DOCUMENTATION AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION RESOURCES ON HAUSA INDIGENOUS MEDICAL PRACTICES IN STATES OF NORTHERN NIGERIA
DOCUMENTATION AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION RESOURCES ON HAUSA INDIGENOUS MEDICAL PRACTICES IN STATES OF NORTHERN NIGERIA
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2013-06
Authors
AHMED, ALIYU LEMU
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The study investigated documentation and access to information on Hausa Indigenous Knowledge in Medical Practices in States of Northern Nigeria. It adopted survey research method to collect the data used in analyzing the problem investigated. The population of the study comprised of traditional medical practitioners who generate the information on Hausa Indigenous Knowledge in Medical Practices, documentation agencies, research institutes and departments or units of University teaching or researching on aspects of the subject in any State of Northern Nigeria. It used questionnaires, interview and documentary analysis for data collection. The study discovered that the major type of knowledge generated by Hausa Indigenous Medical Practitioners was knowledge on medicinal plants and herbs as recorded in responses of 41(14.2%) respondents. It also found out that Hausa Indigenous Medical Practitioners categorized the knowledge they generated by name of plant as recorded in the responses of 72(25.0%) respondents. It established that the agency vested by law with the responsibility for documentation of information on Hausa Indigenous Knowledge in Medical Practices in Nigeria was the Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) as revealed in the responses of 17(31.5%) respondents and the methods of providing access to information on Hausa Indigenous Knowledge in Medical Practices in States of Northern Nigeria was by publishing the information collected in books, journals, and newsletters as recorded in the responses of 10(18.5%) of the respondents. It discovered rather regrettably that no worthwhile libraries to assist the documentation centers to manage the resources in the centers. It concluded that larger chunk of the knowledge that was generated on Hausa Indigenous Knowledge in Medical Practices in States of Northern Nigeria remained undocumented because most of them have not been identified by the agencies documenting the knowledge. The knowledge that has not been identified includes healing arts and practices which are important components of Hausa Indigenous Medical Culture. It recommended among others the inclusion of healing arts and cultural practices in documentation of Hausa Indigenous Knowledge in Medical Practices to obtain complete knowledge in the practices. It was inline with this that the study proposed the use of a model tagged Nigerian Indigenous Knowledge in Medical Practices Information Service (NIKMEDIS) for possible adoption. The model is expected to enhance the collation, preservation, access, and dissemination of information on Indigenous Knowledge in Medical Practices with Hausa Indigenous Knowledge in Medical Practices inclusive.
Description
A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Library and Information Science in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Library Science
DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
JUNE 2013
Keywords
DOCUMENTATION,, INFORMATION RESOURCES,, HAUSA INDIGENOUS,, MEDICAL,, PRACTICES,, NORTHERN