopedias, Wikipedia and similar user-contributed online 'encyclopedias' and

reference materials, as well as various digests (including the Reader's Digest) and

schoolbooks (Huber and Fred, 2004). In a nutshell, tertiary sources are:

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 1. Works which list primary and secondary resources in a specific subject area.

2. Works which index organize and compile citations to, and show secondary

(and sometimes primary) sources can be used.

3. Materials, in which the information from secondary sources has been

"digested", reformatted and condensed, to put it into a convenient, easy-to-

read form.

4. Sources which are once removed in time from secondary sources

2.4.2 Places to Find Information Sources

Some of the places higher institution student can search for information are:

1. Human sources (Colleagues/Peers).

2. Archives.

3. Libraries.

4. Internet.

2.4.2.1 Human Sources (Colleagues/Peers).

Communication with peers and colleagues are a good way of obtaining vital

information. For example, doctors have been found to rely on their colleagues for

information in order to solve a patient’s problems. The value of informal sources

of information especially colleagues and peers cannot be overstressed. The good

side of it is that human sources (colleagues/peers) are readily available to provide

27
needed information at the right time. If the right person is contacted, quality and

up-to-date information will be obtained. The downside of using human sources is

that there may be some element of bias in the information provided, or some

people will say things from their own point of view or exaggerate it.

2.4.2.2 Archives

Archives are places where records of all types and formats are kept and

made accessible for research and other purposes. They are a good place to find

primary sources, both unpublished materials and those that have been published for

their parent institution's members or constituencies. Personal and institutional

records of all types can be found in archives, as well as media, ephemera, oral

histories, and even artifacts. The term archive-scan also refers to the records

themselves. The materials housed in the archives are unique, usually one of a kind

items. Archives store, preserve and make accessible records of enduring value that

have not been produced in great quantities for the general public for research and

understanding. Archival materials are rare and irreplaceable and therefore they are

not loaned out to users.

2.4.2.3 Libraries

When you think about libraries, the first things that come to mind are

probably printed materials such as books, journals and magazines. Libraries also

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provide access to resources such as full text journal and magazine articles,

periodical indexes, and online encyclopedias. Libraries collect quality information

in a wide variety of formats. Academic libraries purchase these sources for their

"community" of students, faculty, and staff. Unlike archives, libraries have mass

produced items such as books, government reports, CDs, DVDs, magazines and

journals. The exceptions are rare books, manuscripts, map and other special

collections. These resources are different from most of the information that is

freely available to you over the Web because they have been reviewed and

recommended by the library with input from the faculty members. Like archives,

libraries have primary source materials in many forms: historical newspapers,

published letters, diaries, and government reports are just a few of the types of

primary sources that can be found in libraries. In addition, some libraries are

similar to archives in that they specialize in information materials such as rare

books and unpublished manuscripts.

2.4.2.4 Internet

The Internet has become a big library for all kinds of information. Some

information sources are available online free of charge while others are fee-based.

Examples include online books, databases, journals and reference resources. Some

of these are free on the Internet while others are based on subscription or purchase.

MEDLINE/PubMed is a good example of a free online database while EMBASE is

29
based on subscription. Below are the various categories of information sources that

could be accessed through the Web (John and Randall, 2004).

1. Reference.

2. Monographs.

3. Periodicals.

4. Indexes and abstracts.

5. Drug information.

6. Databases

2.5 Purpose for Seeking Information by Students

In a study carried out by Fatima and Ahmad (2008), the findings show that

30 (50%) of the respondents seeks information on career development and other

reasons include seeking information for problem-solving, keeping up-to-date and

the need to write an article or research paper.

Many researchers in information seeking behaviour have shown interest in

university student purpose of seeking information. Whitmire (2001) in such study

found out that undergraduates use the library mostly as a place to study and make

photocopies, but do not make great use of some of the available library services,

such as interlibrary loan and the reference desk. Ajiboye and Tella (2007)

conducted a research on university undergraduates' information seeking behaviour:

30
12 percent of the students required information for their personal development,

while 11.25 percent claimed that they sought information on health matter, and

64.1 percent sought for information for their academic development, 9.3 percent to

secure employment.

In a study carried out by Siddiqui (2011) on the Information Seeking

Behaviour of B.Tech. and M.B.B.S. Students in Luck now respondents indicated

the purpose of seeking information. It is clearly stated that the maximum number

of respondent gives the first priority to seek information for examination purposes,

seeking information for updating knowledge level is a second priority, and the

third seek information for preparing class notes and very few gives no response.

