The document summarizes the Realising the value of RiLIES project conducted by Edinburgh Napier University. The project studied the impact of library and information science research on practice in the UK. It identified 5 impactful studies through a practitioner poll and conducted case studies and focus groups. Key findings included a preference for face-to-face dissemination, a role for social media in raising awareness, and the importance of practitioner involvement, relevant research questions, and accessible reporting of findings to maximize impact on practice. The project aims to help improve how research can influence real-world library services.

1. Realising the value of RiLIES: the Research in
Librarianship Impact Evaluation Study
Professor Hazel Hall, Peter Cruickshank & Ella Taylor-Smith
Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland

3. RiLIES1 project team
• Centre for Social Informatics, Institute for
Informatics and Digital Innovation, Edinburgh
Napier University
– Professor Hazel Hall
– Peter Cruickshank
– Ella Taylor-Smith
– Jenny Gebel

4. Impact in the context of RiLIES
• To what extent do funded research projects in
library and information science influence
practice in the UK?
• Which factors help/hinder the impact of
research findings on those who deliver library
and information services?

5. RiLIES project stages
• February to July 2011
• Desk research
– Literature review
• Empirical work
– Practitioner poll
– 5 case studies of “impactful” projects
– 3 sector-specific focus groups
– Validation survey

6. 5 “Impactful” studies identified
from the practitioner poll
1. Open to all (2000)
2. eValued (2004)
3. Researchers’ use of academic libraries (2007)
4. Evaluating clinical librarian studies (2009)
5. School libraries in the UK (2010)

7. Findings: new insight
• Preference amongst practitioners for face-to-
face dissemination channels
– Much greater than previously reported
• Tailored presentation
• Lower incidence of information overload
• Addresses issue of fragmented infrastructures
• Social media for raising awareness of research
– Immediacy, updates on on-going projects
• Importance of research sponsorship
• Links between engagement and reward

8. Findings: new insight
• Preference amongst practitioners for face-to-
face dissemination channels
– Much greater than previously reported
• Tailored presentation
• Lower incidence of information overload
• Addresses issue of fragmented infrastructures
• Social media for raising awareness of research
– Immediacy, updates on on-going projects
• Importance of research sponsorship
• Links between engagement and reward

9. Findings: new insight
• Preference amongst practitioners for face-to-
face dissemination channels
– Much greater than previously reported
• Tailored presentation
• Lower incidence of information overload
• Addresses issue of fragmented infrastructures
• Social media for raising awareness of research
– Immediacy, updates on on-going projects
• Importance of research sponsorship
• Links between engagement and reward

10. Findings: new insight
• Preference amongst practitioners for face-to-
face dissemination channels
– Much greater than previously reported
• Tailored presentation
• Lower incidence of information overload
• Addresses issue of fragmented infrastructures
• Social media for raising awareness of research
– Immediacy, updates on on-going projects
• Importance of research sponsorship
• Links between engagement and reward

11. Project conception and plans for
impact
• Practitioners need to be involved in research
design
• Funders need to support research relevant to
the needs of the practitioner community
– Allied to this, explicit goal of research should be to
influence practice
• Research undertaken needs to have high level
support
– Steering committees, influential stakeholders

12. Project conception and plans for
impact
• Practitioners need to be involved in research
design
• Funders need to support research relevant to
the needs of the practitioner community
– Allied to this, explicit goal of research should be to
influence practice
• Research undertaken needs to have high level
support
– Steering committees, influential stakeholders

13. Project conception and plans for
impact
• Practitioners need to be involved in research
design
• Funders need to support research relevant to
the needs of the practitioner community
– Allied to this, explicit goal of research should be to
influence practice
• Research undertaken needs to have high level
support
– Steering committees, influential stakeholders

14. Project execution for impact
• Practitioners need to participate in the
research from the outset, with appropriate
– Methods
– Approaches
– Dissemination strategies

15. Project reporting for impact
• LIS research output needs to be accessible to
the target audience
– Where?
• Best in teaching and community support materials
• Researchers need to take into account
practitioner preferences for consuming
research output
– What and how?
• Explicit recommendations in accessible language,
delivered face-to-face

16. Project reporting for impact
• LIS research output needs to be accessible to
the target audience
– Where?
• Best in teaching and community support materials
• Researchers need to take into account
practitioner preferences for consuming
research output
– What and how?
• Explicit recommendations in accessible language,
delivered face-to-face

17. Receptive audiences for impact
• Librarians and information scientists from less
research-active sectors can learn from those
where there is greater engagement
– e.g. healthcare librarians
• There is a need for training to support interest
in research, and raise awareness of resources
• A CPD requirement related to research would
encourage greater participation

18. Receptive audiences for impact
• Librarians and information scientists from less
research-active sectors can learn from those
where there is greater engagement
– e.g. healthcare librarians
• There is a need for training to support interest
in research, and raise awareness of resources
• A CPD requirement related to research would
encourage greater participation

19. Receptive audiences for impact
• Librarians and information scientists from less
research-active sectors can learn from those
where there is greater engagement
– e.g. healthcare librarians
• There is a need for training to support interest
in research, and raise awareness of resources
• A CPD requirement related to research would
encourage greater participation

21. http://bit.ly/RiLIES_briefing
Timed to follow on from
DREaM conference on 9th July

22. DREaM Conference – 9th July 2012
http://bit.ly/DREaM5_prog

23. Further information
• On LIS Research Coalition web pages
– Project page http://lisresearch.org/rilies-project
– RiLIES1 report at
http://lisresearchcoalition.files.wordpress.com/20
12/02/rilies1_report.pdf
– Blog updates at http://lisresearch.org
• On Twitter
– @LIS_RiLIES

24. Realising the value of RiLIES: the Research in
Librarianship Impact Evaluation Study
Professor Hazel Hall, Peter Cruickshank & Ella Taylor-Smith
Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland