Informetrics Education in Library and Information Science (LIS) Departments in South Africa
This research sought to explore informetrics education in Library and Information Science (LIS) departments in South Africa. This study adopted the pragmatic epistemology and pluralistic ontology. The abductive approach was considered appropriate for this study. The employed mixed research methods were survey and content analysis. The survey research methods, through questionnaire, were used to collect data from the LIS heads of departments (HODs) and informetrics lecturers. On the other hand, the content analysis was employed to analyse the content of course outlines. The study‟s population was all LIS departments in South Africa. Nine LIS departments were targeted and responses were received from eight LIS departments. Five of the eight departments were found to offer informetrics education. These were the LIS departments from the University of Cape Town, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, University of Limpopo, University of Western Cape, and the University of Zululand. The LIS department at the University of Zululand is the only department that offers informetrics education as autonomous module/course in the full programme. Other LIS departments offer it as a chapter/Unit in a module. Three LIS departments (University of Cape Town, University of Limpopo, and University of Western Cape) offer informetrics as module component at a Masters level. The LIS department at the University of Zululand offers informetrics education to level three and four undergraduate students in two programmes- BLIS and BIS. The University of Limpopo also offers it at an undergraduate level (level two, three and honours). The content analysis revealed that the scope of informetrics is broad in the essence that there is no uniformity in the content of informetrics across all LIS departments. The blended learning method is widely used: cased studies, group discussions, and online teaching and learning methods are commonly used for informetrics education. Numerous challenges that surround informetrics education were pointed out. Most of them are linked to the consideration that informetrics is broad, ICT reliant and dynamic. The solutions to the challenges were suggested. The study concluded that there is very limited informetrics education in South Africa. The study recommended that LIS departments create awareness about informetrics education, develop informetrics curricula, provide short courses on informetrics, and keep up with the trends in LIS education internationally.
Informetrics, Library and Information Science education
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