Research Priorities and Projects

On this page we identify our priority areas for future research, and existing projects in the field.

Priority areas for research

• Conceptualising information literacy as a field of research and study;

• Exploring the relationship between information behaviour and information literacy;

• Developing and evaluating research methodologies appropriate to investigating information literacy;

• Investigating the nature and impact of pedagogy for information literacy (teaching, learning, assessment and curriculum design);

• Organisational strategies and structures for information literacy development;

• Information literacy in the workplace;

• Information literacy for citizenship in the information society and for lifelong learning.

Recent recsearch grants are:

• UK academics’ perceptions of, and pedagogy for, information literacy (collaboration with University of Strathclyde). 2002-2005. Principal Investigator Sheila Webber, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, £137,351.

• Understanding The Dynamics Of Information Seeking: Analysing Researchers’ Strategic Changes Over Time. 2005-2007. Principal Investigator Nigel Ford, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, £230,115

• Information literacy, libraries and students' experience of learning in Higher Education: review of research literature. 2006-2007. Principal Investigator Sheila Webber, funded by the Higher Education Academy, £24,000.

• Education for evidence-based citizenship: improving pupils' information seeking skills. 2001-2004. Principal Investigator Nigel Ford, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, £129,348