Patience Emefa Dzandza Ocloo

Prof. Patience Emefa Dzandza Ocloo researches and teaches on how information and information systems are used to meet information needs of individuals and organizations. Beyond her work in academia, Prof. Ocloo contributes to the information ecosystem at the international, regional and national levels by contributing to policy initiatives and interventions through her work as an Expert on UNESCO Expert Hub for Memory of the World in Africa, a member of the International Panel on the Information Environment and a member of the Multi-stakeholder Advisory Board for UNESCO's Internet Universality Indicators for Ghana. 

My research path stemmed from my curiosity to understand how people use and manage information resources and digital technology, and how this intersects with society. My research examines how digital technologies shape information practices, community engagement, and literacy development, with a particular emphasis on information system governance, digital inclusion, and the use of digital systems. I have examined the strategies adopted by academic libraries to make digital resources available to the academic community in Africa, the professional competencies of library staff to meet the changing needs of the academic community and how academic libraries are using digital platforms to manage information resources and provide services in Africa. Given that the digital technologies keep advancing, my research revolves around and evolves in response to technological development trends and how they are applied in the information ecosystem. Currently, my research focus is on Artificial intelligence and socio-cultural dimensions of knowledge infrastructure and digital transformation. I am examining AI strategies in memory institutions and the digital competences among citizens to critically use digital platforms to create new knowledge and resources. Taken together, this body of work positions my scholarship at the interface of information systems, information behaviour and digital humanities.

I have explored different research methodologies and research designs for my research enquiries based on need, context and expected outcomes. I have used qualitative research design to understand the lived experiences of people regarding the use of digital technologies. And have used quantitative research to investigate factors that influence the use of digital technologies among specific user groups and to test existing information science theories in African context.

As part of activities for my research fellowship with the University of Kansas, I am working on the research topic: Artificial intelligence and collaborative digital humanities (DH): examining the evolving roles of libraries and researchers in knowledge production, preservation and dissemination. I aim at achieving the following specific objectives:

1. Investigate the role AI is playing in facilitating and transforming DH collaborations.
2. Investigate the influence of AI in the representation, analysis and dissemination of humanistic knowledge in digital spaces.
3. Explore ethical considerations arising from the use of AI tools in DH collaborations.
4. Develop a DH collaborative model that can be adopted by academic libraries in Africa.

This research adopts a participatory design that enables me to work with practicing librarians at the University of Kansas in their everyday work environment to collect data using multiple designs to understand DH initiatives they have implemented and the influence of AI on such initiatives and develop a contextualize model for implementation in Africa.