LIS 6271
--Research Methods in Library and Information Sciences--
Research Review
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I.b. Students demonstrate effective communication skills.
II.c. Students understand and use appropriate information technology for information services.
III.a. Students analyze, organize and describe various formats of information objects.
IV.a. Students will describe applications of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in library and information science.
Critical evaluation is one of the many tools in the librarian's belt. When applied to any given field, the results will always prove enlightening and worthwhile. This research review, one of three assigned during the class, involved students critically evaluating papers of scholarly research to determine what the researchers' stated purpose was, the means they employed to fulfill that purpose, and the actual conclusions that their studies came to. Like the observation papers from other courses, these research reviews allowed students to closely examine and scrutinize the processes employed by the subjects with the underlying benefit of discovering ways that they could go about conducting their own research in the future. The reviews also allowed us to gain an appreciation of the differences between qualitative and quantitative research and the occasions that each were best called for.
Research Proposal
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I.b. Students demonstrate effective communication skills.
I.d. Students demonstrate leadership skills and innovation in a diverse and global environment.
II.a. Students identify and analyze diverse information needs of individuals and communities.
IV.a. Students will describe applications of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in library and information science.
IV.b. Students will identify opportunities for research and develop plans for research in applied settings in library and information science.
The conducting of research and the proposal of grants are just as integral to library services as any other process. This assignment combines both of these in a group project context that featured the team conducting a hypothetical study that sought to discover what effect, if any, the social media presence of the USF Libraries had on the in-person traffic that the physical branch saw over a period of time. The proposal included all the critical components of the genuine article, including a statement on the study's significance to the field, an evaluation of the research that had come before, an outline of project goals and questions, and a detailing of all the necessary resources. Though this proposal was constructed around a fictional premise, it is my belief that the care and consideration that the team put forth in the composition of the proposal allows the information herein to be actually applied within the field.
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