Books, Book Reviews and Book Chapters
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This Collection contains Books locally produced/published in Kenya and by Kenyan Authors
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Item Effectiveness of Reference Management Software in Enhancing Research Quality in Universities in Nairobi County, Kenya(SCECSAL, 2024-04) Kairigo, Samuel; Anduvare, EverlynReference management software (RMS) application is highly emphasised in academic research to improve research quality. However, studies raise concerns about their effectiveness since they have errors in functionality, language limitations, and inaccuracy of the citations and references generated. This study aimed to establish how effective RMS is in improving research quality. The study objectives were to investigate what reference management software is in use in the universities in Nairobi County, Kenya and to establish if reference management software programmes are effective in enhancing the quality of research in the selected universities. The study adopted a descriptive research design. This assisted the researchers in gathering data through a survey where an online questionnaire was administered to 18 respondents. All the universities within the County of Nairobi constituted the target population. The unit of analysis was the University Librarians because of their crucial role in promoting research quality in Kenyan Universities. In the analysis, insights were derived using a computer-based statistical package for social science (SPSS). The study revealed high satisfaction with RMS, particularly in terms of necessity, visual appeal, integration capabilities, and automatic formatting of references. While University librarians reported ease of navigation, there was limited awareness of alternative referencing approaches. Continuous institutional training programs for librarians and researchers on RMS usage, covering basic and advanced functionalities, are recommended.Item Analysis of the Genetic Variability and Population Cluster in Indigenous Chicken Ecotypes of Kenya(Multimedia University of Kenya, 2023-06) Chesoo, B. K.; Wanga, J. O.; Nandwa, A.Indigenous chicken (IC) provides a viable enterprise to rural and peri-urban settings in Kenya. An analysis using microsatellite markers was carried out to determine the genetic variability and population structure between and within six IC ecotypes of Kenya. A total of 284 eggs were sourced, incubated and artificially hatched as follows: Elgeyo Marakwet (EM, n=68); Turkana (TR, n =51), Homa Bay (HB, n =33), Meru (MR n =45), Nandi (ND=38); (LM, n =49) and Lamu (LM, n =49). EM, n=68) ;( TR n =51) ;( HB, n =39) ;( MR, n =45) and (LM, n =49), respectively. Hatched birds were raised up to 14 weeks of age. Then 50 birds, each ecotype: n=10, had their feathers plucked for a PCR - DNA analysis. Results showed that alleles per primer ranged between 2 (MCW0097) and 8 (ADL0328). Allele frequency ranged between 0.25 and 0.81 with a mean of 0.49. All the markers used in the study were polymorphic, ADL0328 was the most polymorphic marker (PIC = 0.79) while MCW0097 was the least polymorphic (PIC = 0.25), the mean polymorphic content was 0.58. Expected heterozygosis ranged from 0.202 in TR to 0.453 in ND. Mean fixation index (FST) ranged between 0.003 and 0.057 for ND and TR; respectively. Mean fixation index for the whole population was 0.0296. The greatest variation in the study was between ecotypes (62.78%), while within the ecotypes was 37.22%. Both factorial and phylogenetic population analyses showed a mixed genetic background. PCA results did not segregate IC ecotypes into distinct geographical groups discerning a rich genetic diversity of Kenyan IC hence the need to protect the indigenous genotypes against genetic erosionItem Information Needs of Publishing Personnel in Kenya(LAP LAMBERT Academic, 2018) Mbengei, BernardThis study sought to find out the information needs and information seeking behaviour of publishing personnel in a typical Kenyan book publishing firm, the Longhorn (K) Ltd. The study identified the problems that publishing personnel encounter in their work situation in their endeavour to satisfy their information needs and also suggested possible solutions to some of the problems. Understanding of the information needs and information seeking behaviour of publishing personnel might be helpful in designing better information systems for them. The study employed mainly a qualitative case study approach. An interview schedule was used to guide the researcher in data collection in face-to-face personal interviews with the respondents. Observation and documentary sources were used to complement interviews in data collection. On average, the interview sessions lasted between half to one hour. Altogether, forty two (42) members of staff engaged in work related to publishing were interviewed and the data carefully recorded and analysed. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in analysing data collected from the respondentsItem The Role of Academic Libraries in Webometrics Ranking of Universities in Kenya(Moi University Press, 2019) wamahiga, George M.; Kwanya, TomAcademic institutions now operate in highly competitive environments. Consequently, myriad mechanisms for rating the services and impact of universities have emerged as a means of influencing the choice of potential students, faculty and partners. Webometrics has emerged in the recent past as one of the most popular frameworks for measuring the impact of universities. This mechanism puts great emphasis on research productivity and dissemination. Academic libraries have developed and implemented strategies to enhance their ranking. The role and levels of involvement of academic libraries in these strategies is unclear. This study analysed the role of academic libraries in enhancing Webometrics ranking of their parent institutions. It also examined the degree to which libraries are currently involved in enhancing the Webometrics ranking of their institutions as well as how they can scale up their roles. This study was designed as an exploratory survey because webometrics is a relatively new concept. Primary data was collected through key informant interviews with academic librarians. The respondents were selected through information-oriented purposive sampling. Additional data was collected through literature review. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics. The study established that academic libraries in Kenya are, to a great extent, involved in webometrics strategies through the development of the institution’s repositories, generation of web content as well as publishing and providing access to updated e-resources. This involvement is effective because it facilitates enhanced scholarly communication, resolute institutional web presence, collaboration and networking among institutions, and ultimately endorsement of the institutions’ webometrics ranking. The involvement can be scaled up through effective ICT policies and infrastructure, continuous training, involvement in library consortia, and high quality content development. The findings of this study may be used by academic libraries to mainstream their role in enhancing the research productivity and impact of their institutions hence facilitating a favourable ranking.