Meredith asks why librarians research, prompted by a post at Wanderings of a Student Librarian.

Have any of you taken good research classes?

To start with context, in Australia, LIS students do not take research methods classes if they are completing the BA or Grad Dip, but they might if they do the Masters (which is becoming increasingly common – we’re experiencing degree creep to match the name of the US MLS degree even though our Grad Dip is equivalent). Secondly, librarians do not have tenure in academic libraries here – as a result publishing by librarians tends to be dominated by LIS faculty, academic librarians (who have the required resources at their disposal) and a growing number of LIS students who are turning their final papers into articles.

As to my own experience, the research subject I took when doing my MA was via distance, so there was a lot of textbook learning. The area where I had the most difficulties was determining sample – did I want a non-random probability stratified sample, or a snowball sample, or something else? In general though, it covered all the statistics I was likely to need for my research, though I would have liked more emphasis on critique. At the moment, one of my current ‘on the boil’ projects involves content analysis, which I’ve researched because it is predominantly a media theory, so it wouldn’t have been covered in a LIS research methods class anyway.

A few years ago I picked up the main text in the class at a discard sale - Busha, Charles H., and Stephen P. Harter. Research Methods in Librarianship: Techniques and Interpretation. Orlando, FL: Academic Press, Inc., 1980. Anyone who’s ever studied LIS research has probably read this book at some time or another.

Meredith also asks –

If you do research studies or write for publication, where did your passion for writing and research come from?

Someone actually asked me this last year after I gave a paper at the ALIA conference. Writing has always been something I have enjoyed. When I started university I had grand, but brief, ideas of abandoning my plans of becoming a librarian to gain a PhD in political science. As a librarian, research for myself and for patrons is what I enjoy most about the profession. I was one of those kids who brought home medical texts from the library when I was seven and spent all weekend peering at sand through my microscope. So I’ve always had a curiosity for everything, which is where the love of research comes from. I know some people who like writing or research but not both, and I can imagine that that would be frustrating. Despite liking research and writing, there is little that can combat procrastination, however. I’ve had a few projects plodding along for quite some time now, since they lack deadlines.

Lastly, Meredith notes –

This field needs more voices of dissent — more passionate and talented librarian-writers who write what they think and can do so in a credible way. We need people who realize that research is a great way to convince people that change is needed.

I agree with that. I’ve read several great books and papers lately which have noted the strengths and weaknesses in LIS as a discipline, and more new writers is one way to change the field.

It’s good that these questions come up - there are a few initiatives that are trying to understand the why and how of research and to encourage more new writers to enter the field. To start with, there’s NMRT-ALA’s brand new Research and Writing Committee, an initiative within ALIA NGPAG to look at research projects (which I’m a part of, with others), and growing opportunities for new writers, such as NLS (last held in 2004, the next to be held in 2006). I’m the programme co-ordinator for that one - and I’m hoping to introduce a new writer mentoring pack this time around. And there’s encouraging things from IFLA NPDG. So with more and more groups are paying attention to this issue, hopefully this will lead to positive changes in the near future.