CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHOD
This chapter presents the procedures that were adopted in this study under research design, area of the study, population of the study, instrument for data collection, validation of the instrument, reliability of the instrument, method of data collection and method of data analysis.
Research Design
This study employed a correlational survey research design. As noted by Nworgu (2015), a correlational design aims to identify and quantify the relationships between two or more variables. It indicates both the direction and the strength of these relationships. Through this method, data are collected to assess whether a relationship exists between the variables in question, as well as the extent and nature of such a relationship.
Area of the Study
The study is focused on North Central Nigeria, a region comprising six states: Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nassarawa, Niger, and Plateau. This area, also known as the Middle Belt, serves as a geographical transition zone between Northern and Southern Nigeria. It’s noteworthy for its unique positioning, as it is the only geopolitical zone in Nigeria that shares borders with five other geopolitical zones, highlighting its strategic and integrative importance in the country’s landscape. North Central Nigeria is distinguished by its lack of a predominant ethnic group and is home to Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory. This region stands out for its significant ethno-linguistic diversity, serving as a melting pot of various cultural domains. It is also renowned for its wealth of solid mineral resources and its rich hydroelectric power potential. Strategically positioned, North Central Nigeria shares borders with several other geopolitical zones: South-South (Edo State), South East (Enugu and Anambra States), South West (Ondo and Ekiti States), North West (Kebbi and Kaduna States), and North East (Bauchi and Taraba States). The zone houses six federal and state university libraries, with each state hosting both a federal and a state university.
Population of the Study
The population for this study comprises all Library and Information Science (LIS) postgraduate students enrolled in both federal and state university libraries within the designated area of study. This includes students from the six federal universities and six state universities distributed across North-Central Nigeria. The total population is stratified according to each university’s student enrollment in the LIS programme. The detailed population distribution by individual universities will be provided in the ap pendix, ensuring clarity and transparency regarding the study’s scope and focus. This comprehensive approach allows for a thorough examination of the awareness and utilization of Artificial Intelligence tools among the LIS student body across the region.
Sample and Sampling Technique
The study will engage 100 Library and Information Science (LIS)students from universities across North Central Nigeria as respondents. To ensure the relevance and specificity of the findings, a purposive sampling technique will be employed. This approach is particularly suitable given that the population and the settings of the study have been predetermined to focus on LIS students who are directly impacted by the availability and use of Artificial Intelligence tools for research. Purposive sampling, also known as judgmental or selective sampling, allows the researcher to intentionally select individuals who are most likely to provide valuable insights into the research questions. By targeting LIS students, the study can directly address the awareness levels and utilization patterns of AI tools within this specific academic cohort. This method ensures that the sample is highly representative of the population of interest, thereby enhancing the validity and reliability of the study’s findings. Detailed criteria will be established to guide the selection process, ensuring a diverse yet representative sample of students from both federal and state universities. This diversity within the sample will help capture a broad spectrum of experiences and perspectives, enriching the overall analysis and conclusions drawn from the study. The final sample distribution will be meticulously documented and presented in the study’s appendix for transparency and reproducibility
Instrument for Data Collection
The research instrument that will be used to collect data for the study will be questionnaire. The questionnaire is titled ―LIS Student’s Awareness, and Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in University Libraries in North Central Nigeria (LSAUAIT). The instrument was developed by the researcher after intensive literature review. The questionnaire comprised seven clusters; each cluster for each research question of the study and each cluster contain ten statements or items. Cluster A: What is the status of Artificial Intelligence in Universities library in North Central Nigeria; Cluster B: what relationship exists between LIS Student’s Awareness of Artificial Intelligence Tools in University Libraries in North Central Nigeria? Cluster C: what relationship exists between LIS Student’s Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in University Libraries in North Central Nigeria? Clusters A to C were measured using many positively and negatively worded statements on a five-point rating scale (5-1) respectively. i.e., SA: Strongly Agree, A: Agree, U: Undecided, D: Disagree and SD: Strongly Disagree.
Validation of the Instrument
LIS Student’s Awareness, and Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in University Libraries in North Central Nigeria was constructed by the researcher, and to ensure its face and content validity, the instrument will be given to three experts (lecturers) who will validate the instrument (that is, the Questionnaire). Out of the three experts (lecturers), two experts (Lecturers) will be from the Department of Library and Information Science and one expert (Lecturer) from Measurement and Evaluation Unit of the Department of Science Education, all the experts will be from the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The copies of the research questionnaires, title of the dissertation, purpose of the study, research questions and the hypotheses will be given to these experts (lecturers) to guide them in the validation.
Reliability of the Instrument
The reliability of the instrument will be determined using the internal consistency method. This will be conducted with ten Library and Information Science (LIS) students at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. These students will be administered the research instrument (questionnaire). Their responses will then be analyzed using Cronbach’s Alpha test, employing SPSS software (version 20), to establish the coefficient of internal consistency. This statistical measure will ensure that the instrument is reliable and consistently measures the intended variables across different items.
Method of Data Collection
The primary data collection instrument for this study will be a questionnaire. This questionnaire will be administered to respondents by the researcher, with the assistance of research aides appointed at each university within the study area. These assistants, who are primarily postgraduate students and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), will be briefed thoroughly on the study’s objectives and procedures. They will be responsible for distributing the questionnaires to the respondents, collecting the completed forms, and forwarding them to the researcher for analysis.
Method of Data Analysis
The data collected will be analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, Version 20). Statistical mean will be employed to address the research questions, providing an average measure for responses. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation will be used to test the hypotheses, assessing the strength and direction of the relationships between variables. Hypotheses will be evaluated at a 0.05 level of significance to determine statistical relevance.