Citation analysis of dissertations submitted to the Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Citations in master’s degree dissertations submitted to the Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria during the period 2000-2007 were analysed for finding possible relationships between citing, cited articles and authors. Frequency and percentage distributions (presented in charts, tables, and graphs) and measures of central tendency were used to analyse data. Findings showed that journals were the most utilized reference materials in the dissertations. Also, poultry nutrition works had the highest number of dissertations followed by agricultural biochemistry and nutrition. The lowest number of dissertations was from forage production and management and monogastric nutrition with just two dissertations each. The findings from this study could serve as a user study with implications for both collection development and user services design in libraries. Future studies could focus on ascertaining the implications of collection of reference materials to project and article referencing, instruction in classes and outreach.