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In this, the second iteration of our continuing 'Harbingers of Change' project, over 160 early career researchers (ECRs) from eight countries were questioned about their scholarly communications. Three repeat in‐depth interviews were conducted over 2 years of the pandemic to chart changes in attitude and behaviour. This paper provides interview findings (and an extensive literature review) regarding the role played by social media platforms. It was prompted by an initial review of the data that highlighted significant changes in the attitudes and behaviour of Malaysian ECRs, especially in respect to WhatsApp. Data were provided from several open‐ended interview questions about social media, a few interviewer prompts for individual platform names, and, indirectly, from 'mentions' of individual platforms in answers to a range of questions about scholarly communications. Findings were: (1) 15 platforms were mentioned in respect to a range of scholarly activities, most notably visibility and reach; (2) Twitter (now X) was the most mentioned, by half the ECRs; (3) 'churn' is a notable observation, with large gains and losses in mentions occurring between interviews; (4) large differences between countries, with Malaysian ECRs very much leading on the adoption of social media and largely responsible for the rise of WhatsApp, French ECRs showing little interest, and China a different space where WeChat reigns supreme and foreign platforms are blocked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research paper investigates doctoral students' information literacy (IL), a demographic often overlooked in IL studies. Focusing on the unique context of Polish doctoral schools, the paper explores the competences of young researchers. The methodological and descriptive objectives of the study include creating and validating the ILDoc tool and evaluating the self-efficacy in terms of information competences of doctoral students. The research employs the Computer Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) technique, targeting doctoral students from five Polish universities (Jagiellonian University, University of Gdańsk, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, and University of Warsaw). Through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the study refines the ILDoc model, identifying four latent factors: Information Access, Information Retrieval, Reference Management, and Information Analysis. The findings highlight the critical importance of IL in academic librarianship, particularly underscoring gaps in advanced searching and reference management skills. While gender and age appear to have no significant impact, the year of study and successful midterm evaluations do influence IL self-efficacy. Additionally, the field of study affects students' abilities in information access and analysis. The study advocates for customized IL training and support for doctoral students. It also calls for ongoing IL training that aligns with the evolving research processes of doctoral students, emphasizing the collaborative role of librarians and faculty. The application of the ILDoc tool in this study yields significant benefits, offering academic institutions, libraries, and educators valuable insights for improving support strategies, thereby enriching the information literacy journey of doctoral students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]