Designing an online graduate community for research practice: Going beyond single purpose design

Abstract

Providing library research support for graduate students during a thesis/dissertation or capstone project is a scaffolded and long-term process. Librarians meet with students several times as they journey through this liminal space to becoming scholars. Currently, COVID-19 adds to this already high-stakes and stressful experience. This case study will describe how graduate student needs assessment data were utilized to design an online virtual space that provides a more holistic approach for graduate student support during this disorienting time that integrates the seminal theories of Kuhlthau’s Model of the Information Search Process and Schlossberg's Transition Theory.

Keywords:

• Graduate students
• online resource
• liminality
• HyFlex
• Kuhlthau Information Search Process Model
• Schlossberg’s transition theory

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.