East African School of Library and Information Science (EASLIS)

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    Bridging the digital divide in the East African Region : a need for a joint policy framework
    (SCECSAL XVI, 2004) Kibaya, Erisania
    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) continues to have a significant impact on the lives of people and the global economy and also gives rise to a host of important issues. One major unanswered question at the national and internationel level is whether the use of information technologies leads to increasing disparities within and among developing countries. This paper gives an analysis of current efforts taken to enhance ICT utilization in the East African region (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda). Noting that the Ievel of ICT utilisation in the region is still low, a model for joint policy frame work implementation to help itttpt,ove the current status quo is proposed. Current national ICT policies that have been drafted (or being drafted) in the region to address the issues related to digital divide are reviewed. The paper focuses on exploring new contemporary approaches at national and international level to address the issues of the digital divide problem. Information was collected ortline from major stakeholders directly involved in efforts to address the digital divide in the region and analysis was made in relation to the different policy instruments that exist. From the analysis, it was found that virtually all the countries in the region were more or less at the policy formulation level. Unlike other development strategies that are being impressed by different countries in the region, the paper demonstrotes that individual countries' initiiatives to tackle the complex problems of the digital divide will yield better results if jointly implemented. Therefore, sharing resources and experiences are necessity, f iffurts towards the problem are to realize concrete benefits. The paper recommends, among others, that countries in the region planning to bridge the digital divide must not only draw up ICT policies but provide for execution mechanisms at ground level of playingfields.
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    Book selection process at Islamic University in Uganda, Kampala Campus Library
    (Makerere University, 2012-11) Nakate, Fatuma
    The main aim of the study was to examine the book selection process of University Libraries with reference to Islamic University in Uganda, Kampala Campus Library. The research was guided by the following objectives: to find out the criteria used for selecting books, to find out the selection tools used, to identify the key players in the book selection procedures and also to establish the challenges associated with book selection procedures. The study adopted a case study design involving a qualitative approach with some aspects of quantitative approach. The study involved three categories of respondents namely the library staff, faculty staff and students, with a sample size totaling to 115. Questionnaire, interview, document review and observation methods were used to collect data. Data presentation was done through descriptive approach giving percentages where applicable, supported by tables and pie-charts. The key findings were that the book selection policy at IUIU-KC was nonexistent. However there were procedures to cater for book selection. Course outlines were the mostly used selection tools, while content was the most considered criterion in the selection of books. The study also revealed that students were hardly involved in the selection of books. The selection of books was mostly done by the faculty academic staffs and senior library staffs. Lack of a book selection policy, financial constraints, time constraints, lack of cooperation between faculty and library staff etc. were some of the challenges identified which are associated with book selection. The study concluded that most users were not satisfied with the outcomes of the book selection procedures since the book collection is unbalanced, there are irrelevant books, and books are inadequate compared to the students, and book acquisitions take long. This means that some courses are not catered for and the student book ratio is low, as a result students’ performance is affected negatively. Therefore the book selection procedures have to be addressed to improve the library book collection. The major recommendations of the study were: book selection procedures should be guided by a comprehensive and well written book selection policy. It also recommended the setting up online platforms/blogs where different stakeholders could submit their book requests. The study also recommended use of a variety of selection tools and also consulting other academic institution.
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    An adoption framework for electronic customer relationship management in developing countries: Case of Ugandan SMEs
    (Makerere University, 2013-07) Olupot, Charles
    eCRM is an important strategy for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to survive in today’s very competitive markets. eCRM enables SMEs to Venture into new markets both nationally and internationally. However, despite these benefits, its implementation has not been easy for many SMEs. The available implementation methodologies are mainly applicable to the developed countries. These Models and Frameworks are not suitable for developing economies like Uganda mainly because of the contextual differences. These Contextual differences include Organizational, economic, political, cultural factors which vary from those in the developed economies. Additionally, SMEs in the developing economies have not fully embraced social media to tap into its benefits. The study aimed to address this problem by developing a framework for eCRM adoption by SMES in the developing countries like Uganda. The results show that the extended framework for eCRM Implementation should take into consideration the Social CRM as a strategy. Organizational Structure and Organizational Culture were identified as the Major Components in addition to People, Process, and Technology. The Study also proposes Customer satisfaction and customer engagement as measurement parameters. The extended eCRM Implementation framework therefore extends the existing ones with these parameters. The existing parameters included; Implantation phases, Management Support, readiness Assessment, Major factors (People, Process and Technology) and their associated critical success factors, Measurements, and overall assessment parameters in terms of Marketing and Finance. The extended framework will help SMEs to build organizational culture and structures, identify Critical Success factors that are unique to the economies in which they operate. Additionally, the framework proposes new dimension for measuring eCRM performance using Customer satisfaction and Customer Engagement. It is hoped that the extended framework will increase eCRM adoption among SMEs in the developing economies like Uganda. The customized model was validated in a questionnaire based field study.
