Factors Associated with Research Literacy in University Students: A Systematic Literature Review 2015-2025.
- 1La Libertad, Universidad Cesar Vallejo, Trujillo, La Libertad, 13871, Peru.
Abstract
This systematic literature review analyses factors associated with research literacy among university students based on 50 studies published between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2025. Following PRISMA guidelines, studies were selected from Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases. The findings reveal research literacy as a multidimensional competency operating through three interconnected dimensions - personal (63%), pedagogical (23%) and institutional (14%), computed over the 35 studies with extractable quantitative data -. Personal factors showed the strongest statistical associations, with information literacy (d = 0.82) and research self-efficacy (d = 0.76) yielding the largest pooled effect sizes. Pedagogical factors, though less represented, were associated with the largest effect sizes, particularly library-faculty collaboration (d = 0.94) and structured instruction (d = 0.78). Institutional factors, including frameworks and technological resources, were consistently associated with larger estimates for personal and pedagogical variables, a pattern compatible with - but not demonstrative of - an amplifying role. The review identified a paradigmatic shift from traditional information literacy toward critical artificial intelligence literacy, with a 410% growth in AI-related studies between 2023-2025. Bibliometric analysis revealed geographical concentration in Europe and Asia (50%), highlighting underrepresentation of Global South perspectives. Methodological limitations include predominance of correlational designs (36%) and scarcity of longitudinal studies (12%). The study proposes an explanatory framework in which institutional conditions operate as contextual antecedents that shape instructional opportunity, which in turn relates to individual research competence through research self-efficacy, with discipline, academic stage and prior digital competence acting as moderators; four testable propositions are derived from it. Because the evidence base is predominantly correlational, these findings should be read as associations rather than causal effects; they provide an evidence-informed basis for designing educational strategies intended to foster critical thinking, information evaluation, and ethical research practices in contemporary higher education contexts.
Related
- Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice: A Systematic Literature Review of IoT and Machine Learning Applications in Mental Healthcare Systems
- Participatory action research in rural and vulnerable settings for community health: a systematic literature review.
- Beyond diagnostic categories: transdiagnostic psychological mechanisms associated with suicidal ideation among university students: a systematic review (2021–2025)
- Family socioeconomic resources, family differentiation, and short-term change in health literacy among Chinese university students: a three-wave longitudinal study
- Perceived physical literacy, sports team participation, and regular physical activity among university students: a national survey study
BibTeX
@article{morales2026factors,
title = {{Factors Associated with Research Literacy in University Students: A Systematic Literature Review 2015-2025.}},
author = {Ana Elizabeth Paredes Morales and Marilú Trinidad Flores Lezama and Rolando Rosmer Coronado Orrillo and José Luis Núñez Pesantes and Jacqueline Yovani Palacios Rodríguez and Carlos Alberto Barbarán Villegas},
journal = {F1000Research},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.12688/f1000research.179559.2},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42926370},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Factors Associated with Research Literacy in University Students: A Systematic Literature Review 2015-2025.
AU - Ana Elizabeth Paredes Morales
AU - Marilú Trinidad Flores Lezama
AU - Rolando Rosmer Coronado Orrillo
AU - José Luis Núñez Pesantes
AU - Jacqueline Yovani Palacios Rodríguez
AU - Carlos Alberto Barbarán Villegas
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/17
JO - F1000Research
DO - 10.12688/f1000research.179559.2
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42926370
AB - This systematic literature review analyses factors associated with research literacy among university students based on 50 studies published between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2025. Following PRISMA guidelines, studies were selected from Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases. The findings reveal research literacy as a multidimensional competency operating through three interconnected dimensions - personal (63%), pedagogical (23%) and institutional (14%), computed over the 35 studies with extractable quantitative data -. Personal factors showed the strongest statistical associations, with information literacy (d = 0.82) and research self-efficacy (d = 0.76) yielding the largest pooled effect sizes. Pedagogical factors, though less represented, were associated with the largest effect sizes, particularly library-faculty collaboration (d = 0.94) and structured instruction (d = 0.78). Institutional factors, including frameworks and technological resources, were consistently associated with larger estimates for personal and pedagogical variables, a pattern compatible with - but not demonstrative of - an amplifying role. The review identified a paradigmatic shift from traditional information literacy toward critical artificial intelligence literacy, with a 410% growth in AI-related studies between 2023-2025. Bibliometric analysis revealed geographical concentration in Europe and Asia (50%), highlighting underrepresentation of Global South perspectives. Methodological limitations include predominance of correlational designs (36%) and scarcity of longitudinal studies (12%). The study proposes an explanatory framework in which institutional conditions operate as contextual antecedents that shape instructional opportunity, which in turn relates to individual research competence through research self-efficacy, with discipline, academic stage and prior digital competence acting as moderators; four testable propositions are derived from it. Because the evidence base is predominantly correlational, these findings should be read as associations rather than causal effects; they provide an evidence-informed basis for designing educational strategies intended to foster critical thinking, information evaluation, and ethical research practices in contemporary higher education contexts.
SN - 2046-1402
ER -