Supporting the future of research
What Researcher of the Future means for libraries
The research landscape is changing rapidly.
Libraries need a clearer view of what comes next.
Elsevier’s Confidence in Research program traces how researchers have evolved through disruption in recent years. Evidence from our latest report, Researcher of the Future, shows that researchers are changing not just how they work, but what they value, what they need and how they define success. For libraries, this means the support they offer researchers is changing too.
With findings from over 3,200 researchers across 113 countries, Researcher of the Future offers librarians detailed evidence for understanding tomorrow’s researcher and their support needs.
Meet the researcher of the future
The future-ready researcher is not defined by one discipline, geography, or career stage.
Findings from Researcher of the Future point to four emerging traits that, taken together, form a blueprint for tomorrow’s researcher. Each of these future-ready traits brings implications for the services, tools and support researchers will need from the library in the years ahead.
The researcher of the future is grounded in excellence and trust
In an increasingly pressurized research environment, research excellence is built on a foundation of integrity.
Strong research starts with strong foundations
Findings from Researcher of the Future show that researchers place a high value on the core elements that make research trustworthy: clear methods, credible publishing and processes that help maintain confidence in the scholarly record.
78%
say the design of the research methodology is extremely or very important when deciding whether to cite or share research.
74%
say peer-reviewed research is trustworthy.
85%
agree that corrections and retractions help ensure integrity.
“…research excellence cannot be left to chance; it must be intentionally built”
How research environments and practices foster excellence (p. 5)
Researchers need access to trusted, high-quality content so they can ground their work in strong evidence and stay up-to-date in their field, along with support in applying sound research methods, understanding reproducibility, evaluating sources critically and using AI responsibly.
Libraries help create the conditions in which strong research can thrive by providing:
Access to trusted content
Journals, books, tools and data that help researchers build their work on credible foundations.
Support for sound research practice
Guidance on methodology, source evaluation, reproducibility and citation.
Responsible AI support
Help understanding where AI can add value, where caution is needed, and why human judgment still matters.
A culture of quality and care
Training and support that help embed trust, rigor and transparency into everyday research practice.
Libraries are helping to build strong research foundations
Libraries are already taking an active role in combatting misinformation and building an integrity-first culture, often right from the start of a researcher’s career.
At the University of Southern Denmark, a library-led Responsible Conduct of Research course has been running for more than 12 years and is mandatory for all PhD students. Developed in response to a major case of research fraud, the program helps early-career researchers understand good research practice and the importance of integrity in their work.
This demonstrates how libraries help researchers develop the judgment, habits and confidence needed to produce work of lasting quality.
The researcher of the future is enabled by AI
Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming part of everyday research practice.
Findings from Researcher of the Future indicate that AI is already helping researchers save time, manage information overload, support writing and assist with analysis. However, the report also reveals a point of disconnection: researchers are adopting AI at pace and feel optimistic about its potential, but many don’t fully trust or understand the tools they’re using. Only 22% of researchers trust AI, and 86% believe it could cause critical errors.
AI is already part of the researcher workflow
84%
of researchers have used AI.
58%
have used AI tools for work.
Of those using AI for work,
71%
globally use ChatGPT.
58%
agree AI tools save them time.
“AI makes it easier to analyze several articles in a short time.”
Researcher, Peru
Optimism in the face of uncertainty
Within the next three years:
61%
of researchers expect AI to be the creative force driving new knowledge.
42%
think it will increase the quality of their work.
38%
believe it will accelerate discovery and improve research quality.
As AI embeds into research, the challenge is adopting with transparency, oversight and human judgment in the loop.
Researchers need AI support
Libraries are well placed to guide researchers on choosing the right tools, using them responsibly and knowing when human judgment remains essential.
Library support is especially important because institutional guidance is lagging behind researcher adoption. Nearly half of researchers (45%) say they feel undertrained, and only 32% agree that AI governance at their institution is “good.”
“We currently learn and establish our own boundaries and best practices through self-taught methods, rather than through official guidance from the university.”
Research leader, Indonesia
Libraries can support researchers with AI in several ways:
Access to research-grade tools
Researchers need access to AI tools specifically designed for research, not just generic consumer platforms.
Guidance on what to use, and when
Researchers need help understanding which tools are credible and appropriate for different tasks.
Training and AI literacy
Practical support from the library can help researchers use AI more effectively.
Clearer governance in everyday practice
Libraries can help translate institutional AI principles into practical guidance researchers can actually use.
Libraries are building new AI expertise
At the George A Smathers Libraries in Florida, Borui Zhang (known informally as “the AI librarian”) supports researchers in exploring how AI can be used in their work.
Her role includes consulting with researchers at the University of Florida, including working with a medical research lab on a language model that predicts health outcomes for infants.
This specialized support reflects a broader transformation in the library’s role. As AI becomes a bigger part of research, libraries are not only helping users access information and tools, but also helping them evaluate those tools, build confidence and navigate fast-changing technologies with thoughtfulness and care.
“We hired many AI people. The role of the library is to offer AI services, and we get requests from everywhere […] we serve everyone.”
