A needs analysis for information literacy provision for research : a case study in University College Dublin. Author: Avril Patterson

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A needs analysis for information literacy provision for research
Title : a case study in University College Dublin

Author(s) Patterson, Avril

Publication 2009-03-31
Date

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record/more http://hdl.handle.net/10197/2779
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NEEDS ANALYSIS FOR INFORMATION
LITERACY PROVISION FOR RESEARCH:
A CASE STUDY IN UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE DUBLIN

LILAC 2009

Avril Patterson, University College Dublin

avril.patterson@ucd.ie

Outline

• Introduction
• Case Study
• Methodology
• Findings
• Analysis
• Recommendations

Avril Patterson LILAC 2009

Background

• National Development Plan 2007-2013

• Government aim – double PhD output by 2013

• Restructuring of Graduate / PhD training

• Fourth Level Ireland


University College Dublin – James Joyce
Library

University College Dublin

• Largest of Ireland’s 7 universities
• Academic restructuring 2004/05
- 5 Colleges ; 35 Schools
• 2,000 Research students
• Structured PhD programme 2006
• Research and Professional Development Plans
(RPDPs) introduced 2007


Challenges to Information Literacy (IL)
Provision

• IL implicit rather than explicit in Irish
Universities Association’s skills statement
• Students’ IL level or needs unknown to IL
providers
• Risk of over-rated evaluation through self
assessment
• Focus of IL in HE is on undergraduate needs


Research Objectives

• Clearly identify target audience & its needs

• Provide a base line from which resource
requirements can be determined

• Inform design of relevant programmes


Research Questions

• What are the IL competencies of incoming
research students?
• Are there different requirements for different
disciplines?
• Are they predicated by student profile?
• Do current programmes meet requirements?
• How can this study inform future development?


Case Study

• Literature Review

• Research-Practice gap

• Multi-faceted research tool facilitated by
Evidence Based Librarianship & Information
Practice (EBLIP)


EBLIP

• “promotes the integration of user-reported,
practitioner-observed and research-derived
evidence as an explicit basis for decision
making” (Booth, 2006)


Case Study’s Limitations

EBLIP process truncated –
Implementation tasks outside scope
- Application
- Performance evaluation


Methodology

• Survey Questionnaire

• Information Behaviour Observation

• Focus Group


Survey Questionnaire

• Built on published research in the field
• Four components:
– Personal profile
– Self assessment
– Diagnostic tool
– Free text
• Online administration
• Purposive sampling


IL Assessment

Adaptation of two published assessment tools:

• Checklist used at Loughborough University
(Stubbings & Franklin, 2005) – self assessment
based on confidence levels

• London Metropolitan University’s Applied
Information Research (AIR) programme
(Andretta, 2005) – diagnostic test


Information Behaviour Observation

• Theoretical framework - Kuhlthau’s Information
Search Process (ISP)

• Identification of “zone of intervention”

• Non participative observation in IL workshops


Focus Group

Purpose: to elicit response to current IL
programmes
Themes :
• Format
• Content
• Delivery
• Logistics (location, dates, times)
• Other


Research Findings

• Survey Questionnaire
– Personal Profiles
– Previous Library Induction
– Self Assessment
– Diagnostic Questionnaire
• Information Behaviour Observation
• Focus Group Findings


Programme
Programme

8%

14%

PhD
Research Masters
Others

78%


Postgraduate Status

100% 7%
90% 12%
23%
80%
70%
60% Part time
50% 93%
40% 88% Full time
77%
30%
20%
10%
0%
s

s
D
nt

r
Ph

te
da

as
on

M
sp

ch
re

r
ea
l
Al

es
R


Gender

Gender

45% Female
55% Male


Age
Age

120

100

55
80
Total
44

60 Male
Female
30
24
40
24
18
14
20 3
31
20
16 15 4
2
0 2 1

<25 25-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+

Postgraduate Profile

• Irish graduates 72%

• Previous postgraduate qualification 56%
– Of this 65% achieved in Ireland

• English not first language 22%


Previous Library Instruction

• Experienced by 62%
• Library tours and presentations most common
• 16% had engaged in interactive workshops
• Online tutorials used by 10%
• Integrated and timetabled for 17%
• Credit bearing for 7%


Self Assessment

Questions ranged from basic to complex
Included :
• Resource selection
• Information retrieval
• Information management
• Ethical use


Findings – Self Assessment

• Marked difference in confidence levels of PhD
and Research Masters students
• Previous postgraduate experience did not
equate with higher confidence levels
• Gender a significant variable
• Age also significant
• In general, discipline not significant, but further
investigation is required.


