Comparative of PhD Students in Nigerian and South African Universities

Public university libraries and ICTs are crucial in teaching, learning and research activities of both Universities and PhD students. PhD student’s research matters for academic growth and university ranking. Unfortunately, PhD student’s access to ICTs and library facilities in developing countries like Nigeria, is not encouraging, while universities libraries and ICTs are still struggling to fulfill their mandate unlike what is obtainable in developing countries. Plausible reasons include erratic power supply, librarian’s attitude and poor ICT skills, inadequate computerization, inadequate infrastructure and human capacity. The resultant effect of this is on student research, access to information for scholarship and publishing opportunities. The paper examines the level information Literacy in terms of ICTs, and library facilities use by PhD students, and its implication on their research, scholarship and publication opportunities. The research was carried out by qualitative research method in public universities in Nigeria and South Africa. A random sampling technique was used to select 40 Nigerian students enrolled at the University of Lagos, Nigeria and University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. The study however, adopts descriptive method of data analysis. Preliminary data reveals that Nigeria students enrolled at the University of KwaZulu-Natal had upper hand in terms of information literacy, research, scholarship and publication than students at the University of Lagos, because of availability and accessibility to ICTs and efficient


Introduction
Public university and its resources such as libraries and ICTs are crucial in teaching, learning and research activities of both Universities and PhD students.The need for information literacy is crucial amongst PhD students who constitute adult learners that utilize information for thesis writing, publication and in their research in the face of voluminous information in internet age.The PhD also known as a doctoral degree falls under the post graduate education.Postgraduate provision consists of honors, masters and doctoral degrees .A doctoral degree requires a candidate to undertake research at the most advanced academic level, culminating in the submission, assessment and acceptance of a thesis(South Africa Department of Education (2007) Seehole (2011) notes that doctoral education is the core of university research capacity, source of research productivity and innovation in the global knowledge economy.He added further that doctoral education is expected to produce new, cutting-edge and original ideas and knowledge, through research and exchange of ideas, knowledge and information between professors, researchers and students.PhD students are involved in research that entails thesis writing and publications in journals and conference.In carrying out these activities, they have to sift out information from varied sources such as the internet ,electronic resources, libraries, media and other sources in unfiltered form (ACRL,2016) .Writing up and publishing research results are crucial for progressing scientific thought and reaching a broad audience (Derntl,2014).Jasus (2006) opine that information literacy concept evolved from several basic library concepts such as 'library instructions', 'bibliographic education', 'user education', and ' information literacy programmes'.The Society for College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL-2012) defines an informed literate individual as an individual that demonstrates an awareness of how to gather, use, manage, synthesize and create information and data in an ethical manner and will have the information skills to do so effectively.Information literacy is a set of abilities that enhances individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information(The American Library Association-ALA, 2000;2016; Presidential committee on information literacy, 1989).Information literacy is the use of information in creating new knowledge and communicate it in an ethical manner(Association of college and research libraries -ACRL,2016; UK Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) .
PhD student enhance institution prestige as a result of research and knowledge production (Altbach&Reisberg, 2013;Varghese, 2009;2008;Altbach & Knight, 2007).In attaining the objectives of information literacy in the step of building lifelong learners , higher institutions, supervisors and librarians are playing crucial roles in shaping informed literate students and citizens.Altbach(2013) emphasized that aspects of academia such as communications and networks, journals, libraries, informal communities of scholars, conferences and professional organisations, the internet, repositories of knowledge, research universities as critical centres as key to research universities.It is in recognition of the importance of the roles of information literacy in its contributions to lifelong learners, that governments and industries around the world are challenging higher institutions systems to emphasize information literacy in their curriculum (ACRL,2016;Jin, Schneller and Roche,2015;McTavish ,2009).
Information literacy forms the basis of lifelong learners, extends learning beyond formal learning and self directed learning, thus augments students competency learning and sharpen literacy and critical skill (ACRL,2016).Yang, Schneller and Roche(2012) buttress that learning is crucial for the achievement of certain labour market positions in the face of changing working environment, requiring proactive and adaptation of individuals knowledge, capacities and competences.With this view, the study is imperative because of information proliferation in the internet era, students seems to be versatile in the use of social media as face book, twitter to mention but a few but arguably are deficient in information literacy.While it cannot be ignored that students cannot learn everything during the undergraduate study.This has resulted in information literacy deficiency that results into copy-pasting also referred to as 'plagiarism' which seems to be rife amongst students (McGregor and Streitenberger 2004).

Research Objective
A central focus of the study is to: i.To identify and discuss the `push' and `pull' factors that influenced students to University of Kwazulu-Natal(UKZN) and University of Lagos(Unilag) as institutional choice of PhD study.ii.To identify university's tools, strategies and resources that enhances information literacy of PhD students.

