Research is essential to information professionals. It is the process that permits the deep exploration of all kinds of topics, and according to Cresswell, “increases our understanding” of that subject (Cresswell, 2012). However, while information gathering is important to individuals of all stripes, research takes a role of even higher importance to information professionals. For this group, research falls into two major categories: basic research and applied research. Basic research is used to test simple hypotheses, and the results can usually be extrapolated out to the general population. Applied research, on the other hand, is designed to evaluate complicated and specific scenarios (Connaway & Radford, 2017). Both of these types of research can be applied to library science. Basic research can identify trends of patrons on a local level, and then be scaled up to an entire county, and applied research can evaluate e-collections or analyze reference services (Connaway & Radford, 2017).
Both basic and applied research are useful in library science. However, despite the differences between them, the process of designing and conducting research projects is roughly the same. First, a problem or question is identified. A research project could also occur in the case where the researchers simply wish to understand more about a specific topic. After a research subject/question is identified, a literature review can be conducted. This will ensure that the researchers become familiar with the field as it currently stands. By reading a wide variety of papers, and then summarizing the findings in the context of the original subject, the researchers are able to figure out how they can contribute to the literature (Connaway & Radford, 2017). After this step, a methodology can be selected. It is important to describe how one will go about their research study, so that others could replicate the steps taken to achieve the same results. Then, testing can occur – which will usually use either qualitative or quantitative methods. These differ in some key ways, and will be discussed shortly. Finally, the results of the experiment or study can be discussed, and any ramifications will be explained. However, it is important to spend some additional time discussing the differences between quantitative and qualitative research.
Qualitative research methods embrace a wide variety of data-collecting methods. Interviews, observations, documents like newspaper articles or journals, and even videos or pictures can be compiled and analyzed (Karemo, 2022). These methods have the benefit of allowing the researcher to know exactly how people responded in a scenario, and understanding the mindset behind their actions. The studies that benefit from such information types can be ethnographies, narrative studies, and other attempts to answer social questions. However, while these studies give a lot of information on why individual actors respond the way that they do, their findings are not always able to be extrapolated.
Quantitative research methods focus on experiments, and are often conducted with large groups. Double-blind studies, and other such testing frequently occurs, and data analysis software is used to help bring findings to light. These studies are likely to occur in laboratory conditions, and have as many variables as possible controlled, so that the effects of individual elements can be tested (Punch, 2014). As a whole, these research methods can give concrete data and test probabilities, for large populations, but they struggle to determine the why behind individual actors.
When considering research projects, today, a mixed-method approach is key (Punch, 2014). Utilizing both the large-scale and smaller-scope specialties of quantitative and qualitative research methods results in a broad, yet applicable, understanding of material. Therefore, the key to developing a research project lies in developing a key research question. A clear question will identify what a researcher wishes to study, give them an idea of how to go about it, and ensure that they will be able to determine when their research is concluded. Of course, additional steps will be necessary (searching, selecting, and deselecting information; analyzing and synthesizing one’s findings; using an appropriate method of presentation to share the results) to create a completed research paper, but a guiding question makes this process much easier.
Once a research question has been developed, the existing breadth of knowledge must be explored. By analyzing and synthesizing the existing literature, a researcher can accomplish the tasks on an important itinerary. They can gain background knowledge of their subject, and ensure that they are familiar with the topic they intend to explore. They can observe gaps in the literature, and flag them for future exploration. And finally, they can aggregate the relevant elements of studies that are similar to theirs, and ensure that they have the option to build off of existing frameworks without having to reinvent the wheel. This is the essential research step of background, and is often performed via a literature review. Here, researchers can delve into the existing body of research, and select and deselect the articles that will be relevant to their research.
The process of understanding research is not always an easy task, but it is a critical one within the field of LIS – and in many fields beyond. Through research studies and their subsequently published articles, we are able to glean information from their methodologies and results: what practices worked and which did not, and even the effectiveness of the research strategies themselves. However, none of this information can be utilized if one does not know how to analyze, interpret, and synthesize research literature.
When considering research projects today, many choose to conduct a literature review as a primary component of their project. Some even expand this further, and conduct the literature review as the entirety of their project (Onwuegbuzie & Frels, 2016). Regardless of the scope, literature reviews allow researchers to take an aggregate of the information present in the field at hand, and use this knowledge to identify an appropriate tack for their own goals. As alluded to above, this is very important for the LIS field. Whether seeking to determine the demographics of local patrons to better serve their needs, analyzing checkout trends to ensure that library material is relevant, or monitoring programming participation through community surveys and attendance statistics, being able to design research projects is essential. Today, libraries serve as a critical third space for many communities – and yet they still have competition in attracting the public from many other sources. Designing intelligent and goal-driven questions allows libraries and librarians to identify what practices are best for their communities.
For my own projects, understanding quantitative and qualitative research models holds a substantial amount of significance. In my current role as a Library Assistant Advanced, I have started many programming events at my branch, from Storytimes to Game Nights to larger presentations with outside partners. In order to evaluate these programs’ successes, I need to be able to reflect not only on my own programs, but on others that found success and failure in similar situations. Developing research questions, conducting studies, and analyzing the results will be able to help me establish more targeted programs and events in the future, while simultaneously attuning me to the needs of the communities I serve.
Throughout my MLIS courses, I have had to practice the skills that I have been able to hone this semester in creating a comprehensive literature review. Each of my classes have covered broad ranges of information that I was not immediately familiar with – and as such, I have spent significant hours reading and taking notes on the processes by which people obtain information, specific strategies to engage with teenage patrons at the library, and the best practices of educational theory. I have created annotated bibliographies to expand my knowledge, learned new strategies to effectively browse databases for the most relevant material, and kept a journal of important documents and their summaries for personal reference. This last practice has been exceptionally helpful in this course, as consistent notetaking allows me to better retain information, as well as plumb the depths of the articles that I read for the most salient parts.
