L. Demonstrate understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the ability to design a research project, and the ability to evaluate and synthesize research literature
INTRODUCTION
Many school libraries, with the best of intentions, claim that the services they offer and the programs they run are successful and meet the needs of the community, without any evidence to support those claims. It is not enough for any library to claim they are making a difference, even a school library who has interactions with students every day. The library must be able to establish beneficial outcomes in order to demonstrate actual value. In order to achieve that, a school library must obtain solid evidence “reliability refers to our ability to trust the veracity of an account and the consistency of the evidence within the claim” (Bernier, n.d.a., p. 4). Therefore, it is crucial that school librarians understand the process and the importance of evaluating library services by conducting regular, unbiased, research on the resources, services, and programs they provide.
According to Powell (2018), there are two types of research methods: basic and applied research (p. 244). Basic research is not looking to solve a problem, it is “referred to as pure, theoretical, and scientific research...mostly concerned with creating new, generalizable knowledge” (Powell, 2018, p. 244). Applied research, on the other hand, consists of attempting to solve “specific problems in real situations and often is indirectly concerned with the practical application and testing of the findings of basic research” (Powell, 2018, p. 244). In other words, applied research looks at already existing theories and principles in order to increase knowledge. Applied research is the method typically used for the purposes of school library research. Two types of applied research often used in library science research are action and evaluative research.
Action research follows similar protocols to applied research, however, it does not focus on generalizable results “action research is conducted much the same as is applied research but is even less concerned with taking the steps necessary to produce generalizable results” (Powell, 2018, p. 245). Yet another type of research, evaluative, can conform to either applied or basic research, depending on the overall “objectives than by any unique techniques” (Powell, 2018, p. 245). Evaluative research can be further broken down into either formative or summative endeavors. Formative research looks at how well programs and services are received while the program is going on, while summative is “more concerned with the outcome or effects of the program or service and is conducted upon completion of the program” (Powell, 2018, p. 245). According to Powell (2018), there are numerous types of evaluative research, including: Input Measurement, Output/Performance Measurement, Process Evaluation, Impact/Outcomes Assessment, Service Quality, Benchmarking, Standards, and Cost Analysis (p, 245). This document will look at some of the different types of research related to youth services that fall under those categories, and the methods needed to carry them out.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
All research must begin with an essential question that tells the audience the purpose of the research “the very most important thing you need to identify in a scholarly work is its overarching, single, superordinate core question. Every work of scholarship has one...and only one (Bernier, n.d.b., p. 3). The essential question dictates the direction of the research by determining what the researcher is hoping to understand or gain by conducting the research of the library program. Before any actual research begins, the researcher should conduct a review of scholarly literature to determine if prior research on the subject has already been executed, to what extent, what methodologies were used, and the findings of that research “all research should build on research and knowledge that precedes it, and that foundation is typically developed through library research or a similar process. Such background information is often presented in the related literature/research section of a research report” (Powell, 2018, p. 243). Most researchers then develop a hypothesis to aid in testing their essential question.
Some of the areas a school library may wish to conduct research on consist of: finding out how many students or staff members use a particular service, understanding the reason(s) students attend a program being offered—genuine interest, extra credit, or mandatory? What the cost/benefit ratio of the program or service rendered is, or how the user interprets the outcome, take away, or overall experience of attending a particular program or using a service. It is by determining the essential question, that the researcher can then ascertain what methodology to use in order to conduct the research.
METHODOLOGY - QUANTITATIVE V. QUALITATIVE
As mentioned previously, there are a variety of different research methods available to researchers for collecting data and testing hypotheses. Depending on the type of research being conducted, researchers can decide which overall method, quantitative or qualitative, or a combination of the two, is best suited for their research purposes. Surveys and program or usage statistics are examples of quantitative data which is “concerned with things that are numerical or can be quantified” (Powell, 2018, p. 246). For instance, school libraries may wish to track how many people attended a particular program, or series of programs, how many reference questions were answered during a specified time period—a day, a week, or a month, how many and how often people visit the library’s website, what databases are used the most, or how many materials, and in which formats, circulate.