This also corroborates the findings of Onouha and Awoniyi (2011) in a study

carried out on the comparative analysis of student’s information seeking behaviour

of undergraduate students of Babcock University (Nigeria) and Solusi University

(Zimbabwe). From the research it was generally observed that students in the two

universities surveyed, sought information mainly for the purpose of updating their

knowledge, preparing for examinations and doing assignment.

2.6 Information needs and Information Seeking Behaviour of Students

Information seeking behaviour is a broad term, which involves a set of

actions that an individual, such as undergraduates, takes to express information

31
needs, seek information, evaluate and select information and finally uses this

information to satisfy his/her information needs (Fatima and Ahmad, 2008).

Information seeking behaviour is prompted by the needs identified by an

individual. However, information need is characterized mostly by the information

seeking behaviour of the person in need of information. Shakeel and

Vinayagamoorthy (2013), information seeking behaviour constitutes determining

information needs, information searching behaviour and use of information. In the

context of this study, the term, information seeking behaviour refers to the

behaviour of students during the processes of seeking information for assignment,

research projects and other non-academic related activities.

Oladokun and Aina (2009) looked into the library and information needs and

barriers to the use of information sources by continuing education students at the

University of Botswana. Their study aimed at the identifying the library and

information needs of the part-time evening students; identifying establishing the

computing and information skills by the part-time evening students. The study

found out that major areas of information needs of the respondents are related to

course of study; job opportunities; career development and further education. The

study also found out that the university library does not adequately cater for the

library and information needs of the students. The study however recommends that

the University of Botswana library should ask for space in the local public

32
libraries, and school libraries to keep some materials for the distance learning

students use Qureshi, Zafar and Khan (2008) investigated the information needs

and seeking behaviour of students in Universities of Pakistan.

The study concluded that there are several factors that have significant effect

on student’s information seeking. Factors such as educational and cultural

background, surrounding environment and student participation have high positive

impact on information needs and information seeking behaviour of students. The

researcher further concludes that, if surrounding environment is helpful and student

participation is active, it will create culture that enhances the students’ information

gathering system (Qureshi et al., 2008).

Chikonzo and Aina (2006) researched into the information needs and

sources of information used by veterinary students at the University of Zimbabwe.

Findings from the study revealed that writing assignments and studying for tests or

examination were the primary tasks for which they required information and the

major sources used to obtain information were books, videos, lecture notes,

handouts, the internet, projects, CD-ROM database and journals. The students

confirmed making little use of indexes, abstracts and dissertations.

Also, in a study carried out by Miriam et al., (2004). They investigated the

information needs and seeking behaviour of undergraduate students of Makerere

33
University using cross–sectional survey, with samples of respondents from the

Department of Biochemistry in the Faculty of Science and the Department of

History in the Faculty of Arts. The sample consisted of 104 undergraduate students

selected from their first, second, and third year of study. Ellis’ six generic

information– seeking activities were tested to establish how undergraduate students

seek information. The chi–square statistic was used to test the stated hypotheses.

The results provide an insight into the factors that influence students information–

seeking behaviour and the information sources used.

The findings revealed that the main information demands that led

undergraduate students into seeking for information include: course works and

assignments (86), preparation for examinations and tests (68), general reading to

enhance lecture notes (55), and class–group discussions (44). Seminars or

preparation for workshops (10), tutorial presentations (15) and dissertation

research (15) all had a lower rating. The study also finds out the sources of

information they prefer using a ranking method. The findings show that lecture

notes and handouts were the most preferred and used, followed by using

departmental Book– Banks and then the University Library. Consulting and

photocopying from colleagues took the fourth position, followed by using Internet

sources, while the University Bookshop took the last position.

34
 Mann (2003) in his study notes that most students use a subject–disciplinary

method in seeking for information which leads them to specific lists of resources

on particular subjects. The author points out that while this method allows students

and researchers to find more specific sources, it limits their knowledge of the fact

that work of interest to their subject appears within the literature of many other

disciplines which impinges on how much they get out of the library system.

