Publications by University of Ibadan Library Staff
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Item Teaching high school students to use online consumer health resources on mobile phones: outcome of a pilot project in Oyo State, Nigeria(Journal of the Medical Library Association, 2019-04) Ajuwon, G.A.; Ajuwon, A.J.This project evaluated the outcomes of training high school students to deliver consumer health information to their peers. A total of 120 students selected from 7 high schools in Oyo state, Nigeria, received 8 hours of training on consumer health literacy and peer education, which is a process of training volunteers to deliver health information to their peers. The training included hands-on activities using the students’ own mobile phones. After the training, peer educators distributed leaflets, showed consumer health information (CHI) websites to others, counseled and referred fellow students, and submitted forms describing these activities. All peer educators completed pre- and post-tests, and 10 were interviewed 4 months after training. After the training, the authors found improvement in the trainees’ knowledge of CHI resources and understanding of their roles as peer educators. Most peer educators (72.5%) delivered CHI to their peers after the training, primarily through sharing websites on teen health and other CHI resources. In the interviews, all peer educators reported direct benefits from participating in the project, and many stated that they knew where to find reliable health information. Volunteer high school students can be trained to deliver CHI to their peers using mobile phones.Item International Perspectives and Initiatives(Health Information & Libraries Journal,, 2015) Ajuwon, G.A.; Sulemani, S.B.; Afarikumah, Ebenezer; Aggrey, S.B.; Ousmane, DialloThis is the 15th in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship in the 21st century. It is the third of four articles pertaining to different regions in the African continent. The present issue focuses on countries in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal). The next feature column will investigate trends in North Africa.Item Internet Accessibility and Use of Online Health Information Resources by Doctors in Training Healthcare Institutions in Nigeria(Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)., 2015-05-20) Ajuwon, G. A.The Internet is a global network of networks that enables computers of all kinds to directly and transparently communicate throughout the world. It is described as a global network and an 'Information Super-highway' (Computer Hope 2010). It is defined as a world-wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers without regard to geographical location (The Internet Society 2010). The internet is indeed a major technological breakthrough of our time. The Internet is a popular source of health information for health care providers and consumers. It has been recognized by many as an important mechanism for transforming medical care. The internet affords healthcare practitioners unprecedented access to huge volume, high quality, current and relevant health care information. Among currently available technologies only the Internet has the potential to deliver universal access to up-to-date health care information (Godlee, Pakenham-Wash et al. 2004). Accurate and up-to-date information is vital to maintain quality of health care. During the past decade, many health information resources have been developed and available online for use by health care professionals. The Internet has been used by healthcare professionals to obtain and share large amounts of medical information and to monitor diseases. The knowledge of the Internet as an important health information resource for physicians have greatly improved during the past decade as a result of patterns of use and medical impact measures (Bennett, Casebeer et al. 2004 ). The Internet has enabled health care practitioners to obtain and share health information and to track and monitor diseases (Centre for Disease Control 2003). In addition, it has made it easy and possible for physicians throughout the world to collaborate, communicate, and interact with each other (Manhas 2008). The Internet has brought about flexible communication between patients and doctors by empowering patients with information. It has also revolutionized the compilation, assessment and distribution of information relating to healthcare (Slattery 2008). In the last two decades, there has been a tremendous increase in the volume of healthcare information published online. The amount of online health information available to users keep growing on daily basis than can ever be imagined ten years back. A great variety of information resources are now available and accessible online. These include among others search engines (Google, Yahoo, Alta Vista, Lycos, Mama, etc) databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, EMBASE, African Index Medicus), portals, gateways, digital archives, libraries and institutional repositories. Recent, reliable, quality and up-to-date healthcare information are also available in websites of academic and health institutions, professional associations, governmental and non-governmental organizations. In addition, some governmental and not-for-profit organizations such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Bioline International have digital