The paper describes the processes and outcomes of the ranking of LIS journal titles by Australia's LIS researchers during 2007-8, first through the Australian federal government's Research Quality Framework (RQF) process, and then by its replacement, the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) initiative. The requirement to rank the journals'…

Women who promoted library services to children in the United States in the late nineteenth century introduced the systematic use of survey research on library practice to the field of professional librarianship. They created a series of qualitative survey-based reports, the "Reading of the Young" reports, which were presented at ALA conferences…

This article discusses the development of academic research in the LIS domain and the purpose of LIS research. It is argued that there are several constituent parts of the research tradition, both theoretical and empirical, and that this has created tensions and misunderstandings between researchers and practitioners. Against this background, the…

Postmodernism is still the subject of vigorous ongoing debate in a variety of fields like education and anthropology and has now arrived in the literature of librarianship. Prior conflicts generated over postmodernism remain--including academic areas where it has been declared passe. This paper summarizes postmodernism and its intellectual…

Librarianship and library and information science (LIS) have long struggled with an ongoing lack of a theoretical and epistemological basis. There have been renewed efforts to explore various theoretical and philosophical positions and their meaning for librarianship and LIS research. This article explores the framework that Jurgen Habermas offers…

Reviews and assesses the level and type of research activity in school librarianship and discusses the use of the experimental, historical, and descriptive approaches by researchers in the field. Research that builds on prior efforts and the use of statistics are also described. A 60-item reference list is attached. (Author/JL)

Outlines current ideas about the use of focus groups in library and information science and considers advantages and disadvantages of different types of focus group discussions. Discusses reasons for choosing this research method. (AEF)

Examines the application of the Fishbein and Ajzen model of attitude-behavior consistency to research in library and information science (LIS). The components of the model are explained, two examples of LIS research are presented, and there is a brief review of areas in LIS that could benefit from attitude-behavior consistency research. (Contains…

This column assesses the state of library and information studies (LIS) research. Researchers and practitioners in various LIS fields address questions related to the research front and agenda for collection development; what the field needs to advance further; whether it needs a more sophisticated conceptual or theoretical framework; operational…

This paper discusses the evolution from the vocational emphasis of librarianship to a new research and higher education oriented concept of library and information science, focusing on changes in the Nordic countries, and Sweden in particular. Recognizing the strong interrelationship between analytical reviews for policy decisions, research and…

Assesses the history and development of library services to Latinos. Discusses the history, role, and impact of key professional associations. Identifies, analyzes, and discusses the relevance of major studies, reports, and other publications, calling attention to the paucity that prevails in professional literature addressing this population.…

Discusses international librarianship from two points of view: (1) library education that addresses the needs of the international library community; and (2) the participation of professional librarians in activities of library associations at the international level. Examines research in the field of librarianship and describes selected…

This paper represents the state of the art of research in library science on professional competencies for academic, public and special libraries since 1985. The seminal research study done on librarian competencies was conducted in 1983-86 by King Research. The goal of the study was to identify the type of skills and knowledge that information…

The ERIC and LISA (Library and Information Science Abstracts) databases are compared through a literature review and the analysis of an online search on a topic in librarianship. ERIC emphasizes education and includes serials, monographs, collections, and research reports for their coverage of some aspect of education. LISA is dedicated to topics…

Evaluating library collections by comparing them to bibliographies has a long history in research libraries. This evaluative study examined all 107 titles within the "Women in Botany" section of the Herbarium Library at The Ohio State University (OSU). The Herbarium is not part of the OSU Library system, but functions as a satellite to…