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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.
List of contents
Acknowledgments
Part I. Introduction1. Using Research Results to Improve Practice in the Information Professions
Barbara M. WildemuthPart II. Research Questions in Information and Library Science2. Developing a Research Question
Barbara M. Wildemuth3. Questions Originating in Library and Information Practice
Barbara M. Wildemuth4. Descriptions of Phenomena or Settings
Barbara M. Wildemuth5. Testing Hypotheses
Barbara M. Wildemuth6. Questions Related to Theory
Chad Morgan and Barbara M. WildemuthPart III. Research Designs and Sampling7. Case Studies
Songphan Choemprayong and Barbara M. Wildemuth8. Naturalistic Research
Abe J. Crystal and Barbara M. Wildemuth9. Longitudinal Studies
Barbara M. Wildemuth10. Delphi Studies
Lili Luo and Barbara M. Wildemuth11. Quasi-experimental Studies
Carolyn Hank and Barbara M. Wildemuth12. Experimental Studies
Barbara M. Wildemuth and Leo L. Cao13. Mixed Methods
Barbara M. Wildemuth14. Sampling for Extensive Studies
Barbara M. Wildemuth15. Sampling for Intensive Studies
Barbara M. Wildemuth and Leo L. Cao16. Studying Special Populations
Carol L. Perryman and Barbara M. WildemuthPart IV. Methods for Data Collection
17. Historical Research
Chad Morgan and Barbara M. Wildemuth18. Existing Documents and Artifacts as Data
Barbara M. Wildemuth19. Visual Data Collection Methods
Barbara M. Wildemuth20. Transaction Logs
Laura Sheble, Barbara M. Wildemuth, and Kathy Brennan21. Think-aloud Protocols
Sanghee Oh and Barbara M. Wildemuth22. Direct Observation
Barbara M. Wildemuth23. Participant Observation
Barbara M. Wildemuth24. Research Diaries
Laura Sheble, Leslie Thomson, and Barbara M. Wildemuth25. Unstructured Interviews
Yan Zhang and Barbara M. Wildemuth26. Semistructured Interviews
Lili Luo and Barbara M. Wildemuth27. Focus Groups
Barbara M. Wildemuth and Mary Wilkins Jordan28. Survey Research
Carolyn Hank, Mary Wilkins Jordan, and Barbara M. Wildemuth29. Measuring Cognitive and Affective Variables
Barbara M. Wildemuth30. Developing New Measures
Songphan Choemprayong and Barbara M. WildemuthPart V. Methods for Data Analysis
31. Content Analysis
Kristina M. Spurgin and Barbara M. Wildemuth32. Qualitative Analysis of Content
Yan Zhang and Barbara M. Wildemuth33. Discourse Analysis
Barbara M. Wildemuth and Carol L. Perryman34. Social Network Analysis
Laura Sheble, Kathy Brennan, and Barbara M. Wildemuth35. Descriptive Statistics
Barbara M. Wildemuth36. Frequencies, Cross-tabulation, and the Chi-square Statistic
Barbara M. Wildemuth37. Analyzing Sequences of Events
Barbara M. Wildemuth38. Correlation
Barbara M. Wildemuth39. Comparing Means:
t Tests and Analysis of Variance
Abe J. Crystal and Barbara M. WildemuthPart VI. Conclusion40. Putting It All Together
Barbara M. WildemuthIndex of Authors of Examples Discussed
Subject Index
About the Editor and Contributors
About the author
Barbara M. Wildemuth is professor and associate dean in the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
