Discusses methodological issues concerning qualitative research and describes research practices that qualitative researchers use to address these methodological issues. Topics discussed include the researcher as interpreter, the emergent nature of qualitative research, understanding the experience of others, trustworthiness in qualitative…

Results of this study evaluating library reference service indicate a statistically significant difference at the .05 level between obtrusive and unobtrusive evaluation methods. Library staff answer a greater proportion of questions correctly when they are aware of being evaluated. The 30 questions used, a report form, and references are included.…

Describes the participant-observation technique for data collection and proposes its usefulness as a research methodology in library science. Procedural steps are outlined and suggestions are offered for successful completion of participant-observation research. (10 references) (Author/MES)

Analysis of price discrimination (charging different prices to different customers for same product) for 89 academic journals in 6 disciplines reveals: incidence of price discrimination rose between 1974 and 1984, increase in mean institutional (library) subscription price exceeded increase in mean individual subscription price. Journal list…

This study develops a three-stage model of the question-answering process and investigates several potential sources of extraneous variability. Discussion includes implications of findings concerning what it means to "use" library materials and services, adverbs used as response category labels, and subject's responses as predictors of…

Tests hierarchical regression model--library employee's salary is a function of library size, public sector collective bargaining strength, library's ability to pay, cost of living in area, presence of any union and union representing librarians in library--on three salary levels (department head, beginning librarian, clerical worker). (29…

Twenty-one libraries in Library Computer System participated in collection overlap study. Findings of random sample representing 1% of each collection indicate that high percentage of titles, 69.4%, occurred only once in network and that percentage of each library's collection unique to that library, ranged from 6.1% to 68.4%. (21 references) (EJS)

Describes a study that used quantitative data from a mailed survey and qualitative data produced from focused interviews to explore what effects an academic boycott had on faculty members at South African universities. Differences in the effects of the boycott in science and technology, humanities, and social science are examined. (Contains 15…

Overlap (two libraries own same title) and duplication (one library has more than one copy) in children's collections of books and audiovisual materials were measured. It was found that there was less overlap between two school libraries than between a school library and a public library. Six references are cited. (EJS)

This study of public library employees' perceptions of library goals based on one case study reveals that staff hold generally conservative views of public library purpose and prefer goals that are print-based and directly related to reading. Most significant influences on perceptions are local practice and practical considerations. (24…

Describes and discusses metanalysis and criticisms of the methodology. Reports on a pilot study which tested the feasibility of metanalytic methods in library science research using the literature on paper- or computer-based information retrieval. (28 references) (EA)

Describes a study done by Herbert White that resulted in rankings of library and information science programs based on perceptual assessments by faculty and library directors. Problems with this methodology are discussed, and further findings based on extensive interviews with subjects of the White study are reported. (CLB)

Identifies determinants of librarians' salaries and tests human capital-based explanations of librarianship as a woman's profession. Earnings functions are developed for men and women in public and academic libraries and for women in school libraries, and personal, human capital, and job determinants of salaries are identified. Thirty-one…

Professional librarians were subjects for an exploratory study which used a model to test two hypotheses examining whether use of assertiveness by subordinates is associated with desired leader behavior. Findings suggest people's assertiveness is not related to their perception of their leader's behavior or their own role stress. (Sixty-three…

Research analyzing demand for librarians in public, school, academic, special libraries, and in nonlibrary information professions, indicates that from 1983 to 1990, there will be almost no additional positions in traditional areas. Replacement of librarians will generate 9,500 to 10,000 new jobs per year. Footnotes and 114 references are…