Research article · 2026
INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORIES AND RESEARCH INNOVATION: ASSESSING THEIR ROLE AS DECISION-SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
Abstract
Purpose: This study examines the role of institutional repositories (IRs) as decision support infrastructure for research and innovation among libraries in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The study employed a descriptive survey research design, data were collected from 214 library professionals and researchers across 18 university libraries in Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Edo States. A structured questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.83 (Cronbach alpha) was used as the primary data collection instrument.
Findings: The study reveal that while 56.5% of the surveyed libraries have functional institutional repositories, fewer than 40% fully utilize them for evidence-based decision support in research planning, innovation management, and policy development. The study identifies inadequate funding (28%), low staff capacity (22%), and poor internet connectivity (19%) as the foremost barriers to effective IR deployment. It further reveals that IRs significantly support research discovery and citation tracking but are underutilized for institutional analytics and collaboration mapping. The paper recommends strategic policy frameworks, capacity building programmes, and inter-institutional IR consortia as pathways to deepening IR utilization as decision support infrastructure in South-South Nigerian libraries.
Implication: The study implies that South-South Nigerian university libraries must shift from treating institutional repositories as passive archives to actively configuring them as research intelligence hubs through policy mandates, staff capacity building, and inter-institutional consortia to unlock their full decision support potential.
Originality/value: his work provides the first region-specific empirical evidence on IR-based decision support utilization in South-South Nigeria, revealing a critical gap between 56.5% adoption rates and sub-40% strategic deployment, thereby establishing a baseline for targeted policy interventions and future comparative studies across Nigerian geopolitical zones.
Keywords: Institutional Repositories, Decision Support, Research Infrastructure, South-South Nigeria, Library Innovation, Evidence-Based Management.
Keywords
Institutional Repositories, Decision Support, Research Infrastructure, South-South Nigeria, Library Innovation, Evidence-Based Management.
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