Project – Information Literacy Skills and the Use of Electronic Databases among Postgraduate Students: A Study of the University of Nigeria Library System

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The contemporary university environment is characterized by an increasing dependence on electronic information resources for teaching, learning and research. The growth of scholarly publishing in electronic formats has made databases containing journal articles, conference proceedings, theses, dissertations, e-books, abstracts and bibliographic records important components of academic library services. For postgraduate students, who are expected to engage extensively in independent research, electronic databases provide access to current and specialized literature beyond what may be available in conventional print collections. However, access to databases alone does not guarantee effective use. Students need the ability to recognize an information need, formulate appropriate search strategies, identify suitable sources, evaluate information critically and use information ethically. The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL, 2016) therefore conceptualizes information literacy as a set of integrated abilities involving the discovery, evaluation, understanding and ethical use of information in the creation of knowledge. This perspective makes information literacy particularly important to postgraduate education, where students are expected to move beyond simply finding information to critically engaging with scholarly evidence.

Information literacy has become increasingly complex because the modern information environment contains an enormous variety of sources of differing quality, authority and relevance. Postgraduate students may encounter peer-reviewed journal articles alongside predatory publications, institutional reports, websites, social-media information, preprints and other electronic materials. Consequently, an information-literate postgraduate student must possess more than basic computer or searching skills. Such a student should be able to identify appropriate information needs, select suitable databases, construct effective search queries, use Boolean operators and filters, assess the credibility and relevance of retrieved materials, recognize scholarly authority and acknowledge information sources appropriately. The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education identifies concepts such as Research as Inquiry, Authority Is Constructed and Contextual, Information Has Value, and Searching as Strategic Exploration, emphasizing that information literacy involves both practical knowledge and critical understanding of the information ecosystem.

Electronic databases are particularly important to postgraduate research because they provide organized access to scholarly information that may otherwise be difficult to identify efficiently. Databases such as EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, JSTOR, ProQuest, Emerald, Scopus, Web of Science, HINARI, AGORA and other subject-specific services can substantially increase the range of literature available to postgraduate researchers. However, the usefulness of these resources depends partly on students’ ability to identify appropriate databases and retrieve relevant information from them. Ambali, Abubakar and Issa (2021), in their study of postgraduate students in selected North-Central Nigerian universities, found that Internet resources, e-books, e-journals, ScienceDirect, AGORA, DOAJ and TEEAL were among the major electronic databases available and accessible to students. The study also identified poor Internet connectivity, high database costs, epileptic electricity supply and insufficient funding for subscriptions as challenges affecting database use. These findings demonstrate that effective electronic database utilization is influenced by both students’ competencies and the technological and institutional environment in which information services are provided.

The Nigerian university environment has experienced growing demand for information literacy programmes as students increasingly depend on electronic resources for academic work. Anunobi and Ukwoma (2016) examined information literacy programmes in Nigerian universities and found that many universities had not yet fully consolidated their library literacy programmes into comprehensive information literacy programmes capable of responding adequately to contemporary information and research needs. The researchers emphasized the importance of continuously evaluating and updating information literacy programmes so that students can develop competencies appropriate to changing information environments. This concern is especially relevant to postgraduate students because their research activities require more sophisticated information-searching and evaluation skills than basic library orientation may provide. Effective information literacy instruction should therefore be integrated into postgraduate education and should address practical research competencies rather than merely introducing students to library rules and collections.

Evidence from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka further demonstrates the importance of information literacy in the use of electronic information resources. Ekwelem, Okafor and Ukwoma (2009), in a study involving 600 students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, examined the extent and pattern of electronic information source use. The study found that a substantial proportion of students regarded electronic information sources as providing reliable access to information, while the Internet was the most preferred electronic information source. However, inadequate skills, financial constraints and epileptic power supply were identified among the barriers to effective use. The researchers recommended user training and improved infrastructure to facilitate electronic information access. Although the study covered students generally rather than postgraduate students alone, its findings are particularly relevant to the present study because they demonstrate that availability of electronic information resources within the University of Nigeria environment does not necessarily translate into effective utilization when users lack adequate skills and supporting infrastructure.

