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Emerging findings from 'Researchers of Tomorrow' Study

21 July 2010

First annual report of major three-year study of doctoral researchers shows substantial overlap between information-seeking habits of Generation Y and older students – challenging initial assumptions that they are more digitally dependent, technology savvy and willing to share their research.

Emerging findings from the first annual report of a major three-year study into the information seeking behaviour of Generation Y doctoral students shows that there are striking similarities between students born between 1982 and 1994 and older age groups. See: www.researchersoftomorrow.net

Researchers of Tomorrow was commissioned by the British Library and JISC to establish a benchmark for research behaviour, against which future generations can be measured – and also to provide guidance for librarians, information specialists and policy makers on how best to meet the research needs of Generation Y scholars.

The first annual report of this longitudinal study has just been completed and includes evidence-gathering from three groups of doctoral students in the UK, including: a cohort of 60 Generation Y doctoral students from 36 universities; responses to a national context-setting survey returned by over 2,000 Generation Y scholars and responses to the same national context-setting survey returned by 3,000 older doctoral students.

Generation Y students and older students concur on a number of areas.

  • Open access and open source – like students of other ages, Generation Y researchers express a desire for an all-embracing, seamless accessible research information network in which restrictions to access does not restrain them. However, the annual report demonstrates that most Generation Y students do not have a clear understanding of what open access means and this negatively impacts their use of open access resources, so this is an area to be followed up in the next year.
  • Networked research environment – both Generation Y and older students express exasperation regarding restricted access to research resources due to the limitations of institutional licenses. This is born from a sophisticated knowledge of the networked information environment and students regularly speak favourably about sector-wide shared services and resource sharing.

The research indicates, however, potentially interesting and important divergences between Generation Y and older doctoral students; for example, where students turn for help, advice and support and attitudes to their research environment.

  • Supervisor and Librarian support – Generation Y scholars are more likely to turn to their supervisors for research resource recommendations than older doctoral students. Also, 33% of Generation Y students say they have never used library staff for their support in finding difficult to source material.
  • Using library collections and services – Library collections are used heavily by students in their own institutions, but only 36% of Generation Y students have used inter-library loan services compared to 25% of older students, with 42% of arts and humanities students using these services regularly compared to 13% among science students.

Dr Joanna Newman, the British Library’s Head of Higher Education, said, “The first annual report of this three-year study provides an overview of the Generation Y research environment. These emerging findings will ensure that the Researchers of Tomorrow study will focus on critical areas such as the role of supervisors, use of the academic library network, effective research support, open access and the main work base for doctoral students.”

Charles Hutchings, JISC’s market research manager, said, “What is striking about these interim results is the current overlap between the behaviours of these young researchers and their older counterparts. While JISC will use these studies to provide guidance for librarians, information specialists and policy makers across the UK on how best to meet researchers’ needs, we should also be aware that these behaviours are changing all the time with the advent of new digital tools for research”.

Dr Newman concluded: "Consultation is at the heart of how the Library and JISC engage with their researchers with its researchers. We know that research behaviours are evolving and changing and it is through studies like ‘Researchers of Tomorrow’ that we will start to understand in depth the future needs and requirements of Generation Y students."


The study is being conducted by Education for Change, in association with The Research Partnership, and builds on the study by CIBER of the ‘Google Generation’, which was published by the British Library and JISC in January 2008.

For more information please contact Ben Sanderson at the British Library Press Office, ben.sanderson@bl.uk T: +44 (0)20 7412 7111 M: +44 (0)78100 56848

Or contact Nicola Yeeles, JISC Press Office, T: +44 (0)117 331 0658 M: +44 (0) 0778 990 3148, email: n.yeeles@jisc.ac.uk

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library's collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation. It includes: books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages. Further information is available on the Library's website at www.bl.uk.

JISC – JISC (www.jisc.ac.uk) inspires UK colleges and universities in the innovative use of digital technologies, helping to maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in education and research.