Kerins, Madden and Fulton (2004), examined the information seeking patterns of

final year undergraduate engineering students split evenly between two

engineering institutes in Irish universities. It was reported that engineering students

seem to have a preference for channels that require the least effort, such as the

Internet. They explained that the result was due to the fact that student engineers

viewed the Internet as a speedy, current information source which fed initial

information needs quickly. Kerins, Madden, and Fulton explored information-

seeking behaviour among Irish university law students. They also found that most

of these students claimed to use the resources of the library heavily over the course

of their academic programs (Kerins et al., 2004).

Onouha and Awoniyi (2011) carried out a comparative analysis of students‟

information seeking behaviour of undergraduate’s students of Babcock University

(Nigeria) and Solusi University (Zimbabwe). From the research it was generally

observed that students in the two universities surveyed, sought information mainly

35
for the purpose of updating their knowledge, preparing for examinations and doing

assignments. Although one would have expected that students consult librarians /

library staff, when seeking for information, it was however observed that students

prefer discussing with colleagues or person(s) they consider more knowledgeable.

This however, maybe attributed to the fact that discussing with colleagues or

persons‟ considered as knowledgeable may give them better understanding of the

topics they are working on before they embark on a literature search or that

students do not see the librarians/library staff as knowledgeable enough to assist

them. Whatever the case, it is however worrisome that, students from both

universities hardly consult the library catalogue, which is an indication that either

the catalogue is not functioning well or that students lack the necessary skills to

enable them make proper use of the library catalogue. The major problem noted by

the respondents in seeking information is however in the area of material

unavailability. Respondents also noted obsolete materials as another major

problem. An indication that the universities libraries (Babcock and Solusi

University) may not be providing resources to suit the information needs of

students.

36
2.7 Factors Influencing Information Seeking Behaviour of Students

One of the important factors that influence information is trustworthiness.

When information or information source is trust worthy and reliable researcher or

university students will be prone to go into using such information sources for their

research. In a research done by Olayinka et al., (2019) revealed that generally, the

respondents revealed that trustworthiness was considered the topmost information-

seeking behavior factor as they sought for information. This was followed by

accessibility, nature of problem, source of information, familiarity and prior

success and time. Limited financial resources were revealed by the researchers as

the least information-seeking behavior factor. All of this factor either affects the

information behaviour of students directly or indirectly.

Print information resources were the main and predominant information

resources until 1970s when electronic information resources became prominent

sources of information for academic purposes. The advent of electronic

information resources, services and use was a great turning point and challenge to

print resources, services and use (Mohammed, 2015). The first major challenge

was the traditional definition of library as place, physical resources, services,

location which were core in print information resources environment. Mohammed

(2015) established that despite the call for electronic resources and services, print

information resources still provide useful support to academic library users. It was
37
also reported that some library patrons had more faith in information services from

the institution’s library even if they were in electronic format. It was also argued

that electronic information resources cannot replace print information resources in

academic libraries for sometimes to come.

Electronic resources are valuable tools for study, learning and research.

Electronic resources can provide many advantages over traditional print-based

resources: they contain current information because they are updated frequently,

they offer advanced search capabilities, they offer flexibility in the storage of the

results, and they enable access to information without the restrictions of time and

location. The access to electronic resources in Higher Education Institutions is

rapidly increasing. The growth of information in electronic format forces students

to learn how to find, select and use a wide variety of resources. Higher education

must develop these skills, in order to produce qualified individuals, engaged in the

lifelong pursuit of knowledge for personal and professional growth (Agboola,

2010).

There are several challenges facing academic libraries today but there are

two that stand out clearly - libraries need to continue acquiring books and journals

to strengthen their collection amidst the problem of not knowing what exactly to

acquire because there is information explosion which has come with increased

costs and at a time when library budgets are reducing; and libraries must decide
38
how they will respond to the ever increasing and changing electronic information

technologies which have come into the information world to change the traditional

ways and methods of library service (Mohammed, 2015).

Upcoming scholars, especially university freshmen and undergraduates often

experience difficulty searching and using information effectively. Ignorance of

information literacy skills is at the root of students’ search difficulties and poor

performance in school. Cultivation of appropriate information literacy skills is

pertinent to students’ ability to search and use information effectively. Shapiro and

Hughes, (1996) observed from conclusions of previous research on information

literacy (IL) that students think they know more about accessing information and

conducting of library research than they are able to demonstrate in practice. Some

students do not know when information is needed, how to recognize good sources

of information, how to locate relevant information, use and communicate it

effectively. The relevance of information literacy skills in research is still abstract

to many students, including the lifelong learning implications. Information literacy

has drawn attention from librarians, researchers, conference organizers and

educational institutions because of the successful impact it has on the effective use

of information (Al-Aufi et al., 2013).

