ERIC Number: EJ1477692
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jul
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0748-5786
EISSN: EISSN-2328-2967
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Gender Differences in Acknowledgement Patterns of Information Science Master's Final-Year Dissertations
Janet O. Adekannbi
Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, v66 n3 p252-270 2025
This study analysed 944 acknowledgements sections of information science students' master's final-year dissertations at Nigeria's premier university from 1992 to 2021. Quantitative analyses of the dissertation acknowledgements (DAs) involved descriptives, while qualitative analysis involved content analysis and extraction of useful excerpts from texts to complement findings from quantitative analyses. Generally, gender differences observed in the average length of DAs and number of individuals acknowledged by names were small. However, by categories, a significant gender difference was observed in the number of family members and friends acknowledged by names as females acknowledged more family members than males, while males acknowledged more friends than females. Only 13% of the DAs contained acknowledgements to a library or librarian, and only a slight gender difference was observed. Female students had the tendency to acknowledge God first in the DAs, while male students had the tendency to acknowledge their supervisors first. Expressions of gratitude to God were mostly detailed in female DAs, compared to those of male students, which were mostly succinct. Significant gender differences were observed in the types of support acknowledged, as gratitude for financial, moral, and spiritual supports were more associated with female students, while male students had a greater tendency to express gratitude for technical, access, and clerical supports than females. Although the study attempted to compare findings with literature, this was limited in view of the novelty of the study. Moreover, some marginal differences observed in this study might not exclusively be associated with gender, considering other issues related to the writing of DAs as discussed in this study.
Descriptors: Gender Differences, Information Science Education, Masters Programs, Masters Theses, Foreign Countries, Graduate Students
Association for Library and Information Science Education. Available from: University of Toronto Press. 5201 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M3H 5T8 Canada. Tel: 416-667–7929; Fax: 416-667–7832; e-mail: journals@utpress.utoronto.ca; e-mail: office@alise.org; Web site: https://www.utpjournals.press/loi/jelis
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Nigeria
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A