KNUSTSpace

Institutional Repository of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

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Research by academic librarians at public universities in Ghana: emerging patterns from a survey and a bibliometric study
(journals.ac.za, 2020-05) Lamptey, Richard Bruce; Boshoff, Nelius; 0000-0002-9431-5294
This study explores how the academic environment facilitates the ability of academic librarians at public universities in Ghana to fulfil their research and publication mandate. A web survey of academic librarians was conducted to explore the opportunities and resources for research. Based on a bibliometric analysis of journal articles, the study also investigated the nature of research production of academic librarians in Ghana, specifically their co-authorship patterns, publication outlets and research visibility. The results show that academic librarians mainly produce single-authored articles and articles that are co-authored within their home institution, with a preference for publishing in local journals. Their research visibility, operationalised as time-based citation scores derived from data in Google Scholar, is also limited in light of a lack of international co-authorship. Opportunities and resources for project participation, funding, conference participation and publishing are all mostly linked to having completed a research qualification. The results further suggest that, for some librarians, it seems indeed possible to engage in research despite the odds.
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Promotion standards to discourage publishing in questionable journals: a follow-up study
(Elseviere, 2024-05) Frandsen, Tove Faber; Lamptey, Richard Bruce; Borteye, Edward Mensah; 0000-0002-9431-5294
Predatory publishing poses significant challenges to academic integrity and progress. It requires the involvement of academic institutions, funding bodies, and policymakers to establish robust evaluation mechanisms and promote ethical publishing practices. This study examines the effectiveness of implementing promotion policies to discourage unethical academic publishing, focusing on Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Tech nology (KNUST) in Ghana. This study analyses 273 promotion applications submitted from January 2022 to November 2023, regardless of approval. The results show that researchers at KNUST submit relatively more publications to recommended outlets after the implementation of the new promotion guidelines. Moreover, with nine out of ten non-verified publications found to be from predatory journals, the verification process effectively discourages publication such outlets. Our study therefore confirms that the verification process can identify predatory publication outlets. Consequently, it is recommended that research institutions eliminate incentives for publishing in questionable outlets through publication criteria as part of promotion standards.
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Knowledge and Use of Google Educational Tools by Postgraduate Students in a Ghanaian University
(ISC.CA, 2022-04) Borteye, Edward; Lamptey, Richard Bruce; White, Esther; Humphrey-Ackumey, Setsoafia Afetsi; 0000-0002-9431-5294
This study examined postgraduates’ knowledge and usage of Google educational tools. The study was conducted in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) with 350 respondents. A purposive sampling technique that allows researchers to use their judgments in selecting participants for research was used to select the participants for this study. A questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument, and it was sent to only the participants who attended a series of information literacy training sessions organized by the authors. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS software. The study revealed that most students use Google as their search engine, and Google Scholar was the most popular Google educational tool. The students gained knowledge of these tools through their colleagues, on their own, through workshops, seminars, and conferences, and their lecturers. The respondents also mentioned some challenges, such as requests to pay to access articles and slow Internet. Some recommendations, such as more education by academic librarians to encourage students to use these free tools and efforts by the students themselves to learn how to use these tools, were made.
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Ab‑initio study of the transition pathways for single and double interstitial solute (H, N, O, H‑H, N‑N, and O‑O) within bcc refractory metals (Mo and Nb)
(Springer, 2024-12) MARTIN, HENRY; Quarshie, Henry Elorm; Abavare, Eric Kwabena Kyeh; Continenza, Alessandra; 0000-0003-0173-1238
Transition pathways of single (Hydrogen (H), Nitrogen (N), and Oxygen (O)) and double (H-H, N-N and O-O) interstitial solutes within bcc refractory metals (molybdenum (Mo) and niobium (Nb)) were investigated. This work is crucial for understanding how atmospheric gases, rich in H, O, and N, interact with metals. Ab-initio calculations for equilibrium and structural parameters, dissolution energetics, charge transfers, minimum energy path, and diffusion coefficients were performed. Single solutes exhibited preferential occupancy sites, with H favoring tetrahedral sites (t-sites), N preferring octahedral sites (o-sites), and O showing material-dependent behavior. The energy barriers for single solute diffusion ranged from 0.10 to 1.34 eV, aligning with experimental findings. Double interstitial solutes significantly reduced activation energies (Ea ), leading to faster diffusion for all configurations except for MoO. This effect is due to the second solute’s influence on repulsive/attractive forces and local lattice relaxations, altering preferred diffusion pathways.