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    A model of information system success factors in Small and Medium Enterprises: Case study of Health Information Systems
    (Makerere University, 2013-09) Namakula, Sarah Jannat
    Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have an important role to play in Uganda’s socio-economic development. Information systems help to support and leverage the operations of SMEs. IS success in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is important since it helps to avoid problems including loss of funds, service delay, threatening the companies’ future survival and loss of reputation. Despite the advantages provided by IS, SMEs in Uganda continue to face problems of IS failure. Existing IS success models do not sufficiently explain the reasons for these failures in Uganda’s context. Current IS success models are generic in nature. They do not sufficiently address differences that exist between IS in SMEs and those of large enterprises, as well as the differences that exist between SMEs in developing countries and those in developed countries. This study aimed at developing a model of information system success tailored to SMEs in Uganda’s context. To address the above objective, a field study was conducted to determine factors for information systems success in Uganda. Data was collected using questionnaires and analysed using SPSS. This study adopted Delone and Mclean’s (2003) information system success model and extended it using factors obtained from the field study survey. Regression analysis was performed to evaluate the model. The model was further validated using case study method using questionnaires issued out to staff in two SME healthcare units. Results showed that all the independent variables of management support, user involvement in IS development, resource supply, education and training are positively related to the dependent variable of intention to use information systems. There was a strong relationship between the multiple independent variables and the dependent variable. Education and training had the largest impact in explaining the variation in intention to use, followed by resource supply, user involvement and lastly management support. The results of the study present a model of success factors for information systems in SMEs in a developing country context specifically Uganda
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    Users’ awareness, perceptions and usage of Makerere library services in the main and selected branch libraries
    (ISAST, 2014) Namugera, Lydia
    Academic libraries have a mandate of enhancing teaching and research missions of their parent institutions through provision of library services. This paper shares findings of a study which investigated users‟ awareness, perceptions and usage of Makerere University Library (MakLib) Services in the Main Library and selected branch Libraries. The study adopted a qualitative approach. The researcher interviewed 94 in total; 54 users were from the Main Library, 21 were from the CEES library, while 19 were from Sir Albert Cook Medical Library. The interview schedule consisted of both open and closed questions to enable the participants to express their views and answer the why and how questions. The findings from the study indicated that major category of library users are undergraduate students; that more users visit the Main Library compared to the other two branch libraries; showed a good rating of the quality of services provided by MakLib; as well as a good rating of MakLib staff. The rate of awareness of some Library services was however rated low, yet Usage of library and information services has a direct linkage to awareness of users about those services. To address some of the issues raised by the findings, this study recommended further promotion and marketing of library services using diverse approaches in order to enhance users‟ awareness and increase Usage of all library services; continuous improvement of the end-user training programmes and ensuring that there are sufficient networked computers with fast Internet connectivity.
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    Online verification of Makerere University student’s examination permits
    (Makerere University, 2014-03) Okila, Nixson
    As a way to reduce identification document forgery and impersonation during a university examinations, there is need for a system which can retrieve the current student’s registration details from a database and recognise the student’s face automatically. Currently, student’s face recognition and examination permit verification are done manually and by “eye” making it very difficult for examination invigilators to authenticate the student. In this study, an online Android application has been developed which can: decode the student number from a Quick Response (QR) code and use it to retrieve the student’s details from a database through a server, and recognise the student’s face by matching the keypoints of the camera face image with the database face image using OpenCV ORB Feature Detector Algorithm. Server and database have been desigined and integrated with the Android application to form a networked verification system.
