Competency 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

Information professionals are often involved with various research projects. These research projects are usually designed to expand the general understanding of certain topics or subjects or solve existing situational problems or issues to improve current programs and services. In order to effectively design and conduct research projects, information professionals need to have a good understanding of the research process and the different types and research methods and techniques that best apply to their environment and research topic.

Explication

Types of Research

According to Connaway and Powell (2010) and Powell (2018), there are at least two major types of research – basic & applied.

● Basic research: is also known as pure, theoretical, and scientific research. This type of research primarily focuses on acquiring new, generalized knowledge.

● Applied research: focuses on applying the research to solve problems in current, real-life situations.

Research is also categorized into two categories – quantitative and qualitative.

● Quantitative research: focuses on things that can be quantified or have a numerical value. This type of research is highly structured and often used to test hypotheses and collect and evaluate results.

● Qualitative research: focuses less on numerical data and more on understanding concepts and ideas made through observations of events and behaviors of those who are directly involved (Powell, 2018).

Research Methods

The research methods and techniques a researcher employs highly depend on what they are researching. For example, some research methods require a quantitative approach, while others would benefit most from a qualitative approach. Then there are research projects that blend both approaches. The following are just a few examples of research methods and techniques as highlighted by Connaway and Powell (2010) and Powell (2018):

● Survey research: this method is quantitative in nature and is one of the most commonly used methods among information professionals. Data is collected from a particular population through the use of surveys and questionnaires. The data is analyzed for the relationship between certain factors to existing incidences or phenomena.

● Experimental research: this method is also quantitative in nature. Researchers test causal relationships between variables and factors (cause and effect).

● Historical research: is the research of past people, places, events, concepts, and ideas by reconstructing, collecting, and interpreting facts. This method is primarily qualitative in nature but can incorporate quantitative data if it is present in the resources.

● Focus group: is a method for collecting data through unstructured interviews. Through these interviews, information professionals collect information about their participants' feelings, attitudes, and behaviors that provide them with insight into how well their existing programs and services are performing.

The Research Process

Like with any other project, research projects also follow a process. Presnell (2018) summarizes the process of conducting historical research. However, the broader concepts can be utilized in other research methods.

● Identify and develop a topic: during this initial research stage, the researcher selects a topic or subject to investigate. Topics can often be drawn from personal experiences that spark their interest or curiosity.

● Develop and formulate a question or argument: from the general topic or subject, the researcher asks various questions to hone into the heart of the research argument and develop the thesis.

● Finding resources and references: allow the researcher to understand the background information about the topic with the help of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources.

○ Primary sources: artifacts or documents that provide first-hand testimony, such as letters, diaries, recorded documents, or any sources created at the time.

○ Secondary sources: items or documents created by someone who did not have first-hand experience or participated directly in the events being studied. Examples include books and journal articles.

○ Tertiary sources: are compiled from primary and secondary sources. Examples include bibliographies, dictionaries, databases, catalogs, and encyclopedias.

● Evaluate and synthesize research literature: Evaluating sources is an essential step to ensure that the research has the most reliable, credible information and achieves the best results for the research. Various criteria can be used to measure the value of the resources:

○ Author authority

○ Audience and purpose

○ Accuracy and completeness

○ Citations and documentation (Presnell, 2018)

Combining the resources and analyzing the data is a critical stage that highlights the collected data's significance (Cervone, 2022).

● Summarize and present the research: researchers can present their findings using various mediums, including drafting a paper or report, giving a presentation, creating a website, and so on.

Evidence

INFO 200 Information Communities: Literature Matrix

An integral part of research is evaluating and synthesizing literature that is pertinent to the research. One of the tools that I used in INFO 200 and other courses that required me to write a research paper was the literature matrix. A literature matrix is a great way to organize the relevant resources that have been collected. It allows you to compare and contrast the resources, highlight core concepts and main themes, determine the level of relevancy, and provide an opportunity to incorporate your own understanding of the topics discussed.

INFO 200 Information Communities: Final Research Paper

The research paper that I wrote for INFO 200 was the first research paper I had written in over a decade since my undergraduate studies. While it may not be the best paper I have written during the program, it was a great reintroduction to how research is conducted. Throughout that semester (Fall 2019), the research process was broken down into smaller, more manageable assignments that ultimately led to the final paper. I learned about my chosen information community, their information needs, and how they seek information by collecting research and community-based resources through various databases and online sources. During the literature review, I learned about essential research and the significant concepts that affected my information community. My research consisted of both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

INFO 285 - Applied Research Methods - Historical Research: Final Research Paper

For my final research paper in INFO 285, I researched the history of women and novels. Throughout the semester (Spring 2022), I worked on various assignments that resulted in the final paper when they were assembled. During the process, I learned about the best methods of conducting research and uncovered a plethora of resources for my topic. These resources were mostly secondary in nature, with a few tertiary resources included. While I aimed to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative research methods, I was limited to the historical resources I was able to find. Most of the resources I curated were qualitative in nature. After analyzing the literature, I eliminated the resources that were irrelevant to my research, extrapolated the information, and organized them by various topics, themes, and arguments. This class provided me with an opportunity to refine my research process.

Conclusion

Designing and conducting research projects offers information professionals opportunities to better understand critical topics and issues in the library and information science field and solve existing problems and concerns within their current programs and services. In order to do this effectively, they need to understand the basic concepts of research, including the different types of research (basic, applied, quantitative, and qualitative), methods and techniques (survey, experimental, historical, focus groups, etc.), and the overall process. Proficiency in these areas will help provide information professionals with better research results that they can utilize in whatever way is needed.

References

Cervone, H. F. (2022). Data management, analysis, and visualization. In S. Hirsh (Ed.), Information services today: An

introduction (3rd ed., pp. 358–373). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Connaway, L. S., & Powell, R. R. (2010). Basic Research Methods for Librarians, 5th Edition (Library and Information

Science Text Series) (5th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.

Powell, R. R. (2018). Research. In K. Haycock & M. Romaniuk (Eds.), The portable MLIS (2nd ed., pp. 243–254). Libraries

Unlimited.

Presnell, J. L. (2018). The Information-Literate Historian: A Guide to Research for History Students (3rd ed.). Oxford

University Press.