UK Study Suggests Gen Y Researchers Much Like Peers, Except When It Comes to Libraries
By Norman Oder Jul 22, 2010According to the official summary of the Researchers of Tomorrow study [PDF] commissioned by the British Library and the UK education support agency JISC, the first annual report of a three-year study into the information-seeking behavior of Generation Y doctoral students suggests "striking similarities between students born between 1982 and 1994 and older age groups."
However, while the study suggests that Generation Y students and their predecessors similarly lack a clear understanding of open access and express exasperation regarding restricted access caused by limited institutional licenses, they diverge when it comes to usage of libraries and interaction with librarians.
Library left behind?
For example, 36% of Generation Y students have never used interlibrary loan services, while only 25% of older students have eschewed ILL.
Also, 57% of the Generation Y cohort have never consulted subject specialist librarians, while 42% of older students have not done so. The younger group is more likely than the older one to use supervisors for recommendations on research resources and to consult peers for support using technology.
Google first
A chart on page 32 of the report shows that Google and Google Scholar outdistance citation databases as starting points for most disciplines.
Library catalogs lag significantly. Even among Arts & Humanities students, only about ten percent choose either cross‐institutional library catalog or their own institution's catalog as their main starting point.
Library love
While most of the Gen Y cohort said they either do not need any more or that they need more advanced training tailored to them, those who have attended library‐led training sessions have had positive experiences.
One STM student stated: "Sessions provided by the library are excellent, covering everything from basic IT skills to advice on finding research matter. And they are also great for meeting and learning from other PhD students. I actually learnt to use RefWorks following a library session on research skills, when a neighbour decided to take some time afterwards to show me."
And those who used libraries had some positive words. One social sciences student stated, "[T]here's always someone friendly on the helpdesk to help out if there's a problem finding something. I even phoned our library from New York once to try to get hold of an article I couldn't access online, and the guy on the phone helped me to get it in about 5 minutes!"
"What I like most is that the librarians are quite possibly the most enthusiastic and helpful people ever," another student stated.
Predictions, and not
While the study bore out predictions that Gen Y students would be sophisticated information-seekers and users, and also highly competent users of information and communications technology, it did not support the assumption that they would be less inclined to make use of printed materials, nor that they would be early adopters and keen users of the latest technology applications and tools in their research work (as opposed to personal lives).
Nor does the research back up any suggestion that this new cohort might believe in "good enough" research results.