Literature Review
The paper is discussed around themes as university, information literacy, PhD.These concepts are explained in this section for better understanding.

Concept of University
Universities falls under higher education that usually occurs after the completion of secondary  (Christopher& Efe, 2012;Adepoju, 2004).

University of Lagos
Nigeria has about 108 universities with the classification of first generation university, second generation university and third generation university.The university of Lagos popularly known as 'Unilag' is a federal government research university in Lagos State ,South-western Nigeria.The demand for and increase in PhD enrolment is increasing as the Nigeria University Commission (NUC) mandated that every university lecturer in Nigeria must obtain a doctorate degree before rising to the rank of a senior lecturer and supervising PhDs.The NUC pointed out that there were about 35,000 lecturers in Nigeria and 21,350 of them(61%) who still did not have a doctorate degree.

Concept of PhD
The PhD also known as a 'doctoral degree' requires a candidate to undertake research at the most advanced academic level, culminating in the submission, assessment and acceptance of a thesis (South Africa Department of Education ,2007).PhD dissertation is the ultimate academic product in a doctoral programme, that showcases its author's training in terms of technical, analytical and writing skills he or she imbibed during the programme (Agu , Omenyi and Odimegwu,2015).Cloete, Sheppard and Bailey(2015) observes that in terms of doctoral production internationally, two groups emerge.The first includes South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Mexico acknowledged members leaders in the knowledge economy, and all countries where doctoral output is already high.The second group includes the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
The Green paper on Higher education (2012) stated that in 1995, South Africa produced 679 doctoral graduates, 967 in 2000, 1 188 in 2005 and 1 420 graduates by 2010 (or 26 doctorates per million of the country's total population).It stated further that the number of Africans has likely been boosted by the increased numbers of international students from other African countries.DHET (2013b) ; Cloethe et al(2011) posits that between the period 2000-2012, doctoral enrolments increased from 6 354 to 13 964, a growth of 7 610 (120%) .South African enrolments increased from 5 117 to 9 152 (a growth of 79%).This compared to an increase from 975 to 4 698 (382%) among all international students and, within this, enrolments among students from the rest of Africa increased from 573 to 3 901 (581%).The benefits of PhD students are numerous to both the host country and higher institutions.At institutional level, PhD students are involved in research.Such research is "crucial in nurturing a national intellectual culture, generating high-level discipline-specific human resources, and innovation" (White Paper 1997: 2.89).Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field (ACRL, 2016).On parallel line, international PhD student enrolments balance schools' academic budgets; serve as graduate teaching and research assistants; improves the quality and cultural composition of the student body ; enhance institution prestige as a result of research and knowledge production (Altbach&Reisberg, 2013;Macgregor;Varghese, 2009;2008;Altbach & Knight, 2007).

Concept of information literacy and information Needs of PhD Students
PhD students indulge in research that contributes to knowledge.Thus in the course of the PhD study, information literacy is especially vital for PhD students in accessing information for publishing, research, literature review, conference, evaluation of literature materials, grants and application .They have to sift out information from varied sources such as the internet ,electronic resources, libraries, media and other sources in unfiltered form (ACRL,2016;American Library Association,2000) .
Information possesses several dimensions of value, as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world( ACRL, 2016) .Information literacy instruction in higher education can take a variety of forms such as stand-alone courses or classes, online tutorials, workbooks, course-related instruction, or course-integrated instruction (Miller;Chabot and Messina ,2009).Writing a thesis involves writing and publication which enhances students processing information and constructing knowledge ( Li and Lim, 2008;Chu et.al,2008).Derntl(2014) buttress that publishing research results is an integral part of a researcher's professional life and that getting a paper published can be a very tedious and time-consuming process especially for early career and novice PhD student.
Secker, Jane Macrae-Gibson, Rowena (2011) points out that the notion of a 'Google generation' has inculcated ingrained coping behaviour in students that students rely heavily on internet search engines.Being exposed to a great deal of information will not make people informed citizens; they need to learn how to use this information effectively ( ACRL ,2000).Secker,et.al.(2011) highlighted the need for information literacy training and support for doctoral level students because they struggle with finding, managing and evaluating information The authors also emphasized the importance of embedding information literacy into the curriculum and teaching it within the context of a discipline are often the key to success in information literacy programmes.
Californian University Information literacy fact sheet, (2000); Shapiro and Hughes (1996) outlined a "prototype curriculum" that encompassed the concepts of computer literacy, library skills, and "a broader, critical conception of holistic approach to information literacy.These include: i. Tool literacy: This is the ability to understand and use the practical and conceptual tools of current information technology relevant to education and the areas of work and professional life that the individual expects to inhabit.ii.Resource literacy: This is the ability to understand the form, format, location and access methods of information resources, especially daily expanding networked information resources.iii.Social-structural literacy: This is understanding how information is socially situated and produced.iv.
Research literacy: This is the ability to understand and use the IT-based tools relevant to the work of today's researcher and scholar.v. Publishing literacy: This is the ability to format and publish research and ideas electronically, in textual and multimedia forms ... to introduce them into the electronic public realm and the electronic community of scholars. vi.
Critical literacy: This is or the ability to evaluate critically the intellectual, human and social strengths and weaknesses, potentials and limits, benefits and costs of information technologies The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA-2016), highlight information literate competent individual: i. Formulate questions for research based on information gaps or on reexamination of existing, possibly conflicting, information; ii.Use various research methods, based on need, circumstance, and type of inquiry iii.Monitor gathered information and assess for gaps or weaknesses iv.
Synthesize ideas gathered from multiple sources v. Cite the contributing work of others in their own information production vi.
Contribute to scholarly conversation at an appropriate level, such as local online community, guided discussion, undergraduate research journal, conference presentation/poster session vii.
Critically evaluate contributions made by others in participatory information environments viii.Identify the contribution that particular articles, books, and other scholarly pieces make to disciplinary knowledge ix.Summarize the changes in scholarly perspective over time on a particular topic within a specific discipline x.Consider research as open-ended exploration and engagement with information xi.Value intellectual curiosity in developing questions and learning new investigative methods xii.Follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information xiii.Use research tools and indicators of authority to determine the credibility of sources, understanding the elements that might temper this credibility;

