BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF AUTHORSHIP PATTERNS OF RESEARCH OUTPUT IN AGRICULTURE AND VETERINARY COMPLEX OF AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY

(A CASE STUDY OF ZARIA, NIGERIA, FROM 2002 - 2012)

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Author

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Department of Education

ABSTRACT
The study is a bibliometric analysis of authorship patterns of research output in Agriculture and Veterinary Complex of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria from 2002 - 2012. From pools of models on research productivity, thestudy adoptedfrom two models those factors that facilitate quantitative analysis that comprise of number of publications, organizational structure, rules governing promotions, employees and colleagues relationship to research output in order to provide answers to four research questions raised and to test the conformity of Lotka’s Law of research productivity. The population constituted faculty members from the six units that administratively made up the Agriculture and Veterinary complex of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, these units comprise of Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Division of Agricultural Colleges (DAC), National Animal Production and Research Institute (NAPRI), Faculty of Agriculture (FOA), National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) and The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Teaching Hospital (FVM&TH). Bibliometric methods utilized quantify publication counts, nature of research output, authorship patterns and nature of collaboration of the sampled subjects. Data collected were stratified and randomly sample to proportionately perform this task. During the period of the study (2002 – 2012) a total of 1137 publications were published by the faculty members, the most published research output format were journals and IAR was the most productive unit. The yearlydistributions and spread of research output show that the year 2006 had the highest number of cumulative publications. Four authors per paper dominated authorship pattern and collaboration was generally internal (among members of the same unit).Test of hypothesis using Chi-square revealed no conformity with Lotka’s Law of Productivity, but the collaborative coefficient was significant and highly positive with 0.8417.The study conclude that bibliometric analysis of the faculty members research output has provideuseful information map showing authorship patterns, trends of resource growth, nature of collaborations and contributions to agricultural information knowledge base by individuals as well as the units they represent. The recommendations made were in line with the findings is equal grading and diversification of research output format from journals to attract patronage, so as to target the desired audience and simplify information courier. The composition and arrangement of the research output in the complex should be maintained because it facilitates extraction and quantification of faculty members research output. Periodic assessment should be tied to a reward system that acknowledges contributions made by individuals and units of the complex to boost the number of papers publish, participation in research activities, documentation and sharing of experiences. Authorship patterns presently dominating in the complex is multiple which is characteristics of scientist in the applied sciences, however, the patterns must be maintained and encouraged to reflect intra- and cross-discipline.