While quantitative research wants to know how many, qualitative research wants to know what the outcome or benefit is. Qualitative research is a “focus on observing events and behaviors from the perspective of those engaged in the activities being examined and tend to take a more natural approach” (Powell, 2018, p. 246). Observation, focus groups, interviews, and ethnography (the study of people in their own environment), are all considered qualitative methods, and are concerned with what outcomes have been achieved. There are several models school libraries can use when conducting qualitative research, such as:
Children’s Access to and use of Technology Evaluation (CATE) Outcome-Based Planning and Evaluation (OBPE) Model: This model can be used whether technology is present or not. The CATE OBPE model is used primarily to understand what outcomes youth experience using library resources and services. This model “helps librarians determine what young users and those interested in youth want the results of library programs and services in which they participate to be, to plan for the desired results, and to evaluate how well they are achieved” (Dresang, Gross, & Holt, 2006, p. ix). CATE OBPE consists of four phases: Gathering Information, Determining Outcomes, Developing Programs and Services, and Conducting Evaluations.
Youth-led Participatory Action Research (PAR): This model is unique, making youth the researcher, involving them in every aspect of the research process “youth may be trained to assist with research design, participant recruitment, data collection (e.g. surveys, photographs, interviews, focus groups) and data analysis” (DeJonckheere, Vaughn, & Bruck, 2016, p. 5). Youth-led PAR is generally made up of four phases: planning, action, reflection, and evaluation.
Comparative Performance Measurement (CPM): The goal of the CPM is to compare the performance and service outcomes between similar public agencies, such as a school library, in order to determine “what is being accomplished and how well” (Morley, Bryant, & Hatry, 2001, p. 3). This method was designed to promote healthy competition between public entities in order to motivate improved performance “one of the most substantial barriers to effective management and service delivery in the public sector is the lack of competition” (Morley, Bryant, & Hatry, 2001, p. 2). This format can be a way for organizations such as school libraries to learn about what other school libraries are doing, what is working, and what is not working, in order to further develop their own program.
DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS
In order to gain the most accurate information, there are several factors that should be considered when gathering data during the research process. These include: who will be collecting the data, how the data will be collected, over what length of time the data will be collected, who the target user population being studied is, the limitations of the study, and data analysis.
WHO - Typically there is only one certified school librarian and one paraprofessional librarian in a school library, both of whom should be involved in any data collection. Depending on the research subject and whether it is a qualitative or quantitative study, different members of the library community may be involved. For instance, in a school library, subjects may be divided by grade, subject, or between faculty and students. In order to achieve accuracy, it is important to obtain as wide a range of library users and non-users as possible. The library teacher should also make sure to include participants from a variety of different backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities, with varying abilities, bearing in mind that no one person can truly represent all members of a community.
HOW - When using quantitative methods for tracking any type of usage statistics, it is important that physical data is compiled for the entire time period a library is open “staff must ensure that data is gathered during all hours that the library is open during the course of a week—morning, afternoons, and evenings. This is done to ensure that bias does not creep in during the data collection period” (Matthews, 2018, p. 260). It is also important to retrieve enough data or responses to make the research credible “the biggest challenge in any evaluation effort that is going to collect data using a survey is ensuring that an adequate number of responses are received” (Matthews, 2018, p. 260). Furthermore, the researcher must designate a way of collecting virtual data, capturing how often, at what times, and which digital resources are being used.
It is an equally important factor to determine how data will be compiled during the qualitative research process. When setting up and conducting observations, interviews, or focus groups, it is imperative to decide beforehand how the information will be collected—will the sessions be sound or video recorded, or will notes be taken, or both, and if so, by whom? Similarly, if using photography as evidence, who will be responsible for taking the pictures?
Another useful method for amassing data when trying to determine the effectiveness of a program, such as summer reading, would be to divide students in the same grade with similar abilities into two different groups—control and variable. One group (variable) would complete the summer reading, and the other (control) would not. Both groups would then be assessed in the fall in order to determine how much of an impact the assigned summer reading had on students “in a classical experiment the most important rule of subject selection is not to make sure that your sample of subjects is ‘representative’ of a particular population, but comparable” (Bernier, n.d.c., p. 6).
LENGTH - Dependent on the scope of the research, a school librarian may wish to gather information over the course of a single day, week, month, several months, or even the entire school year. As noted earlier, when gathering information, it is necessary to allow for ample time to obtain a large enough sample size.
LIMITATIONS - There is no research study that is without its limitations “in life outside controlled environments researchers face many constraints, conflicting factors, and confounding circumstances. That’s just the way life goes. So a perfect classical experimental design can be quite difficult” (Bernier, n.d.c., p. 7). Defining what those limitations are in each specific research project, and then reporting them, is what is crucial to the credibility of the research being conducted. For instance, it is never possible to gather information from all those who may be affected by the results of the report, therefore it is important to make a concerted effort to recruit enough participants to eradicate the stigma of bias.
