2. Focus areas of LIS research
Literature search tools – print and Web
Importance of research design
Citations patterns
3. Scientific research communicates the observations,
experiences and experimental results, analyses and
interpretations
It may be communicated through
◦ Research project reports
◦ Research theses / dissertations
◦ Research articles
4. Objective of LIS profession / departments – to raise the
intellectual tone of the profession through quality
research
◦ S.R.Ranganathan – Normative principles, dynamic theory of classification
etc.
◦ B.S.Kesavan – pioneer institution builder, INB, Indian Science Abstracts
◦ A. Neelameghan – Knowledge organization
◦ G.Bhattacharya – POPSI
◦ Presnt - A.R.D.Prasad - Knowledge representation systems
contributed at national level for LIS research that got international
accolades.
Steady deterioration in the quality of research
Need to regain the glorious heights
Need to nurture the research talent
5. Searching for research agenda – theoretical and applied
Development of theoretical principles – contribution to the
knowledge base of LIS
◦ Application of metadata for various indigenous materials
◦ Revision of Classification schemes suitable to web resources
◦ Management theories applicable to LIS –e.g. Six Sigma.
◦ New methods of knowledge delivery systems with ICTs
◦ Improving LIS vocabulary and conceptualization
6. Application oriented aspects
◦ Designing of innovative models of information systems
◦ Scholarly communication – trends and impact
◦ Aggregation for data ware houses and digital libraries
◦ Classification and extraction methods for database retrieval
◦ Database ownership and copyright issues
◦ Collection development policies, procedures and standards –
longitudinal studies
◦ Expert systems implementation for digital library environment
◦ Standards for LIS and measuring their applications
◦ Community information services in digital environment
◦ LIS programmes for differently gifted
◦ E-Learning management systems and libraries
7. The purpose of literature search is locating information on a topic,
synthesizing conclusions, identifying areas for future study, and
developing guidelines for clinical practice.
Manual – print → Computer databases → Online / Web searching
Aim: Optimum search – include relevant and exclude irrelevant
◦ Comprehensive and exhaustive
8. Manual - Print
◦ Abstracts -LISA
◦ Indexes - Library Literature
◦ Journals – content pages
◦ Theses / Dissertations (PhDs 1985 – 2005, Shodganga)
◦ Books
◦ Reference sources
Web based
◦ Search engines and subject gateways, portals
◦ E- books
◦ E-journals
◦ ETDs
◦ E- learning material
◦ Digital libraries / repositories
11. A multi-subject gateway.
Intute is a free online service
providing you with access to the
very best Web resources for
education and research.
The service is created by a network
of UK universities and partners.
Subject specialists select and
evaluate the websites in our
database and write high quality
descriptions of the resources.
Intute: Social Sciences has been
created by bringing together two of
the Hubs of the Resource Discovery
Network (RDN): Altis and SOSIG.
http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/
12. A general gateway to all major
academic subject resources for UK
higher education, including other
university library catalogues and
electronic journals.
Resources are carefully selected,
accurately catalogued, and are
correct at time of accession.
DDC is followed to classify and
organize resources
http://bubl.ac.uk/
13. Creation of Subject Gateways”
realised in cooperation of the
National Library of the Czech
Republic and Charles
University in Prague.
http://kiv.jib.cz/lis-gateway/view?
set_language=en
14. Social network
created by M Badan
Barman
Academic Consultant
School of Library &
Information Science
K.K.H. Handique
State Open University
Housefed Complex,
Dispur, Guwahati
http://lislinks.ning.com
/
15. Developed by Dr
M.Krishna Murthy of ISI,
Bangalore
http://www.isibang.ac.in/li
brary/dg/index.htm
16. Provides searchable and
browsable catalogue of
Internet based resources
related to Library &
Information Science.
Developed under UGC-
MRP
http://www.lisgateway.com
/
17. Librarian's World is a
network of Librarians
& Information
Scientists .
