Towards a Reliable Metadata: Enhancing Data Integrity of Institutional Repositories in the Era of Information Explosion in Nigeria

Abstract

Amid Nigeria's information explosion, institutional repositories are crucial infrastructures for managing and preserving scholarly output. This study explores metadata integrity within Nigerian institutional repositories amidst challenges such as inconsistent standards, accuracy issues, and the lack of quality control. Through an investigative approach utilising data from OpenDOAR, the study identifies 23 institutional repositories out of the 265 NUC-approved universities in Nigeria, highlighting a low adoption rate of repositories. DSpace is the predominant repository software of choice (87.5%), with journal articles being the most common content type. The study recommended increased adoption of institutional repositories in Nigeria, standardization, enhanced metadata practices, and continuous evaluation. Implementation of these recommendations can bolster repository efficacy, uniform metadata schema, better interoperability, and visibility, and enhance research impact nationally and internationally.