Competency L ~
Understand the nature of research, research methods, and research findings; retrieve, evaluate, and synthesize scholarly and professional literature for informed decision-making by specific client groups.
Statement
From a very young age, when I was old enough to grasp the concept of research, I can remember being thrilled about the possibility of discovery through research. I can remember the fulfillment I experienced when I realized what I could accomplish academically. I can't remember precisely, but it had to be ninth or tenth grade History. My teacher was meticulous in how she taught. For example, she came prepared every day with a lesson plan that she shared with the class and she always shared examples of assignments and picture to inspire us. She was direct in her delivery of information, but never demanding or mean-spirited. She taught us a very hands-on approach to research that involved creating an outline, searching for books on our subject, taking detailed notes on anything we chose to read, and the actually cutting those notes into small strips, snippets if you will, and pasting them directly onto our outlines. Those snippets were our evidence, the quotes and paraphrasing we would use to validate our research. It was a very visually stimulating way to learn the research process, and for me it was the guidence I needed to continue to pursue my academic destiny. This teacher taught me the fundamental meaning of research which to me is the active search for knowledge through discovery and interpretation.
As I excelled in academia, I continued to build on my understanding of the nature of research. And as I increased my knowldege of the world through the research I conducted I discovered more about myself and what it means to consider multiple perspectives of any given subject. Research is universal; it is done in all fields of discipline, by all types of people, and it is carried out through many methods. Relating specifically to library science, however, people tend to associate research more with academic libraries where faculty members are considered independent researchers and the acts of researching and publishing are highly regarded. But if we consider the field of library science as a whole, consider what we do as knowledge guides, it is evident that research is a vital component of the inner workings of this profession. We must not only understand thoroughly how to conduct research so that we can further the validity and vision of the profession, but we must also be able to teach others to engage in scholarly discovery, systematic investigations, and interpretation so their own understanding of the world may be enlightened.
The main purpose of research is to produce new knowledge. While the process typically remains static, the order in which certain tasks are performed may vary: identify the problem and intended audience, develop a strategy, collect the data, analyze the data, and interpret and report the results. Research can either be primary involving the collection of original data through experimentation, or secondary involving the collection and/or synthesis of existing data and opinions from research conducted by others. Research methods can be exploratory in nature which aims to identify new problems, methods can be constructive which tend to develop solutions to a specified problem, and methods can be empirical which aim to derive data from direct observation or experimentation.
Evidence
The evidence I have chosen to present for this competency is a report I wrote in collaboration with two other classmates for LIBR 285 Research Methods in Library and Information Science instructed by Professor Rose Chenoweth. I chose to include this assignment because it demonstrates my understanding of the research process, and of the methods used to conduct research, in relation to the evaluation and measurement of library services. This assignment also demonstrates my ability to retrieve, evaluate, and synthesize scholarly and professional literature so that informed decision-making can occur.
We were given a scenario: Your public library is considering merchandising its collection. Your boss has asked you to prepare a presentation that identifies "best practices." By following the steps outlined in the Evaluation Action Plan presented by Matthews (2007) in The Evaluation and Measurement of Library Services, we first identified the problem and wrote a problem statement that clearly identified what and why we were researching. We determined the scope of analysis which included deciding what factors would and would not be evaluated. We conducted a literature review, which consisted of retrieving, evaluating, and synthesizing scholarly and professional literature, to determine whether or not the answer to our problem already exists. Our intent was to focus on evidence-based evaluation. According to Matthews, recently the practice of this type of evaluation has emerged from within the library community. It builds on the tradition and history of evidence-based medicine: "evidence-based librarianship provides a method for categorizing or rating the various research and evaluation studies reported in the literature in order to determine a set of recommendations that is based on sound research rather than feeling or experience" (p. 10). Following the literature review, we selected the methods of analysis or evaluation that we felt would best suit our needs for the project. The methods we chose included the PDCA Model of Continuous Improvement, surveys, and observation (both covert and overt). Finally, we identified what type of data would need to be collected and we explained how we would report to staff on the process of change taking place.
Ultimately, the report will serve as part of a presentation of findings for solutions to the problem at hand so library management can engage in informed decision-making about any implementation of change. After retrieving, evaluating, and systhesizing the data, we were equipped with a more holistic view of the processes involved in merchandising a public library.
Conclusion
With a basic understanding of the nature of research anyone can be successful at it. It takes teaching, though, and a willingness to learn and make mistakes along the way. Research is a process of discovery and enlightenment, of interpretation and delivery. The skills I've developed not only in library school, but over a lifetime of academia, are indispensable and will only enhance my value as an information professional. Not only will I be able to contribute to future growth and scholarship within the profession, but I will also be able to teach others the skills needed to critically evaluate differing points of view.
