ABSTRACTThis research aimed to investigate the awareness and use of Open Access Institutional Repositories (IR) among academics in Federal Universities in the North Central States of Nigeria. The study addressed several key questions, including: What is the level of awareness of Open Access IR among academics in these universities? What are the sources of their awareness? To what extent do academics utilize Open Access IR? And what challenges do they face in accessing these repositories?
The study also tested two hypotheses: there is no significant difference in the level of satisfaction with the content of Open Access IR among academics, and there is no significant difference in the frequency of use of Open Access IR among academics in these universities. A survey research design was used, with data collected through both structured and unstructured questionnaires. The population consisted of academics from Federal Universities in the North Central States of Nigeria.
The findings revealed that the majority of respondents were aware of the existence of Open Access Institutional Repositories, with most learning about them through colleagues and other academics. The study concluded that awareness of Open Access IR among academics in these universities is growing, and that these repositories are considered vital to the university community for accessing and disseminating scholarly works.
It was recommended that university management should provide the necessary infrastructure and establish policies to encourage the mandatory deposit and use of scholarly works in Open Access Institutional Repositories and other Open Access platforms, to help academics contribute to the existing body of knowledge rather than just consuming it.
