Full Description
The second edition of this innovative textbook illustrates research methods for library and information science, describing the most appropriate approaches to a question—and showing you what makes research successful.
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.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Part I. Introduction
1. Using Research Results to Improve Practice in the Information Professions
Barbara M. Wildemuth
Part II. Research Questions in Information and Library Science
2. Developing a Research Question
Barbara M. Wildemuth
3. Questions Originating in Library and Information Practice
Barbara M. Wildemuth
4. Descriptions of Phenomena or Settings
Barbara M. Wildemuth
5. Testing Hypotheses
Barbara M. Wildemuth
6. Questions Related to Theory
Chad Morgan and Barbara M. Wildemuth
Part III. Research Designs and Sampling
7. Case Studies
Songphan Choemprayong and Barbara M. Wildemuth
8. Naturalistic Research
Abe J. Crystal and Barbara M. Wildemuth
9. Longitudinal Studies
Barbara M. Wildemuth
10. Delphi Studies
Lili Luo and Barbara M. Wildemuth
11. Quasi-experimental Studies
Carolyn Hank and Barbara M. Wildemuth
12. Experimental Studies
Barbara M. Wildemuth and Leo L. Cao
13. Mixed Methods
Barbara M. Wildemuth
14. Sampling for Extensive Studies
Barbara M. Wildemuth
15. Sampling for Intensive Studies
Barbara M. Wildemuth and Leo L. Cao
16. Studying Special Populations
Carol L. Perryman and Barbara M. Wildemuth
Part IV. Methods for Data Collection
17. Historical Research
Chad Morgan and Barbara M. Wildemuth
18. Existing Documents and Artifacts as Data
Barbara M. Wildemuth
19. Visual Data Collection Methods
Barbara M. Wildemuth
20. Transaction Logs
Laura Sheble, Barbara M. Wildemuth, and Kathy Brennan
21. Think-aloud Protocols
Sanghee Oh and Barbara M. Wildemuth
22. Direct Observation
Barbara M. Wildemuth
23. Participant Observation
Barbara M. Wildemuth
24. Research Diaries
Laura Sheble, Leslie Thomson, and Barbara M. Wildemuth
25. Unstructured Interviews
Yan Zhang and Barbara M. Wildemuth
26. Semistructured Interviews
Lili Luo and Barbara M. Wildemuth
27. Focus Groups
Barbara M. Wildemuth and Mary Wilkins Jordan
28. Survey Research
Carolyn Hank, Mary Wilkins Jordan, and Barbara M. Wildemuth
29. Measuring Cognitive and Affective Variables
Barbara M. Wildemuth
30. Developing New Measures
Songphan Choemprayong and Barbara M. Wildemuth
Part V. Methods for Data Analysis
31. Content Analysis
Kristina M. Spurgin and Barbara M. Wildemuth
32. Qualitative Analysis of Content
Yan Zhang and Barbara M. Wildemuth
33. Discourse Analysis
Barbara M. Wildemuth and Carol L. Perryman
34. Social Network Analysis
Laura Sheble, Kathy Brennan, and Barbara M. Wildemuth
35. Descriptive Statistics
Barbara M. Wildemuth
36. Frequencies, Cross-tabulation, and the Chi-square Statistic
Barbara M. Wildemuth
37. Analyzing Sequences of Events
Barbara M. Wildemuth
38. Correlation
Barbara M. Wildemuth
39. Comparing Means: t Tests and Analysis of Variance
Abe J. Crystal and Barbara M. Wildemuth
Part VI. Conclusion
40. Putting It All Together
Barbara M. Wildemuth
Index of Authors of Examples Discussed
Subject Index
About the Editor and Contributors