More specifically, research on postgraduate students in the University of Nigeria has revealed measurable differences and challenges in information literacy competencies. Anunobi and Udem (2015) examined information literacy competencies among Library and Information Science postgraduate students in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Their findings indicated that the students demonstrated relatively strong information literacy knowledge concerning the need for information, locating information, evaluating information and using information, but their practical information literacy skills were at a moderate level, with differences between the institutions. The researchers consequently recommended greater emphasis on practical skill acquisition. This finding is important because postgraduate research requires students to translate conceptual knowledge about information into actual database-searching, retrieval, evaluation and application skills. A student may understand that scholarly information should be evaluated but still experience difficulty constructing an effective database search, narrowing results, identifying relevant peer-reviewed literature or using advanced search features.

Recent research further strengthens the relevance of examining information literacy and electronic resource use among postgraduate students. Iwundu et al. (2024) specifically examined the level of information literacy skills and database use among postgraduate students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The study focused on postgraduate students in the Department of Library and Information Science and investigated their information literacy skills and use of databases. This provides direct evidence that the relationship between information literacy and database use is an important issue within the University of Nigeria context. Similarly, Udem and Molokwu (2026) reported a very high positive and significant relationship between information literacy skills and the use of electronic information resources among Library and Information Science postgraduate students in federal universities in South-East Nigeria. Their findings suggest that students’ information literacy capabilities can be an important factor in determining their effective use of electronic information resources. Nevertheless, there remains a need to examine the issue more broadly across the University of Nigeria Library System and among postgraduate students from different academic disciplines, rather than concentrating only on Library and Information Science students.

The University of Nigeria Library System provides an appropriate context for examining this issue because postgraduate students depend on library-supported electronic information resources throughout the research process, including topic development, literature review, theoretical formulation, methodology development and scholarly writing. Studies conducted at the University of Nigeria have already shown that students make use of electronic and specialized library resources, but challenges such as inadequate skills, infrastructure limitations, incomplete awareness of available resources and difficulties in accessing current materials can affect effective utilization. For example, Omeje, Sambe and Onah (2016) found that postgraduate students using special collections at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Library relied on materials such as theses, dissertations, government documents and other specialized resources for their research, while problems included inadequate networking and difficulties accessing current materials. Similarly, Mole (2017) examined online information-resource utilization among University of Nigeria students and emphasized the need to understand users’ resource preferences, purposes, extent of use and challenges. These studies indicate that the effectiveness of the University’s electronic information environment cannot be separated from students’ abilities to identify, access and utilize information resources appropriately.

Against this background, information literacy skills and electronic database use represent two closely connected dimensions of postgraduate research effectiveness. A postgraduate student may have access to numerous databases but fail to obtain relevant literature because of limited knowledge of database interfaces, ineffective search strategies, inability to use controlled vocabulary, inadequate evaluation skills or unfamiliarity with citation and reference-management practices. Conversely, students with stronger information literacy skills are potentially better positioned to exploit advanced database functions and make informed judgments about retrieved information. Evidence from Nigeria supports this relationship: Adeyemi’s study of postgraduate students at the University of Ibadan found that lack of information literacy skills constituted an obstacle to effective use of electronic databases, while more recent Nigerian research has reported significant relationships between students’ proficiency or information literacy and electronic-resource use. The present study therefore seeks to examine Information Literacy Skills and the Use of Electronic Databases among Postgraduate Students: A Study of the University of Nigeria Library System, with emphasis on students’ abilities to locate, search, evaluate and use electronic databases and the factors that may influence their utilization.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The increasing availability of electronic databases in university libraries has created significant opportunities for postgraduate students to access current and specialized scholarly information. However, the existence of electronic databases does not automatically mean that students can use them effectively. Research evidence has shown that students may experience difficulties arising from inadequate information literacy skills, limited searching competencies, insufficient awareness of available resources and infrastructural constraints. At the University of Nigeria, Ekwelem, Okafor and Ukwoma (2009) identified inadequate skills among the barriers to effective use of electronic information sources, despite the importance and availability of such resources. This raises an important concern about whether postgraduate students, who have more intensive research requirements, possess the necessary competencies to make optimal use of the electronic databases provided through the University of Nigeria Library System.

