Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of student information-seeking and information-sharing behaviours and communication during group projects. While a considerable body of literature exists on student information behaviour, less is known about the information behaviours of students working collaboratively, for example, in group projects. The aim of the study was to explore student information behaviours arising from group projects undertaken as part of their studies. The research questions were: What are the information seeking behaviours of students involved in group projects? How do students communicate with group members during group projects? How do students share information with group members during group projects? and What do students like most and dislike most about group projects? Design/methodology/approach - A total of 50 undergraduate and graduate students in the University College Dublin School of Information and Library Studies responded to an online questionnaire (the response rate was 55.6 per cent) in May 2007. Findings - Findings reveal that students are embracing electronic media and resources, such as web sites, electronic journals and e-mail, to progress their group projects. However, despite the widespread availability and convenience of these resources, communication difficulties and other problems were reported. Nevertheless, in general, the findings show that students have positive perceptions of group projects and believe that they have developed useful skills, such as teamwork skills and sharing information resources, as a result. Originality/value - This study should be of interest to both academics and librarians, and to researchers and scholars concerned with human information behaviour, particularly in an educational context.
