University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Library Trends 55 (1) Summer 2006: Research Methods

Submitter: Sarah Shreeves

Content Files
LT-55-1.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/3655

Description

Title
Library Trends 55 (1) Summer 2006: Research Methods
Contributor(s)
Baker, Lynda M.
Issue Date
2006
Keyword(s)
Research methods
Date of Ingest
2008-02-20T19:43:04Z
Abstract
In 1977 Dervin admonished the library and information science (LIS) professionals to stop measuring library activities and start looking at the people who use the library to determine how they use it, how they find information, and how the information helps them. I suggest that this article was a “wake-up” call, challenging our field to adopt new research methods that would allow us to learn more about our clients than about, for example, the number of items circulated. LIS researchers have responded to this call. Powell (1999) and McKechnie and colleagues (2002) have documented the increasing use of research methods adopted from other disciplines. Over the years, Library Trends has devoted several issues to research methods. This issue joins the earlier ones and provides information on a variety of traditional and “not so traditional” research methods. Before describing briefly each contribution, it is important to define “research methods” because as Williamson, Burstein, and McKemmish (2000) pointed out, research methods and data collection techniques are sometimes difficult to distinguish. For example, observation can be both a method and a data collection technique. These authors state “a research method provides a design for undertaking research, which is underpinned by theoretical explanation of its value and use” (p. 11). Data collection techniques are part of the method. For this volume of Library Trends, each author was invited to describe a particular research method and include examples of its use in LIS studies. Articles in this issue are arranged alphabetically by research method and include case study, content analysis, critical incident, discourse analysis, ethnography, evaluation research, life history, longitudinal design, meta-analysis, observation, observation of babies and toddlers, and systematic reviews.
Publisher
Graduate School of Library and Information Science. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
ISSN
0024-2594
Type of Resource
text
Genre of Resource
Journal (whole)
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/3655
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2006 Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Owning Collections

Library Trends 55 (1) Summer 2006: Research Methods PRIMARY
Library Trends 55 (1) Summer 2006: Research Methods. Edited by Lynda M. Baker.