Impact of Metadata Quality for Effective Information Retrieval in Institutional Repositories of Federal Universities in North-Central Nigeria

Background: Institutional Repositories (IRs) are essential tools for knowledge sharing, enhancing access, visibility, and usability of scholarly resources. However, their information retrieval is often hindered by poor metadata quality. Hence, this study aims to investigate the impact of metadata quality on information retrieval in institutional repositories among librarians and postgraduate students in federal universities in North-Central, Nigeria.

Methodology: A descriptive survey design was adopted, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The population comprised 24 ICT librarians and 12,944 postgraduate students from six federal universities with functional repositories. A total enumeration was used for ICT librarians, while a sample of 373 postgraduate students was selected using Krejcie and Morgan’s table and proportionate sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and an observation checklist, validated by experts and tested for reliability with a Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.75. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics and Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient at a 0.05 level of significance, using SPSS software.

Findings/Results: Findings revealed that journal articles, theses, books, software, and book chapters were the most common resources in the repositories. In contrast, multimedia resources, such as videos, animations, and technical reports, were less frequently available. A strong positive correlation (R = 0.651; p < 0.05) was found between metadata quality and information retrieval, indicating that improved metadata enhances accessibility. Challenges identified included limited search functionalities, copyright restrictions, low ICT skills, inadequate funding, and inconsistent metadata.

Implications: The study highlights that enhancing metadata quality directly improves access to digital resources, thereby boosting research productivity and visibility.

Conclusion: The study concluded that metadata quality plays a crucial role in enabling accurate and efficient information retrieval, thereby maximising the potential of institutional repositories.

Recommendations: The study recommended improved funding, provision of diverse digital resources, and training for ICT librarians and postgraduate students to strengthen metadata practices and ensure effective information retrieval.