Academic Social Media a Catalyst in Enhancing Research Output of Faculty Members in Federal Universities in Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the use of academic social media in enhancing research output of faculty members in Federal Universities in Nigeria. The study was guided by three research objectives. The population of the study was 11,567 and the sample size was 387. 274 questionnaires were correctly filled and returned. Data collected were analysed by descriptive statistics. The major findings of the study showed that faculty members use academic social media to seek and obtain knowledge from other researchers. Furthermore, academic social media has enhanced various types of research output such as journal articles, conference proceedings, thesis/dissertation and working papers. The findings of the study further revealed that faculty members utilized three major types of academic social media platforms such as Academia.edu, Google Scholar, and Research Gate. It was recommended that faculty members in Federal Universities in Nigeria should endeavor to share their contribution to knowledge to a wider audience through academic social media.