| The goal of this dissertation is to examine the information seeking behavior of university students conducting research in order to determine the process used in their research as well as the resources utilized. In particular, the role of online resources within this process is explored.; Using an approach based on grounded theory, the students were interviewed over the course of the project regarding all aspects of their research from choosing a topic to writing the final paper. Demographic information such as age, gender, and major was also collected.; A conceptual model of the research process, derived from the interview data, is presented. The initial stage involves selecting a broad topic and finding an initial source. The main stage consists of identifying additional sources, selecting sources, reading sources, refining the topic, and organizing information. The final stage includes writing a draft, revising the draft, and writing the final paper. Influences on the use of resources are subject area and previous experience.; A major finding related to the research process is that choosing an appropriate topic is very difficult and extremely important. It was also crucial for students to find at least one “good” source initially as a means to finding more. The main problems that occurred during the research process are that desired materials were not available and that managing time issues was difficult.; In terms of resource use, one of the main findings is that although the online catalogs are clearly an integral and essential part of the research process, other electronic resources are not utilized very frequently and are not thought to be very useful. People (primarily professors and teaching assistants) and bibliographies of various sorts are also important resources. The students overwhelmingly used resources they considered to be familiar, convenient, and easy.; Another finding is that many students had not been taught research methods in any structured way throughout their whole educational lives, including at the university level. Finally, it was found that librarians are generally only infrequently consulted and then, not for research advice, but rather for technical assistance in the use of resources. |
