Eminent LIS researcher Carol Tenopir, Chancellor’s Professor, School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, presented these slides during the Library Connect webinar on April 16, 2015, titled "Building a professional identity: from research to impact." These slides present an overview of why librarians should do research and how they can get started. View the webinar at: https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/9995/125073

1. #LCwebinar
Chancellor’s Professor, School of Information Sciences
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Carol
Tenopir
Librarians Do Research Too!

2. Carol Tenopir
#LCwebinar
Overview
• Why do research?
• Getting started
• Research methods
• Readiness check
• Finding balance
• Am I done?
http://libraryconnect.elsevier.com/librarians-do-research-too-
download-free-ebooklet-carol-tenopir-library-connect

3. Carol Tenopir
#LCwebinar
Why should librarians do research?
1. Improve LIS practices
2. Partner with and understand the needs of researchers
3. Collaborate with librarians in different environments
4. Bring in grant money
5. Build toward promotion and/or tenure

4. Carol Tenopir
#LCwebinar
Getting started
• What research questions get you excited?
• Will your background and expertise be of benefit?
• How can you build on strengths within your organization?
• Who can you speak with about their research experiences?

5. Carol Tenopir
#LCwebinar
Getting started
Find out:
• Who in your circle of colleagues is
doing research or interested in
starting?
• Are there researchers who would like
an information specialist partner?
• Where is funding available — from
government agencies, foundations,
institutional research offices,
professional societies, or companies?

6. Carol Tenopir
#LCwebinar
Talk to colleagues
• Attend research sessions
• Talk to colleagues at local, regional, national and international
conferences

7. Carol Tenopir
#LCwebinar
Read to get ideas on topics and methods
http://crl.acrl.org
http://www.sciencedirect.
com/science/journal/0740
8188
http://www.sciencedirect.
com/science/journal/0099
1333
http://www.press.uc
hicago.edu/ucp/jour
nals/journal/lq.html
https://www.press.j
hu.edu/journals/port
al_libraries_and_the
_academy/

8. Carol Tenopir
#LCwebinar
Research methods: The fundamentals
• Scan research methods texts
• Select an appropriate research method (qualitative or quantitative)
• Think long term — are these research questions and methods you
want to build on throughout your career?
• Take a statistics refresher course or find a research partner with
complementary expertise

9. Carol Tenopir
#LCwebinar
Consider your timeline
• Would a preliminary study with a colleague help you gain
experience?
• If this is an area with little research to date, can you do an
exploratory study first?
• Can you break a big project up into bite-sized pieces?

10. Carol Tenopir
#LCwebinar
Finding a balance
• Prioritize
• Tell your supervisor what you’re working on
• Delay taking on new responsibilities if possible
• Share the research work with colleagues at your library, your
university, or other universities who have expertise in some aspects of
the project
• Align your research with your work and ways to improve practice

11. Carol Tenopir
#LCwebinar
Consolidate and promote your hard work
• Organize your thoughts and start
writing
• Communicate your findings in a venue
that reaches the right audience,
whether it is a journal, a conference
(presentation or poster), or a
newsletter (like Library Connect!)
• Share your work on academic
networks like Mendeley, on social
media and websites, and on library
listservs and blogs

12. Carol Tenopir
#LCwebinar
More information
Carol Tenopir
Chancellor’s Professor
School of Information Sciences
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
ctenopir@utk.edu
Visit Carol Tenopir’s website:
http://scholar.cci.utk.edu/carol-tenopir/home
Follow Carol Tenopir on Scopus:
http://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.url?authorId=7005106498
http://libraryconnect.elsevier.com/librarians-
do-research-too-download-free-ebooklet-carol-
tenopir-library-connect