scholarly journals Updated Survey Information About Librarian-Researchers Prompts Authors to Consider Revising the Curriculum for Their Institute for Research Design in Librarianship Course

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-115
Author(s):  
Elaine Sullo
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Science Degree ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
The Relationship

A Review of: Kennedy, M.R., & Brancolini, K.R. (2018). Academic librarian research: An update to a survey of attitudes, involvement, and perceived capabilities. College and Research Libraries, 79(6), 822-851. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.79.6.822 Abstract Objective – To examine academic librarians’ current attitudes and preparedness to conduct research in order to update the knowledge gained from the authors’ 2010 survey, and to determine if changes were needed in their Institute for Research Design in Librarianship continuing education curriculum. Design – Web based survey. Setting – Institutions that employ academic and/or research librarians. Subjects – 793 academic and research librarians. Methods – The researchers posted a call for participation in their 2015 Librarian Research survey on listservs where academic and research librarians are members. The survey expanded upon the authors’ 2010 survey by adding questions to more fully explore three areas: research self-efficacy; Master’s thesis and statistics courses, and; research mentoring and institutional support. 793 librarians responded to the survey, and 669 of these respondents completed it. All data from incomplete surveys was included in the analysis. Survey results were compared with the results from the 2010 survey as well as with the responses from a survey conducted in 2000 by Powel, Baker, and Mika, which addressed many of the same topics under investigation. Main Results – The authors analyzed the survey results based on four areas: the current research practice of responding academic librarians; a self-evaluation of their confidence in performing the steps in the research process; methods training courses in which they have participated, and; demographics and institutional data related to support of library research.    Regarding current research practices, 84% of respondents said it is assumed that they will read research-based literature as part of their job as academic librarians; 80% are allowed time at work for this purpose; 6% did not know if it was assumed that they will read research-based literature as part of their job; and 9% were unsure if they were allowed to use work time to read the literature. 78% scan tables of contents for research-based journals, while 58% regularly read the full content of these articles (this is a significant drop from the 78% who reported that they regularly read full text articles in the 2010 survey). Time was the primary reason cited for not regularly reading research-based literature. 77% of respondents have conducted research since completing their Library Science degree (although 2% did not have a Master’s degree).  Respondents rated their confidence on a scale of one to five, with one being “Not at all confident” and five being “Very confident.” Overall, there were 38 components related to the steps in the research process, which were grouped into 8 questions on the survey.  For these questions, an average rating of 3.41 was calculated. From statistical analysis, the authors determined that there is a significant correlation between conducting research and librarian confidence in the process. The survey contained seven questions related to methods training. The authors were specifically interested in the correlation between librarians having conducted research since completing their degree and librarians’ belief that their degree adequately prepared them to do so. Statistical analysis revealed that the relationship between these factors was not significant; this result was consistent with the results from the authors’ 2010 survey as well as from the findings of Powell, Baker, and Mika. The authors were also curious as to whether librarians who had written a thesis as part of their Library Science degree were more likely to have conducted research since earning their degree. This relationship between these variables was not significant, however the relationship between writing a thesis for another graduate degree and conducting research was significant. Conclusion – The number of survey responses indicates that research is still a current, important issue for academic and research librarians. The authors will use the information from the surveys to revise their educational curriculum, specifically in the areas of current research practice, librarian confidence, and methods training.

scholarly journals Academic Librarians Would Benefit from Instruction on Conducting Research

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 245
Author(s):  
Annie M. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Continuing Education ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Research Performance ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Level Of Confidence ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Confidence Scale

