ABSTRACT
Part I of tho study comprises a classified, annotated bibliography of geographical publications on Nigeria, 1901-1970, using the classification schedulo devised by the Association of American Geographers. This bibliography constitutes the main data source (Appendix A) for the analyses presented in Part II of the study (Chapters One to Six). Chapter One outlines the objectives and methodology of the thesis within the framework of a comprehensive review of previous studies that share some of tho characteristics of the present study; tho assumption and hypotheses proposed are stated and the statistical measures used in some of the analyses are explained. Chapter Two describes and interprets the distribution of geographical literature on Nigeria according to time, space, authorship, and subdivisions of geography; problems in tho application of Bradford's law to the productivity of authors are discussed. Chapter Three describes the format and publishers of the literature; the patterns and implications of title and subject dispersion are discussed and compared with similar studies in science and social science. Chapter Four analyzes coverage of Nigeria's geographical literature by five indexing and four abstracting services; differences in indexing coverage by form, publisher, and place of publication are described; the degree of duplication, consistency, and exhaustivity of indexing coverage among the nine bibliographic services is 3hown; and a list of the most effective indexing and abstracting services with regards to Nigeria's geographical literature is presented. Chapter Five describes trends in the methodology and subdivisions of geographical research that are discernible in the geographical literature on Nigeria; the pattern of relationship between the literature and indicators of socio-economic growth in Nigeria is suggested and discussed. Chapter Six summarizes the conclusions reached in the study, suggests their implications for more effective organization and use of geographical collections, and suggests, with reasons, five areas requiring further research.