Today, one of my former master’s students, Juliette Bogchelman published a study I co-authored based on her master’s thesis in The Journal of Academic Librarianship. This is a good summary of the findings:

This study examined what facilitating and hindering factors students of higher education can encounter during performing the information processing skill. Four themes of influencing factors were identified through analysis of the interviews. The first factor, cognitive factors, concerns how the clarity of the information problem and students’ chosen strategies affect their performance of the ‘process information’ skill. The second factor, student support, encompasses the difference between teacher and education support and support by peers. The third factor, affective factors, addresses the influence of feeling competent or incompetent in the ‘process information’ skill and the causes of students’ motivation. The last factor, prior teaching, concerns prior knowledge for literature searches, reading comprehension, and research skills.

Abstract of the study:

Information problem solving skills are vital for academic success, yet many higher education students struggle with effective information processing. While previous research broadly addresses information literacy, little is known about the specific factors that influence students’ processing abilities. This study explores these factors by examining student performance during a complex academic task. Using a grounded theory approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with nine undergraduate students and analyzed via constant comparative analysis. Four key factors emerged: (1) prior domain knowledge enhances evaluation efficiency, (2) affective factors such as motivation strongly impact performance, (3) task complexity and cognitive load management strategies interact, and (4) external support structures matter—though librarians were notably absent as a perceived resource. These findings highlight the need for academic libraries to better align their services with students’ actual information processing challenges. Practical implications include promoting whole-task iterative practice, embedding just-in-time support in domain-specific contexts, and addressing affective as well as technical skill development. By focusing on these four factors, academic libraries can more effectively support students. This study contributes to both the theoretical understanding of information processing in higher education and the development of evidence-based strategies to enhance library support.