African Journal of Library, Archives and Information Science as a resource base for library and information science research in Africa

The paper discusses the establishment of the African Journal of Library, Archives and Information Science (AJLAIS) in 1991 as a medium for African researchers in librarianship, archives, information science and other related information fields to disseminate their research findings. At the time the journal was launched, there was no continental journal for disseminating research findings, Rather, research findings by African researchers were scattered in moribund national journals or published outside the continent. The journal, having been published twice a year since 1991, has a sufficient resource base that could be evaluated. The objective of this paper was to appraise the journal, 1996-2000, as the main resource base for library and information science (LIS) research in Africa. The citations in AJLAIS and three other journals regularly used by LIS researchers in Africa (International Information Library Review, Information Development and Libri) were analysed. The citations were analysed with a view to identifying the frequency at which AJLAIS was consulted and used by researchers in Africa. The assumption of the study is that citation implies consultation and usage. Citations to the four journals during the period 1996- 2000 were analysed and compared. The findings reveal that AJLAIS has performed creditably as a resource base for LIS research in Africa. (African Journal of Library, Archives and Information Science: 2002 12 (2): 167-176)