Assessing the Information Seeking Behaviour of Researchers at the Okavango Research Institute, Botswana

The Okavango Research Institute (ORI), a branch of the University of Botswana (UB), located in the North Western region of Botswana, serves researchers in the natural and social sciences. ORI researchers need information to support research that contributes towards sustainable use of Botswana’s wetlands, which includes the Okavango Delta and other related wetlands. This study investigated the information seeking behaviour of ORI’s researchers. The aim of the study was to understand how they seek information, the information sources they use, and the problems they encounter when seeking information. Since ORI is a small institution, all the organization’s researchers were included in this study, which used a quantitative research method in the form of a survey. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The results showed that researchers in ORI seek information that is closely aligned to their research fields. The majority of researchers seek information to conduct research, write articles for publication, and to update their knowledge. Most of the researchers indicated that they prefer searching the internet and accessing the library remotely to satisfy their information needs. They reported poor internet connectivity, outdated library materials, and lack of time and skills to search for information as some of the challenges to successful information seeking. The study therefore recommends that acquisition of relevant and current information sources in appropriate formats be priortised and that library staff undertake information literacy skills sessions for researchers