Determinants of Use of New Media in Scholarly Communication by Academic Staff in Public Universities in Kenya

Abstract

Scholarly communication is integral to the research process and to the development of knowledge. Traditionally, research has been published in print journals which continue to be the preferred channel, especially in developing countries like Kenya. Lately, the academic publishing industry is grappling with disruption brought about by digital media. Scholarly communication is changing with the growth of new media technologies and these changes are impacting on all members of the academic community and on how they go about creating and maintaining scholarship. The aim of this study was to establish the determining factors for use of new media technologies in conducting scholarly communication activities among the academic community in Kenya’s public universities. The specific objectives of the study were: To examine the influence of performance expectancy on the use of new media in scholarly communication by university academic staff in Kenya; To establish the influence of effort expectancy on the use of new media in scholarly communication by university academic staff in public universities in Kenya; To identify the effect of social influence on the use of new media in scholarly communication by university academic staff in Kenya; To evaluate the influence of facilitating conditions on the use of new media in scholarly communication by university academic staff in Kenya; and to To determine the moderating influence of personal factors on the use of new media technologies in scholarly communication by university academic staff. The study used the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) as a theoretical basis to conduct empirical research testing of the determinants of use of new media technologies in scholarly communication by university lecturers. This was a quantitative survey research. The study population comprised lecturers in public universities in Kenya. The target population for the survey was drawn from lecturers from five selected universities which included University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Moi University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, and Egerton University. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the lecturers in the five universities for data collection. Findings of the study were analysed using Statistical Programmes for Social Sciences Version 22. A bivariate analysis of factors associated with use of new media in scholarly communication revealed that among personal variables, only Age of the Respondent and Level of Attitude were statistically associated with level of use. The study concludes that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and anxiety were significant determinants of use of new media in scholarly communication when considered separately. Further, a logistic regression model was fitted using all the independent variables that were statistically associated with the dependent variable, which were: Age of the Respondent; Level of Attitude; Level of performance expectancy; Level of effort expectancy; Level of social influence; and Level of anxiety in using new media. However, only performance expectancy was found to be a significant determinant of use of new media in scholarly communication when all the variables were considered as a block. Personal factors were found not to have a significant moderating influence on the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables. The study recommended that to enhance the use of new media in scholarly communication by university lecturers in Kenya, there is need to invest in more diverse new media technologies at the institutional and national level. Admitting the use of new media technologies in scholarly communication has the potential to put Kenya on the world map in terms of research dissemination.