Researchers of Tomorrow

1. Researchers of Tomorrow Over 10,000 responses from the first two years More than 70 HEIs Students from all disciplines Identifying clear trends Setting the national context All the data will be made available for reuse • The study contributes to an evidence base that will: • Help HEIs make the most of digital resources • Help HEIs and libraries plan for future students • Provide sound evidence for planning & policy Largest study of behaviour and attitudes of doctoral students across the UK - over 5,000 students each year

2. We want to find out... WHICH research resources are being used? WHAT assumptions are made about Generation Y? Are they true? HOW do they use technology in their research? HOW do Generation Y students search for research information? WHAT training do they have to support their work? Image from Researchers of Tomorrow short film by JISC/BL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSCWDwqlAGs Generation Y: the last generation of students to be born before everything went digital

3. Methodology and timescales Data is being gathered in three main ways, repeated in each of the three years the study runs for: • >2000 responses to a context-setting questionnaire of Generation Y doctoral students • >3000 responses to the same survey by doctoral students of any age • Qualitative survey of up to 60 Gen Y students through: • blog entries • discussion forums • one‐to-one interviews • face‐to‐face meetings

4. Who are the trackers? • Born between 1982 and 1994 • They are not ‘digital natives’: mostly educated without the internet • All are full-time students • From a mixture of disciplines • Their responses are gathered from: • blog posts • discussion forums • interviews • workshops We’re tracking 60 full-time UK doctoral students from all subject disciplines for 2½ years to find out their research behaviour and attitudes

5. Context-setting survey data Some of the data we’ve collected in the past two years... 904 what 586 10,215 responses 8067 42% Gen Y context nation-wide annual 658 70+ HEIs

6. Overview

7. How researchers go about looking for resources • Google: Around 30% of both Generation Y and older students tend to initiate their research enquiries with a Google application. • Citation databases: More Generation Y students than older students used citation databases as their main starting place; but more Gen Y (65%) than older students (36%) study pure and applied sciences. • Libraries: 36% of Generation Y students in the sample have never used inter‐library loan services, compared to 25% of older students. Source: Year 1 wider context survey

8. Year 1 surveyGen Y survey sample: main source used to find information by subject discipline

9. Where they turn to for guidance Libraries: The majority of Generation Y students have never used advice and help from subject specialist library staff Training: Overall around 50% of Generation Y and older doctoral student survey samples had received some kind of useful formal training in areas related to information‐seeking and research resource use Supervisors: More Generation Y students than older doctoral students (31% and 23% respectively) get help and support from their supervisors in using specialist technology tools. Peers: Generation Y students are more likely than older doctoral students to rely on their peers for support using technology (45% and 32% respectively). Location: Whether they are based inside or outside of the institution has an effect on who or how they get guidance. Source: Year 1 wider context survey

10. Year 1 SurveyGen Y survey sample: research support use and value

11. Talking to our cohort • Increasingly, the cohort say they need less support in identifying, finding and accessing relevant research resources than previously • Though still very reliant on their supervisors, it is not for assistance in finding resources • Few of the cohort say they are using or need support from the library staff any longer • The majority say they feel more confident about assessing the relevance and quality of the research resources they find

12. How they make judgements about resources • Rarely aware of the precise publisher or e‐information source itself • Trust in library’s own e‐resource interface or a Google application to locate and access resources Open Access: • Confusion over what it is and how to use it • Recognition of the potential positive impact • Concernsover open access published articles • Around half of survey responds said they had no reservations about using open access or self archived research resources in their own research work Source: Years 1+2 wider context surveys, qualitative research

13. Key messages so far • Fewer differences between Gen Y and other doctoral students than we originally envisaged: • Both consider themselves ‘elite technology users’ • Similar approaches to info-seeking and use of research resources • Use of and appetite for latest technology and tools in research is still low • Low level of encouragement and support by institutions in using new technologies in research especially social media tools • Differ more in terms of where they turn to for help, advice or support: • Supervisors are strong influencers but don’t seem to be encouraging use of social media tools in research • Rely more on their peers for choice and support in using technology • Using social media tools more than institutionally provided technologies but getting less formal support in using them • Turn less frequently to librarians for support or guidance • Lack understanding of open access & are averse to openly sharing/ collaborating during doctorate www.researchersoftomorrow.net