Digital reading is a fundamental part of research in the twenty-first century: historians produce, consume, and interact with all manner of information in online environments. While previous studies of the research practices of historians have been done by librarians and scholars suchas Kim Martin, Jennifer Rutner, and Roger C. Schonfeld, there has been little investigation of the process by which PhD students in history learn the digital skills they need to be successful in their research.

Aim and research question

It is often assumed that students begin PhD study having acquired digital skills at MA and PhD level. This paper blends interview research with current and recent PhD students, and the perspective of a librarian-researcher with six years’ experience working with doctoral students, to suggest otherwise.

Set-up and method

Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with doctoral students who are currently enrolled in or have recently completed doctoral degrees at universities in the United Kingdom were conducted as part of a 2022-2023 Professional Practice Fellowship funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Research Libraries UK. Student participants were solicited via the mailing lists of national organisations such as the Royal Historical Society, social media, and internal university message boards.

(Preliminary) results

Interviewees were asked to reflect on their definition of digital skills, their experiences of learning to use digital tools and resources for their research, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their use of digital resources for their work. While participants shared experiences of digital reading and resources benefitting their work and taking their research in new directions, they also shared experiences of anxiety and frustration that led them to prefer working with physical research materials.

Conclusion

By understanding ‘pain points’ in experiences of digital research, librarians, archivists, and supervisors can better support and guide research students, helping them make confident and effective use of the best resources for their work.

References

• Ince, S., Hoadley, C. and Kirschner, P.A. (2019), “The role of libraries in teaching doctoral students to become information-literate researchers: A review of existing practices and recommendations for the future”, Information and Learning Sciences, 120: 3-4, pp. 158-172.
• Martin, K. (2016) “Creating Context from Curiosity: The Role of Serendipity in the Research Process of Historians in Physical and Digital Environments” (PhD Thesis, University of Western Ontario).
• Milligan, I. (2022) the Transformation of Historical Research in the Digital Age (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).