Abstract
Research methodology knowledge helps postgraduate students to address societal issues skillfully. This study reviewed 338 PhD and master’s theses and dissertations in library and information science from the institutional repositories of two universities in Tanzania and South Africa. Through a bibliometric research design, the study identified the research methods employed by a cohort of postgraduate students from 2012 to 2022, aiming to understand the problems they addressed and the research methods they chose to investigate their research objectives. The findings revealed that students did not fully understand the philosophical assumptions that underpin the selected research approach. Postgraduate studies from South Africa were predominantly qualitative, whereas Tanzanian studies preferred a mixed methods approach. Case studies and surveys were the common research designs at both institutions. Training in research methodology, particularly in research paradigms, theoretical and conceptual frameworks, required further improvement. This would help students justify their research strategies more thoroughly. The study further recommends collaborative research methodology training for students and supervisors to strengthen library and information science research outputs in this region. These recommendations, if implemented, hold the potential to significantly enhance the quality and impact of future research in library and information science.
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