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    Evaluation of blind scheduling policies under correlated successive inter-arrival times
    (Makerere University, 2014-05) Tukamuhabwa, Emmanuel
    Modeling correlated arrivals of traffic into systems is one of the most challenging tasks. Previous assumptions where arrival of traffic into systems is assumed to follow Poisson distribution have been proved to be inaccurate in the presence of correlated inter-arrival times and therefore the modeling approach becomes unrealistic. In this study, we evaluate blind scheduling policies under correlated successive inter-arrival times of jobs into the system. We model arrival of data traffic into systems using Markov Modulated Poisson Process (MMPP) and simulate using Matlab to observe and analyse system behavior. Performance metric used are mean response time and mean queue length. We used the MMPP/G/1 queue model to evaluate the performance of jobs with correlated and Poisson arrivals under PS, FCFS, and LAS scheduling policies. MMPP captures correlation between inter-arrival times while M/G/1 queue was evaluated for comparison studies. We have investigated the impact of increasing load and job size on the average response time and average queue length. We observed that for the case of PS and LAS scheduling policies, jobs with correlated arrivals perform worse than jobs with Poisson arrivals in terms of both average response time and average queue length. We also observed that under LAS scheduling policy, average response time increases with increase in job size. This trend is also true for average queue length. However, under FCFS, jobs with correlated arrivals perform better than jobs with Poisson arrivals in terms of both average response time and average queue length. We therefore conclude that jobs with correlated arrivals perform better under FCFS policy as compared with PS and LAS policies. Thus, by serving jobs with the right policy in the right order reduces on average response time and average queue length without the need to purchase additional system resources. This model can be adopted by business enterprises and production industries where bursty data traffic can be processed.
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    A traffic congestion level monitoring system in crowded developing world cities
    (Makerere University, 2014-07) Ssenyange, Joseph
    Many cities in developing countries like Kampala do not have modern intelligent traffic monitoring and management systems (ITS) like those deployed in developed countries because of the differences in financial and traffic conditions. Most of the cities in developed countries have good roads with clear lanes, relatively simple and orderly traffic flow patterns, homogeneous mix of vehicles, cars installed with special devices to work with ITS and are financially well to purchase and deploy such expensive systems. Contrary, cities in developing countries like Kampala have poor roads which are bumpy, potholed and sometimes non-laned with disorderly and chaotic complex traffic conditions characterized by a lot of braking and sometimes honking. Most of these roads are narrow, poorly planned and constructed and are non-laned or with only two lanes. Traffic congestion on these roads is caused by a heterogeneous mix of objects ranging from large carriers, small vehicles, motor bikes, pedestrians, hawkers and sometimes animals. With lack of real time information on traffic flows, traffic police officers fail to redirect traffic in order to avoid traffic jams, and travellers can not plan their journeys in advance in real time to avoid congested routes. The project developed a low cost solution which is able to avail real time information on traffic flow to travellers via web interface that is accessible via portable devices like mobile phones with an internet connection. The main drawback of the monitoring solution is that it performs poorly in significant weather changes like heavy rain and night time. To improve functionality of the system, future work should extend the system to make use of historical information to predict the traffic state based on day of the week and time period when there is no available fresh data from the traffic data input sources.
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    Enhancing subject access to local publications in selected university libraries in East Africa
    (Makerere University, 2015-09) Nassali, Eliz
    Access to information is a fundamental right that all humans should enjoy and a core function for libraries. In this study, the thesis was access to research is greatly hampered by the subject terms that librarians assign to aid library users find resources within the library. The terms are western in nature and do not adequately represent the local publications. On the part of the cataloguers, there is inconsistent and inappropriate application of subject headings as they try to conform to the universal cataloguing standards through terminologies that marginalise and exclude the local user. As a result, many aspects of African information materials are rendered inaccessible and therefore under-utilized because of inadequate subject descriptions. In view of the above, the study aimed at examining the process of creating subject access to local publications in the University Libraries at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Makerere University, Uganda. The study employed a case study design using a qualitative approach. The methods employed included interviews and observations. Cataloguers were the primary participants in this study. The findings showed that subject headings are assigned in strict adherence to the Library of Congress Standards to the extent that the local user has no alternative but to adopt the terminology as espoused in the standards since they are claimed to be universal. The local practice of cataloguing in both cases was deemed very complicated by the librarians as there were no documented guidelines to guide the cataloguers and therefore a lot of inconsistencies and inappropriate terms assigned. Local terms that would be assigned to represent these resources were left out and cross references were not provided for at all. The main challenges identified in creating access to local publications besides the inappropriate subject headings, were inadequate cataloguing tools, lack of retraining opportunities. The study concluded that the cataloguers have not adequately utilised the cataloguing resources available in the different formats to provide subject access to local publications. The end result was that the subject representation provided for these resources is not appropriate. The study recommends that cataloguers should be equipped with critical thinking skills lack of which could be the reason for the meek acceptance of standards without innovative ways of focusing on the user. Librarians were urged to document local practices as a way of orienting new librarians and grounding old librarians at the workplace. A model for enhancing access for local publications was proposed and some suggestions to replace inappropriate subject headings were made in the field of education.