Most often, hundred level students are as ignorant as those that have never

entered the four walls of a university. However, information literacy education will
39
equip them with requisite research skills. A number of undergraduates have had to

contract out serious research projects and assignments, due to lack of the necessary

research skills. Others plagiarize and copy the work of authors and past projects

without acknowledging such works. In this age of unlimited information, an

understanding of the diverse information sources and needed search skills to

acquire, evaluate, use and communicate information is very critical (Shapiro and

Hughes, 1996). Educational institutions such as the universities have key role in

the equipment and development of human resources, and the libraries and

information centers in these institutions play a key role in the development of

information literacy skills among students.

CILIP (2005) describe information literacy as knowing why and when

information is required, Where to find the needed information, how to evaluate,

use and communicate it in an ethical manner. Thus, an information literate person

must have an understanding and know when:

 Information is needed

 How to find information

 The need to evaluate results

 How to work with or exploit results

 Ethics and responsibility of use

40
  How to communicate or share your findings

Understanding information literacy implies that one identifies a need, and

that information is needed, why information is needed, what and how much, what

kind of information is required as well as any associated constraint in terms of

time, how current, and access as well as recognizing that information is available

in a wide range of format in various other media.

The importance of adequate provision of resources to the realization of any

nation's educational goals cannot be over emphasized. In other words, the success

of nation's educational goals hinges on the availability of professionally trained

teachers and quality infrastructural facilities and equipment. The dearth of human

and material resources for the development of TVE has been an age long problem.

Adesina (2005) and Ekpenyoung (2005) explained that the industrial schools

established by the Christian missionaries the period before 1900 lacked enough

instructors and equipment. In-depth teaching could not take place as a result of this

problem.

41
 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.0 INTRODUCTION

This chapter reveals the research methods adopted under the following

headings: research designs, population of the study, sampling techniques and

sampling size, research instrument, method of data collection and method of data

analysis

3.1 Research Design

Research design refers to the method used to carry out a research (Cooper

and Schindler, 2011). This study adopted descriptive research design. This design

involved collecting data that describe events and then organizes, tabulates, depicts,

and describes the data. Descriptive studies reveal the variables by answering who,

what, and how questions. It is advantageous since it is used extensively to describe

behaviour, attitude, characteristic and values and also give equal chance to be

selected.

3.2 Population of the Study

According to Mugenda and Mugenda (2011), target population is an entire

group of individual events, objects or an item having common observable

42
characteristics with information that the researcher is interested. The population of

the study comprises 77 Library and Information Science (LIS) students and 83

Social Development (SDV) students in Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State.

3.3 Sampling Techniques and Sample Size

According to Kull (2007), sampling is the procedure by which a relatively

small number of individuals, subjects or events are selected and analyzed in order

to find out something about the entire population from which it was selected. Since

the population was of manageable size, the researcher adopted total enumeration

techniques to capture all students in both departments. Therefore, the sample size

of the study was 160 respondents.

Table 3.1: Name of Department of Respondents

Department Number of Respondents

Library and Information Science (LIS) 77

Social Development (SDV) 83

Total 160

Source: Administrative department of respondents

43
3.4 Research Instrument

Data was collected by the use of structured questionnaire. The questionnaire

was considered suitable for this study since it is an efficient way of gathering

information as compared to other instruments. In addition, questionnaires give the

researcher comprehensive data on a wide range of factors. The Questionnaires

contained structured questions which facilitated an easier analysis as they are in

immediate usable form (Kothari, 2010). The questionnaire were in two section,

section A for demographic information of students, while Section B based on

research questions. A four likert scale was used with Strongly Agree-4, Agree-3,

Disagree-2, and Strongly Disagree -1

3.5 Method of Data Collection

The researcher administered the questionnaire to the respondents personally.

The researcher seeks for permission from relevant authorities for the

administration of the questionnaire. This was followed by the collection of filled

copies of the questionnaire. The questionnaire lasted for three weeks.

3.6 Method of Data Analysis

The data thus collected through questionnaires from departments (LIS and

SDV) were scrutinized, tabulated and analyzed using descriptive statistical which

include frequency counts and percentage.