Findings – Information Selection &
Retrieval

• Use of catalogue to find books Confident

• Finding reference material
• Locating journal articles
• Selection of appropriate databases
• Identifying existing research
Not
confident
• Search strategies
• Use of citation indexes


Locating Theses
100%

90%

80%

70%
No Familiarity
Confidence

60%
Not Confident
50%
Fairly Confident
40%
Confident
30%

20%

10%

0%
PhD Research Masters Other

Programme


Findings – Information Environment

• Lack of awareness of “invisible colleges”
• High confidence levels in use of internet and
search engines
• Lower confidence rates in use of subject
gateways
• Lack of familiarity in setting up alerts to keep
current


Findings – Information Handling & Use

• High confidence levels in ethical use and
avoidance of plagiarism
• Confidence in saving/exporting/e-mailing
references
• Confidence in creating a bibliography
• Low confidence levels in use of bibliographic
management tools


Diagnostic Questionnaire

Multiple choice questions

• Searching skills

• Evaluation skills

• Referencing skills


Findings - Diagnostic Questionnaire

• Some lack of knowledge in how internet worked
• Lack of knowledge of Boolean operators (31%)
• Lack of knowledge of interlibrary loan services
(36%)
• Lack of knowledge of subject portals (40%)
• High expectations of access to e-journals (47%)
• Some difficulty in referencing skills


Preferred method of IL provision
100%
Other
90%
80% Information skills integrated in course
work
70%
Confidence

60% Interactive workshops covering specific
resources / skills
50%
40% Presentations throughout the year

30%
Library tours on demand
20%
10%
More printed guides to the library
0%
Full-time Part-time Other
More web based information
Progamme


Findings – Information Behaviour
Observation

Concept of building a search strategy
underdeveloped. Areas of difficulty:

• Identification and conceptualisation of search
terms

• Use of synonyms

• Boolean operators

Findings – Information Behaviour
Observation (Continued)

• Generic search skills did not transfer

• Unfamiliarity with library terms

• Need for assistance in establishing criteria for
database selection observed


Model of the Information Search Process

Tasks Initiation Selection Exploration Formulation Collection Presentation
————————————————————————————————————————————→
Feelings uncertainly optimism confusion/ clarity sense of satisfaction or
(affective) frustration/ direction/ disappointment
doubt confidence

Thoughts vague———————————————→focused
(cognitive) ————————————————→
increased interest

Actions seeking relevant information——————————-→seeking pertinent information
(physical) exploring documenting

Carol Collier Kuhlthau Information Search Process Rutgers University

Findings – Focus Group

• Postgraduate research cohort not homogeneous
with a standard IL
• Varying levels an issue in workshops
• Suggested problem based approach centred on
student’s own research useful
• Workshop descriptors and learning outcomes
should be clearly articulated


Findings - Focus Group (Continued)

• Less coverage could result in greater confidence
• Discipline specific approach favoured
• Link with Schools’ Research modules desirable
• Underestimation of complexity of e-resources
• Assumption of abilities


Comparative Analysis

Research Student Needs Analysis Survey (RSNA),
University of Leeds, 2005-2006 (Newton, 2007)

• Lack of confidence in tracing research
• Low confidence in finding theses
• Use of Boolean operators
• Use of bibliographic management tools


Summary of Analysis

• Identified gap between IL levels sufficient for
taught courses and for research
• Need for attention in formulation of search
strategies
• Variation in level of IL acumen
• Consistent difference in findings between
Research Masters & PhD students
• ICT/IL relationship


Recommendations for practice

• Ensure “top down” approach to IL provision
• Ensure disciplinary variation is understood
• Adopt theory of adult learning
• Use literature review process
• If possible allow students to use their own
research for interactive work
• Include concepts of ISP model


Recommendations for practice
(Continued)

• Develop longitudinal evaluation processes

• Keep current

• Offer what is feasible and sustainable

• Seek possible funding for research and support


Objectives Achieved

• Established research students’ perceptions of
their IL
• Identified areas where guidance and
intervention could benefit
• Highlighted importance of collaboration
• Alignment from taught programmes to research
recognised


Next Steps

Complete EBLIP framework, i.e.

• Apply the results

• Evaluate performance

• Explore further possible domain differences


References

• Andretta, S. (2005) Information Literacy: a
practitioner’s guide. Oxford : Chandos.
• Booth, A. (2006) “Counting what counts:
performance measurement and evidence-based
practice” Performance Measurement and
Metrics, 7 (2) : 63-74
• Kuhlthau, C. C. “Model of the Information Search
Process”
(http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kuhlthau/recent_
presentations/isic/isic_presentation.ppt)


References

• Newton, A. (2007) “Reaching out to research
students: information literacy in context”. In
Connor, Elizabeth (ed.) Evidence-based
Librarianship: Case studies and active
learning exercises. Oxford : Chandos, pp. 119-
140.
• Stubbings, R., Franklin, G. (2005) “More to life
than google – a journey for PhD students”.
Journal of eLiteracy, 2 : 93-103


To conclude :

“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject
ourselves, or we know where we can find
information upon it”

Samuel Johnson (1709-84)


A needs analysis for information literacy provision for research : a case study in University College Dublin. Author: Avril Patterson

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A needs analysis for information literacy provision for research : a case study in University College Dublin. Author: Avril Patterson