A study of the information seeking behavior of undergraduate students of Makerere University, Uganda

Abstract

The study investigated the information needs and seeking behavior of undergraduate students of Makerere University. A cross–sectional survey was carried out, with samples of respondents from the Department of Biochemistry in the Faculty of Science and the Department of History in the Faculty of Arts. The sample consisted of 104 undergraduate students selected from their first, second, and third year of study. Ellis’ six generic information–seeking activities were tested to establish how undergraduate students seek information. The chi–square statistic was used to test the stated hypotheses. The results provide an insight into the factors that influence students information–seeking behavior and the information sources used. The study makes recommendations that could lead to the improvement of students’ information seeking behavior and use of information resources.