Research Students in the Electronic Age: Impacts of Changing Information Behavior on Information Literacy Needs

摘要

Becauseoftherapiduptakeofinformationandcommunicationtechnology(ICT),understandingthewaysinwhichinformationseekinghaschangedoverthepastdecadeiscrucialtogainingapictureofhowinformationliteracyneedsmayalsobechangingintheelectronicage.Thisqualitativeresearchtookaninterpretivist/constructivistapproachinexaminingthewaysinwhichaccesstoelectronicinformation-seekingaffectstheinformationliteracyneedsof15researchstudentsinanAustralianuniversitysetting.Anethnographictechnique,theinterview,wasusedforthedatacollection.Threeparticularareas,relatedtoinformationseekinganduse,wereselected:(1)informationsourceusebecauseoftheburgeoningavailabilityofelectronicsources;(2)knowingwhentostopcollectinginformationbecausetheadventoftheInternethastheconsequenceofgreaterquantitiesofinformationbeingmoreeasilyavailablethanwasthecaseinthepast;and3)managinginformationfollowingitscollection,whichhasalsobeenaffectedbythevastamountofinformationthatisnowaccessible.Theconclusionpointstoenhancedrolesforbothsupervisorsandacademiclibrarians,withtheneedforthelattertobecomeperceivedaseducatorswithintheiruniversitycommunities.