Speaking Out: International Doctoral Students’ Information Needs, Seeking Behaviors, Feelings, and Experience during the Process of Applying for Graduate Study in the US

Abstract

Abstract International student enrollment in US colleges and universities benefits the US economy in many ways and increases diversity on campus While much research on international students exist, we know very little about the experiences of international doctoral students. In this study, we explored the information needs, seeking behaviors, feelings, and overall experiences of 33 international doctoral students during the process of applying for doctoral study in the US. We used in-depth interviews and a questionnaire to collect the data. Findings show that the students used Experiential Resources (EXR) and Authorized Resources (AUR) to meet their information needs. Students faced issues and challenges in using university and academic programs websites and had negative feelings about the application process. Students made several suggestions for enhancing their experiences, including making websites more usable. The findings have implications for improving the usability of websites and for providing better services to support the students’ information needs and information seeking behaviors.