Library And Information Science Community Research Articles

What characterizes LIS as a fragmenting discipline?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to characterize library and information science (LIS) as fragmenting discipline both historically and by applying Whitley’s (1984) theory about the organization of sciences and Fuchs’ (1993) theory about scientific change.Design/methodology/approachThe study combines historical source analysis with conceptual and theoretical analysis for characterizing LIS. An attempt is made to empirically validate the distinction between LIS context, L&I services and information seeking as fragmented adhocracies and information retrieval and scientific communication (scientometrics) as technologically integrated bureaucracies.FindingsThe origin of fragmentation in LIS due the contributions of other disciplines can be traced in the 1960s and 1970s for solving the problems produced by the growth of scientific literature. Computer science and business established academic programs and started research relevant to LIS community focusing on information retrieval and bibliometrics. This has led to differing research interests between LIS and other disciplines concerning research topics and methods. LIS has been characterized as fragmented adhocracy as a whole, but we make a distinction between research topics LIS context, L&I services and information seeking as fragmented adhocracies and information retrieval and scientific communication (scientometrics) as technologically integrated bureaucracies.Originality/valueThe paper provides an elaborated historical perspective on the fragmentation of LIS in the pressure of other disciplines. It also characterizes LIS as discipline in a fresh way by applying Whitley’s (1984) theory.

Rhetorical structure parallels research topic in LIS articles: a temporal bibliometrics examination

PurposeThe effectiveness of rhetorical structure is essential to communicate key messages in research articles (RAs). The interdisciplinary nature of library and information science (LIS) has led to unclear patterns and practice of using rhetorical structures. Understanding how RAs are constructed in LIS to facilitate effective scholarly communication is important. Numerous studies investigated the rhetorical structure of RAs in a range of disciplines, but LIS articles have not been well studied.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors encoded rhetorical structures to 2,216 articles in the Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology covering a period from 2001 to 2018 with the approaches of co-word analysis and visualization. The results show that the predominant rhetorical structures used by LIS researchers follow the sequence of Introduction-Literature Review-Methodology-Result-Discussion-Conclusion (ILMRDC).FindingsThe authors' temporal examination reveals the shifts of evolutionary pattern of rhetorical structure in 2008 and 2014. More importantly, the authors' study demonstrates that rhetorical structures have varied greatly across research areas in LIS community. For example, scholarly communication and scientometrics studies tend to exclude literature review in articles.Originality/valueThe present paper offers a first systematic examination of how rhetorical structures are used in a representative sample of a LIS journal, especially from a temporal perspective.

CRT, information, and disability: An intersectional commentary

Grounded in my perspective as a deaf, Black, and trans librarian who has worked in many Library and Information Science (LIS) roles, I argue in this paper that information scientists and professionals could close the gap in representation and information access by applying a knowledge of intersectionality to our work. I make the case for this by presenting examples of three Black historical “hidden figures” who shaped life as we know it in the USA, highlighting the erased dimensions of their lives as disabled people. Despite this geographical setting, these intersectional counter stories are relevant to addressing local areas of inequity in information access and resources worldwide. This community commentary paper addresses a serious gap in scholarship and practice around the erasure of disability from both Black history and LIS theory and practice, and follows in the Critical Race Theory (CRT) traditions of intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1991) and counter-storytelling (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002) to bridge this gulf. Applying CRT and related concepts to LIS work prepares the ground for immediate and future needs for equitable access to resources, by acknowledging those who may be hindered by their racial/ableist/queerphobic biases and the way they may unknowingly play into systemic oppression, just by their participation. This will maintain relevance and contribute to the creation of equity for Black and brown marginalized LIS staff and community members going forward. Having additional systemic support for our most marginalized staff members would create ripple effects in information access and cultural competency in the way we are able to see barriers and opportunities, and the field as a whole would benefit.

