Abstract:
This study was undertaken to find out the availability and use of grey literature for scientific and technological research in university libraries in south eastern Nigeria. The design of the study was a descriptive survey. Six research questions bothering on extent of availability; use made of available grey literature; problems affecting the availability; problems affecting the use; strategies for overcoming the problems of availability; and strategies for enhancing the use of grey literature were formulated to guide the study. The sample consisted of seven (7) university librarians and two hundred and forty (240) postgraduate researchers in science and technology drawn from seven (7) universities in south eastern Nigeria. Data was collected using a combination of questionnaire and observation checklist. The data collected were analysed using percentages, mean and standard deviation. The findings of the study showed that grey literature was marginally available for science and technology research in the libraries; the available grey literature was used to a high extent; the availability of grey literature in the libraries was hindered by such factors as inadequate funds, and absence of library acquisition policies; while the use of grey literature for science and technology research was hindered by difficulty in finding needed materials among others. The findings had implications drawn for the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in designing appropriate policy for the capture, storage, dissemination and use of grey literature; the administrators of the university libraries in Nigeria; the users of scientific and technological literature in the libraries; as well as the staff of the university libraries. Based on these implications, some major recommendations were made. These included the revision of the national policy on scientific and technological information to include measures on grey literature acquisition and use; allocation of adequate funds to university libraries to ensure grey literature availability and the digitization of available grey literature to enhance access to them.
