Research methods
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IntroductionSee also Structured abstract | Research for librarians - portal Research requires the active, diligent and sustained application of intellectual resources aimed at discovering, interpreting and revising facts. Intellectual enquiry enhances one's knowledge of behaviours, theories and laws and makes practical application possible. The term research is used to describe a collection of data about a topic and is associated with science and/ or the scientific method. The word research derives from the French recherche, from rechercher, to search closely where "chercher" means "to search" -- its literal meaning 'to investigate thoroughly'. Research is funded by public authorities, charitable organizations and private entities including many companies. (See Humboldt University Library. Research Roadmap). Successful library research is defined as the systematic study and investigation of some aspect of library and information science where conclusions are based on the analysis of data collected in accordance with a pre-established research designs and methodologies. Research is central to the ongoing development of library and information science (LIS) as a profession. Our field gains stature through our research output as well as through the advancement of new theories. Academic librarians can make better decisions about how to provide library services when they have basic knowledge of research processes and apply evidence to practice from the literature. When drafting new research or a grant proposal, selecting an effective research design is one of the most important considerations. Research design links abstract concepts and their associated questions to a set of empirical methods and challenges. Research design should also strike a balance between specificity and being flexible; it should be expansive enough to adapt to the complexities that might arise while pointing readers to relevant data. Contrary to some claims, there is no single method one should follow in LIS research. A range of alternatives should be considered and appropriate selection made. Many Canadian academic librarians do not feel confident about doing research because they do not have a solid background in methodologies; in some cases, research is discouraged in their libraries. Some librarians feel overburdened with daily tasks and do not have the time to even think about research. Finally, some librarians feel that conducting research is not important to their work. To determine whether your research topic has been done before you can look at some scoping studies. See also Bayley L, Eldredge J. The Structured Abstract: An Essential Tool for (Beginner) Researchers and SLAIS - Research Methods 2007 GoalsThe goal of research is to create new knowledge which can take one of these three forms:
Types of researchResearch can also fall into two distinct types:
And, generally, deals with either of two types of research methods (though some studies combine both):
Case studies in library researchA case study is a particular method of qualitative research. Rather than using large samples and following rigid protocols to examine something, case studies involve in-depth, longitudinal examination of a single event: a case. Cases provide a way to examine something, collect data, analyze information and report on results. Researchers gain an understanding of why something happens and what might be important for further research. Case studies lend themselves to generating (rather than testing) hypotheses. Key websites
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