Characteristics of Library and Information Science Journals published in West Africa : research article

In order to establish the characteristics of library and information science (LIS) journals published in West Africa, twelve active LIS journals published in Nigeria and Ghana were surveyed. The findings reveal that majority of the journals had been in existence for over 10 years, the editors were highly qualified and experienced, as seven of the editors possessed doctoral degrees in library and information science, four of the editors were university professors and another four were university librarians. Other characteristics of the journals are: they are all peer-reviewed, many of the journals were published behind schedule, a large proportion of the journals was funded mainly by professional associations at the national and provincial levels, many of the journals have limited international recognition and visibility and they are generally inadequately funded. Only one of the journals is involved in electronic publishing. The study recommends that some of the journals be merged and those that remain should be adequately funded by their sponsors in order for them to perform their functions effectively. It is also suggested that LIS journals in West Africa should avail themselves of the opportunities of electronic publishing.