ACADEMIC PROJECT

What is an Academic Project?

An academic project is a formal document whose major sections include an abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusions and recommendations. The process of writing and presenting an academic project is guided by certain rules. These rules may vary depending on the level of education, institution, or the supervisor. OpenBook offers high standard academic project writing services strictly following the rules provided in order to represent the students’ contribution to the body of knowledge.

Formulating a Project Title of a Project

A comprehensive project title should be brief and must identify the population of interest, and the independent and dependent variables. Students should also adhere to the stipulated requirements related to the length of the project title.

Preparing an Abstract

An abstract should provide a summary of the academic project. Generally, an abstract is placed before the table of contents. A comprehensive abstract should highlight all the essential aspects of the project. Students should be cautious not to exceed the required length of the abstract that is estimated at 150-250 words. A comprehensive summary should highlight the project’s hypothesis, objectives, methodology, and findings.

Guidelines for Writing the Introduction

In the introduction section, the student should highlight the problem area and discuss its significance. A comprehensive introduction should contain the research questions, objectives, and hypotheses that will guide the academic project. Students should distinguish an introduction from a literature review. Whereas the introduction utilizes existing literature to highlight a problem area, the section does not synthesize the referenced studies.

Conducting a Literature Review

Conducting a Literature Review Literature review forms the second chapter of dissertations and theses. A comprehensive literature review highlights students’ ability to identify relevant scholarly works and synthesize their findings. Literature reviews should utilize current articles to inform future readers of the existing knowledge and establish a context for conducting their intended academic projects. The contents of a literature review should correlate to the formulated hypothesis and research questions. For example, an academic study may be intended to improve on the existing knowledge related to the implementation of bed alarms as a fall prevention intervention. Consequently, the accompanying literature review should synthesize the current knowledge related to the utilization of bed alarms in hospital settings. A student should highlight the existing knowledge gaps in the available literature that justify the proposed academic project. For instance, previous studies may have investigated the influence of bed alarms in preventing falls among geriatric patients. A student may identify a need to narrow the focus of their research to geriatric patients who have been diagnosed with chronic mental illnesses. A comprehensive literature synthesis should highlight the existing knowledge gap related to the limited studies that focused on a specific population.

Guidelines for Writing the Method/Approach Section

The methodology section should contain a discussion of the design and project implementation plan. The method section should be detailed and comprehensive to promote replicability. A project’s methodology comprises the intended population, setting, instrumentation, data collection, data analysis, and ethical considerations. A subsection may be introduced to discuss the formulated project procedure. The procedure should highlight all the executed steps and treatments performed on the independent variables to study the changes in the dependent variables. The methodology section should also highlight the proposed data analysis techniques. Students should identify the software used and data analysis tests conducted to guarantee the replicability of their academic projects.

Guidelines for Writing the Findings and Discussion Sections

The length of the findings section often varies between qualitative and quantitative projects. The findings of a qualitative study may be lengthy because of the need to discuss the identified themes and their correlation to the formulated research questions. In the case of quantitative research, the findings ought to be tabulated because they fundamentally comprise statistics. The findings section should be followed by a discussion of the implications of the concluded academic project. The discussion section explains the observed outcomes. A comprehensive discussion should highlight the identified limitations and provide a basis for conducting future studies.

Factors to Consider When Writing an Academic Project

Factors to Consider when Writing an Academic Project Students may sometimes have several ideas on their academic project but no specific research question. Our writers, therefore, come in handy to help you identify a topic that will address specific research questions. They do so by thoroughly examining previous Scholarly sources to identify areas that need further research. After identifying a topic, the next important stage is to refine your topic to bring out what issue you are investigating. Our writers offer expert help to enable you bring out your argument and clearly outline the problem or gap you want to address.

Conducting literature review is an important step in project writing. You need to be able to demonstrate why your research is important and how it will expand on knowledge in that particular field. Our company helps you conduct a literature review, which is a review of material that has already been published in relevant peer-reviewed journal articles and books. Our writers through years of experience are keen on using references that you or your supervisor recommended and that are most recent and relevant to your project. There are ethical considerations for all academic projects regardless of methodology. When offering help in writing academic projects, our writers help you strengthen your project by addressing ethics that govern project writing. Our writers understand that academic projects that do not observe ethics may be rejected.

Why Seek our Project Writing Services?

Our writers are time conscious. We deliver your work within the given time-frame. Once you order your Project Writing Services, you can follow up the writing progress with OpenBook Project Team and communicate any changes you may like. OpenBook Project Team ensures deadlines are met. In addition, our writers are experts and will, therefore, ensure quality and integrity of your research by meeting the standard project writing requirements. Our writers avoid use of casual language in project writing as it may portray lack of expertise.

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METHOD OF COMBATING BOOK THEFT AND VANDALISM IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES: A CASE STUDY OF AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA

ABSTRACT

This study examine the book theft and vandalism in Ahmadu Bello University Library. The study uncovered not only methods of` eradicating theft and vandalism in the library understudy, but also the cause(s) of book theft and vandalism, how book theft and vandalism are committed, how book theft and vandalism affected the administration of the library understudy and ways or methods book theft and vandalism can be prevented from the library system. Some of the strategies identified include; increased public awareness and staff training on collection protection, provision of security personnel within and outside the library premises, provision of adequate photocopying services, provision of more access to information resources, periodical searching of students hostels, introduction of stop and search method, installation of security cameras and provision of electronic resources. The study recommends provisions of adequate photocopying services in the library, the use of electronic books in the library, placing plain clothed security staff in different location of the library, consistent provision of library materials with the national University commission; ration (10.1) that is 10 books per students and honouring the provision of national policy on education by the authorities of higher learning in Nigeria.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Theft and vandalism of library materials is ill wind that blows no one any good. In the most recent times, the problem of theft and vandalism of library book has assumed an alarming dimension. In a study of security problem of university libraries, Nwamefor (1974) described theft and vandalism as anti –social acts which are universal and persistent in spite of orientation talks during freshmen week on care and treatment of books.

