Information literacy competency of freshman business students of a private university in Bangladesh

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess basic information literacy (IL) competency and the perception of IL behaviour of freshman undergraduate business students of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB).

Design/methodology/approach

Freshman business students were asked to fill a set of structured and sample questions which assessed their level of information skills and basic IL behaviour. The questionnaire incorporated different questions concerning their previous experience of information use and access to information sources.

Findings

It has been found that IUB freshman business students require more competencies to solve information‐related problems. Before answering the questions and statements of the questionnaire, most of them mentioned that they are aware of IL and they think they have IL‐related efficiencies. But the competency results showed that only one‐fourth of them gave correct answers. Regarding the concluding statement, most of them realized that they need information literacy education (ILE) to solve their information‐related problems.

Originality/value

This assessment related to IL is the first in any private university in Bangladesh, which will foster more research to design valid and relevant curricula of ILE for the students of IUB and possibly the wider higher education community in Bangladesh.

Citation

Hossain Shoeb, Z. (2011), "Information literacy competency of freshman business students of a private university in Bangladesh", Library Review, Vol. 60 No. 9, pp. 762-772. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242531111176781