Accessibility of Grey Literature Originating from Public Universities in Tanzania

The main objective of this study was to investigate access to grey literature originating from public universities in Tanzania. To accommodate the research problem and fulfil the objectives of this study, both secondary and primary sources of data were used. The primary data was obtained from both self-administered questionnaires, structured interview protocol, Focused Group Discussions (FGDs), observations and biometric analysis. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of 100 library staff, 248 postgraduate students, 500 research and teaching staff. In-depth interviews were conducted with the directors of libraries, directors of research and postgraduate studies of SUA, Mzumbe, UDSM, OUT and SUZA Universities. In all, 16 librarians and two moderators participated in the FGDs conducted at the libraries of Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and the University of Dar es Salaam. Non-participant observation was carried out at the UDSM and SUA libraries, specifically in the East Africana Section. On the other hand, secondary data were obtained through the review of literature from various sources connected with grey literature generation. The initiatives made by various countries in the world to make grey literature accessible to users were reviewed.The data collected was related to the types and manner in which grey literature is generated and managed, as well as the barriers to accessing such grey literature, the mechanism used to disseminate such literature, the acquisition and the potential offered by ICT as a tool to accessing grey literature. Bibliometric analysis was deployed in the analysis of citation references appearing in doctoral theses defended and submitted to the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and The Open University of Tanzania (OUT) libraries as well as the refereed journals available in those two libraries. The analysis of the citation pattern of grey literature in the references confirmed that the coverage of grey literature remains insignificant despite its value, hence reaffirming the importance of making such literature easily accessible to the users. The study established that public universities in Tanzania generate a substantial amount of grey literature through research, teaching and consultancy activities. Such information includes theses and dissertations, research reports, unpublished conference proceedings, faculty discussions and working papers. These documents contain very valuable information crucial to the development of this country and in solving societal problems. However, the study found that the publications are neither accessible nor known to potential users outside that particular university and a large segment of the public. Furthermore, the study developed a model suitable for enhancing access to grey literature generated by public universities in Tanzania where the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) is supposed to maintain a website that shows all researches done and those in progress for all the universities in the country.On the basis of the study’s findings, it can be concluded that, the grey literature in their varied forms and types continue to be one of the most important means of transferring, especially, research-based information in addition to serving as a vital source of such recorded data. Therefore, public universities in Tanzania should make sure that such information is collected, processed, properly managed to facilitate and broaden access to such pertinent information. In this regard, the study proposes the formation of databases and institutional repositories within libraries of the respective universities to properly deal with their grey literature generated internally. Through these databases and institutional repositories public universities will handle and afford wider access to the internally-generated grey literature. The study recommends the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a viable means towards enhancing access to such valuable sources of information. It is recommended that further studies be conducted in the trend of grey literature use in private universities and national research managing bodies such as COSTECH and on accessibility and use patterns of grey literature produced by institutions dealing with poverty alleviation in Tanzania. Key Words: Grey Literature, Public Universities, Tanzania