Narrative inquiry, a phenomenological qualitative research methodology, examines individual human experiences--stories. Yet, researchers in Library and Information Science (LIS)--a human-focused profession--have infrequently used it. This article introduces narrative inquiry and provides a literature review of the few LIS studies using it. Next,…

This study is a systematic review of the library and information science (LIS) literature related to international students and academic libraries. A systematic review involves the methodical collection and analysis of a body of literature and is growing in popularity in the LIS field. Three well-known LIS databases were systematically searched…

This article is an exploration of ways in which LIS educators can consider culture, heritage, and identity as a framework for becoming participatory agents of their teaching practices in the LIS classroom. To support this framework, this discussion introduces the research methodology, practitioner inquiry, as a meaningful approach to studying…

Library faculty are often tenure track, requiring a record of significant publishing and service before achieving tenure. However, meaningful tools and methods for evaluating the scholarship of librarianship frequently fall short of providing an accurate picture of the scholarship of any particular candidate. The authors conducted a case study…

More than two decades of debate since the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) adopted the term information literacy have been marked by ongoing criticism of its associated definitions and standards. Some scholars and practitioners have argued for a critical information literacy, which applies the precepts of critical pedagogy to…

This discussion of the place of research in the field of library science notes empirical and scientific research; testing, analysis, and research design; theories and methodologies from other disciplines; the dilemma of quantification; library research needs; and the search for an audience. Twenty-six references are cited. (EJS)

Research design is a product of the scientific method in Western Civilization whose major purposes are to eliminate the biased judgements of individual researchers and to ensure replication of the study. In general, the formal protocol of the research design includes several elements: theoretical position out of which the hypotheses to be tested…

Library Schools can devise improved techniques in reference librarianship and can encourage a research orientation by better understanding the structure of the literature and the way librarians operate within that structure. (8 references) (MM)

Examination of 11 major library science journals for period 1979 through 1983 to determine affiliation of authors of substantive articles indicates that requirements for academic librarians to publish affect publication productivity, and that findings concerning productivity of library school faculties are consistent with those of earlier…

Discussion of history as a major research methodology in library and information science highlights the current status and nature of library history; rhetoric and history; historical significance of local history and larger perspectives; primary and secondary information sources; library biography; and publishing library history. Thirty-four…

This study analyzes 312 articles in 10 library and information science periodicals published between June 1994 and June 1995. The purpose of the analysis was to collect information relating to subject trends and authorship characteristics. Management, acquisitions, library services, professional concerns, and library history were the most popular…

Offers definitions for four general categories of research--practical, bibliographical, scholarly, scientific--and discusses connections of research to librarianship, the introduction of scientific research methodology in librarianship, activities related to scientific research, users of research, faculty status, professional organizations and…

Reports results of survey of Master of Library Science graduates on their career paths and perceptions of prestige of certain professional tasks and work settings. Sex differences in prestige rankings, work settings, and salary levels and prestige of tasks in first job and current job are noted. (7 references) (EJS)

This paper provides a biographical study of A. Robert Rogers, Dean of the School of Library Science at Kent State University from 1977-1985, with a focus on his writing, teaching, and study of international librarianship. The following sources of information were used: (1) materials kept in the Department of Special Collections and Archives in the…

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…