Research Methodology
An interpretivist paradigm qualitative research approach and a Case study was utilized for the study.The research setting for the study was at the Howard and Edgewood campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and University of Lagos(Unilag).Purposive convenience sampling was utilized to select 20 Nigerian participants referred to as ' international students 'studying at Howard and Edgewood campus, UKZN.While 20 participants were also selected at the University of Lagos( Unilag).The other avenues for the sample sampling was through students UKZN email portal platform, Google forms, referrals and personal contacts.The research method views the perspectives of PhD's experiences from the narrative angle.The data collection was through interviews, and focus group .In addition to the secondary source-based research, interviews were conducted with 1 st year students during 2015 second semester academic calendar.The first section covered participants demographic backgrounds such as age bracket, marital status, educational level, mode of study, course of study and permit status.Section B covered questions to solicit information on their experience in Unilag and UKZN on the following: i.What are the `push' and `pull' factors that influenced students to UKZN and Unilag as an institutional choice of study amongst PhD students?ii.To identify university's tools, strategies and resources that enhances information literacy of PhD students.

Demographic profiles
In

Discussion
Albeit, it cannot be ignored that information literacy is an essential component of general education at graduate levels introduced in courses as GST, and library studies as laying the foundation for information literacy to help students to build the necessary skills in accessing information.Although the degree of success of information literacy initiative depends on the instructors and school library.The increase in the number of students migrating in search of PhD according to Whitehead and Sing (2013) that globally, the number of students studying outside their home countries is growing and there has been a shift from almost exclusively South-North mobility to more South-South mobility.Prior to 1994, South Africa had a very small number of international PhD students.The reason for the choice of South Africa as a preferred destination for international PhD students is that South Africa been rated as one of the top ten destinations for foreign students wanting to pursue a degree away from their home countries (Tati,2010).Altbach(2013) posits that research universities have the potential for significant income generation, but expenditures for adequate salaries for faculty, well-equipped libraries and laboratories, and scholarships for bright but needy students are required.

Conclusion
The need for PhD students to develop information literacy skills is vital to maximize employability and lifelong learning, in addition to reducing attrition rates.The need for information literacy amongst PhD students in accessing information for publishing, research, literature review, conference, evaluation of literature materials, grants application, and conference cannot be over estimated.This is because when students lack information competence and skills, it will be difficult to transfer information to research and daily experience.It is expected that during the PhD process and the end of the programme, such students should be able to communicate research findings ethically through written publication and , at appropriate conferences.In addition to having as in-depth understanding of copyright issues and how to get research published.Thus there is still the need for the Nigeria University Commission(NUC) to regulate aspect of academic quality in terms of journals and books.Thus, university should provide rich quality environment for PhD study University ofPretoria, 3,008; Stellenbosch university (2,731), and Witswaterand(2,159).International students from Southern African Development Community (SADC) region; and other African countries as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria and Cameroon are enrolled in the PhD study in South Africa universities are Cape Town University with estimated number of international students in 2009 at 4, 423, terms of migrant Status, the students are on study permit (n=14); Work Permit (n=3) and Asylum permit (n=3) In terms of age bracket, they fall within the age bracket 25-32, 32-39 and 39-46 years bracket.