The National Access Plan and the future of library classes
08 ronan madden pecha kucha
1. Ronan Madden
UCC Library
PhD Students in the Humanities: Understanding the Information
Behaviour of Graduate Information Literacy Course Participants
Ronan Madden, Arts & Humanities Librarian
2. Sounds familiar...
But: a better understanding of information
needs & behaviour during initial stages
4. Few studies: generic IL for Phds
Lack of research: information
practices of PhDs
Lack of research: information
seeking needs & behaviours of
humanities graduates
10. Generic IL
module an
appropriate
intervention in
the initial
months of
humanities
PhD?
What can we
learn that will
give us a better
understanding
of their IB so
that Library
can improve
support?
12. Wide Variation:
• confidence levels
at beginning
• extent to which
decided on
research topics
• awareness of
information
sources they are
likely to need
Only 15% indicated
that topic had not
changed at all
40% had not been
aware of the
information sources
they were to use later
13. Main literature search obstacles:
• scope, focus, narrowing their
topic
• searching & finding good
information
Also: What it
means to be a PhD
researcher, unique
ness of their own
research, where
they ‘fit in’ as PhD
students.
14. More choice: structured
programmes, modules,
workshops, seminars
‘Haphazard’ literature
search now extends to
choice of courses
• Planning &
sequencing
• Technology
15. A variety of people:
• Supervisor key
only for some…
• Other students
• Library has a role
16. PG6009: Positive vibes • 65% said ‘very helpful’
• 35% found it ‘helpful’
Most Useful bits?
1. Research resource discovery
2. Evaluating information
3. Using the web effectively
