Seizing the opportunity of research-led practice

Seizing the opportunity of research-led practice Dr Hazel Hall Library and Information Science Research Coalition

About Hazel Hall and the Library and Information Science Research Coalition…

Hazel Hall in her seconded role

bring together information about LIS research opportunities and results
encourage dialogue between research funders
promote LIS practitioner research and the translation of research outcomes into practice
articulate a strategic approach to LIS research
promote the development of research capacity in LIS
The LIS Research Coalition aims to:

bring together information about LIS research opportunities and results
encourage dialogue between research funders
promote LIS practitioner research and the translation of research outcomes into practice
articulate a strategic approach to LIS research
promote the development of research capacity in LIS
The LIS Research Coalition aims to: Support research-led practice of librarians and information scientists

About research-led practice: making use of published research in services delivery…

To exploit the existing knowledge base for services improvement
To improve decision making for services delivery
To enhance the value of prior work
To capitalise on significant investment in previous studies
To raise the value of previous studies through reuse
To demonstrate the value and impact of service delivery
Why research-led practice?

http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/econimpact.html Florida study : for every $1 invested in public libraries there is a $6.54 return

Improves decision-making  services delivery, yet…
Exploitation of existing knowledge base for services improvement
… librarians tend to be action-oriented, relying on… experience and professional judgment to make decisions. (SLA, 2001)

Multi-disciplinary nature of LIS literature
Across publications of various domains
Grey sources
Straightforward access not always obvious, e.g. unpublished internal studies, summaries on listservs
Valuable work is often not published at all
We suffer “evaluation by-pass” (Booth, 2006)

Multi-disciplinary nature of LIS literature
Across publications of various domains
Grey sources
Straightforward access not always obvious, e.g. unpublished internal studies, summaries on listservs
Valuable work is often not published at all
We suffer “evaluation by-pass” (Booth, 2006) TIME

Good on advocacy
Libraries are a “good thing”
Good at measuring tangibles
e.g. transactions
Demonstration of value and impact of services delivery

Good on advocacy
e.g. transactions
Less skilled at demonstrating value and impact
This is the evidence that politically important stakeholders need to justify further investment
Demonstration of value and impact of services delivery

Good on advocacy
e.g. transactions
Less skilled at demonstrating value and impact
This is the evidence that politically important stakeholders need to justify further investment
Demonstration of value and impact of services delivery To what extent have innovations in your services delivery contributed to student retention, or to attracting international student fee income, or to improvements in research assessment ratings?

About practitioner-led research (as opposed to research-led practice): LIS practitioners as researchers…

Few LIS practitioners publish research in international peer-reviewed journals
Exception – North American librarians seeking tenure
Practitioner-led research

Few LIS practitioners publish research in international peer-reviewed journals
Exception – North American librarians seeking tenure
Practitioner-led research … librarians are regarded as experts at searching for evidence to support the practice of other professionals but are very unlikely to do the same for their own practice. Booth (2002) notes the irony of this

No ambiguity in job title of “research scientist”
This person engages in research
Ambiguity in the job title “research librarian”
Professional who engages in research?
Professional who supports the research of others?
The understanding of job titles is also indicative of the irony

. I primarily attempt to assist people in locating information that they need to successfully complete their scholarly endeavors.

Time constraints of the practitioner role
Low internal support of research activity
Limited knowledge of research approaches
Failure to recognise research activity/skills as such
Poor access to external support of research activity, e.g. funding, mentors
The research-practice “gap”

Resources set up to save LIS researchers’ time
Advocacy to persuade services managers of need to support research initiatives
Resources and events to extend repertoire of research approaches in LIS
Efforts to improve recognition of research knowledge within the profession
Focus for external research support in LIS
The LIS Research Coalition is working to narrow the gap

Research funding opportunities Studentships offered Invitation to join consultation Research report published Topical debate Report of on-going research Training event announced Conference registration open New journal issue published Conference offering funded places Research report published Saving practitioner researchers’ time: Twitter feed as current awareness.

Saving practitioner time: resources on the Coalition web pages.

Encouraging top-level support for practitioner research.

Extending the repertoire of research approaches, and plans for further events in 2010/11.

Providing opportunities for ongoing research to be recognised. The full One Minute Madness video can be accessed from: http://www.vimeo.com/12948960

Acting as the focus for external support of LIS research in the UK.

The hard sell: increase your engagement in LIS research with the support of the LIS Research Coalition…

Organisational priorities
Inform practice, decisions on future services developments
Demonstrate impact and value
Personal priorities
Job satisfaction: intellectual stimulation & enjoyment of learning, pride in enhancing work practice, (retention)
Enhance “peer” relationships, e.g. academia
Career benefits: profile/reputation, leadership development, CPD  career progression
Increased engagement in research supports

Share good practice beyond individual services
Raise profile of LIS
Evidence-based profession, like others – support role plus
Support claims of LIS value
To individuals: e.g. education, social mobility
To citizens/society: e.g. enhanced local communities, contribution to culture and heritage
To specialist user groups: e.g. information provision to business to support economic development
Priorities at level of profession or discipline

Find out more at http://lisresearch.org
Suggestions for content welcomed
Follow @LISResearch on Twitter
@LISResearch will tweet your research-related news, queries...
Review materials from the conference held at the British Library on 28 th June
See http://lisresearch.org/conference-2010
Join us and help build the evidence base
Seize the opportunities of research-led practice and practitioner-led research

Booth, A. (2002). Mirage or reality? Health Information Libraries Journal 19 , 56-58.
Booth, A. (2006). Clear and present questions: formulating questions for evidence based practice. Library Hi Tech 24 (3), 355-368.
Special Libraries Association (2001, June). SLA research statement . URL http://www.sla.org/content/resources/research/rsrchstatement.cfm (accessed 4 July 2010).
References

LIS Research Coalition
http://lisresearch.org
@LISResearch
Dr Hazel Hall
[email_address]
+44 (0)7969 078181

Seizing the opportunity of research-led practice Dr Hazel Hall Library and Information Science Research Coalition

Seizing the opportunity of research-led practice

by Library and Information Science Research Coalition on Jul 05, 2010

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Seizing the opportunity of research-led practice — Presentation Transcript