LILAC 2014 Keynote Speaker

1. Truth Be Told: How Today’s Students Conduct Research
Alison J. Head
24 April 2014 | LILAC

2. Teach
Advise
Train
Develop
Promote
Discuss
Practice
Advance
Study
Information Literacy

4. 1746Articles and books about IL published in 2013
ALONE
Search of all databases at University of Washington Libraries, “information literacy,”
4 April 2014

5. Source: Top 50 most relevant books and peer-reviewed articles from search, 4 April
2014
What was the IL discussion about last year?

6. What can
we learn
from students?

7. 7
Takeaways
from
Students
About Their
Information Literacy
COMPETENCIES

8. #1
Students say
research
is more difficult
than ever before.

9. Adjectives that
describe how
you feel when
you get a
research
assignment . . .
fear,
angst,
tired,
dread,
excited,
anxious,
annoyed,
stressed,
disgusted,
intrigued,
confused, and
overwhelmed.
2009, n = 86 | 7 campuses

10. #2
Getting started--
the hardest
part of
course research

11. Task
Definition
Search Using
information
Task
definition
Search Self
assessment
69% 41% 30% 25%
What is most difficult?
2010 Survey, n = 8353 | 25 campuses
Getting started
Defining a topic
Narrowing a topic

12. #3
Frustrations
begin
with
finding
context

13. Information
need
Course
research
Everyday life
Research
1. Big Picture
Summary,
background
Almost
always
Often
2. Information
Gathering
Locating relevant
sources
Often Sometimes
2009, n = 2,318 | 6 campuses
Modeling the search for context
PIL’s Context Typology

14. Information
need
Course
research
Everyday life
Research
3. Language
Meaning of
words, terms Sometimes Sometimes
4. Situational
How far to go,
surrounding
circumstances
Sometimes Sometimes
2009, n = 2,318 | 6 campuses
PIL’s Context Typology
Modeling the search for context

15. #4
Students
use the
same few
go-to
sources.

16. 2010 Survey, n = 8,353 | 25 campuses
2009, n = 2,318 | 6 campuses
Course research
Librarians 30% (2010); 47% ( 2009)

17. Everyday life research
2010 Survey, n = 8353 | 25 campuses
2009 Survey, n =2,318 | 6 campuses
Librarians 14%( 2010); 33% (2009)

18. Satisficing
Situational &
information
gathering
contexts
Big picture /
language contexts
A well-trodden path

19. #5
Wikipedia is
“my presearch
tool”

20. Why Wikipedia?
2010 Wikipedia, First Monday, n = 8353 | 25 campuses

21. #6
Instructors
are “my
research
coaches”

22. 1. Majority recommend a “place-based source” (60%)
2. Few recommended consulting librarians (13%)
3. Few defined what “research” is or means (16%)
2010 Handout Study, n = 191 handouts | 28 campuses
Handouts offer little guidance

23. #7
The
library is
“my refuge”

24. How is the library used?
2009 Survey, n = 2318 | 6 campuses

25. Why ask a librarian for help?
2009 Survey, n = 2318 | 6 campuses
Language / information
gathering contexts

26. What’s a librarian to do?

27. Interpreting change Implications
Shift from information
scarcity to abundance.
• Evaluation is 21st
competency
Information is disembodied
from the whole source.
• More results > abstracts matter
Connectivity = “always on,
always notifying.”
• Libraries as refuge > different needs

28. PIL Finding Solutions
Overloaded, busy, and
doing things at last minute.
• Offer on-demand info services
Using same sources, many
from high school experience.
• Go beyond “one shots,” e.g., three shots
Defining a topic is harder
than finding sources.
• Fewer lessons on “search,” embed in courses

29. Truth Be Told: How Today’s Students Conduct Research
Alison J. Head
24 April 2014 | LILAC
alison@projectinfolit.org