Trends in genre analysis articles on scientific abstract structures: A Quantitative content analysis

Genre analysis is a methodologically prominent approach to segmenting a scientific abstract into discourse units. Genre analysis studies on scientific abstract structures have valuable outputs not only for secondary information services, including bibliographic databases and online services but also for scientific communication and library and information science (LIS) education. However, trends of research on this topic have not been investigated yet. This study identifies research trends and reveals knowledge gaps and research opportunities in genre analysis articles on scientific abstracts. For this purpose, Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched to identify the articles. According to the study selection criteria, 75 articles were included in the quantitative content analysis. It was found that the most frequently studied genres were research articles (73.3%), proceedings (%12), and thesis/dissertations (8%). The sample size of the corpus ranged from 5 to 4214 abstracts ( M = 223.8, MD = 94, SD = 523.8). The authors most frequently cited for abstract genre models were Hyland, Swales, and Santos, respectively. In 18.7% of articles, at least one of the abstract standards was cited. Approximately, two-thirds of the articles were comparative. Languages (44.7%), disciplines (25.5%), genres, and native/non-native authors (8.5%) were compared most frequently. English was the most frequently studied language, both individual (72.4%) and comparatively (25.9%). The results of this study suggest that the LIS community, as well as applied linguistics, can seize the opportunity to address gaps in academic genres, disciplines, and languages. In addition, future studies are expected to have generalizable results to assist the scientific communication and LIS communities.

Reddit use in the LIS community

This study examined online communications within library and information science (LIS)-related subreddits through the perspectives of social identity theory and social media engagement. A total of 17,049 Reddit posts from three major LIS-related subreddits were harvested through Pushshift by Python. Manual and computational coding methods were used to identify linguistic characteristics of the posts as well as the topicality of the content. Multiple logistic regressions were used to analyze the relationship between psychological and emotional characteristics of the posts and user engagement. Results showed that the majority of posts did not mention a specific type of LIS organization; of the subset that did, public libraries and academic libraries were most frequently referenced. “Library services and usage” was the topic most mentioned within LIS-related subreddits, followed by “librarians and jobs.” Various psychological features of posts including emotional tone score, authentic score, clout score, analytic score, and usage of words related to affective processes, anxiety, social processes, causation, and time were significantly related to user engagement. This study contributes to further understanding of social identity theory and social media engagement within the online communication context of LIS community. Key topics and issues in the LIS field and practical suggestions for strategies to improve social media engagement across LIS community were discussed.

A temporally dynamic examination of research method usage in the Chinese library and information science community

In this paper, we discuss how research methods are used in the Chinese library and information science (LIS) community, a fundamental question in the pursuit of a global overview of this interdisciplinary research domain. We used manual coding to identify research methods mentioned in 2,421 Chinese-language papers written by 53 prestigious Chinese LIS researchers across different generations. For all selected publications, we manually identified and classified methods using a modified version of an established classification scheme for LIS research methods. Moreover, we examined how research methods are used by researchers belonging to different age groups over time. We identified a significant shift in the use of methods among examined publications: quantitative methods are increasingly used over time, driven both by the emergence of newer generations of researchers and by senior researchers gradually adopting newer methods. These findings reflect a major, and heretofore undiscussed, shift in research style in the LIS community in China. Our approach facilitates a new, more dynamic discussion of how research methods are adopted in a research community and will greatly contribute to future studies on this topic.

Content analysis in library and information research: An analysis of trends

The use of Content Analysis (CA) in Library and Information Science (LIS) research is growing. Along with that growth comes a virtual explosion in new data source types available electronically. The present study provides a detailed analysis of the trends in the use of CA by LIS researchers and traces the changes in data sources used for CA between 1990 and 2015. CA was used to analyze 338 articles retrieved from a search of 119 LIS journals. LIS researchers have been quick to apply CA to new data sources as they have become available. By validating CA as a research tool, the findings have the potential to increase the use of CA as a methodology by the LIS community. The findings should help equip LIS researchers in choosing appropriate data sources to apply to their CA studies and address a wider variety of LIS research problems and hypotheses.