Karim Boughida, Dean of University Libraries, Stony Brook University
The researcher of the future is built for collaboration
Tomorrow’s research will be more connected across disciplines,
institutions and borders.
Findings from Researcher of the Future suggest that researchers are increasingly looking beyond their own field for new expertise and perspectives as they as they address complex societal challenges — like climate change, public health and poverty — that require interdisciplinary approaches.
“The world does not have any departments.”
Working across boundaries
63%
of researchers agree there is more collaboration in their research area than previously.
of these
68%
are collaborating more with researchers from other disciplines.
15%
increase in those saying they were collaborating more, compared with the start of the pandemic in 2020.
“I have had opportunities to collaborate across the world in last four years with advancement in communications like Zoom, Microsoft Teams etc. It is easier to communicate and ideate projects.”
The library as an enabler of stronger collaboration
As collaboration grows, the researcher of the future will look to the library for:
Access to
trusted content
Including the latest insights in journals and critical foundational knowledge in books.
Skills support to strengthen collaboration
Guidance on information literacy and systematic review best practices, helping researchers work across disciplines with confidence.
Tools that make collaboration easier
Training and technology that helps researchers explore complex questions, synthesize existing literature and identify collaborators.
Support navigating
unfamiliar fields
Helping researchers explore subjects, methods and datasets from beyond their own field of study.
Spaces that bring
people together
Neutral physical and virtual spaces where researchers can connect and exchange ideas.
Collaboration in practice
In the future, collaboration will be part of everyday research practice. Libraries can help make that collaboration easier and more effective by acting as liaisons connecting researchers with the people, tools and skills that they need.
This is not new ground for librarians; libraries have always served as a means of connecting people with tools, subject matter experts and sources of knowledge. But as the nature of learning and research evolve, so too are libraries. During an interview with Elsevier, Cal Poly Humboldt Library Dean Cyril Oberlander observed, “Libraries have always been learning environments, but in today’s digital world, they are about connecting people and ideas.”
The researcher of the future is driven by impact
For tomorrow’s researchers, impact is a core part of how they define success.
Researcher of the Future findings show that researchers increasingly want their work to make a difference beyond academia.
50%
of researchers think research must always have real-world benefit.
Up 7 percentage points from 2022
67%
say there is more emphasis on mission-oriented research now than 2–3 years ago.
66%
of researchers have shared their work with broader audiences through outreach activities.
“To me, research is about understanding the world better to make positive changes.”
Faculty Member/Lecturer/Adjunct, Associate or Assistant Professor, UK
Libraries enhance research impact
The researcher of the future will increasingly look to the library for support with creating impact in these key areas:
Open access
Helping researchers understand their funder requirements and routes to open access publishing.
Publishing choices
Enabling informed decisions about where and how to publish for greater reach and visibility.
Data sharing
Helping researchers share datasets openly and responsibly alongside their publications.
Discoverability
Supporting institutional repositories, ORCiD and other tools that make research easier to find and connect back to its authors.
Impact literacy
Helping researchers track, understand and illustrate the reach of their work beyond traditional metrics.
“The work done at Carnegie Mellon has the potential to transform the world, but we knew that if we wanted its impact to have maximum effect, the world needed to be able to read it.”
Keith Webster, Dean of University Libraries, Carnegie Mellon University
In some institutions, research impact is now becoming a specialist area, with dedicated library roles focused on supporting and evidencing impact.
“One day I might be running a workshop for faculty, graduate students and postdocs on using a particular tool to understand impact. Another day I might help visualize research outputs for administrators, so that they can get a better sense of how their departments and faculty are performing.”
Rachel Miles, Research Impact Librarian, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Looking to tomorrow with optimism
As the global landscape continues to transform, we believe the Researcher of the Future will navigate it with optimism and confidence, empowered by technology and a global pool of collaborators.
In our upcoming report, Librarian of the Future, we examine the evolving role of the librarian in the research ecosystem. This report will explore what the library needs to offer - and what skills the librarian of the future needs - to best support the researcher of the future.
While both researchers and librarians are adapting in response to the changes taking place in the greater scientific community, one thing stays the same: both share the same steadfast commitment to research that advances human progress.
“Researcher responses to this survey reveals resilience, collaboration across borders and an unwavering commitment to integrity, even under growing pressure. They also show optimism about how AI can accelerate discovery — provided researchers have the right support, and tools that are built on quality, transparency and trust.”
Judy Verses, President, Academic and Government Markets, Elsevier
Looking to tomorrow with optimism
As the global landscape continues to transform, we believe the Researcher of the Future will navigate it with optimism and confidence, empowered by technology and a global pool of collaborators.
In our upcoming report, Librarian of the Future, we examine the evolving role of the librarian in the research ecosystem. This report will explore what the library needs to offer - and what skills the librarian of the future needs - to best support the researcher of the future.
While both researchers and librarians are adapting in response to the changes taking place in the greater scientific community, one thing stays the same: both share the same steadfast commitment to research that advances human progress.