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    A modeling method for computer system security using structure and probability
    (Makerere University, 2017-01) Kagumya, Mark
    Modeling methods for computer systems currently have functional and feature limitations for secure design. This is because modeling computer systems accurately is complex and requires precision and a variety of features depending on the nature of systems to be designed. Additionally, the increase in technology solutions, frameworks, security threats and other functionality limitations affect performance of modeling methods or techniques. Modeling methods used in computing require improvements in security, user friendliness and dynamism in order to address the limitations. The objective of this research was to design a secure, dynamic and hierarchical modeling method. A literature review is carried out in this research to discuss literature relevant to modeling. The methodology used includes a discussion and evaluation of existing modeling methods and techniques, design of a new optimized modeling method solution and an example case study of a client server network communication model as part of the implementation to show how the new modeling method works. Experiments, validation and results are also presented to verify the implementation as part of the methodology. The solution presented in this research improves computer system modeling as compared to current design methods by creating a secure method for design that uses improved structure, objects, probability and learning. This allows designers to create more organized, hierarchical and descriptive models providing a comprehensive solution for modeling by improving on simplicity, user friendliness and dynamism. As a result various vulnerabilities and attacks were addressed as a result of proper design and probability calculations that allowed learning about security vulnerabilities.
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    Access and use of print newspapers at Makerere University Main Library Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2018) Kobusingye, Caroline
    The study examined access and use of print newspapers at Makerere University Main Library The objectives of the study were to: establish users’ preference for different types of newspapers; identify the type of information users seek from the newspapers; establish users’ preferences for print or online newspapers, identify the challenges encountered, if any, by both users and staff and propose strategies for improvement. The study adopted a mixed research approach. Convenient and purposive samplings were used to collect data from users who frequently visited the two newspaper sections of the Main Library and staff who worked in those sections. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview methods. Findings showed that participants in this study had different reasons for preferring certain newspaper titles and versions. The New Vision was the most preferred newspaper (43%) followed by the Daily Monitor (33%), then Observer (14%) and Red Pepper (10%). The study participants sought a variety of information from the newspapers that included: current affairs, politics, jobs, business, fashion, lifestyles and leisure. Regarding newspaper formats or versions, the majority of the participants (62%) preferred printed to online newspapers but there were some challenges faced in accessing print newspapers namely: limited copies, missing newspaper issues and or pages, and the newspaper sections’ restricted opening hours. Consequently, 38% of the participants preferred online to print newspapers although the unstable internet, the limited number of computers, abridged online versions and limited internet search skills were major challenges that affected access and use of online newspapers if adopted. They also highlighted the following advantages of online version: multiple access, simultaneous access as well as immediate sharing of views and opinions. The participants recognised the general IT infrastructure improvements at Makerere University Main Library in recent years, such as the Learning Commons and the extended Local Area Network that had greatly increased online access, although the number of students tended to overwhelm the existing facilities. Makerere University in general should revisit its expenditure on print newspapers vis-a-vis subscription to online versions. The savings accrued could be used for other reading or scholarly materials. The study, therefore, further recommended a Return on Investment study at Makerere University Library as an area for further research.