It is a democratically
managed site without
any editor.
http://www.librarians
world.com
18. A group of professionals
working in the area of library
and computer fields.
Objective behind this project is
to give maximum information to
working library and information
science professionals, teachers
and students at one place.
http://www.infolibrarian.com/
19. Librarians' Internet Index (LII)
is a publicly-funded website
and weekly newsletter
serving California, the nation,
and the world.
It has over 20,000 entries,
also maintained by librarians
and organized into 14 main
topics and nearly 300 related
topics.
http://lii.org/
20. THE INFORMED LIBRARIAN
ONLINE is a monthly
compilation of the most
recent tables of contents from
over 312 titles
valuable domestic and
foreign library and
information-related journals,
e-journals, magazines, e-
magazines, newsletters and
e-newsletters
http://www.informedlibrarian.c
om/index.cfm
21. The Internet Public
Library is a public
service organization
and a learning and
teaching environment
founded at the
University of Michigan
School of Information
hosted by Drexel
University’s College of
Information Science
and Technology
http://www.ipl.org/
22. In ancient times, the Library of
Alexandria was seen as a
universal store of human
knowledge.
The poet Callimachus solved the
problem by compiling a catalogue
called The Pinakes.
On a far smaller scale, these Web
pages hope to provide a similar
function for Internet resources, by
linking to the major subject
gateways
http://www.hw.ac.uk/libwww/irn/pi
nakes/pinakes.html
23. a comprehensive virtual library and
reference tool for academic and
scholarly Internet resources,
including Web sites, databases
a virtual library of Internet resources
relevant to faculty, students, and
research staff at the university level
INFOMINE is librarian built.
Librarians from the University of
California, Wake Forest University,
California State University, the
University of Detroit - Mercy, and
other universities and colleges have
contributed to building INFOMINE.
http://www.infomine.com/
24. Electronic Books –eLibrary – Free e-books and best sites
http://www.web-books.com/cool/eBooks/Library.htm
Book Spot, http://www.bookspot.com/ Contact: info(at)startspot.com
Books2Read.com Bookstore, http://www.books2read.com/servlet/ssitest
Books On-Line: Archives, http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/
BookWire (Bowker) http://www.bookwire.com/
Brave new e-books, http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2000/03/29/ebooks/index.html
The eBook Directory, http://www.ebookdirectory.com eBooknet.com,http://www.ebooknet.com/
ebooksonthe.net, http://www.ebooksonthe.net/
Electronic Texts, http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/
Electronic Theses and Dissertations in the Humanities, http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ETD/ETD.html
Great Books Index, http://books.mirror.org/
Great Books Online, http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/
Internet Book Information Center, http://metalab.unc.edu:80/ibic/About-IBIC.html or
http://www.internetbookinfo.com/
Net Library, http://www.netlibrary.com
The On-Line Books Page, http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/
Read Print, http://www.ReadPrint.com
Utne Reader online, http://www.utne.com/
Library Technology guides: http://www.librarytechnology.org/index.pl
29. Different databases for each subject
◦ General: Embase, EBSCO; Specific: LISA
understand how these are organized and indexed
◦ Structured collection of descriptive information
◦ Author
◦ Title
◦ Source
◦ Date
◦ Identify publications based on searchable fields
32. Identifying authenticity
Skimming
Catching keywords and noting down
Read for scope, relevance, critical analysis
Synthesize as summary or extract if the content relevant
Identify areas of controversy
Identify questions that need future research
Note down bibliographical details
33. A literature review is part of a thesis or dissertation,
Provides useful background of research outline
Literature relevant to a particular field or topic.
It gives an overview of what has been said –authors, theories,
methodologies, and gaps.
It is not in itself primary research, but reports on other findings.
It may be purely descriptive or critical assessment of the literature
Critical – contrast views; weaknesses or gaps; show relationship of
ideas
Descriptive- add comments, bring out themes & trends e.g. collection
management
34. A literature review is a piece of discursive prose, not a list
describing or summarizing one piece of literature after another.
