Use of Resources

This page explores students’ starting point for research and their use of library resources, such as books, databases, special collections, and data.

Starting a Search for Information

Students were asked to indicate their one or two top places for starting an information search when working on a course assignment or project.

The same overall pattern of choosing tools for information searches was seen across both undergrad and grad students (general search engine > the U-M Library catalog and Google Scholar > scholarly search tool/database).

• Undergraduates were more likely than graduate students to use general search engines. 

• Graduate students were more likely than undergraduates to use Google Scholar, the U-M library catalog, and search tools designed for scholarly use.

Resources Used for Coursework

Students were also asked about their experience with several key library resources and services that support coursework. 

• For core library resources (such as books, databases, and journals), a similar overall pattern of use for coursework emerged across both undergrad and grad students, with databases, journals, books, and library spaces being especially critical to many.

• For additional, specialized resources (such as special collections, film and video, and government data), a similar overall pattern of use for coursework emerged across both undergrad and grad students, with small (< 10%) but notable percentages using each.

• High percentages of students (at least 90% in every case) rated the library resources they used for coursework as adequate or more than adequate.

The following tables show reported use of library offerings for coursework by students who had taken courses in the past two years, together with the percentage of respondents rating each as more than adequate.