Abstract:
Research publication is an indispensable cornerstone in education and it is essential in terms of wider national accreditation and development planning. Studies show that many librarians in South East have been found to possess less than the minimum publication requirement for promotion. This can be abated through enhanced training, collaboration, mentoring and support. This study examines the scholarly publication pattern of Librarians in Federal universities in South East Nigeria. Two federal universities were selected for the study; the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka both in South East Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted for the study. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection from the study sample consisting of sixty- one (61) academic male and female librarians in these institutions. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics; frequency tables, mean and percentages. These were used to establish the relationship between variables of interest in the study. The study examined among other things, the views of the librarians on academic status and scholarly publications, patterns of scholarly communication, opportunities for research and promotion, constraints in research and publications among others. Findings of the study revealed that even though librarians adopt both single and collaborative pattern of publication, many librarians have less than the minimum publication required for promotion. Moreover, there is a strong relationship between status and scholarly publications, major challenges faced by Librarians of the South East zone such as lack of adequate time for research e t c. Recommendations were made in line with the challenges such as continued professional education, seminars, and workshops and improved collaborative research to drive research endeavors; mentor-ship of young academics by older scholars and long serving Librarians especially in the area of research and publications.
