1. We have a DREaM: the Developing
Research Excellence & Methods network
DREaM Project participant Dr Alison Brettle, @BrettleAli
with DREaM Project co-investigators:
Professor Hazel Hall, @hazelh
Professor Charles Oppenheim, @CharlesOppenh

2. Aim of the DREaM project
To develop a formal UK-wide network of LIS researchers
January 2011 until August 2012

3. • Overview
– Five events
• Launch conference
• Three linked workshops
• Concluding conference (9th July 2012, British Library)
– Event amplification
• Extensive use of social media
– @LIS_DREaM, DREaM online community, Vimeo, SlideShare…

4. DREaM Conferences
http://bit.ly/DREaM5_prog

5. • Workshop content
– Experts & methods
– “Unconference” half hour
– Interactive component
• “Social” aspects of
workshops
– Social evenings
– Social networking
– Event amplification

6. Workshop 1 Workshop 2 Workshop 3
Edinburgh 25th October 2011 London 30th January 2012 Edinburgh 25th April 2012
Ethnography User involvement: action Horizon scanning
research
Social Network Analysis Techniques from history Repertory grids
Discourse analysis Webometrics Data mining
Unconference half hour Unconference half hour Unconference half hour
Ethics and legal issues Research and policy Research impact
http://lisresearch.org/dream-project/dream-event-2-workshop-tuesday-25-october-2011/
http://lisresearch.org/dream-project/dream-event-3-workshop-monday-30-janua
http://lisresearch.org/dream-project/drea

7. http://lis-dream.spruz.com

8. • Impact of DREaM: participant
level
– Social network analysis
• To be reported at DREaM
conference on July 9th
– Research skills audit
– Critical incidents
– See also feedback on each
event
http://lisresearch.org/dream-project

9. • Research skills audit
– Familiarity “before” & “after”
– 5 point scale for each of 12
workshop themes
– 22 “before” submissions
– 25 “after” submissions

10. Never heard Heard but Applied in
of this unfamiliar In theory practice Expert
Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post
Ethnography 2 0 9 1 8 23 3 1 0 0
Social network analysis 3 0 10 0 8 23 1 2 0 0
Discourse analysis 2 0 12 1 6 19 2 4 0 0
Ethics & legal issues 0 0 3 0 6 10 12 12 2 3
Action research 4 0 4 1 8 18 6 6 0 1
Research techniques from
history 5 0 9 0 4 20 3 5 0 0
Web metrics 3 0 10 0 5 23 4 2 0 0
Tying research output to
policy 0 0 8 0 5 14 8 8 1 3
Horizon scanning 4 0 7 1 7 17 4 5 0 0
Repertory grids 17 0 5 2 0 22 0 1 0 0
Data mining 0 0 11 2 10 21 1 1 0 0
Increasing research impact 0 0 5 0 8 13 8 10 1 2

11. • Critical incident analysis
– Use of unconference half
hour at third workshop to
collect data on “incidents”
of impact
– Thematic analysis: 15
responses

12. • Themes: impacts
– Influenced choice of PhD methodology or research
design
– Increased knowledge and (research) confidence
– Gave ability to demonstrate research knowledge
in the workplace
– Widened network/research relationships
– Generated new resources to share

13. Influenced Methods from DREaM 2
choice of PhD useful in planning PhD
methodology, especially
methodology or introduction to
research design ethnography and
importance of reflexivity
Able to suggest use of and discourse analysis.
“Social Network Analysis”
to colleague’s PhD student
who was looking for Adapted my research
suitable methodology to methodology for my PhD
measure impact of digital to analyse “discourses”
media. in interviews and in the
literature survey.

14. Increased [We] have input in
knowledge & areas where we might
not have previously,
(research) because we can make
confidence a contribution
“wearing [a] DREaM
hat”.
I’ve been more reflective
in my own practice, and
also considered a wider
range of methods and In chatting with academic
how they overlap or fit colleagues about another project…
together. I had insight and confidence that I
would not have had if I’d not
attended LIS DREaM.

15. Gave ability to [When] evaluating a
service to continuously
demonstrate improve and measure
research outcomes… the ideas
for designing the study
knowledge in came from DREaM.
the workplace
In general it has given When discussing the
me a profile at work importance of
which allows me to be evaluation with my
interested in research manager I mentioned
and its relation to different tactics that
practice. had been explored at
DREaM.

16. Widened [I] met Tom Haigh
(speaker) who
network & suggested I join his
research email list... I now have
useful responses to my
relationships questions and it’s an
interesting list.
It was part of
developing a closer
working relationship [I] posted details of
with my PhD regional event and [am]
supervisor. now in regular Twitter
contact with [an] LIS
DREaM member.

17. Following each workshop I
Generated have delivered short
sessions for fellow IS
new resources researchers where I shared
to share the content and how it
impacted on our
[I met a] DREaM organisation.
delegate doing academic
research. [She] shared
[a] questionnaire she Delivering the sessions
had used for similar has focused my learning My tweet on
project to [mine]. [This and highlighted ethnographic research
was] very helpful for [a] techniques to others methods was RT’d by a
current project.” who intend to apply colleague who’d found it
some for research or useful and recommended
work purposes it to other students using
the phdchat hashtag.

18. • Some conclusions
– DREaM project impact to date
• Largely tied to increase in knowledge and capabilities of
the workshop cadre
• There is evidence that participants now have a different
relationship with research
• Event amplification has contributed to potential for
impact beyond the core group
– What next?
• DREaM2 follow-on grant to capitalise on, and develop
further, the impact so far
• DREaM Conference, British Library, Monday 9th July

19. We have a DREaM: the Developing
Research Excellence & Methods network
DREaM Project participant Dr Alison Brettle, @BrettleAli
with DREaM Project co-investigators:
Professor Hazel Hall, @hazelh
Professor Charles Oppenheim, @CharlesOppenh