A second problem relates to the difference between possessing information literacy knowledge and being able to apply information literacy skills effectively in real research situations. Anunobi and Udem (2015) found that Library and Information Science postgraduate students in South-East Nigerian universities demonstrated considerable information literacy knowledge but only moderate levels of practical information literacy skills. This distinction is important because postgraduate research requires students to transform theoretical understanding into practical activities such as identifying appropriate databases, developing search terms, applying Boolean operators, filtering results, evaluating retrieved literature and using information ethically. If students understand the principles of information literacy but lack sufficient practical competence, the availability of electronic databases may not produce the expected improvement in research efficiency and quality.

Another problem concerns the utilization gap that may exist between electronic database availability and actual use. Nigerian studies have demonstrated that postgraduate students may have access to a variety of electronic databases while their patterns of utilization differ considerably according to the database, discipline, awareness, perceived usefulness, technical skills and availability of supporting infrastructure. Ambali et al. (2021) found differences in the frequency with which postgraduate students used various electronic databases and identified Internet connectivity, database subscription costs, electricity problems and inadequate funding as important challenges. Similarly, Adeyemi’s study of postgraduate students at the University of Ibadan reported that although students were aware of electronic databases, lack of information literacy skills remained an obstacle to their effective utilization. These findings suggest that simply subscribing to electronic databases is insufficient unless students possess the competencies required to search and exploit them effectively.

Although previous studies have examined information literacy competencies, electronic information resource use and database utilization among Nigerian university students, there is still a need for a focused assessment of the relationship between information literacy skills and electronic database use among postgraduate students across the University of Nigeria Library System. A particularly important gap is that some existing University of Nigeria studies have focused on students generally, while others have concentrated specifically on Library and Information Science postgraduate students. Iwundu et al. (2024), for example, examined information literacy skills and database use among postgraduate students in Library and Information Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, while Udem and Molokwu (2026) examined Library and Information Science postgraduate students in federal universities in South-East Nigeria. The present study therefore seeks to provide broader evidence on postgraduate students’ information literacy skills, their use of electronic databases, the challenges they encounter and the relationship between their information literacy competencies and database utilization within the University of Nigeria Library System.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine information literacy skills and the use of electronic databases among postgraduate students in the University of Nigeria Library System.

The specific objectives are to:

1. determine the level of information literacy skills possessed by postgraduate students in the University of Nigeria Library System;
2. identify the electronic databases available and commonly used by postgraduate students;
3. determine the extent to which postgraduate students use electronic databases for academic and research purposes;
4. examine the information literacy skills required by postgraduate students for effective use of electronic databases

1.4 Research Questions

The study will be guided by the following research questions:

1. What is the level of information literacy skills possessed by postgraduate students in the University of Nigeria Library System?
2. What electronic databases are available and commonly used by postgraduate students?
3. To what extent do postgraduate students use electronic databases for academic and research purposes?
4. What information literacy skills are required by postgraduate students for effective use of electronic databases?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between information literacy skills and the use of electronic databases among postgraduate students in the University of Nigeria Library System.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to postgraduate students because it will provide an understanding of the information literacy competencies required for effective use of electronic databases. The findings may help students identify weaknesses in their searching, evaluation, retrieval and information-use abilities and encourage them to take greater advantage of library training programmes.

