Library and Information Studies

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Browsing Library and Information Studies by Author "Akakandelwa, Akakandelwa"

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    The 2018 research productivity of the university of Zambia.
    (Zambia Journal of Library & Information Science, 2022) Makondo, Francina N. S.; Kanyengo, Wamunyima Christine; Akakandelwa, Akakandelwa; Sitali, Wamundila; Moyo, Felicitas N.; Chewe, Pailet; Monde, Wamunyima Mercy; Phiri, Lighton; Kabilwa, Silumesi; Chitumbo, Miyanda Eness M.; Chulu, Francis
    This paper presents the findings of a study on research productivity of the University of Zambia (UNZA) in the year 2018 using selected bibliometric indicators. Data was collected from Scopus, PubMed, Google scholar, UNZA Institutional Repository, UNZA Journals Online, and others. Five hundred and sixteen (516) publications were analysed using Microsoft Excel. VOSviewer was used to visualise research themes based on keywords. The study established that 366 academic staff participated in the total research output, giving a 39% participation rate. Results further revealed an overall staff-to-paper publication ratio of 0.6 and 0.8 degrees of collaboration among the researchers. The research output was characterised by journal articles (79.8%) as the most preferred medium of research dissemination while the majority (80%) of the publications were multiple-authored. The study recommends converting traditional journals into online open access journals to improve the impact of UNZA's research output while encouraging staff to engage in research. Keywords: Bibliometric analysis, Research Output, Research Productivity, Research Assessment, Research Evaluation, Citations, Research Collaboration, University of Zambia, Zambia, 2018.
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    Challenges of using Koha as a library management system among libraries in higher education institutions in Zambia.
    (DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology, 2021-03-26) Bwalya, Tuesday; Akakandelwa, Akakandelwa
    This study investigated the challenges facing libraries in higher education institutions in Zambia in their use of Koha. The study was a descriptive survey involving 41 libraries from higher education institutions. Data was collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. The findings revealed that the major challenge was the inability of librarians to effectively use all the modules in Koha because of a lack of skills. The modules that are mainly used are circulation and cataloguing modules. The other challenges identified were poor Internet connectivity, lack of technical support, and difficulties upgrading and backing up the Koha database.
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    An evaluation of children and youth’s usage of the Lubuto model library services.
    (The University Of Zambia School of Education Department Library and Information Science, 2018-12) Akakandelwa, Akakandelwa; Chanza, Namunza; Chisenga, Kenneth; Mwiya, Lungowe; Matani, Mfumukazi M.
    The main objective of this study was evaluate the usefulness of services offered by Lubuto Model Library to children and youths. The specific objectives of the study were: to establish the extent to which the children and youths use the services being offered at Lubuto Model Library, to investigate the social-economic benefits children and youth derive from their usage of Lubuto Model Library, to establish the extent to which the children and youths are satisfied with the services offered at Lubuto Model Library, to assess the challenges children and youths face when using the services offered at Lubuto Model Library, and to investigate the impact of the mentorship program offered at Lubuto Model Library on the children and youths. The study used both convenience and purposive sampling to sample the respondents. Data was collected using administered questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic techniques while quantitative data was analyzed using the Statistical Packaging for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 to generate frequencies, charts and other descriptive statistics. Ninety-three percent of the respondents were regular users of Lubuto Model Library, of which 49% visited the library daily while 44% visited the library on a weekly basis. The majority of the respondents visited the library for the following services to attend the reading program (43%), to attend the mentorship program (20.5%), and to use the computers and the Internet (20.5%). Some of the social-economic benefits respondents derived from the use of the Lubuto Model Library included improved reading skills (17%), obtaining sex education (14%), access to free computers and Internet (12%), enabled them choose careers (9%), and them discover their talents (8%),enabled them receive mentorship, received counselling (6%), provided facilities to do their homework (6%), enabled them to make friends (4%) and to connect with their families (4%), enabled them receive scholarships (3%). Respondents were satisfied with the library staff’s hospitality and commitment (88.8%), the social interactions that the library was facilitating (83.7%), the movies they had been watching (79.6%), literacy programs (77.6%), the general environment (76.5%), the available books (72.2%). The major challenges respondents were facing as they used the Library include noise (31.4%), difficulties in accessing books (16.2%), and inadequate toilet facilities (1.5%). ii The respondents reported that the mentorship program enabled to develop high levels of selfesteem, abstain casual unprotected sex, develop self-confidence, improve social interaction, attain sex education and knowledge on HIV/AIDS, knowledge on gender roles, obtain scholarships, return to school, develop personal hygiene, and access to counselling. The study recommends that the Ministry of General Education, through the Zambia Library Service, should work in collaboration with the Lubuto Library Partners and other nongovernmental organizations to provide similar library services across the country.
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    Health information needs of women: a survey of literature.
    (The International Journal of Multi-Disciplinary Research, 2018) Mulauzi, Felesia; Akakandelwa, Akakandelwa
    Understanding women’s health information needs is the foundation for developing women-centered health information systems and services. Yet there is no clear understanding as to what constitutes women’s health information needs to inform and shape information provision among them. The main objective of this study was to identify the health information needs of women. Specifically, the study looked at how health information needs are articulated in literature, identified the health information needs of women at global, African and Zambian levels and gaps in literature on health information needs of women. The study considered literature published from 2000 to 2017. To retrieve literature relevant to the aims of the review, both print and electronic materials were consulted. The findings revealed varying ways in which health information needs are conceptualized. The findings also show varied and unique women’s health information needs ranging from disease specific to reproductive health. Major gaps in literature regarding health information needs have also been established including the fact that most of the studies on health information have been done in developed nations, hence there is little understanding on health information needs of women in underdeveloped countries. The paper ends by recommending that researchers should conduct more studies on health information needs of women especially in developing countries and that system designers should develop information systems and services that can address women’s health information needs adequately
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    Health information seeking behaviour of women in a web-based environment: a survey of literature.
