Electronic mail use in research collaboration: observations from a Nigerian University

Abstract

A study of 102 research collaborators, conducted using semi-structured questionnaire revealed that the research collaborators employed e-mail for daily communication, file/document exchange, dissemination of results, and data collection. Widespread use of e-mail, its timeliness and cost-effectiveness were the main motivating factors. Also demonstrates that research collaborators’ publication activities were greatly enhanced by their use of e-mail. Benefits derived from e-mail use include its flexibility, ensuring easy linkage with peers and colleagues, ease of file/document exchange, privacy and confidentiality of information, and its distance friendliness. Irregular power supply was the major constraint against e-mail use in research collaboration. Findings revealed that job position was the highest significant factor that contributed to mail usage, while motivations for using e-mail, benefits of e-mail, and e-mail usage collectively contributed to the productivity of the research collaborators. Concludes that e-mail use in research collaboration at the University of Ibadan contributed to the productivity of research collaborators and the benefits of e-mail use in research collaboration outweigh the constraints.