Perception and attitude of lecturers towards self-promotion of research papers on social media in Nigerian universities

Abstract

This study investigated the perception and attitudes of lecturers towards the self-promotion of research papers on social media in Nigerian universities. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 1,024 academic staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria, who were members of the Solidarity (Social TV) Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) NAU WhatsApp group. A non-probability sampling technique, specifically voluntary response sampling, was employed. Data were collected using a structured online questionnaire administered via Google Forms and distributed through the ASUU NAU WhatsApp platform. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency counts and percentages. The findings reveal that the majority of lecturers promote their research outputs on platforms such as ResearchGate, Kudos, LinkedIn, the Social Science Research Network, and Facebook. Most respondents perceived research dissemination as primarily the responsibility of the author, while a smaller proportion attributed this responsibility to publishers. Very few respondents viewed research dissemination as a shared responsibility between the publisher and the university. Additionally, lecturers identified reaching a wider audience, increasing citation impact, gaining recognition, and enhancing visibility as very important factors influencing their decision to self-promote research papers on social media. The study recommends that universities implement coordinated social media campaigns to support the promotion of scholarly outputs. Such initiatives would enhance research visibility, increase downloads and citations, and ultimately improve institutional visibility and ranking at both national and global levels.