44
 CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

This chapter is structured to address the presentation of data, and analysis of

data in agreement with the research questions.

4.1 Demographic Information of Respondents

Table 4.1: Questionnaire administered and returned rate

Department Copies of Questionnaire % of copies

Questionnaire Retrieved questionnaire
Administered returned
LIS 77 76 98.70
SDV 83 78 98.98

Data in table 4.1 above reveals information on questionnaire response rate of

the respondents. It was shown that out of 77 copies of questionnaire administered

to the Library and Information Science (LIS), 76 were retrieved at 98.70% return

rate, while 83 copies of questionnaire administered to the Social Development

(SDV) students, 78 were retrieved at 98.98% return rate.

Table 4.2: Distribution of the Respondents by Gender

Gender Frequency Percentage

Male 58 37.66
Female 96 62.34
Total 154 100
45
 Table 4.2 above reveals the gender distribution of the students in HND 1 LIS

and HND 1 SDV, from the table it was recorded that 58 (37.66%) of the

respondents were male while 96 (62.34%) are female. The data revealed that

female dominant male in the department of LIS and SDV.

Tables 4.3: Distribution of the Respondents by Age

Age Frequency Percentage

16-21 4 2.60
22-26 135 87.66
27-32 15 9.74
33 above - -
Total 154 100

Table 4.3 shows that 4 (2.60%) respondents were within the age range of 16-

21 years, 135 (87.66%) were within the age range of 22-26 years, 15 (9.74%) were

within the age range of 27-32 years. This table shows that the respondents within

the age range of 22 – 26 had the highest percentage, this means that most library

users in Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo will fall within this range.

Table 4.4: Distribution of the Education level and Department of the

Respondents

Educational level and department Frequency Percentage

HND 1 LIS 76 49.35
HND 1 SDV 78 50.65
Total 154 100

46
 Table 4.4 reveals that 76 (49.35%) respondents were HND 1 LIS were HND

1 students in the department of LIS while the remaining 78 (50.65%) were HND 1

students in SDV department. The highest number of students comes from SDV

department, although the difference between the numbers of students in both

departments is two.

Analysis of Research Questions

Table 4.5: What are the types of information needs of students?

Students information needs SA A D SD
Information on entertainments 144 10 - -
Information on academics 147 7 - -
Information on politics 142 8 4 -
Information on sport 140 14 - -
Information on health 138 16 - -
Information on business planning 110 41 3 -
Information on family or family related 70 57 27 -
issues
Information on religion 83 61 10 -
Information about issues going on in the 78 60 14 2
country
Information on sciences 118 31 5 -

Table 4.5 revealed the types of information students need, most of the

students strongly agreed that the information they need are based on entertainments

about 144 of the respondents strongly agreed to this and 10 of the respondents

agreed to it as well, none of the respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed to it.

147 strongly agreed to that they seek information on academics, 7 also agreed to

47
this while no respondents disagreed nor strongly disagreed to it. Surprisingly most

of the students strongly agreed (142) on political information, 8 of the respondents

agreed to it, while only 4 of the respondents finds it irrelevant. Sports are one the

best entertainment categories out there today with billions of people spending

hours on internet, radio and television to themselves updated. 140 of the

respondents strongly agreed and dim it necessary while 14 of the students agreed to

it as well, No students hate sports therefore no students disagree to strongly

disagree to it. We are all living in an era whereby health information is of great

importance, there is a saying that health is wealth and about 138 of the students

strongly agreed that their health status is of utmost importance to them and 16 of

the students also agreed to their point of view. No student disagreed nor strongly

disagreed to this type of information need.

Business helps generate income, to start a business there is always a need to

know more about the business before indulging or investing in such business. 110

students strongly agreed that it is of great importance to gather information on

business if they don’t want to run into losses, 41 students also felt the same way as

110 students agreed to information on business. However, 3 students disagreed

with this the reason for their answer is unknown. The smallest unit of a community

is the family and their impact have always being felt in the community at large,

well only 70 respondents felt there is need to have information on family or family

48
related issues, 57 also agree to this. Surprising 27 students does feel information

regarding family or family related issues is irrelevant, this might probably be

because they are always part of the family and they can get whatever information

they need at any time.

