The role of libraries in teaching doctoral students to become information-literate researchers

Purpose This paper aims to review current literature pertaining to information literacy and digital literacy skills and practices within the research workflow for doctoral students and makes recommendations for how libraries (and others) can foster skill-sets for graduate student research workflows for the twenty-first century scholarly researcher. Design/methodology/approach A review of existing information literacy practices for doctoral students was conducted, and four key areas of knowledge were identified and discussed. Findings The findings validate the need for graduate students to have training in information literacy, information management, knowledge management and scholarly communication. It recommends empirical studies to be conducted to inform future practices for doctoral students. Practical implications This paper offers four areas of training to be considered by librarians and faculty advisers to better prepare scholars for their future. Originality/value This paper presents a distinctive synthesis of the types of information literacy and digital literacy skills needed by graduate students.