The Nature and Trends in Research and Journal Literature in English Speaking Africa

Three major international library science journals -International Information and Library Review, Information Development and Libri are studied to determine the nature and trends in library and information science research in Africa. 72 papers are analysed, covering the period 1990-1992 (three years). This includes the status of the authors, gender, affiliation, country and types of research. The type and origin of cited documents the authors used in writing articles were also explored. The findings show that more information professionals in Africa are getting involved in research and publishing, with the major areas being agricultural information and library education. A majority of the journals cited, however, came from outside Africa.