archives for free full-text articles. Also available online are medical dictionaries, encyclopedias, abstracts and indexes, bibliographies, atlases, videos and drug information sources. Many of these information resources that provide accurate and reliable health care information for medical doctors are results of increase in the pace of healthcare research (Mckibbon, Fridsma et al. 2007) Information is worthless if it is not used. Availability of information is one thing, access to and use of the available information is another (Odutola 2003). According to Dervin and Nilan, “information use” is a process whereby the user tries to make sense of discontinuous reality in a series of information use behavior (Dervin and Nilan 2003). Systems that are not utilized do not result in expected efficiency and effectiveness gains (Agarwal and Prasad 1999). Availability of eresources has changed what users actually read and use; they tend to use what is easily accessible (Renwick 2005). The use of information varies among individuals, and professionals depending on their information needs and status. An important consideration in the process of health information gathering is accessibility and use of such information.Item HINARI Usage Patterns and Trends in Nigerian Universities in Five Years (2010-2014)(African Journal of Biomedical Research, 2016-09) Ajuwon, G.A.; Titiloye, M.A.The digital divide is a global challenge. The Health Internetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) is one of the most successful efforts aimed at bridging the digital divide in access to health information in developing countries. Despite the availability of this resource free of charge to not-for-profit institutions in developing countries, few studies are available that investigate its usage patterns and trend in Nigeria. Data for the study were obtained from HINARI server located in the WHO Library in Geneva. The data were the yearly log and statistics of usage of HINARI in universities in Nigeria from 2010 to 2014. The collected log data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Descriptive statistics including frequency counts, percentages and bar charts were used. More (68.0%) public than private (32.0%) universities in Nigeria are registered with HINARI. Of the registered institutions, (37.0%) are located in the South-West zone. A total of 201,110 user’s accessed HINARI resources in universities in the six zones across the country during the five-year period. While universities in the South-West zone recorded the highest (63.4%) users, those in the North-East had the lowest (3.1%). The highest (97,229) number of HINARI users in Nigerian universities was recorded in 2012 while the lowest figure occurred in 2014. This study shows that HINARI was used in universities in all five geo-political zones in Nigeria however, usage trends revealed a sharp decline in 2014. Further studies are recommended to determine alternative sources used by students, researchers and healthcare providers to meet their information needs.Item Influence of Internet accessibility and demographic factors on utilization of web-based health information resources by resident doctors in Nigeria(African Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, 2014-09) Ajuwon, G.A.; Popoola, S.O.The internet is a huge library with avalanche of information resources including healthcare information. There are numerous studies on use of electronic resources by healthcare providers including medical practitioners however, there is a dearth of information on the patterns of use of web-based health information resource by resident doctors. This study therefore investigates the influence of internet accessibility and demographic factors on utilization of web-based health information resources by resident doctors in tertiary healthcare institutions in Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The population of study consist of medical doctors undergoing residency training in 13 tertiary healthcare institutions in South-West Nigeria. The tertiary healthcare institutions are Federal Medical Centres, University Teaching Hospitals and Specialist Hospitals (Neuropsychiatric and Orthopaedic). A pretested, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment correlation and multiple regression analysis. The mean age of the respondents was 34 years and males were in the majority (69.0%). A total of 96.1% respondents had access to the Internet. E-mail (x=5.40, SD=0.91), Google ( =5.26, SD=1.38), Yahoo (2 =5.15, SD=4.44) were used weekly by the respondents. Preparation for Seminar/Grand Round presentation ( 2 =8.4, SD=1.92), research ( =7.8, SD=2.70) and communication (2 =7.6, SD=2.60) were ranked high as purposes for use of web-based information resources. There is a strong, positive and significant relationship between internet accessibility and utilization of web-based health information resources (r=0.628, p<0.05). Internet accessibility (B=0.911) and demographic variables: gender B=-2.027), designation (B=-0.343) educational qualification (B=2.4 1 1) significantly influence utilisation of web-based health information resources of the respondents. A great majority of the respondents have access to the Internet and used web-based health information resources more for academic purposes than patient care. Training is required to promote use of internet health information resources among resident doctors. The