Academic Library Staff as Change Agents in Promoting Open Science (OS) Practices Among Graduate Student at Kumasi Technical University, Ghana.

Stephanie Owusu Ansah; Akwasi Duffour Frimpong; Mabel Frempong; Emmanuel Sarpong

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i05.86852

Academic Library Staff as Change Agents in Promoting Open Science (OS) Practices Among Graduate Student at Kumasi Technical University, Ghana.

Author(s)	Ms. Stephanie Owusu Ansah, Mr. Akwasi Duffour Frimpong, Ms. Mabel Frempong, Mr. Emmanuel Sarpong
Country	Ghana
Abstract	This study investigated the role of academic library staff as change agents for implementing Open Science practices with the graduate students of Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) in Ghana, with the aid of Rogers' (2003) Diffusion of Innovations theory. The study employed a concurrent triangulation mixed methods design, which included a questionnaire for the graduate students and semi-structured interviews with library staff members. Awareness of Open Science practices was moderate but fairly even, and was not often translated into actual practice, particularly in the use of the institutional repository, where the relationship was the strongest but also with low uptake; a low level of uptake was also observed with students aware of the practice. As change agents, the library staff used orientation sessions, workshops, and individual consultations as their primary methods, which are appropriate strategies given the library's constraints of policy gaps, limited funding, and uneven support from the Library Department, but not a shortage of effort. The study calls for a formal, institution-wide Open Science policy, and training to be carried out early and not as a one-off activity near graduation
Keywords	Open Science, academic libraries, change agents, Diffusion of Innovations, technical universities, Ghana
Field	Sociology > Data / Information / Statistics
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-09-19
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i05.86852

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Academic Library Staff as Change Agents in Promoting Open Science (OS) Practices Among Graduate Student at Kumasi Technical University, Ghana.

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