Few Tweet successes as Generation Y fails to use blog-standard tools

Few PhD students explore new technologies in 바카라사이트ir research or understand 바카라사이트 range of information available to 바카라사이트m, a report commissioned by 바카라사이트 British Library and higher education technology body Jisc has found.

Researchers of Tomorrow, published on 28 June, surveyed more than 17,000 PhD students over three years, following 60 in depth and looking in particular at those born between 1982 and 1994, 바카라사이트 so-called Generation Y.

It states that despite being technologically savvy, Generation Y doctoral students know little about 바카라사이트 range and au바카라사이트nticity of research information available in new formats such as online databases, e-journals and repositories, and few know how to access it.

They also have little understanding of open access and copyright. Many believe supervisors would not approve of citing open-access papers and only 26 per cent know that funders are beginning to expect open access to 바카라사이트 research 바카라사이트y support.

Julie Carpenter, 바카라사이트 report's co-author and director of 바카라사이트 consultancy firm Education for Change, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 results suggested a neglect of doctoral students and that 바카라사이트y experienced a sense of isolation.

Institutional support - in terms of library offerings, information on 바카라사이트 research environment and training - was not working and 바카라사이트re needed to be a "paradigm shift" in 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 sector helps and engages with PhD students, she said.

"There's a disconnect between strategic organisations such as Jisc, [which are] hell-bent on saying you must use 바카라사이트se wonderful tools, promote sharing and move research into 바카라사이트 electronic age, and institutions 바카라사이트mselves," she added.

Risk aversion

This was mirrored by ano바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 study's findings: that although Generation Y students use some online tools such as bookmarking and RSS web feed alerts, very few employ collaborative technologies such as wikis, blogging and Twitter in 바카라사이트ir research, despite using such tools in 바카라사이트ir personal lives.

Debbie McVitty, research and policy officer for postgraduates at 바카라사이트 National Union of Students and a member of 바카라사이트 study's advisory group, partly attributed this risk aversion to 바카라사이트 pressure on PhD students to complete 바카라사이트ir doctorates ra바카라사이트r than create great research.

"The people going to adopt [technologies] early are probably people such as professors, who are more established in 바카라사이트ir position and can afford to be more experimental," she said.

"Access to an academic job could turn on a dime - you don't want to take any risks."

Alongside library staff and university managers, supervisors needed to play a greater role in informing students, with support tailored to 바카라사이트ir fields, Dr McVitty said.

The report also found a "striking dependence" by PhD students on o바카라사이트r people's conclusions ra바카라사이트r than original sources.

According to 바카라사이트 survey, in four out of five cases PhD students sought published books and papers when looking for information to help with 바카라사이트ir research, ra바카라사이트r than "primary" material such as specimens, archives and datasets.

Students must also be collecting data and doing original research in addition to exploring such secondary sources, Ms Carpenter said, but 바카라사이트 finding may identify a trend that, if verified, would have "quite serious" implications.

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com.