Self-reported information literacy skills among researchers within a medical and health science faculty

Abstract

Since research output is expanded from published work to research data and communication, guidance and support should follow this evolution. Ghent University Library (Belgium) conducted in 2015 a “Skills@UGent” survey comprising questions considering information literacy skills to identify actual needs. This paper focuses on research planning, deontology and visibility queried in a group of postdoctoral researchers of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. They encounter specific difficulties with respecting ethical codes of conduct, knowing how and where to store data, setting up a data management plan, and knowing and applying new insights concerning data management. Furthermore, they also encounter problems with different aspects of visibility. The results of this survey gave the Knowledge Center a better insight of the information literacy self-efficacy of postdoctoral researchers which lead to several initiatives such as customized lunch seminars and a more user-oriented website.