Religion information has being a matter of great importance among mankind

for thousand years now, surprising 83 of the students strongly agreed to it to be

truth, 61 of the students also agree to this as a matter of great importance. 10

students among the 154 disagreed with this and possibly think it’s a matter that

concerns only the clergymen or those taking the lead in the church/mosque and

other set of religion. 78 students strongly agreed that information about the country

issues are information that concerns every citizens in the country, 60 of the

students also agreed to this, 14 of the students disagreed on this while 2 of the

respondents strongly disagreed that information regarding the country is not a

matter of importance to them. 118 respondents strongly agreed that science

information is an important aspect to be concerned about, 31 of the respondents

also agreed to this also, only five (5) disagreed that science is not something

someone should themselves with.

49
Table 4.6: What are the students’ information seeking behaviours?

Statement SA A D SD
I firstly identify the information I
need before I begin to consult the 144 10 - -
information sources
I like to compare different sources of
information materials before I 128 22 3 1
finally use the resource
I am always anxious whenever I
need information 48 54 44 8
I usually feel frustrated when
consulting a source and not finding 92 38 22 4
what I need
I usually feel overwhelmed when
trying to satisfy my information 105 35 12 2
need due to the volume of
information available
If I did not get the information I
need in a particular information 124 20 8 2
material, I will continue searching
for information until I am satisfied

Table 4.6 revealed the information on students seeking behaviours.

Knowing/ identifying/understanding the information needed before consulting the

information source can help solve the problems easier. 144 students strongly agree

and 10 students also agree that its important to understand the information they

need before searching for answers. Gathering information from difference to

compare and also check for authencity helps students to have true knowledge on

that particular topic. Most (128) of the students strongly agree and 22 students

agree that they compare different sources of information materials before they

finally use the resource, however 3 students disagree and 1 students strongly

50
disagree on this statement. 48 and 54 students strongly agreed and agreed that they

often feel concerned whenever they need information, 44 students don’t feel this

way hence disagree with this statement, while 8 students strongly disagree with the

statement. 92 students strongly agreed and 38 of the students agreed that they feel

frustrated when consulting a source and not finding what they need, however 22

students disagree while 4 students strongly disagree to the statement.

Many information are always available in the library and internet on many

topic, this might be overwhelming to students at times and they find it difficult to

start because of the massive information at their disposal, 105 students strongly

agree that this is always the case at times and 35 of the students felt the same way,

12 students among the respondents don’t find this to be challenging and 2 students

strongly disagree with this statement. Finding information on a particular subject

can be of great challenge to students especially to those who don’t know how go

about it, 124 students strongly agreed that they continue to search for information

if they cannot find it in a particular information materials, 20 students also agreed

to this, while 8 students disagreed with this statement and 2 of the students strongly

disagreed to this. This might be due to the lack of skills on how to gather

information on their own path.

51
Table 4.7: What are the students’ most preferred information sources?

Students most preferred information SA A D SD

sources
Library 144 10 - -
I.CT. 144 10 - -
Social media 120 31 3 -
Lecturers/lectures note 136 18 - -
Colleagues/friends 48 54 44 8
Personal Collections 124 20 8 2
Social media only 70 59 25 -
Mass media. 146 8 2 -
From people in the neighborhood / 92 38 20 4
Relatives
Textbooks 110 40 4 -

Table 4.7 shows the students most preferred information sources, 144

students strongly agree that they preferred library as their source of information

and 10 students agree to the statement, the same numbers of students also preferred

ICT as their most preferred information source. 120 students strongly agree that

their most preferred information source is through the use of social media this is

not surprising since many people in the world today spread information on social

media such as whatsapp, facebook, instagram, twitter etc than ever, 31 students

also agree to this statement, however 3 students disagree with this information

source. Lecturers and lecturers notes carries information that are vital to the

success of their students, therefore is not surprising that 136 students strongly

agree that it is their source of information while 18 students also agree to this

source of information.

52
 48 students strongly agree and 54 students agree to this source of

information (colleagues/friends), however, 44 students disagree and 8 students

strongly agree to this statement as their source of information. 124 students

strongly agree and 20 students agree that their source of information is their

personal information in their rooms, but 8 students and 2 students among the 154

students disagree and strongly disagree that personal information is their source of

information. Information also spread far and wide like fire through people, people

often heard of new information from the colleagues and friends before they heard

about it on news or social media. As said earlier, social media carries

overwhelming information on politics, sports, religion and many more information

and it can be with the use of smart phone, laptop/desktop and internets to access

those information, this might be one the reasons why 70 students strongly agree

and 59 students agree that it is their only source of information, while 25 students

disagree that they have other source of information apart from the use of social

media.

