Competency L: Introduction
Demonstrate understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the ability to design a research project, and the ability to evaluate and synthesize research literature.
Research is one of the direct skills I have been able to directly transfer from by Bachelors in Biology, and for that I am immensely grateful. Due to the number of undergraduate research projects underneath my belt, sorting through supportive literature, calculating statistics, and constructing methodologies, I am very familiar with research as it pertains to the physical sciences. That being said, I have found research within the MLIS program to be very different from what I was previously used to. Firstly, there is the emphasis on supporting literature, where one must prove that their research question has not already been answered. In biology the need for the question is often either self-evident or repeat research is encouraged as it is a way of confirming results. The other difference that I found was the widespread acceptance of qualitative research methods, where in my undergraduate training qualitative methods were supposed to be avoided whenever possible due to being “unreliable”. As such, getting such a broad view of research methods in my MLIS program was a breath of fresh air.
Definitions:
Quantitative Research Methods: methods of data collection and synthesis that deal primarily with numbers. Particularly useful in performing unobstructive research, as information can be gleaned from sources such as usage statistics and passive devices. It is generally considered “less biased” than qualitative research, however biases can still be introduced by the researcher when interpreting the data.
Qualitative Research Methods: data collection and syntheses methods that primarily use words, and can take the form of surveys, and interviews. While these methods rarely produce “cut and dry” results, they are more adept at capturing the subtleties and conflicts that can arise from human interactions. However, researchers must word their inquiries carefully to reduce the chance of bias or misinterpretation on the part of the responder.
This assignment is the final version of the Research Methods for Academic Libraries research proposal. As a culmination of our teachings, we were instructed to develop our own research proposal for an academic library-related subject; complete with a research question, literature review, and complete methodology. My research proposal consists of using quantitative usage data gathered since the beginning of the Covid pandemic via Workflows and Bluecloud, to assess the effectiveness of the Salt Lake Community College’s laptop lending program and identify any areas of weakness. I knew that the raw statistical data was available due to regularly inventorying the laptops myself throughout the year, and had also noticed that there were regular periods in which our laptop supplies were vastly outstripped by our students’ demands. By determining when factors such as checkouts, overdues, replacements spiked in frequency, the department may be able to change their practices and provide a more consistent standard of performance for the future.
In order to become better acquainted with qualitative research methods, we created a mock survey questionnaire using class guidelines, which we then submitted for review by an information professional; in this case, my immediate supervisor at SLCC. It was a fascinating exercise where we had to tailor our questions towards our chosen demographic in such a way that would both provide us with adequate information, but also keep them interested and engaged. Lastly, we had to add a cover letter that clearly stated the survey’s purpose, it’s length, and what ethical safeguards had been made to protect the privacy of everyone involved.
As part of our semester-long investigation into the information-seeking behaviors of various information communities, we were directed to create a literature review matrix that boiled down the salient points of the research literature that would be used in our final paper. Much like the controlled vocabulary assignment, we began with summarizing the body of literature as a whole. We then extracted the points in the literature that were directly relevant to our research, and lastly we had to describe how those points related to our research subject. It was a pithy way to explore how to summarize and distill supporting literature into it’s most important parts.
Application and Conclusion
After the semester was over, I presented the research proposal developed in INFO 285 to my immediate supervisor at Salt Lake Community College, who approved the proposal after a few modifications were made. As of now, I am currently working on cleaning the raw data so that statistical analysis can begin.
While I am deeply pleased that my research proposal is in the process of becoming reality, the research methods that I have learned during my MLIS journey will be of use both now and in the future.