The coronavirus pandemic, libraries and information: a thematic analysis of initial international responses to COVID-19

PurposeThis study aims to present and discuss the international library and information community’s initial responses to the coronavirus pandemic. It chronicles official statements from various library and information associations as they were released in real-time, thereby providing a contemporary and historical snapshot of the early stages of this global health crisis. The aim is to both historically and thematically contextualize these initial responses to help establish a foundation upon which to anchor, build, extend and analyze approaches to the pandemic as it unfolded (and indeed as it continues to unfold at the time of this writing in June 2020).Design/methodology/approachDrawing upon a qualitative documentary analysis of statements on COVID-19 released by various international library and information associations, this study provides a thematic analysis of these contemporary policies. Specifically, this thematic analysis was carried out to identify and illuminate major themes appearing within the statements. Further, a comparative thematic analysis was then undertaken to compare the themes across all statements to discover and determine convergences or divergences in content and coverage.FindingsThe formal statements released by these organizations feature and share many similar themes in their initial responses to COVID-19, including support for/solidarity with libraries; information provision; maintaining services; digital migration of services; workplace arrangements/concerns; contextual contingencies of libraries (diversity of kinds, circumstances and challenges); health concerns and proper/good hygiene; countering dis/misinformation; external collaborations with public health agencies; and partnerships with industry including publishers.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this study’s purview is admittedly limited in size and scope – involving six, albeit major, library and information associations from mainly English speaking countries – it can be used as a foundation for further studies into how libraries and information centres in other English and non-English speaking countries responded to the coronavirus pandemic.Practical implicationsThis study can help inform current, alternative, contingency or other future library responses geared towards or tailored for the coronavirus or other health-related crises. It can also be used as a baseline to track the trajectory of library responses and actions as they unfolded throughout the COVID-19 crisis.Social implicationsBy providing the start of an account and analysis of the international library and information science (LIS) community’s initial responses, this study also contributes to the broader (ongoing) conversation about the coronavirus pandemic and intervenes in emerging historical examinations of this crisis. This study could be of interest to LIS scholars and practitioners, in addition to public health researchers, public policymakers, cultural studies academics and historians, interested in how different and intersectional efforts – in this case, the international LIS community – contributed and can contribute to this pandemic and other similar or parallel crises.Originality/valueThe international library and information community’s initial responses to this global health crisis are contextualized, thereby serving as a foundation upon which to anchor, build and extend other research on responses to the pandemic as it unfolded. Drawing upon a qualitative documentary analysis of these statements, this study presents and discusses the international library community’s initial responses to the coronavirus pandemic. It chronicles these statements as they were released in real-time, thereby providing a contemporary and historical snapshot of the early stages of this crisis. The aim is to both historically and thematically contextualize the international library and information community’s initial responses to help establish a foundation upon which to anchor, build, extend and update the international library community’s responses to the pandemic as it unfolded (and indeed as it continues to unfold at the time of this writing in June 2020). This foundation, it is hoped, will help illuminate their respective positions, circumstances, convergences, divergences and areas of possible (future) cooperation, coordination and collaboration.

Hong Kong Library Association Mentoring Program: Experience, Challenges and Opportunities

The Hong Kong Library Association (HKLA) has been the core organization serving the library and information science (LIS) community in Hong Kong since its establishment 62 years ago. It organizes activities and events continually to enrich professional knowledge of LIS professionals in Hong Kong. It has been observed that the number of student members has risen constantly in recent few years. In view of the pressing demand for better support to student members, the HKLA launched the Mentoring Program in 2013 to enhance informal communication between student members and other members of the Association. The Mentoring Program received an overall positive feedback from the local LIS community and made a positive impact to participants, especially mentees. Apart from the successful experience of this program, there are issues that can be improved in sustaining this program in long term. This paper summarizes the experience of implementing the Mentoring Program in the first two years and identifies the challenges and opportunities ahead. The finding indicates that the Mentoring Program was a well-received professional development program for the student members of the Association. However, this program can be further enhanced in terms of mentor solicitation, mentor-mentee eligibility, mentor-mentee relationship, knowledge-based interaction, and program sustainability. The Program Committee may consider collaborating with other LIS agencies to solicit more potential mentors. In view of the population of the potential mentors, it makes very good sense for the past mentees to serve as peer-to-peer partners for non-degree student members. More incentive should be devised to encourage the mentoring pairs in joining library events in addition to the activities related to the Mentoring Program. To facilitate communication and experience sharing among program participants and HKLA members, it is desirable to set up an online discussion platform to address the increasing demand for more opportunities on this. Lastly, it is vital to improve communication among the Program Committee, HKLA Council members and HKLA members. Besides reviewing the operation and management of the Mentoring Program, the Program Committee should also study the feasibility of sustaining this program in the long run. This paper can be served as an empirical study on the implementation of library and information science mentoring programs in one of the major cities in Asian region. The results of the study can be referenced by the LIS community not only locally but also internationally.