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    Analysis of records management and organizational performance: A case study of Kabale Municipality
    (Makerere University, 2018-08) Najjuka, Vivian
    Abstract The study was on “Analysis of Records Management and Organizational Performance: A Case study of Kabale Municipality”. The purpose of the study was to analyze how records management affects organizational performance in Kabale Municipality. To achieve this purpose, the study was guided by three specific objectives: (a) to establish the contributions made by records management on organizational performance in Kabale Municipality; (b) to assess the factors affecting records management and organizational performance in Kabale Municipality and (c) to identify the strategies that could enhance the contributions of records management to organizational performance in Kabale Municipality. The study adopted a descriptive research design using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. A sample-size of 75 respondents was purposively selected, whereby 58 of the respondents were subjected to questionnaires and 17 respondents were subjected to interview method. The researcher also used the observational method to check the situation and status of the registry and records management practices at hand in Kabale Municipality. The study results revealed that enabling self-governance (19%) in records management was the highest contribution to records management and organizational performance in Kabale Municipality, and the least of the contributions was enabling efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery (2%) respondents. Double commitment (21%) among records officers was the highest rated factor affecting records management and organizational performance in Kabale Municipality. The least was failure to use regulation and guidelines of records management (2%). The most appropriate strategy to enhance records management and organizational performance was motivation of staff (81%) which was equally considered the same strategy as improvement of staff through training and giving them refresher courses (81%). These were followed by computerization of the records management system at Kabale Municipality’s Registry (77%). It was concluded that if the life-cycle process for managing records in municipalities was followed, it would result into: easy access and retrieval of information for the clients; enhanced transparency and accountability in service delivery by municipality staff; efficiency and effectiveness in day to day operations of those who use the records; reduced costs of operations; timeliness in access to information and use of it by all stakeholders. And this would lead to enhanced organizational performance in service delivery. The study recommended that the following should immediately be addressed by the relevant officers and authorities in Kabale Municipality: staffing and training of staff in areas of records management; motivation of staff; usage of compact storage devices and records management software; adequate records storage space and equipment; daily filing of records; following of a records life–cycle process; application of records and archival management policy; top management support; looking for funding; improving security in the registry; adhering to international, national and local policies, Acts and regulations; supervision of the records staff; encouraging of effective participatory decision-making; promoting future planning for records management; using check lists, guidelines and manuals as this would help to analyze the strengths,weaknesses,opportunities,and threats(SWOT Analysis) in records management practices for an improved organizational performance at Kabale Municipality.
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    The utilization of eBooks in Medical Sciences’ Graduate Programmes in Makerere University: The case of students of Masters of Medicine in Internal Medicine and Masters of Veterinary Preventive Medicine
    (Makerere University, 2018-11) Ojulong, Andrew
    This study was conducted in Makerere University to examine the Utilization of eBooks in Medical Sciences’ Graduate Programmes. The case study was the Masters of Medicine in Internal Medicine and the Masters of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. The study sought to investigate the accessibility, environment, perceptions and use of eBooks. While academic libraries spent huge amounts on subscriptions, there were limited studies on usage and therefore not enough information on value for money on e-resources subscription. The researcher adopted a case study design using a qualitative approach and purposive sampling technique to select the sample for the study. The methods for data collection included interviews, document review and observation. The study established that eBooks were available at Makerere University and graduate students especially those from the medical programmes were utilizing e-resources; students were mainly motivated to utilize eBooks because of the need for current information required by medical students; postgraduates used eBooks because they were convenient to access. Factors affecting ready access were established and included: unreliable Internet, power failure, limited access devices, and inadequate training and virus infections. The study concluded that postgraduate medical students regularly utilized eBooks to satisfy their information needs especially those from Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine. The study recommended continuous investments in eBooks platforms to encourage continuous utilization; enforce internal internet usage controls in order to improve internet service quality; provide loanable e-reading devices and invest more on power backup technologies based on the framework to optimize utilization.