Objectives – To survey and ascertain the level of confidence academic librarians demonstrate with regard to performing and consuming research, as well as to gather information in order to plan a curriculum that would offer professional continuing education programming for librarians interested in enhancing their research skills. Design – Web-based survey of academic librarians on their level of confidence with regard to performing and consuming research. Setting – Various email lists with academic librarians as subscribers. Subjects – 918 self-selected academic librarians who subscribe to email lists. Methods – The authors chose to gather a convenience sample of academic librarians by sending a survey via various email lists. A link to an informed consent notice was sent via the request for participation and then linked to the survey. The survey consisted of 19 questions and gathered information regarding four areas: current research practices, self-evaluation of confidence in research practice, research courses in which the participants participated either during their library and information studies (LIS) programs or through other means, and demographic information and information related to support provided by the librarians’ home institutions. The authors adapted their survey from other previously published surveys, and it was pre-tested for its effectiveness and reviewed by the Institutional Review Board. Question 10 included a confidence scale from 1-5 with 1 being “Not at All Confident” and 5 being “Very Confident.” The confidence scale was used to capture respondents’ self-perceptions of their research design expertise. Various statistical tests were performed. Main Results – The authors received 918 responses to their call for participation, with 809 completing the full survey; incomplete responses were not excluded. Results indicate that the vast majority of academic librarians are focused on staying current with regard to the literature, and there is the assumption or expectation that they will do this as part of their job duties. While nearly 78% of librarians view the table of contents of journals, fewer librarians regularly read the full content, as time is a determining factor with regard to consumption of the literature. The results show that 62% of academic librarians have undertaken some type of research since graduating with an LIS degree, but they do not necessarily publish or disseminate their results; only 77% of those who had done research had presented at conferences, published in a journal, or presented at their institution in an informal setting. A confidence scale was used to determine the level of confidence in performing certain research tasks, and while respondents recorded the highest level of confidence in conducting a literature review, the lowest levels of confidence were noted for the ability to design a project to test their questions and to analyze research data. Respondents were fairly confident on average with regard to turning their topics into questions, gathering data, reporting results in a written format, reporting results verbally, and identifying appropriate places to disseminate results. The authors chose to analyze two variables with regard to their question on confidence (Average Confidence and Conduct Research), as they predicted that whether librarians conduct research after completing their LIS studies was dependent upon their confidence in performing evidence-based research. After running a logistic regression analysis in SPSS, the authors found that confidence may be a predictor for research performance. With regard to training in research methods, only 26% of respondents felt that their LIS training provided them with the background to perform research tasks. The authors analyzed the data in this instance and found that there is no statistically significant relationship between the belief that LIS training prepared them and the likelihood of performing research. The demographic section of the survey provided the authors with information regarding research support from institutions, and asked librarians if they are tenure track/promotion, promotion only, or not eligible for tenure and promotion. The results showed that 45% were eligible for tenure, 28% achieved tenure, 48% had been through the tenure process, and 40% had other degrees in addition to their LIS qualification. Conclusion – By surveying a sample of academic librarians, the authors were hoping to gather information about their confidence level, training level, and current practices with regard to research. The data was collected as a way to inform the authors as to how they could best design a curriculum for continuing education in research practice. The survey results show that academic librarians are confident with regard to consumption of the literature and developing research questions, but less confident with regard to gathering and analyzing data. The proposed curriculum would provide training on conducting research, and the authors’ eventual goal is to offer an “Institute for Research Design in Librarianship” that would help librarians, especially those who are required to do research for tenure and promotion purposes, to perform the more difficult aspects of research such as design and analysis. Librarians would complete the course and be able to return to their home institutions with the capability to perform all steps in the research process.

scholarly journals Academic Librarian Research: A Survey of Attitudes, Involvement, and Perceived Capabilities

2012 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 431-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie R. Kennedy ◽  
Kristine R. Brancolini
Keyword(s):  
Continuing Education ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Primary Research ◽  
Academic Librarian ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Confidence Scale

This article reports on the development and results of a recent survey of academic librarians about their attitudes, involvement, and perceived capabilities using and engaging in primary research. The purpose of the survey was to inform the development of a continuing education program in research design. It updates earlier studies of academic librarian research; with the introduction of a confidence scale, it also contributes new insights regarding how prepared librarians believe themselves to be with regard to conducting research. The authors found that confidence in one’s ability to perform the discrete steps in the research process is a statistically significant predictor of a librarian conducting research and disseminating the results. The analysis of the responses to the confidence scale and other survey questions suggests several paths for future research about academic librarians and their research agendas.

