some findings from year 1
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Researchers of Tomorrow A three year (BL/JISC) study tracking the research behaviour of 'Generation Y' doctoral students. Some findings from Year 1. Introduction. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Researchers of TomorrowA three year (BL/JISC) study tracking the
research behaviour of 'Generation Y' doctoral students
Some findings from Year 1
Introduction
2007: The Google Generation Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future research (CIBER): focusing on ‘digital natives’ born after 1993
2009: Researchers of Tomorrow focusing on doctoral students born between 1982 – 1994, ‘Generation Y’
Aims to “establish a benchmark for research behaviour” and “provide guidance to the community of libraries and information specialists on how best to meet the research needs of Gen Y scholars and immediate successors.”
Areas of research
mapping emerging research behaviour trends across the main subject disciplines;
investigating how doctoral scholars, in particular those from Gen Y, seek information both on and offline;
measuring the relative use of digital resources and physical resources;
understanding how Gen Y students search for and use digital content for research; and
if and how they use emergent technologies
Methodology
Gen Y cohort: 60 Gen Y doctoral students recruited in a 2½ year longitudinal study: contributions in blog entries, discussion forums, one-to-one interviews and a discussion workshop held in February 2010.
Gen Y survey sample: 2,063 Gen Y doctoral students completed annual national context-setting survey in July 2009.
Wider survey sample: 3,347 other UK doctoral students also completed same annual national context-setting survey.
The first year
Used the national survey to do some ‘ground-clearing’ research about resources used, training and support received, technology used
Results broadly bear out what is already known about the research community
The Gen Y cohort – early questions and blogs about who they are, what they are researching, their research environment, where they work etc.
One interesting discussion workshop with 45 participants in the cohort
Ways of searching for information….
What were they looking for?
Research resources most used…
Training in information and research skills
Support in information seeking and research
Using technology
Where do they get help in using technology…
Emerging findings 1
Not dramatic differences between Gen Y students and other age groups
Indications that– Gen Y students slightly less likely to turn to library staff
(especially subject librarians) for help– Gen Y more likely to rely on supervisors for
recommendations on research resources and technology support
– Gen Y more likely to turn to other students for help and support using technology
Emerging findings 2
Gen Y students are – Conservative and risk averse in research
behaviour e.g. choice of information sources, awareness of the need for authority and authenticity
– Embrace technology readily and use it intuitively BUT
– Sceptical about the inherent merits of technology and do not equate ease of access with quality of resource
Emerging findings 3
Gen Y students are willing to put in effort to learn to use new tools if the following factors are evident: – tools complement, not challenge ways of working
(essentially traditional and guided by their supervisors);
– pay back for effort is clear in terms of their research; – support in adopting new applications is readily
available, especially from peers or supervisors
Questions for the next year
The role of supervisors and technology take-up Attitudes towards using mediated content and
intermediaries in research support Attitudes towards using open access
– As research resources– As places to publish their own research
What kinds of training and support would best serve their needs
