Surveys some of the theoretical positions that underlie various qualitative research methods and discusses the methodological issues raised by those positions for use in library and information science research. Contextualization, understanding, pluralism, and expression are discussed; and qualitative research methods are compared with a…

The Internet and growth of computer networks have eliminated geographic barriers, creating an environment where education can be brought to a student no matter where that student may be. The success of distance learning programs and the availability of many Web-supported applications and multimedia resources have increased the effectiveness of…

This programmatic article formulates a new approach to information science: domain analysis. Highlights include a literature review of pertinent research; transdisciplinary tendencies in the understanding of knowledge, including artificial intelligence; domain analysis compared to other theories, including the cognitive approach; and examples of…

Presents conceptual framework for library and information science research and analyzes research methodology that has application for information science, using as example results of study conducted by authors. Rationale for use of qualitative research methods in theory building is discussed and qualitative and quantitative research methods are…

The first 10 years of 2 journals on online searching are compared in terms of vital statistics, editorial policies, citation data, author affiliations, subject analysis of titles, circulation, impact factors, and immediacy using data from SSCI Journal Citation Reports. (EAM)

This two-part, general overview is designed to provide students of information science with a fresh look at the information market, especially database development. In the first part, it is noted that the generation of databases is most common in the United States at the present time, while West Germany plays a minor role. The need for West…

Presents a system-theoretic view of the relationship between the disciplines of communication and information/library studies. Terms most frequently appearing in article titles in five journals for each field are listed in rank order, and six propositions extending systems theory to communication and information are offered. (92 references) (LRW)

An overview of "Viewdata," an interactive medium that connects the home or business television set with a central computer database through telephone lines, is presented in this paper. It notes how Viewdata differs from broadcast Teletext systems and reviews the technical aspects of the two media to clarify terminology used in the…

Undergraduate female volunteers (N=32) were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups in which occupational information was presented in these ways: glamorous-reinforced, glamorous-nonreinforced, objective-reinforced, and objective-nonreinforced. Results suggest that the glamorous groups rated the occupation as more professional and more…

Compares the philosophy of librarianship in the Soviet Union, where libraries are subordinate to the goals of the Communist party, and Scandinavia, where libraries maintain political neutrality. A brief history of library education in both countries is given and the current state of library education and research is described. (CLB)

Describes a study that investigated semantic relationships between citing and cited documents for a sample of document pairs in three journals in library and information science. Highlights include comparisons of Library of Congress classification numbers and subject descriptors; implications for collection development and relevance; and…

Presents overviews of librarian and library support staff education from 1887 to the present. Discusses current forces in education for librarians; the balance between professional and university environments; differences between education for librarians and library technicians; persistent themes; the role of information science in library…

Characteristics of doctorate recipients in library science were compared with those in other disciplines to identify factors that may aid in the recruitment and retention of Ph.D. students. Factors explored include trends in annual production of doctoral degrees; characteristics of recipients, including gender, race, citizenship, undergraduate…