Writing research papers throughout my MLIS coursework has also helped me to prepare for Competency L, both inside and outside of this class. However, this course aided me in a new way, in the opportunity to produce a paper as a group. Working with my projectmates has allowed us to explore the merits of each other’s points of view, as well as offer us all a wider range of expertises to draw upon. This is more representative to how research documents are produced outside of the iSchool, and one of the central reasons that I believe this semester has prepared me more than others for Competency L.
To demonstrate my preparation in understanding research methods, my ability to design a project, and synthesize a wider body of literature, I present several works from my MLIS coursework. The evidence that I have compiled for this competency clearly demonstrates my abilities to understand and design research projects, and analyze and synthesize a wide range of documents. This past semester has allowed me a perfect opportunity to perform a research study on the field of digital humanities, and explore the past, present, and future of the subject.
The first element to exploring my chosen subject was to ensure that I understood the processes behind producing such a document. In addition to following the steps set forth in Onwuegbuzie and Frels’ CLR guidebook, Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review, I completed my IRB certification. An Institutional Review Board certification is critical for any research study that involves human participants, as it affirms that the researchers understand the risks and requirements that must be addressed. In every study that involves human subjects, they must be fully informed of any dangers that might befall them, as well as a general idea of what the study seeks to explore. They must have the opportunity to opt out of the experiment if they do not agree to these terms. This policy of informed consent, as well as the other ethical considerations of research, are an important prerequisite to starting one’s research experiment.
This semester, my and my group’s CLR did not use human subjects, but in the future, when we may attempt to determine the best library policies or programs, we will need the information we gained by obtaining this certification. Thanks to this class, I know understand how to safely conduct a research study.
The second object that demonstrates my ability to plan and execute a research project was, fittingly enough, a research project! This semester, my groupmates and I explored the field of digital humanities and digital scholarship. This field is one that has experienced great leaps and bounds in recent years. Throughout the course of this semester, my group poked around in the the cracks of this subject, and attempted to determine what gaps existed in the research. This exploration of the literature led us to a conclusion: that the field of digital humanities, due to its constantly shifting nature, is difficult to predict. This challenge was compounded by the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic both advanced the field (because school, work, and the majority of social interactions were forced online) and restricted it (because the mechanisms to make this shift work were developed on the fly, and had mixed successes). However, this gap also meant that our research had a clear focus: by examining the field of digital humanities through a past, present, and future lens, what insight can we gain into where the field is today, and where is it going in the future?
As stated above, a clear research question is the key to a research project, and with this in mind, we set out to create our document. We shared annotated bibliographies that we had assembled throughout the semester, and selected articles from new databases by using selective vocabularies. Dividing the work out in this way allowed us to cover a much wider range than we would have been able to alone, and was a huge advantage to perusing through so much material. We collaborated both asynchronously and on Zoom calls so that we could keep ourselves all on the same page, and before long, we had completed a Rough Draft of our Comprehensive Literature Review.
After turning in our Rough Draft of our CLR, our group got to experience another innate part of a research study: review and revision. While we had established a good groundwork for our project, there were several areas where we could still improve.
To start, we had not properly described our methodology – while we embraced Onwuegbuzie and Frels’ CLR framework, we attempted to utilize elements of a systematic literature review for our study. These studies, which are normally designed solely for medical experimentation, seemed ideal for our study. Systematic literature reviews establish timelines for any given projects, and describe the changes that occur over time – which was exactly what we wanted to explore the changes to the digital humanites field over time. However, we had failed to explain our methodology fully, which made our document seem unfocused and confused. By refocusing our literature review back on our key question, and explaining our reasoning, we were able to produce a much better document.
Speaking of our key questions, we received feedback that pointed out that our goal was potentially too broad. To this end, we divided our main question into three smaller components, and focused separate sections of our CLR on each part. By dividing and conquering, we were able to present the material that we’d discovered in a much more accessible manner. The review and subsequent revision process is a normal part of every research study, and I feel that the inclusion of this step in our CLR allowed me and my groupmates to get a better sense of how we could expect any of our future research projects to go.
I have already touched on why I find this competency to be particularly relevant to me, but at the end of this demonstration, I feel that my thoughts ring even more true. In order to best serve the communities that our libraries reside in, we must as librarians be seekers, not just purveyors, of information. We need to stay abreast of new developments in our field – and that means consistently reading through the existing literature (and listening to podcasts, and going to conferences, and watching videos, and so on).
This readiness also means that we need to keep track of how well our programs and collections reflect our communities. We need to conduct studies on ourselves, to critically self-examine, and be the best libraries that we can be. To this end, I intend to keep a sharp eye on the databases I utilized throughout this project, so that I can ensure that I always stay informed and educated about the best ways that my library can benefit my community.
Connaway, L. S., & Radford, M. L. (2017). Research methods in library and information science (Sixth edition.). Libraries Unlimited.
Creswell, J. (2012). Educational research; planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research, 4th ed. (Boston: Pearson Education).
Karemo, K. (2022, August 23). John W Creswell on Research Methods - Types of Methods and Types of Daata. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe_MvhL-AoA
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Frels, R. (2016). Seven steps to a comprehensive literature review: A Multimodal and Cultural Approach. Sage.
Punch, K. F., & Oancea, A. (2014). Introduction to Research Methods in Education. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.