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Open Access October 18, 2024

A study on epistemic modal elements expressed in the selected State of the Nation Address of Ghana

Abstract This study addressed the frequency of occurrence of the epistemic modal elements that the Ex-president prefers to express in the selected State of the Nation Addresses of Ghana. The study adopted a qualitative approach. Purposively, the two addresses selected for the study are State of the Nation Address: 16th February 2001 and State of the Nation Address: 14th February 2008. The selected [...] Read more.
This study addressed the frequency of occurrence of the epistemic modal elements that the Ex-president prefers to express in the selected State of the Nation Addresses of Ghana. The study adopted a qualitative approach. Purposively, the two addresses selected for the study are State of the Nation Address: 16th February 2001 and State of the Nation Address: 14th February 2008. The selected addresses are a good starting point for determining tendencies in the meaning expressed by the selected modal categories. The focus is on the semantics of the epistemic category of modality and other related variables within the contexts in which they are used. The data were analysed based on specific epistemic modal meanings and the modal elements expressed. It was observed that there were more expressions of certainty during the 2008 State of the Nation Address than the first one delivered by the Ex-president. Additionally, it is observed that the selection of a particular modal element in a particular context is primarily influenced by the interplay of the speaker and the participants involved. Therefore, an epistemic modal element used in a different linguistic environment may have a different contextual meaning from another. The lower expressions of uncertainty during the last State of the Nation, which ended the tenure of office of the ex-president, show that he was sure he had performed well and was bold enough to make categorical statements. The study exhibited some occurrences of expression of tentativeness with the use of modal verbs alone. All the categories recorded any instance of tentativeness. It is also recommended that politicians, spokespersons, and speech writers be cautious when indicating their information sources and how they obtain them. This helps maintain political credibility, which is the dominant index of the electorate's quest for people who know the conditions and problems prevailing in the country and their solutions.
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Open Access August 25, 2021

Information Literacy, an Investigation into Students’ Access and Use of Information in an Academic Institution in Ghana

Abstract In modern times, a lot of light has been thrown on Information literacy by empirical studies due to its significant role in facilitating access to information and use as well as lifetime learning. It is one of the main factors responsible for the information explosion and a key determining factor for students’ success in academics. The study gauged students’ attitudes on the IL programmes of the [...] Read more.
In modern times, a lot of light has been thrown on Information literacy by empirical studies due to its significant role in facilitating access to information and use as well as lifetime learning. It is one of the main factors responsible for the information explosion and a key determining factor for students’ success in academics. The study gauged students’ attitudes on the IL programmes of the University for Development Studies (UDS) using both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The study discovered that students did not consider the library as a source of academic knowledge and information since their frequency of visiting was low. The study also showed that 43.1% of the respondents go to the library at least once a week while the majority (56.9%) of the respondents either visited the library once a month or not at all. Early Childhood and Basic Education, Development Education, Social Change Communication and Renewable Natural Resources, are the courses pursued by those who utilized the library every day. Alternatively, no student pursuing B. Ed Business Studies made use of the library daily and 48.6% of them did not enter the library at all. The majority (58%) of the respondents had not been oriented on the use of the library. It was realized that 49.8% were knowledgeable of the fact that electronic resources are available in the library. The remaining (50.2%) did not have any knowledge of electronic resources in the library and were unlikely to make use of them. The utilization of electronic resources also varied according to programmes of study. Students who had comparatively higher access to such resources were pursuing Early Childhood and Basic Education. The study also realized that students’ interest in participating in Information Literacy programmes in the university increased and this increased the quality of their information literacy skills. With their awareness and know-how in information literacy, they can use the internet to retrieve the necessary information for academic work. The study makes some recommendations, Principals and Deans should coordinate to organize more Information Literacy Programmes, increased staff participation in the teaching of the IL Programmes and lastly, implementation of Academic Board pronouncements on the IL Programme. This will go a long way to improve access and enhance the use of information in the university.
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