Edited version of a paper presented at the Pan
African Institute for Development - Eastern and
Southern Africa (PAID - ESA) Seminar on the
Role of Unpublished Reports in Information and
Documentation, Kabwe, Zambia, 8 - 9 January
1991. Agricultural researchers often experience
problems in the course of their work. These
problems often manifest themselves as
information needs. If these needs are fulfilled,
researchers can conduct quality research and
generate utilizable information. This information
can then be used by end-users such as farmers to
boost agricultural production and thus enhance
the general development of a country. One
useful but under-utilized source of agricultural
information is that of unpublished reports.
Information professionals can help bridge the
gap between the information contained in such
reports and the information needs of agricultural
researchers. Identifies the information needs of
agricultural researchers in Africa, looks at
unpublished reports as such and disc sses ways
in which information professionals can assist
agricultural researchers to use such reports to
meet their information needs.
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