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    Factors affecting the use of Uganda Management Institute Library Services
    ( 2019-01-09) Naiga, Mariam
    The study was conducted to find out factors that affect students to use of the Uganda Management Institute Library Services. The specific objectives of the study were to: determine whether students reading culture affects the use of UMI library services, to establish whether the library environment affects the use of library services and to examine the role of library rules and regulations on the use of UMI library services. A sample of 329 respondents was selected for the study using purposive and stratified random sampling techniques. The study sample targeted 10 Library Staff and 319 Students. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and documentary analysis. The data was analyzed quantitatively using regression analysis and qualitatively using thematic and content analysis. The findings of the study revealed that students’ reading culture determines the use of UMI library services. In addition, the library rules and regulations had a major role it played towards use of the library services. Factors like opening and closing hours, availability of up- to-date of reading materials, and knowledge of the library staff help the students to use library services. However, results indicated that the library environment at UMI affected the use of UMI library services. It was also evident that the PhD students when compared with other student categories generally had a poor attitude on the library services. On the basis of the findings, it was recommended that the Institute innovates strategies that will encourage more than 50% of students to use the library, prioritize interests of PhD students as well as assess student information needs to cover the different information formats.
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    Indigenous knowledge utilisation strategies for HIV prevention in Uganda: A study of secondary school adolescents in Kampala District
    (Makerere University, 2019-01-15) Nina, Olivia
    HIV/AIDS remains a global threat especially amongst young people in the Developing world. Several preventive options have been fronted, most especially informed by biomedical facts, but HIV prevalence still remains high. In circumstances of ethnic diversity, the use of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) generated in one’s cultural context is one of the avenues being exploited by Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) to guide adolescents in secondary schools on healthy information choices on HIV prevention. However, there was insufficient information on the implementation of this approach, especially IK content, how it is sought and used in the school setting. This study assessed use of IK in HIV prevention, among adolescents in ten secondary schools in Kampala District. Wilson’s model of Information Behavior and Social Network Analysis framework formed the conceptual anchors for the study. The objectives were; examining IK utilization in the existing HIV/AIDS school initiatives, identifying and documenting IK content used by adolescents for HIV prevention, analyzing adolescents’ information seeking and to propose a model for enhancing IK use in secondary schools in Uganda. Concurrent mixed methods research design was adopted with a study population of 578 respondents. Over all 399 survey respondents participated with 46.6% males and 53.4% females, while a total of 179 key informants engaged in 39 key informant interviews and 20 adolescent single sex focus group interviews. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi square statistic test. Content and thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The study found out that IK is minimally used for HIV prevention in the schools, yet adolescents had high IK content awareness. Gender and school category were significantly associated with IK use at P-values<0.05. Some of the IK content identified promotes safer sexual practices, while some information was gendered and misleading on HIV prevention. At family level, mothers were most popular information source (48%) while at school, senior men teachers (65%) were identified. Multimedia was preferred by the adolescents for communication of IK including; print (78%), Electronic (74%) and IK media (68%). The study concluded that the cultural approach has not yet been fully operationalized for HIV prevention in the schools. The study recommends that a national IK school health policy be developed by the MoES to guide IK use and make it acceptable in the school setting. The level of interaction, synergies between IK sources and adolescents in the schools be strengthened and both misleading and useful indigenous information documented in this study is integrated in HIV/AIDS school information.
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    Assessing utilization of the health management information system in Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2019-12) Mulira, Herbert
    The purpose of the study was to assess the utilisation of the Health Management Information System in Uganda. This was based on four objectives namely: a) to establish how the HMIS is utilized in the health sector in Uganda; b) to establish the relevance of utilisation of HMIS information by the health practitioners in Uganda; c) to identify the challenges to utilisation of the HMIS in the health sector in Uganda and d) to propose measures for improving the utilisation of the HMIS in Uganda. Users of HMIS in Ugandan four districts of Lira, Kiboga, Hoima and Kumi targeted by the study were Development partners’ representatives; Commissioners; Assistant Commissioners; Programme Managers; Health Planners; Resource Centre staff; Chief Administrative Officers; District Planners; District Health Officers; District HMIS focal persons; Officers in charge of HSDs; Sub-county chiefs/ LC III chairpersons and officers in charge of health facilities. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The study population comprised of 207 respondents namely; Commissioners, Programme Managers, Health Planners and Resource Centre staff at Ministry of Health and local government levels. A sample of 136 participants was selected out of a population of 207 by convenient/purposive method. Data was collected by use of Focus Group Discussions (FDGs), self- administered questionnaires and face to face interviews by using FDG guide, Interview guide and questionnaires. Analysis of quantitative data was done by use of Word Excel and SSPS Programmes after having coded the questionnaires and entered the data into the Programmes. The qualitative data was analysed by first grouping responses from interview guides and FDGs guide into appropriate subjects or themes and tallying them. It was found that although the HMIS information provided was relevant to health practitioners, it’s utilisation by them was still low. It was also established that HMIS data was used for planning, monitoring and evaluation of health programmes although challenges like poor quality of HMIS data, late submission of HMIS reports, HMIS