ANALYSIS - Once all of the information is gathered, the researcher must then analyze the data, looking for similarities and differences “here the researcher tabulates, examines, and analyzes the patterns formed by the responses” (Bernier, n.d.d., p. 6). Once all of the data has been compiled, the researcher then configures the research report in order to share their findings.
RESEARCH FINDINGS REPORT
Regardless of which research method is chosen, once the data has been collected and analyzed, it needs to be reported. Often, researchers will use charts, graphs, and/or timelines in order to help the reader make sense of the data. The structure of the report can be tailored, depending on whether the report is being prepared for use solely within the organization, or to be shared externally with stakeholders. Whether for an internal or external audience, a research report should have the following basic components:
Executive Summary—one-to-two-page summary of objectives, key findings, and recommendations
Introduction (focus of the evaluation project
Literature Review
Data Collection Methodology
Analysis of Data
Conclusions and Recommendations
Limitations of the Study
Appendices
Bibliography or References (Matthews, 2018, p. 262)
It is also important to note that the subjects of the research should remain anonymous, especially when dealing with youth. The report can then be used as an instrument for the library to either show as proof of successful services, programs, and resources or as a tool to guide in modifying, updating, or changing services, programs, and resources. It may also be used to contribute to the larger body of LIS research, helping to advance the field.
EVIDENCE
Info 285 Research Methods in Youth Services - Discussion Post #1
The goal of this discussion was to study and analyze the various research done on youth services between the 1980’s, 2000’s, and the most current research since 2010. I believe that this discussion post shows my ability to read and assess scholarly research
articles, and then use those findings to inform my own research and work with youth in a school library setting. Reading these articles, particularly the one on summer reading, made me realize how important it is to have youth involved in every aspect of the research process, and then use the findings to implement their ideas.
Info 285 Research Methods in Youth Services - Brief #1
For this assignment, we needed to read several studies on youth services, identify each study's single core question, what the conclusion was as a result of the study, and then synthesize the articles to determine the common thread, and finally highlight any gaps I found within the various studies. I believe this assignment shows my understanding of how to set up and conduct research on a library program. I feel it also shows my understanding of the importance of conducting ongoing research on all library services and programs with the intent of ensuring that the library is serving the community in the best way possible.
Info 285 Research Methods in Youth Services - Short Paper #2
This assignment required us to identify the basic tenets, benefits, and obstacles of OBPE, using several readings, and one of Dr. Bernier’s lectures. I believe that this assignment shows that I am capable of understanding and analyzing research methods and studies, and that I am dedicated to performing regular research as a way of improving library services in my school as well as to the overall profession.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I believe that I am cognizant of the importance of continuously and critically researching all of the programs, services, and resources the school library offers. I also understand that it is crucial to involve students throughout the entire research process—soup-to-nuts, so to speak, as it is not true research if you are not getting input from the people most affected by the research. I am confident that I will make ongoing research an integral part of any library program I am involved in, in an effort to keep all of the library’s services, programs, and materials updated, improving, changing, and modifying as needed.
References
Bernier, A. (Presenter). (n.d.a). Engaging primary sources as evidence and data [Reading].
Bernier, A. (Presenter). (n.d.b). On reading scholarly literature (strategically) [Reading].
Bernier, A. (Presenter). (n.d.c). Research method in youth services: Youth research with experiments [Reading].
Bernier, A. (Presenter). (n.d.d). Research method in youth services: Youth research with surveys [Reading].
DeJonckheere, M., Vaughn, L., & Bruck, D. (2017). Youth-Led participatory action research: A collaborative methodology for health, education, and social change. SAGE Publications. http://doi.org/10.4135/9781473956032
Dresang, E. T., Gross, M., & Holt, L. E. (2006). Dynamic youth services through outcome-based planning and evaluation. American Library Assoc.
Matthews, J. R. (2018). Evaluation: An introduction to a crucial skill. In K. Haycock & M.-J. Romaniuk (Eds.), The portable MLIS: Insights from the experts (2nd ed., pp. 255-264). Libraries Unlimited, an imprint of ABC-CLIO.
Morley, E., Bryant, S. P., & Hatry, H. P. (2001). Comparative performance measurement. Urban Institute Press.
Powell, R. R. (2018). Introduction and definition of research. In K. Haycock & M.-J. Romaniuk (Eds.), The portable MLIS: Insights from the experts (2nd ed., pp. 243-254). Libraries Unlimited, an imprint of ABC-CLIO.