AWARENESS AND ACCESSIBILITY OF ACADEMIC SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES FOR RESEARCH AMONG POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the awareness and accessibility of Academic Social Networking Sites (ASNS)
for research among postgraduate students in Southwest Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was
employed, with data collected from 1,338 respondents across six universities using a structured
questionnaire. Findings revealed moderate awareness of ASNS, with ResearchGate (91.4%), Google
Scholar (74.8%), and Mendeley (74.4%) being the most recognized platforms, while Zotero and
Scholarstica recorded the lowest levels of awareness. Accessibility was also moderate (55.8%), with
mobile devices serving as the primary means of access, while institutional email accounts and ICT
infrastructure posed significant barriers. The study concludes that although postgraduate students are
familiar with dominant ASNS, infrastructural challenges and limited institutional support hinder full
utilization. It recommends sensitization programs, provision of institutional email accounts, and
investment in ICT facilities to enhance effective adoption of ASNS, thereby improving postgraduate
research productivity and global visibility of Nigerian scholarship.