References
Matthews, J. R. (2007). The evaluation and measurement of library services. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Evidentiary Material
From a very young age, when I was old enough to grasp the concept of research, I can remember being thrilled about the possibility of discovery through research. I can remember the fulfillment I experienced when I realized what I could accomplish academically. I can't remember precisely, but it had to be ninth or tenth grade History. My teacher was meticulous in how she taught. For example, she came prepared every day with a lesson plan that she shared with the class and she always shared examples of assignments and picture to inspire us. She was direct in her delivery of information, but never demanding or mean-spirited. She taught us a very hands-on approach to research that involved creating an outline, searching for books on our subject, taking detailed notes on anything we chose to read, and the actually cutting those notes into small strips, snippets if you will, and pasting them directly onto our outlines. Those snippets were our evidence, the quotes and paraphrasing we would use to validate our research. It was a very visually stimulating way to learn the research process, and for me it was the guidence I needed to continue to pursue my academic destiny. This teacher taught me the fundamental meaning of research which to me is the active search for knowledge through discovery and interpretation.
As I excelled in academia, I continued to build on my understanding of the nature of research. And as I increased my knowldege of the world through the research I conducted I discovered more about myself and what it means to consider multiple perspectives of any given subject. Research is universal; it is done in all fields of discipline, by all types of people, and it is carried out through many methods. Relating specifically to library science, however, people tend to associate research more with academic libraries where faculty members are considered independent researchers and the acts of researching and publishing are highly regarded. But if we consider the field of library science as a whole, consider what we do as knowledge guides, it is evident that research is a vital component of the inner workings of this profession. We must not only understand thoroughly how to conduct research so that we can further the validity and vision of the profession, but we must also be able to teach others to engage in scholarly discovery, systematic investigations, and interpretation so their own understanding of the world may be enlightened.
The main purpose of research is to produce new knowledge. While the process typically remains static, the order in which certain tasks are performed may vary: identify the problem and intended audience, develop a strategy, collect the data, analyze the data, and interpret and report the results. Research can either be primary involving the collection of original data through experimentation, or secondary involving the collection and/or synthesis of existing data and opinions from research conducted by others. Research methods can be exploratory in nature which aims to identify new problems, methods can be constructive which tend to develop solutions to a specified problem, and methods can be empirical which aim to derive data from direct observation or experimentation.
Evidence
The evidence I have chosen to present for this competency is a report I wrote in collaboration with two other classmates for LIBR 285 Research Methods in Library and Information Science instructed by Professor Rose Chenoweth. I chose to include this assignment because it demonstrates my understanding of the research process, and of the methods used to conduct research, in relation to the evaluation and measurement of library services. This assignment also demonstrates my ability to retrieve, evaluate, and synthesize scholarly and professional literature so that informed decision-making can occur.
We were given a scenario: Your public library is considering merchandising its collection. Your boss has asked you to prepare a presentation that identifies "best practices." By following the steps outlined in the Evaluation Action Plan presented by Matthews (2007) in The Evaluation and Measurement of Library Services, we first identified the problem and wrote a problem statement that clearly identified what and why we were researching. We determined the scope of analysis which included deciding what factors would and would not be evaluated. We conducted a literature review, which consisted of retrieving, evaluating, and synthesizing scholarly and professional literature, to determine whether or not the answer to our problem already exists. Our intent was to focus on evidence-based evaluation. According to Matthews, recently the practice of this type of evaluation has emerged from within the library community. It builds on the tradition and history of evidence-based medicine: "evidence-based librarianship provides a method for categorizing or rating the various research and evaluation studies reported in the literature in order to determine a set of recommendations that is based on sound research rather than feeling or experience" (p. 10). Following the literature review, we selected the methods of analysis or evaluation that we felt would best suit our needs for the project. The methods we chose included the PDCA Model of Continuous Improvement, surveys, and observation (both covert and overt). Finally, we identified what type of data would need to be collected and we explained how we would report to staff on the process of change taking place.
Ultimately, the report will serve as part of a presentation of findings for solutions to the problem at hand so library management can engage in informed decision-making about any implementation of change. After retrieving, evaluating, and systhesizing the data, we were equipped with a more holistic view of the processes involved in merchandising a public library.
Conclusion
With a basic understanding of the nature of research anyone can be successful at it. It takes teaching, though, and a willingness to learn and make mistakes along the way. Research is a process of discovery and enlightenment, of interpretation and delivery. The skills I've developed not only in library school, but over a lifetime of academia, are indispensable and will only enhance my value as an information professional. Not only will I be able to contribute to future growth and scholarship within the profession, but I will also be able to teach others the skills needed to critically evaluate differing points of view.
References
Matthews, J. R. (2007). The evaluation and measurement of library services. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Evidentiary Material
merchandising_libr285.pdf | |
File Size: | 218 kb |
File Type: |