Before the use of social media and ICT, mass media have being the sure

source of information since years back, 146 students strongly agree and testify to

this and 8 students also agree to this as well, while 2 students disagree to this as

their source of information. Neighbors and relatives are just one step away from

every individuals, since people enjoy discussing matters regarding many issues like

53
lives, religions, politics and educations, many people view this as their source of

information. 92 of the students accept this and strongly agree to it, while 38

students also agree to this however 20 students disagree and 4 students strongly

disagree to it as their source of information. Textbooks comprises of the findings

of many scholars regarding topics that concern our lives, many people finds it

interesting and consider it to be a reliable source of their information, this is true in

the case of 110 students who strongly agree to this source of information, while 40

of the students also agree to it to be true, however 4 students disagree to it and

didn’t regard it as their source of information.

Table 4.8: What are the purposes for seeking information by the students?

Purposes for seeking information SA A D SD

I seek information to update my
Knowledge 140 7 7 -
I seek information for doing any
given assignment 132 18 4 -
I seek information in order to
prepare for examination 116 28 9 1
I seek information whenever I want
to make decision 110 22 21 1
My purpose of seeking for
information is to execute research 133 18 2 1
project
I seek information for personal
career development 134 20 - -

54
 Table 4.8 revealed the purpose of seeking information by the students in

HND 1 LIS and HND 1 SDV department of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo. 140

students strongly agree that they seek information to gather and update their

knowledge, 7 students also agree to this as well; however 7 students disagree with

this purpose of seeking information. 132 students strongly believes that the

purpose of seeking information is for them to solve the assignment given to them

by their tutors, also 18 students agree with this point of view as well, however 4

students disagree that solving assignment is not the only purpose for them.

Students are always on deck studying in other words gather information

about that particular subject to get themselves prepared for examination. This is the

case for 116 students who strongly agree to this purpose of seeking information, 28

students also share this point of view hence agree to the purpose also, while 9

students disagree and 1 student strongly disagree that their purpose of seeking

information is not limited to examination. 110 students strongly agree and finds it

very important to source for information when it comes to decision making and 22

students believe this, however 21 students does not finds it important hence they

disagree with the purpose and 1 students strongly disagree to it as well. 133

students strongly agree and 18 students agree that they seek for information

whenever they wants to execute research project, however 2 students do not share

this believe and 1 student strongly oppose it also. 134 students strongly believes to

55
seek information for career development and 20 students also agree to this purpose

of seeking information.

Table 4.9: What are the challenges encountered by students in their course of
information seeking?

Challenges SA A D SD
Difficulty in accessing both print and online 141 7 6 -
material
Poor searching skills 132 16 4 2
Not being computer literate 137 17 - -
Financial constraints 140 10 1 3
Lack of awareness about source of 135 8 9 2
information
Non-availability of relevant information 124 20 9 1

Table 4.9 shows in details the challenges encountered by students in their

course of information seeking, among the challenges faced by those students is

difficulty in accessing both print and online materials, this is so since 141 students

strongly agree to it as the major problems and 7 students also agree to this also

while 6 students disagree that accessing printed and online materials has never

been their problems. Poor searching skills have proof to limit information seeking

in students, 132 students strongly agree to it and 16 students also agree. However,

4 students disagree and 2 strongly disagree that that never consider poor searching

skills a challenge. Not being computer literate often hinder people to make use of

internet to get the information they need, 137 and 17 students strongly agree and

56
agree to this as one of challenges that often face when seeking information.

Financial constraint also contribute to the set back of the students, not having

enough capital to purchase textbooks, smart phone or even subscribe can affect the

students interest in seeking information, 140 students strongly agree to this

challenge, 10 students agree to it also, 1 and 3 students disagree and strongly

disagree to this as being a challenge for them. Lack of awareness of information

source can also stand as an obstacle if care is not taken, this was prove to be true as

135 students strongly agree and 8 students agree of not knowing the source of

information to search in gathering information. 9 students however disagree to this

while 2 students strongly disagree to the challenge as well. Non-availability of

relevant information was also reported by the students as one of the challenges

they face when seeking information as 124 students strongly support this and 20

students also believe this to be true, however 9 students disagree on this and 1

student strongly disagree to this as being a challenge that can hinder them for

seeking information.