    (SCECSAL, 2016-04) Mulauzi, Felesia; Akakandelwa, Akakandelwa
    The exponential growth of the World Wide Web has been the catalyst for an information revolution. Amid this growth, there has been the obvious benefits to individuals of being able to access information on any given topic from anywhere in the world. Similarly, there has been an incredible growth in health related information on the Web. The growth in health-related information has been so fast and their content so expansive that it is virtually impossible not to find information on any type of illness, regardless of the severity or rareness. It is well known that many individuals with health problems turn to the Web to seek out relevant health information to improve their lives. Notwithstanding the fact that Web-based health information search has turn out to be a common activity for persons with innumerable health concerns, limited attention has been paid to ascertain how women seek Web-based health information. Hence the need for a study to examine how women seek health information in a Web-based environment. This paper is based on a study that investigated the health information seeking behavior of women through a desk research. We examined various literatures that revealed regional and gender gaps in internet accessibility and usage for health information. The study further revealed a number of factors that motivate women to seek Web based health information and the Web-based sources consulted for health information. The paper concludes by recommending that more gender sensitive studies should be undertaken on health information seeking behavior particularly in the African context.
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    A literature review on the socio-demographic characteristics of women who seek web-based health information.
    (The University of Zambia Press, 2017) Mulauzi, Felesia; Akakandelwa, Akakandelwa
    The Web has become one of the important sources of health information for most people. This study explored the socio-demographic characteristics of women who seek health information on the Web. Specifically, the study sought to establish the gender gap in Internet usage for health information, the sociodemographic characteristics of women who seek health information on the Web and the situational factors that may affect women to access web-based health information. Literature was reviewed from a variety of sources including Sage journals, ScienceDirect, BMJ journals, BioMed Central Medical Education Journal, Journal of Medical Internet Research using a range of search terms to retrieve literature relevant to the aims of the review. Additionally, Google was used to search for grey literature on the topic. Only sources published in English were consulted from 1997 to 2017. Also, the chosen sources were those restricted to factors influencing “online,” “web,” or “internet” health information seeking. The findings revealed that women are more likely than men to search for health information on the Web. Age, income, education, occupation, gender and marital status were found to be significant factors in as far as access to web-based health information is concerned. Furthermore, the findings revealed that family care giving role, Internet access, web experience, time, place of residence and primary language affect women’s access to web-based health information. The study recommends that information providers and policy makers should create an enabling environment for all women regardless of their status to access online health information. For instance, making Internet accessible and affordable in both rural and urban areas can assist to bridge the digital divide.
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    Research productivity at the university of Zambia school of education: a retrospective assessment.
    (UNIVERISTY OF ZAMBIA, 2016) Daka, Kaoma L.; Chisunka-Mwila, Chitundu P.; M'kulama, Abel C.; Akakandelwa, Akakandelwa
    The study provides a picture of the University of Zambia School of Education faculty's research output to commemorate the University of Zambia's 50"^ Anniversary. The study aimed at investigating (a) the research output of the academic staff; (b) the types of literature mainly published the faculty and (c) authorship patterns and research collaboration patterns. The study confined its scope to the publications produced between 1966 and 2015 by the School of Education, published in Zambia as well as abroad. Bibliomctric techniques and regression analysis were employed as the measuring instruments. The data was collected from various sources including Google Scholar, annual reports, University of Zambia Library catalogues, personal resumes, and local bibliographies. The results indicates that (a) School of Education scholars prefer to publish in journals (511,48.9%), books and conference papers (474,45.4%); (b) the publication distribution fluctuated over the 50 year period but the moving average depicted a steady incremental trend; (c) a total of506 authors contributed to 1,045 publications whilst 309 are one-time authors.
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    Students’ social media use and its perceived impact on their social life: a case study of the university of Zambia.
    (The International Journal of Multi-Disciplinary Research, 2018) Akakandelwa, Akakandelwa; Walubita, Gabriel
    Social media has become ubiquitous and almost inescapable, revolutionizing the way students communicate, interact and socialize; and has become an integral part of their social and cultural fabric. Consequently, students are spending a substantial part of their time on social media. University students and youth are considered the largest users of these technologies. Despite a growing corpus of literature on the usage of social media around the world, there is a dearth of research in Zambia on how social media affects the students’ social life. This descriptive, exploratory study examined the types of social media platforms students commonly use, the amount of time students spend on social media, the purposes for which students use the social media and the impact of social media use on students’ social life. Two hundred and fortyfull time students in the School of Education, at the University of Zambia, completed self-administered questionnaires and their responses were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Results indicated that the most commonly used social media platform was Whatsapp, most of the sampled students reported actively engaging in this social media application between 31 to 60 minutes on a daily basis.The study also found that more than half of the students found themselves saying “just a few more minutes” when using social media, checked their social media sites before doing something else,felt their academic productivity suffered because of social media, failed to to cut down on time spent on social media,recieved negative comments from others about their use of social media and felt stressed out due to social media use.Furthermore, 22.4% of the students felt addicted to social media.Students used social media more for social information than for academic purposes. Social interaction is enhanced by social media use among students. Thus, productive use of social media is recommended while minimizing its negative impact. Furthermore, it is hoped that this study will attract further research in this area with more divergent and larger samples of varying student demographic characteristics.