Article
Mousaion https://doi.org/10.25159/0027-2639/4931
https://upjournals.co.za/index.php/LIS ISSN 0027-2639 (Print)
Volume 16 | Number 1 | 2018 | #4931 | 18 pages © Unisa Press 2018
Information-Seeking Behaviour of First-Year
Undergraduate Students at Mzuzu University, Malawi
George T. Chipeta
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8116-8195
Mzuzu University, Malawi
gchipeta5@gmail.com
Gift A. B. Dube
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6532-348X
Mzuzu University, Malawi
giftdube1969@yahoo.com
Winner D. Chawinga
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3865-4777
University of the Western Cape,
South Africa
winnchawinga@gmail.com
Lizzie Malemia
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8946-5952
Mzuzu University, Malawi
lmalemia@gmail.com
Maloto G. Chaura
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4715-2709
Mzuzu University, Malawi
yilinasetemwa@gmail.com
Abstract
The paper presents a study that examined the information-seeking behaviour of
first-year undergraduate students at Mzuzu University, Malawi, by focusing on
three research objectives, namely the information needs of first-year undergraduate
students, the predominant sources of information for first-year undergraduate
students, and information-seeking barriers of first-year undergraduate students. The
study stratified the sample into five faculties and distributed questionnaires with a
mix of closed-ended and open-ended questions to 215 first-year undergraduate
students. According to the study findings, 135 (62.7%) students who returned the
questionnaires predominantly need information for academic work such as
assignments, test and examinations. The predominant sources of information used
by students are library books, lecture notes or handouts, and text books assigned to
the course with scores of 100 (74%), 98 (72.6%) and 63 (46.7%) respectively. The
study concludes that as much as library books are the main source of information,
the unavailability of relevant books, poor Internet connectivity, students’ lack of
computer and search skills, frequent power outages, and underdeveloped ICT