scholarly journals Pedagogical Conditions for the Development of Self-Educational Competence of Future Specialists in the Study of Professional Subjects

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
Hanna P. Byhar ◽  
Valentyna H. Zvozdetska ◽  
Inna S. Prokop ◽  
Iryna I. Pits ◽  
Oksana Ye. Hordiichuk
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
Interactive Technologies ◽  
Cognitive Activities ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Teaching Professional

The content of the categories “self-education”, “self-educational competence” is analysed. The need for the development of self-educational competence of future specialists in the process of studying professional subjects is actualized. The pedagogical conditions for the formation of self-educational competence of future specialists in the study of professional subjects are determined. Such factors include: motivational and value attitude of future specialists to independent learning and cognitive activities in the process of professional training; ensuring the relationship of all areas of professional training of future specialists (theoretical, methodological, practical), which involves the formation of self-educational competence; development and implementation of educational and methodological support for the development of self-educational competence of students; the use of interactive technologies in teaching professional subjects to build educational dialogue. An experimental verification of the effectiveness of implementation of certain pedagogical conditions. For this purpose, a pedagogical experiment was organized. The conclusion that students of control and experimental groups have significant differences due not to random factors, but to a certain natural reason - conducting research and experimental work on the implementation of pedagogical conditions for the development of self-educational competence of future specialists in the study of professional subjects. Statistical analysis of indicators of transition of students to a higher level of self-educational competence shows that the process of formation of self-educational competence in students of the experimental group is more effective than in students of the control one.

scholarly journals Metode Penulisan Naskah Kolektif: Di Balik Pertunjukan Teater “Tanah Ode Kampung Kami”

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 94
Author(s):  
Iman Soleh ◽  
Mahesa El Gasani ◽  
Mazeinda Al Biruni ◽  
Tari Purwanti
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Data Collection Methods ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Theatrical Performances ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Collection Methods

The creation of a play entitled “Tanah Ode Kampung Kami” have several stages, starting from determining the issue and the ideas, conducting research, implementing the method of collective writing text, and finally becomes a show. The research process is a way of organizing and understanding the main problem of a play, i.e. the land, so it would be able to be implemented as a drama script collectively in theatrical performances. Collective text aims to make actors and directors have the same perception of a predetermined theme. This study uses a qualitative research design with data collection methods in the form of observations and interviews. The conclusion of this study is that the collective text method used in the “Tanah Ode Kampung Kami” script is used to harmonize the ideas that were built together so that it becomes a complete text which is the result of collaborative thinking between the elements involved in the process of making the script.

scholarly journals An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Leadership Styles And The Implementation Of Transformation Interventions

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Naidu ◽  
M. S. Van der Walt
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Mining Company ◽  
Quantitative Phase ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Integrated Leadership ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Qualitative Phase ◽  
The Way

The objective of this research was to determine whether a relationship exists between the way in which subordinates experience their managers’ leadership styles and the influence of such leadership styles on the implementation of transformation interventions. A two-phase triangulated research design was employed where the qualitative phase preceded the quantitative phase. Ninety six (N = 96) respondents from a mining company participated in the survey. Results indicate a statistical and meaningful correlation between Integrated Leadership styles and transformation interventions but no correlation between Directive Leadership and implementation of transformation interventions.

Science and Ethics in Conducting, Analyzing, and Reporting Psychological Research

1994 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 127-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Rosenthal
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Scientific Quality ◽  
Research Issues ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between scientific quality and ethical quality is considered for three aspects of the research process: conduct of the research, data analysis, and reporting of results. In the area of conducting research, issues discussed involve design, recruitment, causism, scientific quality, and costs and utilities. The discussion of data analysis considers data dropping, data exploitation, and meta-analysis. Issues regarding reporting of results include misrepresentation of findings, misrepresentation of credit, and failure to report results as a result of self-censoring or external censoring.

