International graduate students in the United States: Research processes and challenges

International students enrolled in graduate programs in the United States struggle with conducting academic research and can benefit from specialized library support. This qualitative study uses critical incident technique to explore how these students complete research assignments and use library and other resources in the process. Many participants described similar research processes, beginning with selecting a research topic and ending with cutting and pasting text from sources deemed to be useful. Two-thirds described using specific library resources-usually online resources-for their research. Some described broader research difficulties, such as coming up with a good idea, and others struggled with more specific skills like data analysis. Half of the participants had received some sort of library instruction, but they did not have particularly positive responses to these sessions. The findings of this study may be of use to academic librarians who wish to better understand international students and improve research support for this user population.