Abstract:
Research infrastructure plays a vital role in knowledge and technological advancement. Research
infrastructure is important in academic research because excellence in research requires sound
infrastructure for data collection, management, processing, analysis and archiving. This chapter
examines the state of research infrastructure in Kenyan universities and recommends strategies for
improvement. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data from university academic staff,
librarians and Information Communication Technology (ICT) staff drawn from two universities in Kenya.
A sample of 110 was selected from a population of 427. The results indicate that library and Information
Communication Technology (ICT) are the major research infrastructure in Kenyan universities.
University libraries have created institutional repositories to preserve, archive and provide access to the
works of faculty and researchers. However, there is inadequate documentation on research output and
scholarly publication. Library and ICT units in Kenyan universities experienced challenges including:
inadequate funds, inadequate current and relevant reading resources, unreliable Internet access and
inadequate staff. University libraries rely mostly on e-resources obtained through the Kenya Library and
Information Services Consortium (KLISC). The study recommended enhanced research funding and
improved access to research infrastructure.
