The study investigated personal knowledge and information management (PKIM) practices of life sciences research students and also compared their PKIM practices based on gender and research programme. The study employed survey reserach design in which questionnaire was used to collect data. All MPhil. and PhD. life sciences research students at the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan were sampled. Altogether 196 questionnaires were distributed and 114 were successfully returned with a response rate of 58 percent. The findings are presented based on the five aspects of PKIM practices of research students: (a) gathering and searching; (b) organising, keeping and securing; (c) selecting and evaluating; and (d) spreading and sharing; and (e) creating, analyzing, and presenting. The findings revealed that research student were exceptionally confident about their PKIM practices. The research students also acclaimed that they were gaining information literacy skills in practising PKIM. The PKIM practices validated in the study may help educators to design training programmes for research students in Pakistan. This study recommends library and information science researchers to investigate PKIM practices on larger scales with different populations as the idea needs more exploration to thoroughly understand the academic research environment.

The study aimed to investigate the influence of demographic characteristics, Internet use, computer knowledge and technology self-efficacy on personal digital information management (PIM) activities – information finding, information keeping, information organising and information re-finding. The design of the study was quantitative and a survey method was used to get the objectives of the study. Three independent institutes of art and design – the Institute of Art and Culture, the National College of Arts and Design and the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design – were chosen as the research setting of the study. The population of the study was an academic community of three art and design institutes. The questionnaire was distributed to faculty and students of respective institutes and 229 responses were received after follow-up. The findings of the study indicated that both demographic characteristics and technology-related factors influenced the arts and design academic community’s PIM activities. However, the second set of variables – Internet use, computer knowledge and technology self-efficacy influenced more than demographic variables on PIM activities. Academic role, university and technology self-efficacy appeared significant predictors of all PIM activities. The findings might be helpful for arts and design institutes librarians to make strategies to improve academic community’s personal information management skills. In arts and design institutes, better efficiency in faculty and students’ PIM could be achieved if PIM literacy programmes are designed paying attention to differentials in demographic factors and technology-related factors, as revealed in this study.