Applications of Social Research Methods to Questions in Information and Library Science

Description

Written for the serious practicing librarian researcher and the LIS student, this volume fills the need for a guide focused specifically on information and library science research methods. By critically assessing existing studies from within library and information science, this book helps you acquire a deeper understanding of research methods so you will be able to design more effective studies yourself. Section one considers research questions most often asked in information and library science and explains how they arise from practice or theory. Section two covers a variety of research designs and the sampling issues associated with them, while sections three and four look at methods for collecting and analyzing data. Each chapter introduces a particular research method, points out its relative strengths and weaknesses, and provides a critique of two or more exemplary studies. For this second edition, three new chapters have been added, covering mixed methods, visual data collection methods, and social network analysis. The chapters on research diaries and transaction log analysis have been updated, and updated examples are provided in more than a dozen other chapters as well. Acknowledgments ix Part I Introduction 1 Using Research Results to Improve Practice in the Information Professions Barbara M. Wildemuth 3 Part II Research Questions in Information and Library Science 2 Developing a Research Question Barbara M. Wildemuth 11 3 Questions Originating in Library and Information Practice Barbara M. Wildemuth 21 4 Descriptions of Phenomena or Settings Barbara M. Wildemuth 28 5 Testing Hypotheses Barbara M. Wildemuth 34 6 Questions Related to Theory Chad Morgan Barbara M. Wildemuth 41 Part III Research Designs and Sampling 7 Case Studies Sotigphan Choemprayong Barbara M. Wildemuth 51 8 Namralistic Research Abe J. Crystal Barbara M. Wildemuth 60 9 Longitudinal Studies Barbara M. Wildemuth 71 10 Delphi Studies Lili Luo Barbara M. Wildemuth 81 11 Quasi-experimental Studies Carolyn Hank Barbara M. Wildemuth 91 12 Experimental Studies Barbara M. Wildemuth Leo L. Cao 103 13 Mixed Methods Barbara M. Wildemuth 114 14 Sampling for Extensive Studies Barbara M. Wildemuth 123 15 Sampling for Intensive Studies Barbara M. Wildemuth Leo L. Cao 136 16 Studying Special Populations Carol L. Ferryman Barbara M. Wildemuth 145 Part IV Methods for Data Collection 17 Historical Research Chad Morgan Barbara M. Wildemuth 155 18 Existing Documents and Artifacts as Data Barbara M. Wildemuth 165 19 Visual Data Collection Methods Barbara M. Wildemuth 173 20 Transaction Logs Laura Sheble Barbara M. Wildemuth Kathy Brennan 185 21 Think-aloud Protocols Sanghee Oh Barbara M. Wildemuth 198 22 Direct Observation Barbara M. Wildemuth 209 23 Participant Observation Barbara M. Wildemuth 219 24 Research Diaries Laura Sheble Leslie Thomson Barbara M. Wildemuth 228 25 Unstructured Interviews Yan Zhang Barbara M. Wildemuth 239 26 Semi structured Interviews Lili Luo Barbara M. Wildemuth 248 27 Focus Groups Barbara M. Wildemuth Mary Wilkins Jordan 258 28 Survey Research Carolyn Hank Mary Wilkins Jordan Barbara M. Wildemuth 272 29 Measuring Cognitive and Affective Variables Barbara M. Wildemuth 284 30 Developing New Measures Songphan Choemprayong Barbara M. Wildemuth 291 Part V Methods for Data Analysis 31 Content Analysis Krishna M. Spurgin Barbara M. Wildemuth 307 32 Qualitative Analysis of Content Yan Zhang Barbara M. Wildemuth 318 33 Discourse Analysis Barbara M. Wildemuth Carol L. Ferryman 330 34 Social Network Analysis Laura Sheble Kathy Brennan Barbara M. Wildemuth 339 35 Descriptive Statistics Barbara M. Wildemuth 351 36 Frequencies, Cross-tabulation, and the Chi-square Statistic Barbara M. Wildemuth 361 37 Analyzing Sequences of Events Barbara M. Wildemuth 373 38 Correlation Barbara M. Wildemuth 387 39 Comparing Means: t Tests and Analysis of Variance Abe J. Crystal Barbara M. Wildemuth 395 Part VI Conclusion 40 Putting It All Together Barbara M. Wildemuth 407 Index of Authors of Examples Discussed 417 Subject Index 421 About the Editor and Contributors 431