not capturing data from the private health providers and at community level, inadequate segregation of HMIS data, and, inadequate funding for HMIS by either donors or government were faced. Suggestions for strengthening the utilisation of HMIS information were: developing policies concerning its management and administration by involving even the staff and the grassroots; carrying out regular data validation and verification exercises; development of a curriculum on HMIS for use in training health and health-related professionals; provision of better storage facilities and computerisation of the system and improvement in monitoring and evaluating of the system. HMIS’ utilisation differs from district to district and within the Ministry of Health departments. Pertinent remedial suggestions for improvement for utilisation include (i) the removal of some data variables which were found not to be relevant and (ii simplifying variables that are captured in the current HMIS. HMIS utilisation is still low because it is affected by many factors, ranging from the point of data collection, analysis, dissemination, utilisation to storage for future use. The major factors affecting its performances are: (i) inconsistent/inaccurate data and (ii) lack of a central health information system in the district. The relevance of its information is evidenced by the data it generates and reports made which depend on its information, and, completion of tasks assigned to HMIS staff at both the districts and the MoH departments.
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    Information needs of women market vendors In Kasangati Town Council, Wakiso District, Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2019-12) Nankinga, Caroline
    The aim of this study was to establish the information needs of women market vendors in Kasangati Town Council, Wakiso District. The following research questions were addressed: What are the information needs of women market vendors in Kasangati town council, Wakiso District? What sources of information are available to women market vendors in Kasangati Town Council, Wakiso District? What barriers do women market vendors in Kasangati Town Council, Wakiso District face when accessing information? What are the possible measures to meet the information needs of women market vendors in Kasangati Town Council, Wakiso District? The study used a qualitative exploratory research design. Respondents were purposively selected to include women who vended foodstuffs, charcoal, African traditional items, papyrus mats, firewood, pottery and makeshift restaurants from Kasangati and Nalyamagonja markets. Data was collected using interviews and observation, and analysed using N’vivo (version 10) computer software. The findings revealed that women entered the market for various reasons ranging from the need to be independent to lack of capital to start up large business ventures. The most commonly needed information was on sources of funding, saving, land and business opportunities. Mobile phones were the most used source of information, followed by radios, and suppliers. Suppliers featured both as an information need and information source. The barriers that respondents faced included language barrier; lack of airtime; unreliable information; lack of time and communication challenges between them and the local authorities. As a result, they lost customers and capital for their businesses which subsequently increased their vulnerability. They were further constrained by lack of infrastructure and access to a number of utilities, like water and sanitation facilities. Key recommendations included: Government recognition of women market vendors and their inclusion in urban development planning processes; Government to team up with telecommunication companies to enable them distribute airtime across the country; Provision of relevant training particularly on information literacy and business. And lastly, information repackaging and dissemination in a few local languages through channels like newsletters, magazine, flyers, posters and other audio-visual materials
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    Information seeking practices of teachers in selected government-aided secondary schools in Butambala District, Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2019-12) Serunkuuma, Kassim
    The study investigated the information seeking practices of secondary school teachers in selected government-aided secondary schools in Butambala district, Uganda. The aim of the study was to establish the information seeking practices of secondary teachers in these schools so that appropriate strategies are proposed to better information seeking practices of secondary teachers if the situation is found wanting The study was guided by four objectives: to identify the information needs of the secondary school teachers, to analyze the information seeking practices, to examine the information sources preferred by them and to review factors that motivate or that hinder their information seeking. The study used the Leckie, Pettigrew, & Sylvain (1996) information seeking model of professionals as the theoretical framework but it was necessary to overlay it with a Conceptual Framework (CF). The study used mixed research methods where the interplay of data collection tools were used to solicit for the relevant data from the respondents to support the study. These tools included: unstructured interviews and semi-structured questionnaires. A sample size of one hundred forty respondents was involved in the study. These included one hundred thirty-eight secondary school teachers and two school librarians. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and the results were summarized in tables and charts giving the frequencies and percentages. Content analysis technique and Interactive Model of Data Analysis for qualitative research were used. The study established that the major role of teachers is teaching. As a result, their major information needs included: content to be delivered in class, teaching methods and personal interests. Findings on information seeking revealed that teachers sought information with a specific purpose in mind, get the needed information through newspapers, and some of them use colleagues to seek information on their behalf whereas others collaborate to seek information. It also emerged that secondary school teachers regularly use books, school library, syllabus documents, personal notes and fellow teachers. The findings also indicated that solving a problem followed by work context and then work roles were the major factors motivating teachers to seek information. Heavy teaching load, too many learners in a class and lack of time were the major factors hindering teachers’ information seeking practices. The study recommends that Uganda school libraries consortium be established to allow inter-library document sharing, teachers should embrace the use of mobile technology for information access, a digital school library be put in place as well as the introduction of a current awareness program for secondary school teachers in Butambala District and Uganda at large.
