How Can the University Library Better Meet the Information Needs of Research Students? Experiences From Ulster University

ABSTRACT

This article investigates academic library needs of doctoral students. The study identifies PhD students' information literacy training needs and explores current levels of library engagement, barriers to use, and gaps in existing services. First-year PhD students at Ulster University (UU) were surveyed and interviews were undertaken with three students. Findings show that just over half the respondents start their research from the Library's e-journal interface or library databases and these resources are also their main research tools. Minimal use was made of social media or apps. Students' ability to correctly identify different source types within a reference did not match the confidence they expressed in their own abilities, and two thirds were not aware of basic e-book capabilities. However, over 90% of the respondents strongly agreed that the university library service was essential for their research. The article concludes with a number of recommendations on improving library services for PhD students.

KEYWORDS:

• Information literacy
• researchers
• students
• university libraries
• users

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the valuable feedback from Helen Fallon, prior to the submission of the article to the journal, and to thank Janet Peden, University Librarian at Ulster University for reading the revised article prior to its submission.

The authors were the recipients of the Maynooth University Library/New Review of Academic Librarianship Award for Academic Writing sponsored by Taylor & Francis 2016/2017. This article is the outcome of that winning proposal and the authors would like to thank the organizers, judges, and sponsors for recognizing their work in making this award.