Patterns of graduate students' information seeking behavior: a meta‐synthesis of the literature

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this review is to draw out patterns of information seeking behavior of graduate students as described in the empirical research published from 1997 to the present. Design/methodology/approach -A systematic search of databases for studies on information behavior and graduate students was employed in order to retrieve studies for a systematic review. Common themes that emerged from the literature were synthesized into a discussion of behavior patterns. Additionally a study quality analysis was conducted for all retrieved studies using a critical appraisal checklist for library and information research.Findings -This review revealed that graduate students begin their research on the internet much like any other information seeker, consult their faculty advisors before other people, and use libraries in diverse ways depending on the discipline studied. Additionally differences were noted between international and home students, and doctoral and master's students. Practical implications -The findings of this review indicate that information behavior research conducted on graduate students should delineate between masters' and doctoral students. Further, the findings may inform both academic librarian and faculty practice as to how to assist students with their research by helping them to understand how students typically approach research and how other institutions address common issues with special populations, such as non-native speakers and distance learners. Originality/value -No comprehensive review of information behavior studies, encompassing only the behaviors of graduate students has been conducted to date. IntroductionGraduate students have information needs that are often very different than those of undergraduates. Their needs can be more sophisticated and complex. Understanding the information seeking behaviors of graduate students may better equip librarians, faculty, doctoral supervisors and administration to help shape those behaviors by offering appropriate and needed services and instruction.Wilson (1999) defined information behavior as "Those activities a person may engage in when identifying their own need for information, searching for information and using or transferring that information." Graduate students have described themselves as being more confident and vested in the materials that they produce as a result of their research (e.g. Vezzosi, 2009). They should know their disciplines and how to engage in the research process far more adeptly than undergraduate students. Conversely, Kuhlthau (2004; cited in Barrett, 2005) states that undergraduate students cope more than seek information.

Who reads research articles? An altmetrics analysis of Mendeley user categories

“…Jamali and Nicholas (2006) found that PhD students browse electronic journals more than senior scholars in physics and astronomy. Catalano (2013) concluded that although Masters and PhD students both use the web for information searching, the latter believe that references provided by faculty members are more reliable. Whitmire (2002) argued that the information seeking behaviour of undergraduate students could be different from that of graduate students and faculty members but they can have similar information seeking behaviour because some students used resources suggested by faculty members more than other references (Korobili, Malliari, & Zapounidou, 2011).…”

Information behaviour of humanities PhDs on an information literacy course

“…An examination of subject-specific studies reveals the diversity of information practices across the humanities, for example music research was examined by Dougan (2012) and Brown (2002), information practices in art history by Larkin (2010) and Beaudoin (2005), and the research of historians by Tibbo (2003) and Rhee (2012). Although Catalano's (2013) review study could not find agreement on consistent information behaviours among humanities researchers, Barrett (2005) has suggested that humanities graduate students do share common approaches to research and 'tend to initiate research projects in haphazard, serendipitous ways ' (p. 330). Research supervisors play a key role in supporting humanities graduate researchers.…”

“…A thorough literature review of the information behaviour of humanities scholars has been provided by Case (2012). Catalano's (2013) systematic review of the information behaviour of graduate students includes the humanities.…”

Las revisiones sistemáticas en Biblioteconomía y Documentación: análisis y evaluación del proceso de búsqueda

“…Las revisiones sistemáticas comenzaron a utilizarse sobre todo en el campo de la medicina, bajo el paradigma conocido como Medicina Basada en la Evidencia (MBE), si bien su aplicación se ha ido extendiendo a otros campos profesionales de los que no es ajeno el de Biblioteconomía y Documentación (ByD) (Xu y otros, 2015; Phelps y Campbell, 2012), siendo los bibliotecarios de ciencias de la salud los primeros en aplicar los principios basados en la evidencia (Koufogiannakis, 2012a) aunque su uso se ha extendido posteriormente a entornos académicos o programas educativos (Catalano, 2013;Urquhart, 2010).…”