A new study overturns the common assumption that the ‘Google
Generation’ – youngsters born or brought up in the Internet age
– is the most web-literate. The first ever virtual longitudinal
study carried out by the CIBER research team at University College
London claims that, although young people demonstrate an apparent
ease and familiarity with computers, they rely heavily on search
engines, view rather than read and do not possess the critical and
analytical skills to assess the information that they find on the
web.
The report Information Behaviour Commissioned by the British Library and JISC (Joint Information The findings also send a strong message to the government. Educational Dame Lynne Brindley DBE, Chief Executive of the British Library, “We are a trusted and independent source, both in cyberspace and “We welcome the report findings, particularly on information and Dr Malcolm Read, Executive Secretary of JISC, welcomed the publication In the absence of a longitudinal study tracking a group of young The British Library and JISC commissioned report
of the Researcher of the Future (PDF format; 1.67MB) also shows
that research-behaviour traits that are commonly associated with
younger users – impatience in search and navigation, and zero tolerance
for any delay in satisfying their information needs – are now becoming
the norm for all age-groups, from younger pupils and undergraduates
through to professors.
Systems Committee), the study calls for libraries to respond urgently
to the changing needs of researchers and other users. Going virtual
is critical and learning what researchers want and need crucial
if libraries are not to become obsolete, it warns. “Libraries in
general are not keeping up with the demands of students and researchers
for services that are integrated and consistent with their wider
internet experience”, says Dr Ian Rowlands, the lead author of the
report.
research into the information behaviour of young people and training
programmes on information literacy skills in schools are desperately
needed if the UK is to remain as a leading knowledge economy with
a strongly-skilled next generation of researchers.
said of the report findings: “Libraries have to accept that the
future is now. At the British Library we have adopted the digital
mindset and have seized many of the opportunities new technology
offers to inspire our users to learn, discover and innovate. Turning
the Pages 2.0 and the mass digitisation project to digitise 25 million
of pages of 19th-century English literature are only two examples
of the pioneering work we are doing.
through our vast printed collections, with more than 67 million
hits on our website in the past 12 months and 500,000 readers passing
through our doors every year.
digital literacy skills. We focus on research skills, creativity,
critical thinking and visual, verbal and information literacy, within
our overall learning programme.”
of the report, saying: “These findings add to our growing understanding
of subjects that should concern all who work in further and higher
education – the changing needs of our students and researchers and
how libraries can meet their needs. We hope that this report will
encourage debate around these important questions. We hope it will
also serve to remind us all that students and researchers will continue
to need the appropriate skills and training to help navigate an
increasingly diverse and complex information landscape.”
people through schooling to academic careers, CIBER developed a
methodology which has created a unique ‘virtual longitudinal study’
based on the available literature and new primary data about the
ways in which the British Library and JISC websites are used. This
is the first time for the information seeking behaviour of the virtual
scholar to have been profiled by age.
Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future conducted
by the Centre for Information Behaviour and the Evaluation of Research
(CIBER) at UCL was launched on 16 January 2008.