It's usually a bad sign to see every paragraph beginning with the
name of a researcher. Instead, organize the literature review into
sections that present themes or identify trends, including relevant
theory.
Do not try to list all the material published, but to synthesize and
evaluate it according to the guiding concept of your thesis
(Taylor, Dena. The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It,.
Retrieved from http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-
writing/literature-review)
35. Research design is the logical and systematic planning
and directing a piece of research. The design results
from translating a general scientific model into varied
research procedures. The design has to be geared to
the available time, energy and money; to the availability
of data…”
P.V.Young
36. Research design constitutes the blue print for the
collection, measurement and analysis of data. It aids the
scientist in the allocation of his limited resources by
posing crucial choices”
Bernard Phillips
37. Components of research
Methodology
Data analysis and interpretation
Chapterisation
Time and financial budgeting
38. Title of the study
◦ Should be as brief as possible
◦ Should be as precise as possible
◦ Should project the scope of the problem
Justification of the study
◦ Analysis of the problem in contemporary situation
◦ Relevance and need for such a study
◦ What it contributes
◦ Indication of implementation of the study
39. Review of literature
◦ Review of studies conducted earlier
◦ Critical appraisal of the studies
◦ Identification of missing links or identified gaps
◦ Need for the present study and how it adds to the existing literature
Objectives of the study
◦ It may be as questions or explanations
◦ Objectives should be lucid and precise
◦ Defined without any ambiguity
40. Formulation of hypothesis
◦ It is a tentative solution based on
Previous investigation / experience
The analogies
Findings of other studies
The body of theory / knowledge of the subject
◦ It should be conceptually clear
◦ Empirical
◦ Close to things observable
◦ Related to the body of theory
41. Identification of variables
◦ Dependent variables – values are influenced by the values of
other variables e.g. students visit to library (output) depends
on the availability of books / internet; Usually denoted by ‘Y’
◦ Independent variables – which influences dependent
variables or which causes variation e.g. books/ internet
(input); Usually denoted by ‘X’
◦ Intervening or intercept variables – interruption of power,
exam schedule, reading accommodation (process)
42. Definition of concepts
◦ Terminology defined to achieve clarity
◦ Defined in general terms and in the context of the study i.e.
Operational definitions
Development of bibliography
◦ Following the citation manuals – APA, MLA etc.
Nature of study
◦ Statistical
◦ Case study
◦ Comparative
◦ experimental
43. Scope
◦ Subject scope
◦ Physical boundaries
◦ Tome period
Sampling design
◦ Census or sampling
Probability Sampling – simple, stratified, systematic, multistage,
cluster
Non-probability – accidental, quota, purposive
44. Method of investigation
◦ Empirical – survey with primary data
◦ Analytical – case study with secondary data
◦ Combination - preferred
Methods of collection of data (tools)
◦ Questionnaire
◦ Interview
◦ Observation etc.
45. Data analysis
◦ Classification and tabulation
◦ Tabulation / graphical representation
◦ Statistical analysis
◦ Use of SPSS
Interpretation of results
◦ Statistical testing based on test for significance
z- test
t – test
F - test
46. Reporting the findings
◦ Writing and revision; editing
◦ Style of presentation – scientific style
Objectivity, clarity, diction, no sarcasm or cynicism
◦ Chapterization – structure of chapters
◦ Presentation of statistical data
Tables, graphs, charts
◦ Preliminary pages, appendix etc.
47. Title – indicate purpose, content
Author (s) – listed under first author
Abstract 100-250 words
Introduction – The significance of the paper (General to
specific)
Materials and methods
Results
Tables and graphs
Discussion
References
48. Scientific writing must be accurate, clear
Use active voice – its more concise
Write succinctly – precise expression
Use short, concise terms
Use third person
Check grammar, spelling and punctuation.
49. Why cite? – acknowledging source is essential
Which style? Any style but consistent
Citation styles
◦ American Psychological Assocation APA
◦ Chicago Manual of style
◦ Modern Language Association - MLA