Introduction

Information professionals are skilled at assisting patrons, but sometimes need to conduct research themselves to improve their programs or services. Black & Leysen (1994) state that librarians get a sense of self-satisfaction from research, which “fosters a broad perspective of the field, strengthens librarians’ knowledge of current issues, shapes the dialogue surrounding those issues, and leads to innovative approaches and a responsiveness to change” (p. 230).

Research Project Design

Research design is “the overall strategy that you choose to integrate the different components of the study in a coherent and logical way” (Luo et al., 2017, p. 27). Once an information professional identifies that there is a need for research, they must craft a research question that “provides guidance for designing proper procedures and instruments used to gather and analyze data” (p. 23). Another important aspect of research design is conducting a literature review, which gives a study context and presents “a fuller picture of the study’s background” (p. 26).

The researcher must decide whether the study will be quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative data “can be measured in some objective manner,” while qualitative data is “not directly measurable but may be categorized, such as opinions on a topic” (Cervone, 2022).

Methodologies

The most popular research methods used by librarians doing research are surveys, content analysis, and in-depth interviews (Luo et al., 2017, p. 73). Surveys “can be used to collect a broad range of data such as attitudes, opinions, beliefs, values, and behavior” in a way that is “quick and easy” (p. 73-74).

Content analysis is “the systematic analysis of text,” which includes “all formats of recorded human communications” (Luo et al., 2017, p. 80). Since it does not require participants, it is easier to conduct than a survey. For example, instead of surveying patrons about chat reference services, librarians can analyze the content of the chat transcripts; this is “more reliable than asking users to recall behavior.” Content analysis can be done quantitatively or qualitatively.

In-depth interviews are a kind of qualitative study which can “offer a nuanced view … and enable a deep understanding” from the interviewees on the topics being studied (Luo et al., 2017, p. 83). Interviews can be a time- and resource-intensive process, so it is important to consider whether there is already significant research on the topic.

Research methods each have pros and cons. Luo et al. (2017) state the key factors that should be considered when choosing a method are “the research question and how the variables in the research question are operationally defined,” “knowledge of the unique characteristics of qualitative and quantitative research methods,” and “knowledge of the various research methods” (p. 28).

Types of Research Design

The most used research designs in library and information science are cross-sectional design, longitudinal design, experimental/quasi-experimental design, and case studies (Luo et al., 2017, p. 62). A study with a cross-sectional design collects data at only one point in time, which is time- and cost-effective, but the results cannot be applied outside of that data, making them weaker. A longitudinal design collects data from “two or more points in time using the same instrument and studying the same variables,” so it can paint a more accurate picture, but is more expensive (p. 63).

Experimental and quasi-experimental designs “study the causal relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable” (Luo et al., 2017, p. 67). In library and information science, this design is often used when examining “the impact of information literacy instruction.” A case study is “an in-depth examination of a particular phenomenon or situation,” and is theoretical (p. 71). However, they are “widely criticized for lacking external validity,” since the results cannot be generalized beyond the case (p. 72).

Evidence

Artifact 1

Assignment: Literature Review
Course: INFO 285, Historical Research Methods
Description: This assignment was preparation for the final research paper of INFO 285. I had to choose at least 10 scholarly studies that interpreted some aspect of my research topic. Since a prior assignment was a literature review matrix, I already had some of my initial research done. The topic of my paper is the late 90s/early 00s website builder, GeoCities, and how it used place metaphors to build virtual communities. The literature review covers the history of GeoCities, its neighborhood metaphor for navigating websites, virtual communities on the Internet, how place-based metaphors for the Internet have been critiqued in the literature, how Yahoo!’s purchase of GeoCities and removal of place metaphors led to the site’s downfall, and finally, the ethics of studying web archives.

This assignment demonstrates my ability to synthesize the relevant literature on a particular topic. There were not a lot of scholarly works on my research topic, but I combined research on GeoCities, the Internet, place metaphors, and web archiving to craft my literature review.

Artifact 2

Assignment: A Place in This (Virtual) World: GeoCities, Community, and the Dream of the Internet
Course: INFO 285, Historical Research Methods
Description: This assignment is the final research paper for INFO 285. The paper needed to include a thesis, an overview of my topic and its significance, a discussion of my methodology and sources, a literature review, and a demonstration of my research skills. As noted above, my topic related to the website GeoCities and its use of place metaphors to build virtual communities on the Internet. The literature review from the prior assignment was incorporated into this paper.

In the methodology section, I describe the steps I took in my research and demonstrate my understanding of different research methodologies. The majority of my research was qualitative, but I did use some quantitative data, like search engine trends and market shares. I demonstrate my ability to evaluate and synthesize research literature in the literature review and discussion sections. I also suggest the possible applications of GeoCities datasets in future quantitative research. Because I did not get to use much quantitative data for this paper, I am hoping to conduct some research of this kind in the future.

Artifact 3

Assignment: Information Behaviors of Ufologists
Course: INFO 200, Information Communities
Description: This piece of evidence is the final research paper I wrote for INFO 200 about the information community of ufologists. The paper needed to include a literature review and discussion of my research findings. The literature review needed to address aspects of the literature like schools of thought that have developed, controversies in the literature, and methodologies that have been used. My paper seeks to understand ufologists’ information needs and behaviors so information centers can improve ufologists’ information seeking experiences.

This paper demonstrates my understanding of the research process, especially writing a literature review and methodology section. The literature review synthesizes scholarly literature about the serious leisure perspective, a sociological framework that can be applied to information research, conspiracy theories, and ufology. I demonstrate my ability to conduct research, detailing the steps I took in searching databases, OneSearch, the Internet Archive, and Google. I give suggestions of how information professionals can assist ufologist patrons, including assistance in researching government documents, online searching, and how to determine the validity of web sources.

Conclusion

In the future, as an information professional, I will use these skills to conduct my own research, as well as to understand the scholarly literature I encounter. I will keep up with the field by reading publications like Library & Information Science Research and attending professional development webinars.

References

Black, W. K., & Leysen, J. M. (1994). Scholarship and the academic librarian. College & Research Libraries, 55(3), 229-241. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl_55_03_229

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

Luo, L., Brancolini, K. R., & Kennedy, M. R. (2017). Enhancing library and information research skills: A guide for academic librarians. Libraries Unlimited.