Project Citizen Diplomats in the Digital Age: College Students’ Information-Seeking Behaviors and the Role of Information Diplomacy in Fostering Healthy Information Ecosystems Program Libraries Term Academic Year 2025 Status Accepted Research Area Information Studies Description Project Summary: In today’s complex and often polarized information environment, college students function as citizen diplomats—individuals who navigate, evaluate, and share information in ways that influence the tone, trust, and resilience of their communities. This project explores how students engage in everyday information-seeking and sharing behaviors, and how these actions contribute to—or challenge—the creation of healthy information ecosystems. By using the lens of information diplomacy, the student researcher will investigate how students assess credibility, communicate across differences, and influence their peers’ understanding of important issues. Information diplomacy, rooted in soft power and strategic communication, emphasizes agenda-setting, ethical persuasion, information dissemination, and relationship-building. This framework positions information literacy not only as a technical skill, but as a civic and relational practice essential to sustaining democratic life. Project Goals: - To explore how students act as citizen diplomats in everyday information exchanges—both online and in person. - To assess how students evaluate the credibility of sources and navigate conflicting information. - To analyze the relational and ethical dimensions of information sharing among peers. - To develop recommendations for strengthening healthy information ecosystems on campus through trust-building, inclusion, and strategic communication. Research Questions: 1. How do college students seek, evaluate, and share information on academic, social, or civic topics? 2. What principles of information diplomacy (e.g., trust, ethical framing, relational engagement) are reflected in their practices? 3. How can students be better supported in their role as citizen diplomats fostering respectful, resilient information environments? Supervisor Bethany S McGowan Mentor Type of work required Research Methods:
- Conduct a literature review on information-seeking behavior, digital literacy, and information diplomacy.
- Design and administer a survey to understand patterns in students’ information practices.
- Optional: Facilitate interviews or focus groups to explore students’ lived experiences and values related to information sharing.
- Analyze findings using the four core elements of information diplomacy: agenda-setting, persuasive framing, information dissemination, and relationship-building. Websites Qualifications none Credit Hours 3 Weekly Hours 6 (estimated)