Competency L

To a librarian or information professional, research can take a different meaning than in other applications. Many times, research means basic research, or the act of identifying, evaluating, and accessing information from different sources to derive new knowledge. While information professionals may assist their clientele with this general type of research, many themselves are engaged in applied research, which is comprised of specific research techniques and is focused on solving specific problems in specific situations (Connaway & Powell, 2010). In fact, this latter research type makes up the majority of research literature contributed to the Library and Information Science (LIS) resource database (Powell, 2018).  “Basic research often leads to practical applications, while applied research frequently acts as a foundation for subsequent theoretical or basic research” (Connaway & Powell, 2010, p.2). For an information professional, active research can often be used to determine how well their programming is performing, and can be used in evaluative research, input measurements, performance measurements, process evaluations, impact assessments, service quality assessments, benchmarking, standards assessments, and cost analyses (Powell, 2018).  

Both basic and applied research may utilize quantitative  and qualitative methods. Quantitative research is focused on assigning a value to concepts so that they may be measured and evaluated (Connaway & Powell, 2010). It is an approach that is generally highly structured and designed as a method of problem-solving.  Qualitative research, on the other hand, takes a more natural approach and is focused on “observing events from the perspective of those involved and attempt[ing] to understand why individuals behave as they do” (Connaway & Powell, 2010, p.2). Very often, both qualitative and quantitative research are employed in the same research project. 

The methods used to gather data for LIS research are varied and some projects may employ more than one method to gather the necessary data.  These most common methods include: 

• Surveys
  Surveys are appropriate for determining the status of a phenomena, for studying personal factors, and for looking at topics over a disperse geographical audience (Powell, 2018). They tend to gather qualitative data rather than quantitative data and often describe characteristics of a population through the distribution of a questionnaire, interviews, or observations (Powell, 2018).  
• Experiments
  Experiments often test causal relationships and collect quantitative data. In an experiment, an independent variable is controlled and the effect of that variable on dependent variables is observed (Powell, 2018).  
• Histories
  Historical research attempts to glean meaning from historical events to facilitate future planning (Powell, 2018). This is done through looking at context, interpreting meaning, and examining relationships (Powell, 2018).  
• Case Studies
  Case studies are often used in LIS research as an exploratory technique to examine situations that involve multiple factors and relationships through interviews or other data collection techniques (Powell, 2018). This data tends to be qualitative, but can also be quantitative, and is limited to a single event, program, or organization. 
• Focus Groups
  A focus group can be a stand alone event in data gathering, or can be a part of a survey. These unstructured interviews explore the “feelings, attitudes, and behavior of a fairly small group of participants” (Powell, 2018, p.248).
• Delphi Studies
  A Delphi study gathers consensus among a group of experts. This is done by the group first making predictions on a topic, then a single person gathering literature on the topic and distributing that to each participant to edit and revise until there is a consensus that everyone is content with the information (Powell, 2018).

Once the data is collected, it must be analyzed by the researcher, whether quantitative or qualitative. If the data is quantitative, the analysis generates statistical information that generalizes the characteristics of the sample, and if qualitative, this analysis is done through content analysis or the constant comparative method (Powell, 2018). Both of these methods are used to convey meaning and demonstrate the value of programming and services to stakeholders and governing entities.