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    Management and accessibility of open access institutional repositories in selected universities in East Africa
    (Makerere University, 2020) Kakai, Miriam
    Under the open access (OA) movement, research is made freely available for the end user with hardly any restrictions on access to the full-text of documents. Institutional repositories (IRs) present universities with an opportunity to provide global OA to their scholarship, yet by the time of this study (2013), the OA avenue was underutilised in East Africa (EA), with the majority of IRs having less than 35% of their content as OA, which inspired the author to investigate this area. The key question asked was: “how could OA to scholarly information in IRs in EA be increased?” The study assumption was based on how IRs were managed, with the investigation focused on the repository managers and the researchers. The study applied the stakeholder and the diffusion of innovations theories in aligning how the various repository stakeholders were integrated into the development and management of IRs. The study cases were purposively selected universities in EA that had IRs with the highest number of records by July 2014. These were Kenyatta University (KU) in Kenya, Makerere University (Mak) in Uganda and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Tanzania. The study was guided by the pragmatic worldview and conducted using a mixed methods approach, following a concurrent strategy, with data collected in one phase, during which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously in 2015. A survey of the researcher’s was carried out to collect quantitative data using a self-administered questionnaire, while face-to-face interviews and document analysis were used to collect the qualitative data. Six librarians in charge of managing the IRs were purposively selected and interviewed, while 183 researchers (out of 330), selected using systematic random sampling, responded to, and returned the questionnaire. On the repository manager’s side, a comparison of the IR development and management factors revealed that the development of IRs in each of the universities was unique, and influenced by the time when each IR was initiated, with Mak in 2006, KU in 2012, and MUHAS in 2013 when the BOAI (2012) was clearer about how IRs should operate. MUHAS, therefore, followed some of the BOAI established guidelines of setting up an IR, and turned out to be more OA than the other two universities. The universities had IPM and IR policies but none of them had institutional copyright policies. There was mediated self-archiving in each of the universities; with marketing of the IR only done during user education and/or information literacy sessions and via e-mail messages on staff mailing lists. Although the library websites of the universities were used to provide a link to the IR, there was no dedicated web-page to market OA and IR activities. All these factors impacted on what got to be provided as OA in the IRs. On the researchers’ side, the study revealed that 43% of the respondents at Mak and 44% of the respondents at KU had published in OA journals, implying that a high percentage of their publications could not be archived for OA in the IR because they were in traditional journals. On the other hand, 70% of the respondents at MUHAS had published in OA journals leading to more of the IR archived publications being OA. Although the majority (81.4%) of the respondents were strongly in favour of OA, there were factors limiting their participation, the most prominent being the researchers’ unawareness about the benefits of self-archiving in IRs. It was concluded and recommended that before setting-up IRs, librarians, university administration and the government should work hand-in-hand while planning and managing IRs by implementing the following: Incorporating self-archiving in the university workflow practices, enacting institutional copyright policies for universities, enacting institutional and national OA policies, and incorporating OA and IRs in the Library and Information Science (LIS) training programs. This study contributes to a more informed understanding of the factors that affect OA in repositories and identifies a model framework for developing and managing IRs of universities in EA appropriately.