The study will also be significant to university librarians and information professionals. The findings will provide evidence concerning the competencies students possess and the areas where additional information-literacy instruction may be required. This may assist librarians in designing practical training programmes focusing on database searching, Boolean operators, advanced search techniques, evaluation of scholarly information, citation practices and ethical use of information.

The study will be useful to the University of Nigeria Library System because it may provide empirical evidence for evaluating existing electronic-resource services and user-education programmes. The findings could assist library management in determining whether postgraduate students are adequately aware of available databases and whether existing orientation and information-literacy programmes sufficiently address postgraduate research needs.

The study will also benefit the University of Nigeria management and postgraduate schools. Since postgraduate research contributes significantly to the University’s academic output, ensuring that students can efficiently locate and evaluate scholarly information is important to research quality. The findings may encourage stronger collaboration between postgraduate programmes, academic departments and the library in integrating information-literacy instruction into postgraduate education.

The study will be useful to lecturers and research supervisors. Supervisors may benefit from understanding the information-searching difficulties encountered by postgraduate students and may use the findings to encourage students to make more effective use of scholarly databases when preparing literature reviews, research proposals, theses and dissertations.

The study will also contribute to Library and Information Science scholarship by providing empirical evidence concerning the relationship between information literacy skills and electronic database use in a Nigerian university environment. It will complement existing research on information literacy and electronic information-resource utilization and may serve as a reference for future studies.

Finally, the study will be significant to future researchers who may wish to investigate information literacy, electronic databases, digital scholarship, research competencies, library instruction and postgraduate research support. The findings may provide a basis for comparative studies involving other Nigerian universities, academic disciplines or categories of library users.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on Information Literacy Skills and the Use of Electronic Databases among Postgraduate Students in the University of Nigeria Library System.

The geographical scope is limited to the University of Nigeria, particularly the library system serving postgraduate students. The study will cover postgraduate students who use the University’s library and electronic information resources for academic and research purposes.

The content scope will focus on information literacy competencies including the ability to identify information needs, locate information, formulate search strategies, search electronic databases, evaluate retrieved information, select relevant scholarly materials and use information ethically.

The study will also examine the use of electronic databases, including students’ awareness of available databases, frequency of use, purposes of use, preferred databases, search techniques and challenges encountered during database utilization.

The study will further consider factors such as inadequate information literacy skills, limited awareness, Internet connectivity, electricity supply, database accessibility, user training and technical difficulties as possible challenges affecting electronic database use.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Electronic Databases: Organized electronic collections of scholarly and bibliographic information that provide users with searchable access to journal articles, books, conference proceedings, theses, abstracts and other academic resources.

Electronic Database Use: The process through which postgraduate students search, retrieve, access, download, read, evaluate and utilize information obtained from electronic databases for academic and research purposes.

Information Literacy: The ability to recognize an information need and effectively locate, access, evaluate, use and communicate information in an ethical and appropriate manner.

Information Literacy Skills: The practical abilities that enable students to identify information needs, formulate searches, locate relevant information, evaluate sources and use retrieved information effectively and ethically.

Postgraduate Students: Students enrolled in Master’s, postgraduate diploma or doctoral programmes at the University of Nigeria.

Information Retrieval: The process of identifying and obtaining relevant information from electronic databases or other information systems in response to a specific information need.

Database Searching: The systematic process of entering keywords, subject terms, Boolean operators, filters and other search commands into an electronic database to identify relevant information.

Scholarly Information: Information produced for academic or research purposes, particularly peer-reviewed journal articles, scholarly books, conference papers, theses, dissertations and credible research reports.

University Library System: The organized network of library facilities, electronic resources, services, personnel and information systems established to support teaching, learning and research at the University of Nigeria.

Postgraduate Research: Systematic academic investigation undertaken by Master’s and doctoral students to generate, evaluate or contribute to knowledge.

Project – Information Literacy Skills and the Use of Electronic Databases among Postgraduate Students: A Study of the University of Nigeria Library System