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Boltzmann transformation of radial two‑phase black oil model for tight oil reservoirs
(Springer, 2022-07) MARTIN, HENRY; Prempeh, Kofi Ohemeng Kyei; Parker‑Lamptey, George; Amoako‑Yirenkyi, Peter; 0000-0003-0173-1238
unconventional reservoirs is described by peculiar complexities such as the typical low permeability to viscosity ratio and the dissolution of some gases in the oil phase. Reservoir simulations that consider these complexities negligible stand the potential of poorly characterizing the reservoir flow dynamics. The adoption of similarity transformation effectively reduces the complexities associated with the flow equations through spatial variable (r) and temporal variable (t). The Boltzmann variable =r√t is introduced to facilitate the reformulation of transient two-phase flow phenomenon in a radial geometry. The technique converts the two-phase Black oil model (thus highly nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs)) to ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The resulting ODEs present a reduced form on the flow model which is solved by finite difference approximations (the Implicit-Pressure-Explicit-Saturation (IMPES)) scheme. No loss of vital flow characteristics was observed between the Black oil model and the similarity transform flow model. Furthermore, the similarity approach facilitated the determination of pressure and saturation equations as unique functions of the Boltzmann variable. This derivation is applied to an infinitely acting reservoir where the Boltzmann variable tends to infinity ( → ∞ ). Finally, this case study’s analytical solution formulated critical relations for fluid flow rate and cumulative production, which are useful for single-phase flow analysis.
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Electronic and Magnetic Properties of Transition Metal-Doped MoS2 Monolayer: First-Principles Calculations
(PSS, 2023) MARTIN, HENRY; Boakye, Dennis; Labik, Linus K.; Britwum, Akyana; Nunoo, Oswald Ashirifi; Elloh, Van W.; Kwakye-Awuah, Bright; Yaya, Abu; Abavare, Eric K. K.; 0000-0003-0173-1238
Density functional theory in the framework of generalized gradient approximation (GGA) of Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof to investigate the effects of some selected transition metal (TM) and rare-earth metal (RE) dopants on the electronic and magnetic properties of a 2D molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) monolayer is reported. The results demonstrate that it is energetically stable to incorporate Ni and Cu in MoS2 structure under Mo-rich conditions. The pristine MoS2 monolayer has a calculated direct bandgap of 1.70 eV and experiences significant reduction in the gap due to the defects. There is observed induced magnetic behavior due to the tight binding effect originating from the localized dopants and the nearest-neighbor Mo atoms, with magnetic moments ranging between 0.82 and 3.00 μB. Some of the dopants result in 100% spin polarization which is useful for engineering spin filter devices on magnetic MoS2 nanostructures.
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Evaluation of the effectiveness of the collegiate system of administration at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
(Ghana Journal of Higher Education Management, 2023-07) Titiloye, Oluwakemi Abisola; Appiah-Castel, Mercy Vanessa D.; Lamptey, Richard Bruce; Pels, Wilhemina Adoma; Owusu, Benjamin Boampong; 0000-0002-9431-5294
In order to ensure synchronisation, decentralisation, and democratisation of operations as well as the devolution of power, the collegiate system of administration was implemented in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). It is anticipated that it will assist in the decision-making and execution processes to combat the bureaucratic issues related to the faculty system of administration. The study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the collegiate administration system and its associated challenges. The study used a quantitative approach to solicit data.