A nine dimensional framework for digital cultural heritage organizational sustainability

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on how library and information science (LIS) as a field operationalizes the concept of organizational sustainability for managing digital resources, projects and infrastructures such as digital libraries and repositories over time. It introduces a nine dimensional framework for organizational sustainability in the digital cultural heritage community.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis of publications from three LIS databases (2000–2015).FindingsComparing the articles to the nine dimension framework shows that most LIS articles discuss technology, financial or management dimensions. Fewer articles describe disaster planning, assessment or policy dimensions.Research limitations/implicationsThree LIS databases might not include all relevant journals, conferences, white papers and other materials. The data set also did not include books; library management textbooks might include useful material on organizational sustainability. Claims about the prevalence of themes are subject to methodological limits of content analysis.Practical implicationsOrganizations that steward digital collections need to be clear about what they mean when they are referring to organizational sustainability so that they can make appropriate decisions for future-proofing their collections. The analysis would also suggest for a greater need to consider the full range of dimensions of organizational sustainability.Originality/valueBy introducing a new nine dimensional framework of organizational sustainability the authors hope to promote more and better conversations within the LIS community about organizational sustainability. The authors hope these conversations will lead to productive action and improvements in the arrangements of people and work necessary to keep digital projects and services going over time, given ongoing challenges.

Identifying as a Librarian: When and If LIS Graduates in Non - Library Roles Use the Title “Librarian”

This poster addresses how library andinformation science (LIS) graduates who work in non-library roles label themselves. The LIS community as the profession is undergoing a time of transition. Given the changing nature of the work that is being performed by LIS graduates both inside and outside of libraries, the timing is appropriate to explore how practitioners choose to label themselves as professionals. LIS graduates working in non-library roles where selected as the target population of this study because their work provides them with myriad possibilities for self-labelling. Participants exhibited four response patterns which are described and discussed.

A taxonomy of the expected roles of librarians towards knowledge management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the connection between the various layers of roles and tasks of librarians with the various knowledge types and methods. Although there are multiple benefits anticipated with knowledge management (KM) schemes in libraries, the practical side of it among Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals is not yet notable or evident.Design/methodology/approachTaxonomy building and Delphi method were two means of research deployed to achieve the declared purpose.FindingsIt was possible to achieve several steps into structuring a taxonomy but yet further work has to be accomplished in order to consummate the taxonomy. For this, means of group interviewing method along with perhaps sponsorship of association relevant to librarianship might be an appropriate approach.Research limitations/implicationsDelphi process was not possible to be fully exercised and completed due to limitations of limited number of participants as well the overwhelming feeling of participants had toward the unfamiliar content. It would have been more rewarding to have physical meeting in groups to overcome such limitations.Originality/valueThis paper lays the foundation stone of a multi-layer taxonomy for roles of librarians toward KM. The taxonomy also unveils a dimension that librarians often miss when discussing KM. It also models the categories of knowledge types for LIS. Thus, the LIS community is urged to contribute in the development of this taxonomy which could become the handbook of reference in KM for librarianship.

Developing Research Practitioners: Exploring Pedagogical Options for Teaching Research Methods in LIS

This paper reports on an investigation into the effectiveness of teaching research methods in library and information science (LIS). A review of the literature revealed that the LIS community is en...

The Professional Identity Experiences of LIS Graduates in Non-Library Roles Can Be Described by the Theory of Personalizing Professionalism

A Review of:
 Fraser-Arnott, M. (2017, May 17). Personalizing professionalism: The professional identity experiences of LIS graduates in non-library roles. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000617709062
 
 Abstract
 
 Objective – To produce a theory that captures the professional identity experiences of library and information science (LIS) graduates employed in non-library roles. 
 
