Factors Associated with Research Literacy in University Students: A Systematic Literature Review 2015-2025

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.