Research trends and output among information studies postgraduate students in Tanzania, 2000–2017: A reflection of the University of Dar es Salaam

Abstract

The study assessed the research pattern of postgraduate students in the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) in Tanzania. Covering a span of 17 years, the study used content analysis to study and identify research areas postgraduate students studied. In all, 269 dissertations were evaluated for the 2000–2017 period. Most of the dissertations (n = 247; 92%) were for the Master's degree and the least (n = 22; 8%) for doctoral studies, with the majority of LIS graduates being male. The study findings show that user studies accounted for the most researched upon (n = 67; 24.9%) area by postgraduate students in Tanzania followed by information industry economics and management (n = 45;16.7%), information/learning society (n = 37;13.7%), diffusion studies (n = 36;13.3%) and finally, information technology (n = 32; 11.9%). The least covered research areas were methodology, information ethics and law. Implicitly, the students preferred user-studies centred research followed by technology. The study concludes no direct association between gender, level of education, year of study and students’ choice of research themes except for information technology. It is recommended that students ought to be exposed to new LIS global research trends for enhanced and broadened research areas to materialise.