 Design – Data collection and analysis were conducted using semi-structured interviews and grounded theory methodology.
 
 Setting – A variety of industry sectors located in the United States or Canada. 
 
 Subjects – Twenty professionals with Master's degrees in LIS employed in non-library roles.
 
 Method – This study used the Glaserian Grounded Theory methodology, which requires constant theoretical sampling and comparison until no new data is found in any coding category. The researcher utilized two types of sampling in this study: snowball or chain referral sampling, and theoretical sampling. These techniques allowed the researcher to build a potential list of participants from a difficult to reach population. Study data was collected through semi-structured interviews divided into three sections: 1) participants were asked to describe their career experiences from their decision to attend library school to the present; 2) follow-up questions by the researcher in response to comments made by participants during the first phase; 3) questions listed in an interview guide that examined educational experiences, communities, and how participants identify themselves as professionals. 
 
 Main Results – Study results produced the theory of Personalizing Professionalism, which suggests that each individual possess two identities that interact with one another throughout the course of one's career. The first is an internal appraisal of self that represents who one is as a professional. It is developed as a result of socialization in the profession and an understanding of personal motivations and interests. The second is an externally expressed identity that represents how an individual presents himself or herself to achieve professional goals. This can include self-imposed labels, such as "librarian", or strategies used to find a path within the profession. This process involves reflections and actions aimed at identifying what type of professional to be and steps required to achieve goals. 
 
 The results also indicate that interactions with others impact an individual’s internal appraisal of self and externally expressed identity. Areas of conflict were identified when commonly held views of how a professional identity should be expressed did not match the identity that an individual developed or displayed to others. When conflicts arose, individuals used a variety of strategies to resolve the discrepancy between internal and external identities: assimilation, attempting to influence or change the perceptions of the group, or withdrawal. 
 
 In terms of self-identifying as a librarian, the study found that participants who chose the term as a professional label believed that the work they do in non-library settings was still compatible with their definition of what it meant to be a librarian. Participants who identified as librarians some of the time and by their job title at other times did so based on an evaluation of which label would best advance their position with a given audience. Finally, participants who chose not to use the label of librarian had never internally associated with the role or job title; these individuals completed a LIS program to gain transferable skills or qualify for a wide variety of employment opportunities. 
 
 Conclusion – The theory of Personalizing Professionalism provides insight into the development and expression of professional identity experiences when LIS graduates work in non-library roles. The results have value to practitioners and educators who market LIS programs or develop course content. For instance, in the future greater emphasis could be placed on transferable skill sets that are of value to roles outside of traditional library settings. Many participants described potential or actual conflicts when trying to place themselves within the LIS community because new ideas of what it means to be a “librarian” were rejected, leading to feelings of exclusion. Over time, this could lead to a detrimental loss of innovation and ideas.

Personalizing professionalism: The professional identity experiences of LIS graduates in non-library roles

This grounded theory project asked: “How do Library and Information Science (LIS) graduates in non-library roles experience professional identity?” This is an important question for current LIS practitioners and students because job opportunities are increasingly available in non-library work settings. There is limited research available on the professional identity experiences of LIS graduates in general and even less available on the professional experiences of LIS graduates in non-library roles. The study produced the theory of Personalizing Professionalism which found that individuals possess two identities which interact with each other throughout one’s career. The first is an internal appraisal of self which represents an individual’s assessment of who they “really” are as a professional. The second is an externally expressed identity, which represents who that individual presents him or herself to be. Interactions with others impact individuals’ internal appraisal of self and externally expressed identity and represent an area of potential conflict. This study contributes to the research literature on professional identity and identity formation and expression. For the LIS community, understanding how these professionals experience professional identity can help practitioners, educators, and professional associations to take advantage of a wide range of employment options.

