Browsing by Author "Mosha, Goodluck E."

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    Developing e-resources utilisation strategies for Tanzanian higher learning institutions: a case of Mzumbe University
    (Dar es Salaam University Press (DUP), 2022) Mosha, Goodluck E.; Siyao, Peter O.; Nyakwaka, David O.
    This paper aims to examine the development of e-resources utilisation strategies for Higher Learning Institutions in Tanzania taking the case of Mzumbe University. Data for this study were collected from three major sources: five Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania (UDSM, SUA, MUHAS, CBE, & NM-AIST), e-resources usage statistics from COTUL subscribed databases for the MU library and views from the MU library users. Usage statistics from COTUL subscribed e-databases provided quantitative data which were supplemented with experiences from five visited HLIs and views from MU internal stakeholder forums. The study outlined the roles and functions of all Mzumbe University organs in promoting and advocating the use of subscribed e- resources. The MU organs ranged from the university management, schools, faculties, and directorates including the library, institutes and the MU students’ organization. Specifically, MU Library was assigned the role of training users, creating online e- resource discussion forums, improving library websites, acquiring e-resources remote access software, promoting and advocating e-resources use, and employing knowledge ambassadors. The study identified challenges encountered in implementing the strategies which include poor ICT infrastructure, shortage of librarians with e-resources skills and interest, the meagre budget allocated to the library, insufficient specialized subject contents from subscribed databases, and poor cooperation between academic staff and the librarians. Since the library renders cross-cutting functions to the University, the task of promoting e-resources usage was recommended to be played by every organ at the University. The University is urged to speed up subscription /acquisition of e-resources remote access tools which will be enhancing e-resources utilisation. Additionally, the maximum utilisation of e-resources will be fully achieved by changing the mindset of lecturers and students from relying solely on print to e-resources. This study was not able to extract all usage statistics from the 24 databases at Mzumbe University because some database vendors particularly free databases do not release COUNTER statistics. Based on the findings of this study, Mzumbe University Library may: decide and inform COTUL on which e-resource databases to renew; propose measures to improve the usage of e- resources and lay down University-wide e-resource strategies to improve utilisation strategies. This paper is based on original usage statistics provided by the e-resource vendors in the COUNTER format and interviews administered to some selected respondents. Related literature has been reviewed and used, and appropriate citation sand references have been acknowledged. The paper has been checked through Turnitin plagiarism detecting software.
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    Evaluation of APA citation and referencing style for dissertations uploaded in the Mzumbe University Institutional Repository
    (Dar es Salaam University Press (DUP), 2023) Mshana, Sofia,; Mosha, Goodluck E.; Siyao, Peter Onauphoo
    Citation and referencing are paramount aspects of any scholarly and scientific writing. They are part of indications that the authors have done justice to the works of others and are one of the ways of avoiding plagiarism. This study was conducted to examine the extent to which postgraduate students at Mzumbe University adhere to the APA citation and referencing style in their dissertations uploaded to the Mzumbe Institutional Repository (MUIR) platform for the year between 2013 through 2019. This study employed a cross-sectional research design, which enables data to be collected at a single point in time. A mixed approach was used as the data collection method. A random sampling technique was used to select 128 dissertations from a population of 1056 dissertations uploaded in the MUIR between 2013 and 2019 for content analysis. A purposive sampling strategy was used to select a total of five postgraduate students and three lecturers who were involved in the interviews. Five research methods course outlines were also purposively selected to check if they contain topics or sub-topics on citation and referencing. Microsoft Spreadsheet was used to analyse quantitative data while qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. The findings show that a total of 70; 54.7 per cent of dissertations uploaded in the MUIR for seven years adhered to in-text citation APA style guidelines whereas 58; 45.3 per cent of dissertations did not adhere to the APA citation and referencing style. Major irregularities identified were unnecessary capitalisation, poor insertion of punctuation marks, incorrect use of ‘et al’ and lack of uniformity in writing the lists of references. The findings also showed that only one out of five postgraduate programme course outlines had a sub-topic on citation and referencing instructions. This study concludes that there was poor quality of in-text citations and referencing among postgraduate dissertations submitted to the MUIR between the years 2013 to 2019. This calls for serious intervention. The study calls upon responsible university units to employ strategies which will help in enforcing students’ compliance with dissertation writing guidelines. To ensure compliance, supervisors and external examiners should pay adequate attention to citation and referencing styles when supervising and examining theses and dissertations. There is a need of reviewing postgraduate research methods courses to add a topic on citation and referencing styles. University should also subscribe and sensitise postgraduate students on the importance of using reference management tools for improved citations and referencing styles in academic writing.