Conducting Qualitative Research on Wife Abuse: Dealing with the Issue of Anxiety

2000 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sevaste Chatzifotiou
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Wife Abuse ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Abused Women ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Sensitive Topics ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Sensitive Group

Abused women are a very sensitive group with whom to conduct research. As such, researchers need to be aware of this inherent sensitivity and should design their research accordingly. The ethics of social research, the implications of conducting research on sensitive topics, the possible exposition of the participants to stressful moments for the sake of the interview are important issues to be taken under serious consideration by the researcher prior to undertaking the fieldwork. However, during the fieldwork the researcher might face issues which she had paid less attention to while designing the inquiry, namely issues of dealing with the anxiety that the interviews would expose on herself too. It is well recognised in the literature that the rights and safety of the participants must be of paramount importance to the researchers in every research project. Still, the researcher's ‘safety’ should not be underestimated or be given little attention. This paper, based on the experience of conducting research with abused women documents the issue of researcher's anxiety which was a salient issue throughout the study. Documenting the research process, from the research design through to issues which arose after the fieldwork, the paper draws attention on the issue of anxiety experienced by the researcher in various stages of the research, including prior, during and after leaving the field, and provides ways that these were dealt with.

scholarly journals Thinking about Research in Continuing Education: A Meta-theoretical Primer

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott McLean
Keyword(s):  
Continuing Education ◽  
World View ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Social Scientific ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Significant Bearing

Every approach to conducting research in continuing education involves background assumptions about the nature of what is being studied, the means through which one can acquire knowledge, and the purpose of the research process itself. Although often not explicitly declared, these assumptions have a significant bearing on the choice of research questions, the methods employed to investigate those questions, the relationship between researchers and the subjects of their investigation, and the integration of research findings into communities of scholars and practitioners.The goal of this article is to promote awareness of the range of alternative possible approaches to conducting research in continuing education. It pursues this goal in three stages. First, it compares and contrasts the three predominant world-views in which modern social scientific research has typically been grounded in Canada: positivism, interpretive humanism, and radical structuralism. Each world-view is explored through ontological, epistemological, methodological and ethical questions. Second, the article outlines recent challenges, largely from postmodern and feminist researchers, to the background assumptions and political implications of these three established orientations to research. Third, the article poses a number of questions in order to encourage critical reflection about continuing education research.

Intraindividual Variability in Development Within and Between Individuals

2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Nesselroade
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Intraindividual Variability ◽  
Factor Analytic

A focus on the study of development and other kinds of changes in the whole individual has been one of the hallmarks of research by Magnusson and his colleagues. A number of different approaches emphasize this individual focus in their respective ways. This presentation focuses on intraindividual variability stemming from Cattell's P-technique factor analytic proposals, making several refinements to make it more tractable from a research design standpoint and more appropriate from a statistical analysis perspective. The associated methods make it possible to study intraindividual variability both within and between individuals. An empirical example is used to illustrate the procedure.

Narcissism, Personality Traits and Conspicuous Consumption of Brand in Youth

1970 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 20-28
Author(s):  
Sabeen Khan ◽  
Ruhi Khalid
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Conspicuous Consumption ◽  
Purposive Sampling ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship among Narcissism, personality traits and conspicuous consumption of brands in youth. This used quantitative research design with a sample consisting of 50 Men and 50 Women. The age ranged between 18 – 22 years. A purposive sampling technique was used to select participants. The findings revealed that there was a relationship among conspicuous consumption and traits of personality. It was also uncovered that there are gender differences in conspicuous consumption of brands, narcissism and personality traits. Further it was concluded that narcissism is positively associated with conspicuous consumption of brands. Narcissism was likely to be a positive predictor of conspicuous consumption of brands and personality traits are likely to be a predictor of conspicuous consumption of brands.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document