57
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the following summary of findings, conclusion and

recommendations

5.1 Summary of Findings

The summary of the finding are as follows;

i. From the findings of the study, the respondents’ information needs related to

entertainment, academics, politics, sport, health, business planning, family

and family related issues etc, these information needs are important since

these are vital information that has negative or positive influence in their

daily lives.

ii. The information seeking behaviour of the students revealed that the students

identify the information before consulting information source, compare

various source of information materials before using the resource, however

some of the students fill anxious before whenever need information this can

be might be to lack of searching skills, lack of capital or not being a

computer literate.

iii. The most preferred information source of the students was revealed to be

library, ICT, social media, lecturers and lecturer note, personal collections
58
 while some of the students uses the combination of two information source

to gather information.

iv. The reasons/purpose of seeking information revealed the meaning course of

the information of the students, most of the students seeks information for

career goals in life, to execute their research project, to prepare themselves

for exams and to update their existing knowledge.

5.2 Conclusion

From the findings, it is evident that students need information mainly when

carry out research, updating of knowledge, current awareness services, when

writing assignment, examinations, during decision making and to complement

lecture note among others. More so, the result indicated that, mass media library,

ICT, personal collection and textbooks are the most consulted information

materials by the students in Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo. However, challenges

such as accessing printed and online materials, poor searching skills, financial

constraints, and lack of awareness among others restrain the students in course of

seeking information.

5.3 Recommendations

Based on the findings and conclusion of this study, the following

recommendations are made:

59
 i. Library management should provide both print and non-print information,

more textbooks and others related resources materials that would enhance

knowledge in the institution

ii. The academic staff should be trained and retrained in order to enhance their

knowledge and skill towards update information.

iii. Introduction of computerized or digital information resources in the

institution: - Many students who used the library are ICT compliant. This

calls for the need to introduced ICT to the institution understudy.

iv. Facilities such as e-books, e-journals and reference materials should be made

available in the school’s library for students to make use of.

60
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QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear Respondents,

67
 The questionnaire is designed to elicit information for students’ research on
information needs and information seeking behavior of LIS and SDV HND 1
students. I solicit your cooperation and promise to treat all information with
confidentiality. Thank you.

SECTION A
1. Gender : Male ( ) Female ( )
2. Age : 16– 21 years ( ) 21 – 26 years ( ) 27 – 32 years ( ) 33 years and
above ( )
3. Education Level and Department: HND I LIS ( ) HND I SDV ( )
SECTION B
1. What are the types of information needs of students?
Please, rate as follows, Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), Strongly
Disagree (SD).
Students information needs SA A D SD
Information on entertainments
Information on academics
Information on politics
Information on sport
Information on health
Information on business planning
Information on family or family related
issues
Information on religion
Information about issues going on in the
country
Information on sciences

2. What are the students’ information seeking behaviours?

Please, rate as follows, Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), Strongly
Disagree (SD).
Statement SA A D SD
I firstly identify the information I
need before I begin to consult the
information sources
I like to compare different sources of
information materials before I

68
finally use the resource
I am always anxious whenever I
need information
I usually feel frustrated when
consulting a source and not finding
what I need
I usually feel overwhelmed when
trying to satisfy my information
need due to the volume of
information available
If I did not get the information I
need in a particular information
material, I will continue searching
for information until I am satisfied

3. What are the students’ most preferred information sources?

Please, rate as follows, Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), Strongly
Disagree (SD).
Students most preferred information SA A D SD
sources
Library
I.CT.
Social media
Lecturers/lectures note
Colleagues/friends
Personal Collections
Social media only
Mass media.
From people in the neighborhood /
Relatives
Textbooks

4. What are the purposes for seeking information by the students?

Please, rate as follows, Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), Strongly
Disagree (SD).
Purposes for seeking information SA A D SD
I seek information to update my
Knowledge

69
I seek information for doing any
given assignment
I seek information in order to
prepare for examination
I seek information whenever I want
to make decision
My purpose of seeking for
information is to execute research
project
I seek information for personal
career development

5. What are the challenges encountered by students in their course of information

seeking?
Please, rate as follows, Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), Strongly
Disagree (SD).
Challenges SA A D SD
Difficulty in accessing both print and online
material
Poor searching skills
Not being computer literate
Financial constraints
Lack of awareness about source of
information
Non-availability of relevant information

70