findings of this study will be useful to the management of the 13 healthcare institutions regarding provision of appropriate internet facilities that will enhance access and use of web-based health information resources by resident doctors.Item Predatory Publishing and the Dilemma of the Nigerian Academic(African Journal of Biomedical Research, 2018-01) Ajuwon, G.A; Ajuwon, A.JPublication through the open access model has provided unrestricted global access to the latest scientific findings to anyone who has access to the internet. Although open access publishing was originally promoted because of the ‘public good’ it promises to deliver, concerns are being raised about this mode of publishing because of the emergence of dubious practices by publishers whose primary interest is profit and not the promotion of access to scientific knowledge. Predatory open access publishing is a phenomenon widespread in developing countries. This article summarizes the published literature on predatory open access publishing, discusses its potential impact on scholarship in Nigeria and offers suggestions to address the problem.Item Influence of motivational factors on utilisation of Internet health information resources by resident doctors in Nigeria(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2015) Ajuwon, G. A.; Popoola, S. O.This study aims to determine the influence of motivational factors: perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived enjoyment (PEJ) and perceived usefulness (PU) on utilisation of Internet health information resources among resident doctors in tertiary health-care institutions in Nigeria. The Internet has become a major source of health information for practitioners and the general public. Despite the availability of health information resources on the Internet, some resources are underutilised. There are numerous studies on Internet use among health-care workers; however, there is a dearth of information on motivational factors influencing utilisation of Internet health information resources among resident doctors in Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was used. Total enumeration technique was adopted to cover 1,280 resident doctors in 13 tertiary health-care institutions in southwestern Nigeria. A validated, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire has four sections covering the demographic profile of the respondents, PEU, PEJ and PU. Four hypotheses were tested at the p 0.0 1 level of significance. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression analysis. There were more males (69.0 per cent) than females (31 per cent); respondents mean age was 34 years. The result revealed that PEU(r =0.181, p 0.01), PEJ(r = 0.166, p 0.01) and PU(r = 0.121, p 0.01) have significant relationship with utilisation of Internet health information resources by the respondents. Also, PEU, PEJ and PU collectively (F = 15.366, df = 3; 897, p <0.01) have significant influence on utilisation of Internet health information resources of the respondents. Individually, PEU (B = 0.864, df = 897, t = 3.90, p < 0.01) and PEJ (B = 0.349, df =897, t =3.060, p [lt]0.01) were found to have significant influence on utilisation while PU (B =0.232, df = 897, t = 1.328, p> 0.01) does not significantly influence the utilisation of Internet health information resource of the respondents. One major implication of this study is that system designers and web content developers should design programs and websites that are compatible with the user’s abilities. Medical librarians have a role to play in providing quality health content that is easy to navigate and pleasurable to use. Both the institutions and the government have a role to play in providing information and communication technology facilities to enable doctors access relevant health information resources easily. Practical implications – Introduction of information literacy training in the residency programme or inclusion as a component of the continuing professional development will enable resident doctors to know relevant online searching tools and search techniques for accessing health information resources which will be useful to their work. This will in turn increase their PU of Internet resources. Health sciences librarians (medical librarians) in the various institutions/centres have a role to play in training resident doctors on how to access, retrieve and evaluate online health information. Librarians should also train resident doctors on how to search evidence-based Medicine resources such as the Cochrane Library and PubMed Clinical Queries and Critical Appraisal of the medical literature to make informed decision in the management of their patients and for research purposes. They should be trained on how to organise bibliographic references using reference manager tools such as Endnote, Zotero or Mendeley. Social implications – The social implication of this findings is that systems that are easy to use should be designed, so that doctors will be able to access relevant information for research and patient care for better health outcomes. The easier and enjoyable the system is to use, the more resident doctors will access and use health information resources to improve their service and save more lives. Originality/value – This study examined three motivational factors (PEU, PEJ and PU) that influence the utilisation of Internet health information