Examining academic ranking and inequality in library and information science through faculty hiring networks

Abstract In this study, we examine academic ranking and inequality in library and information science (LIS) using a faculty hiring network of 643 faculty members from 44 LIS schools in the United States. We employ four groups of measures to study academic ranking, including adjacency, placement and hiring, distance-based measures, and hubs and authorities. Among these measures, closeness and hub measures have the highest correlation with the U.S. News ranking (r = 0.78). We study academic inequality using four distinct methods that include downward/upward placement, Lorenz curve, cliques, and egocentric networks of LIS schools and find that academic inequality exists in the LIS community. We show that the percentage of downward placement (68%) is much higher than that of upward placement (22%); meanwhile, 20% of the 30 LIS schools that have doctoral programs produced nearly 60% of all LIS faculty, with a Gini coefficient of 0.53. We also find cliques of highly ranked schools and a core/periphery structure that distinguishes LIS schools of different ranks. Overall, LIS faculty hiring networks have considerable value in deriving credible academic ranking and revealing faculty exchange within the field.

The Perspective of Library and Information Science (LIS) Professionals Toward Knowledge Management in University Libraries

This study explores the general perspectives of library and information science (LIS) professionals on knowledge management in the university libraries of Pakistan. The study specifically examines the perceptions, understandings, role and responsibilities of Pakistani LIS professionals toward knowledge management. A questionnaire was used as an instrument to evaluate the perceptions, understandings, role and responsibilities of LIS professionals toward knowledge management. The questionnaires were administered to subject librarians who were included in the sample at the universities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Generalising the findings of this study over the population of LIS community in Pakistan reveals that knowledge management is for the improvement of library services and productive purposes. Accordingly, the Pakistani LIS professionals use knowledge management practices for the improvement of their respective library service. The LIS community is also very familiar with the term “knowledge management”. It succeeded mainly to generalise that majority of the LIS professionals mentioned that they have used knowledge management in their libraries.

The evolution of iSchool movement (1988-2013): A bibliometric view

The iSchool movement is a controversial topic within the library and information science (LIS) community. While some argue that the movement isolates small size schools and splits the LIS community others insist it will broaden the field of LIS and form an open and boundaryless iField. This study investigates the evolution of the iSchool movement by analyzing the trends of subject terms in LIS doctoral dissertations since 1970s. The results indicate that the iSchool movement reflects the trend of LIS in terms of the change of the dominant research topics and the degree of interdisciplinarity.

Opening Review in LIS Journals: A Status Report

INTRODUCTION Peer-review practices in scholarly publishing are changing. Digital publishing mechanisms allow for open peer review, a peer review process that discloses author and reviewer identities to one another. This model of peer review is increasingly implemented in scholarly publishing. In science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines, open peer review is implemented in journal publishing processes, and, in the humanities and social sciences, it is often coupled with new scholarship practices, such as the digital humanities. This article reports findings from an exploratory study on peer-review and publishing practices in Library and Information Science (LIS), focusing on LIS’s relationships with open peer review. METHODS Editors of LIS journals were surveyed regarding journal peer review and publishing practices. RESULTS This article reports the general “pulse” of attitudes and conversations regarding open peer review and discusses its challenges in LIS. Results show an ideological split between traditionally-published journals and open access and association-affiliated journals. Open access and association-affiliated journal editors are more likely to consider investigating open peer review. DISCUSSION The LIS community of journal editors, authors, reviewers, and readers need to discuss open peer review as well as experiment with it. Experiments with open peer review in scholarly LIS publishing will inform our praxis as librarians.

Gender mainstreaming in Pakistani libraries: Analysing the possibilities

The purpose of this study is to explore the intention and competency of Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals regarding sensitivity of gender-related issues in libraries and to examine the effect of a short-term (five days) thematic training workshop on Information Management with Gender Perspectives for LIS professionals. Data was collected from working librarians around the country using two separate channels, i.e. an online questionnaire, and pre/post-training test results from the trainees of a workshop on gender mainstreaming in libraries. The findings discuss the level of competencies, need for training, and attitudinal responsiveness of LIS professionals in Pakistan and appropriate measures are discussed. Moreover, gender-related issues and the current status of LIS professionals are alarming in terms of gender responsiveness. Findings show that only 17% of the LIS community is gender responsive. The results are useful for planners of engendered programmes and policies, library science professionals and researchers, especially in the field of gender and women’s studies and provide an insight for international readers into the perception of LIS professionals on mainstreaming gender in Pakistani libraries. This study uniquely presents the current status and preparedness of LIS professionals to address gender-related issues in libraries