Awareness and usage of electronic databases by geography and resource development information studies graduate students in the University of Ghana

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the awareness level and usage of electronic databases by graduate students in the University of Ghana. The focus was on graduate students of Departments of Geography and Development Resource, and Information Studies. Questionnaire was used to collect the data. The findings were that students were very much aware of the databases available to them as indicated by 96.9%and 93.8% indicated to use them. The studies has also established that majority of students knew about the databases from their lecturers and most of them accessed from the central library. Despite the claimed usage level, databases they focused on were few and many of them were not familiar with those in their discipline of study. Further, the limited number of the databases they knew about, they were satisfied with them and claimed the databases have impacted on their learning and research activities. In light of these findings it is recommended that librarians especially subject librarians should heighten the publicity of the databases and the research guides to both students and faculty so that they would become familiar with the databases and use them more and effectively.