New Library World

Purpose – The purpose of this exploratory study is to investigate the information behaviour of a group of doctoral students in the field of biology with the aim of understanding their needs and obtaining suggestions for an improved library service.

Design/methodology/approach – In-depth semi-structured interviews explore which information sources students use, research strategies they adopt, the role people adopt in their information seeking process and the attitude students have towards library services.

Findings – Doctoral students rely heavily on the internet for their research work. They appreciate simple and easy research tools and their use of the library is limited to a few services, such as document delivery and interlibrary loan. People play a crucial role in doctoral students' information behaviour mainly in terms of suggesting relevant documents. Students demonstrate progress throughout the years of their doctorate course in terms of awareness and information competence.

Practical implications – The paper presents a perspective on the information needs of doctoral students in the biology field and provides some insights into students' priorities in terms of information tools and library services.

Originality/value – The paper can represent a starting-point for further investigation into the information-seeking patterns and needs of doctoral students in Italian universities.