An Exploratory Study on Post-tenure Research Productivity Among Academic Librarians

Abstract

The author conducted a survey of librarians at different types of academic institutions who had earned tenure or an equivalent form of permanent appointment. The purpose was to illuminate the forms of research that are valued at different types of institutions, the extent to which tenured or permanently appointed librarians produce research, and in particular, their perceptions and motivations concerning research productivity. Key findings showed high levels of post-tenure productivity among survey participants, and the emergence of grant activity as a valued form of research. Furthermore, respondents provided comparative perceptions of pre- and post-tenure scholarship, and they described a suite of overlapping extrinsic and intrinsic motivators affecting their research production.