resources by resident doctors in tertiary health-care institutions in Nigeria. The result revealed that collectively PEU, PEJ and PU have significant relationship with the utilisation of Internet health information resources, but PEU and PEJ are the main drivers of use of Internet health information resources among the resident doctors studied. This study adds to the literature of motivational factors influencing utilisation of Internet health information resources by resident doctors in southwestern Nigeria. This paper is original because, to the best of our knowledge, there is no other study on motivational factors influencing Internet use among resident doctors in Nigeria.Item FINDING, ORGANIZING AND USING HEALTH INFORMATION:(Network of African Medical Librarians, 2011) Ajuwon, G.A.; Anne, Abdulrahmane; Malapela, Thembani; Kanyengo, C.W.; Kamau, Nancy; Mbaga, Sara; Horta, Cristina; Chikonzo, AgnesThis book is a product of the devotion and dedication of medical librarians in Africa for the development of a healthy society through information literacy. Information literacy has become an essential requirement in today’s world of information and technology. The web has revolutionized information retrieval and in today’s information world, the word literacy therefore goes beyond the traditional definition of knowing how to read and write. Wilson, E an American Scientist rightfully stated “we are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices widely.” This cannot be overemphasized when it comes to health as information literacy is crucial in ensuring all those involved with health including healthcare providers, medical librarians and consumers know how to find, use and manage health information. This is due to the fact that access to right and accurate information is a prerequisite to good health. Whether you are a doctor, a nurse, an allied health professional or a medical librarian, this manual provides answers to the most crucial questions that arise while searching for health information. These questions range from: What information sources are available? What tools are available for searching the web? What techniques do you apply when searching the web? What is intellectual property right? How do you manage and store information once retrieved from the web? How do you evaluate information so as to use what is accurate? How do you use information for scholarly purposes? The authors of this manual have provided answers to these key questions so as to ensure that looking for information does not become a frustrating task and that the right information is retrieved, stored and used in an ethical manner. Having worked with health information for over 15 years I have come to recognize the challenges involved in retrieving information from the World Wide Web and more so at a time where Evidence Based Information is imperative. This manual has made great strides in trying to answer various issues surrounding information retrieval and I am without doubt that many readers will gain a lot from this invaluable resource. A lot of effort has also been made to have an all inclusive and broad manual. Ultimately, this is to serve as a guide and can be customized where necessary to match individual needs.Item Assessment of Scholarly Publications of Nigerian Health Sciences Researchers in MEDLINE/PubMed (1996-2007)(Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research, 2011-08) Ajuwon, Grace A.; Auston, Lone; Raghavan, Ramkripa; Kotzin, Sheldon; Hofman, KarenScholarly publications are outcome of research and are important channels for dissemination of research findings by researchers. The main objective of this study was to assess the scholarly publications of Nigerian health sciences’ researchers and the journals in which they publish. Health science researchers are health care providers, faculty, medical scientists and other allied health professionals who conduct research in health related fields. Research articles written by Nigerian health sciences’ researchers published during 1996-2007 were accessed through the MEDLINE/PubMed database. Both the author affiliation in Address field and Publication date field were used to obtain data on the number and characteristics of publications by the researchers. A total of 7030 articles were published during the period. The number of publications increased from 338 in 1996 to 952 in 2007. Of the 7,030 citations, 2,124 (31%) were published in nine Nigerian journals with the African Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences having the highest (660). However, 17 articles were published in four international multidisciplinary journals namely: British Medical Journal (BMJ), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Approximately 80% of the publications were Original Research Articles. Nigerian health sciences’ researchers are productive in terms of scholarly publications. However, their publications are concentrated more in national journals, some of which are not indexed in any bibliographic database; others are print only, not widely circulated thereby limiting the impact of their research. Development of a national bibliographc database to index articles published in Nigerian journals and publication of more journal in electronic format is recommended.Item Extended library hours in Nigerian university libraries: a framework(Pacific Northwest Library Association, 2013) Oseghale, O.; Kutu, J.