Library users seem to have devised various means of vandalizing and stealing of library materials. It does appear that library fraudsters are introducing more complex and sophisticated methods of stealing and vandalism books each time library authorities identified and put measures in place to check already existing methods. That libraries have lost most of its valuable reading materials to theft and vandalism is not on understatement. This practices is not limited to one library alone but cuts across the various types of libraries and this call for concern. To buttress this point Adebayo and Sakor (1999) in a related study quoted Zeidbsy (1987) who observed that: between 1979 and 1989 alone, America academic library reported theft and missing materials including book valued at $ 1.1 million in plates, engraving, books and manuscripts.

According to Ogunyade (2005), Theft and vandalism of books are certainly not new development of our time. Such acts can be traced as far back as 539BC in Egypt when the Persian conquerors removed rolls of papyri from the library of Rames 11 around 41BC. During the Middle Ages library books were chain –locked to prevent them from theft.

From the earliest time to the present, librarian are bothered on how to ensure the protection of library materials from theft and damage. As custodians of library materials and resources, librarians own an obligation to their patrons and users to preserve the library stocks.

Theft and vandalism of library books is a problem for libraries all over the world. It is costly and descriptive for both libraries and library patrons. Book theft is the intentional removal of books from the library in an unauthorized manner.

According to Ogunyade (2005) in many libraries where periodic or regular stock taking is carried out, it was discovered that many books were lost resulting from theft and vandalism are enormous. Typically, libraries lost between 5 and 10% of their collections annually to theft and vandalism.

The threat to intellectual property through theft and vandalism has posed tremendous challenges to the library profession worldwide. According to Jackson (1991), incidents of theft, non –return of materials and vandalization of library stock are on the increase.

According to Izundu (2006), theft and vandalization of library materials is an ill wind that blows no one any good. In the most recent times, the problem of library book theft and vandalism has assumed an alarming dimension. In a study of security problems of university libraries. Harry (2010) reveal that these antisocial activities are more pronounced for almost all third world countries. Ajegbomogun (2004) sees theft and vandalism as a common phenomenon in Nigerian universities and if not checked will create a serious threat to Nigerian library’s collection and preservations.

According to Akor (2013), libraries have been seen as one of the pillars of civilization. No nation can function effectively without the use of a library. The term library means a collection of educational materials organized for use. The word is derived from the Latin word Liber which mean a book. This is a good reason to believe that the root concept of library is deeply embedded in our ways of thinking about the world and coping with its constraints. In its primary role as guardian of the social memory, there are many parallels with the ways in which the human memory orders, stores and retrieved the information necessary for survival.

Alokun (2003) affirm that libraries are essential established to cater for the information needs of different categories of users which covers different economical, social and cultural aspects.

In order to achieve its purposes libraries have to put their best in securing, managing and preventing libraries collections from theft and vandalisation to meet the demand of its heterogeneous clientele.

Library users seem to have devised various means of mutilating and outright stealing of library materials. It does appear that library fraudsters are introducing more complex and sophisticated methods of theft and vandalism each time library authorities identified and put measures in place to check an already existing method.

Gojeh (1999), book vandalism loss reduces the efficiency of libraries in terms of materials resources. Library users become disappointed, frustrated and even losing confidence in the sorts of services provided in the library. He further observed that: vandalism of books, and book theft cost most libraries a considerable sum of money. Some mutilated books must be replaced while others that are badly and mired must be sent to the binding for major or minor surgeries

Akor (2013) stated that the crimes, which are committed by some users of the academic libraries, have deprived many others from fully achieving their information need. Vandalism, mutilation, defacement, theft etc are problems regularly encountered by the users of these libraries.

That problem of theft and vandalism of library materials has crept into Ahmadu Bello University Library system is no exaggeration but confirmed that the ascertain of the researcher that theft and vandalism are not limited to one library alone, but cut across board. But the question is what are the possible methods library fraudsters devise to vandalize and allegedly remove books from the library and what strategies can be put in place in order to combat the library fraudsters devise.

According to Billington (2014), to develop a strategy to address the array of concern associated with the preservation and safekeeping of cultural heritage assets, the library of congress has identified four (4) interrelated components:

Physical security
Bibliographic controls
Inventory control
Preservation

Traditionally, when we thought of security of our collection, we focused on physical security controls. In developing a comprehensive collections security program, there is need to integrate the other three components as well. But physical security remains key. We must ensure the security of our facilities so that our staff, visitors and library collections are safe.

According to Billington (2014), the integrated library system was successfully launched in 1999, to enhance the library bibliographic and item tracking controls. In the same year (1999), the preservation program preserved close to 500,000 items, working in a number of areas, including mass deacidification, conservation treatment, microfilming and binding. These measures will serve the mandates to preserve the library of congress collection for use.

For the purpose of the study, it is assumed that library users exists in the academic library understudy. These users cause damage to library materials. This study will cover the various means and devices to safeguard library materials from being vandalized by obnoxious and antisocial library users.

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