New Project Info Lit report travels radio, web

Project Information Literacy (PIL) was the subject of several new news stories, following the release of findings about how students use Wikipedia for research purposes.

Alison Head was interviewed on KUOW's The Conversation about Wikipedia use by college students across the United States. In the interview, Dr. Head discusses the results of surveys that included approximately 2800 student respondents.

Heather Bosch of KIRO FM 97.3 also interviewed Head about the most recent PIL findings, as did KOMO Newsradio.

In addition to these radio stories, PIL findings have also been generating discussion on the Campus Technology Web site.

In the coming year, Project Information Literacy will administer a new online survey to 100,000 early adults (19 - 30 years old) enrolled full-time as sophomores, juniors, and seniors in 28 U.S. community colleges and public and private colleges or universities. The new survey will collect data about: (1) how students find information and conduct research, (2) where they look for answers and what techniques they employ, and (3) how they evaluate the sources they do find for course-related and everyday life research.

Project Information Literacy, a national research study, is co-directed by Dr. Alison Head, Research Scientist, and Dr. Michael Eisenberg, Dean Emeritus and Professor in the iSchool. The ongoing research, supported with contributing funds from the MacArthur Foundation, studies how college students find and conduct research in the digital age.