RESEARCH IN LIBRARIANSHIP & REPORT WRITING16 & 17 July 2012UPSI

Research in Librarianship and Report Writing

Nor Edzan Che NasirLibraryUniversiti Malaya

OUTLINE• Biodata

• Introduction

• Research in Librarianship

• Sources of Information

• Where to Publish

• Funding

• References

BIODATA• Diploma in Fisheries – ITM• B.Sc. (Hons) – USM

– Conversion rate of Tilapia mossambica

• PGD Info Mgmt (Lib’ship) - UNSW• M.Sc (Info Studies) – LMU

– Use of CD-ROM databases by Malaysian postgraduate students in Leeds

• PhD – UM– Modeling an information literacy programme for

undergraduates: a soft systems methodology approach

• Librarian in USM from 1983 & UM from 1991• Started writing in UM as a group – 2

bibliographies, 1 listing of project papers/dissertation/listing

• Started writing articles in 1996 after returning from M.Sc – 2 articles – 1 on dissertation and 1 an assignment done in M.Sc.

• Academician in 1999 – wrote journal articles and conference papers – based on research

• Chief Librarian – continue writing but mostly conference papers and ppt slides

INTRODUCTION• “The history of research in “library science” in

Japan dates back to the late 1800s when libraries were imported from the West, whereas research in “library and information science (LIS)” started in 1967. This article outlines a brief overview of LIS research in Japan after 1967, especially in recent years. LIS research in Japan is divided into two prominent types: one is carried out by researchers in universities, and the other by library practitioners. Both of them are further diversified according to library types and subjects.”

• National Diet Library, 2007

• Research in librarianship in Malaysia– librarians – none at all– LIS academics and postgraduates – yes– librarians and LIS academics - yes

• However, all of us have done research either at undergraduate level and/or postgraduate level

• Why?

• Why are librarians not conducting research? (Versoza, 2007)– lack of research-mindedness– overwhelmed by the professional literature– research jargon discourages librarians from

reading the research literature– need to keep up with emerging information,

technology and service responsibilities– inadequate education/training in research

methods– perception that research is lacking in practical

applications or mission orientation– funding– new resistance to change in research ideas

• Why do we need to conduct research? (Versoza, 2007)– improve problem solving and decision making in

the workplace – contribute to career advancement for librarians– improve ability to think critically and analytically,

improve staff morale, and enhance the library’s status within its community

– create new knowledge and thereby contribute to the growth of LIS as a profession or discipline

– make library professionals critical consumers of the research literature

– better equip librarians to provide optimal information services to researchers in other fields.

• Importantly :• We have to document about our library

– History– Development– People– Activities– Success stories

• Where?– Annual Report– Newspapers– Journals – LINK, Jurnal PPM

RESEARCH IN LIBRARIANSHIP• Research is defined as systematic

gathering of data and information and its analysis for advancement of knowledge in any subject

• Research attempts to answer intellectual and practical questions

• Types of research– Applied versus Fundamental Research– Descriptive versus Analytical Research– Qualitative versus Quantitative Research

– Conceptual versus Empirical Research

Applied – Fundamental Research • Applied research is used to solve problems

– use basic research, knowledge, theories to solve problems

• Fundamental or basic or pure research is undertaken to increase knowledge, no direct benefit, research for research sake, conducted to satisfy curiosity– basic research is purely theoretical to increase

our understanding of certain phenomena or behavior but does not seek to solve any existing problem.

Descriptive – Analytical Research• Descriptive research - attempts to determine,

describe, or identify what is,– The descriptive research uses description,

classification, measurement, and comparison to describe what phenomenon are.

– Examining the usage pattern of e-books

• Analytical research attempts to establish why it is that way or how it came to be. – The analytical research usually concerns itself

with cause-effect relationships. – Identifying the reasons why students are not using

e-books

Quantitative – Qualitative Research• Qualitative research is used to explore and

understand people's beliefs, experiences, attitudes, behaviour and interactions.– It generates non- numerical data– A user’s description of how difficult it is to use

online databases

• Quantitative research generates numerical data or data that can be converted into numbers.– The number of online databases a user and the

amount of downloads

Research Methodology – Research Methods• Research methodology - deals with general

approaches or guidelines to conducting research. – provides the principles for organizing, planning,

designing, and conducting research– it does not provide the details on how to conduct

a specific, individual research.

• Research methods - provide the specific details of how one accomplishes a research task– procedures and methods

Research Methods in Librarianship• Kellie, 2012.• Graphs

– Quantitative methods present information visually for the researcher. Graphs typically answer the question of "how often?" or "how many?“

– The use of library patron statistical data within graphs, such as how many patrons visit a library on a given day, helps the library determine operation hours.

• Bibliometrics– the measurement of interrelated aspects of writing,

publication, and usage, including citation analysis.– determine the popularity or influence of a specific

author or text which will help the library to determine if a specific text is worth buying.

• Observation– uses the senses to obtain information about a

particular human behavior or object. Provides the opportunity for raw, in-depth data collection

– by observing a library patron's frustration with a certain new technology, observation may conclude that the library needs to provide additional instruction for the patrons.

• Interviews– gathers information from conversations and

questions between a researcher and subject. – examines the "why?" and "how?" behind a

problem or human behavior.– interviewing rural library directors regarding the

specific issues a rural library may face during a difficult economy.

• Surveys– carefully constructed questions.– determine the opinions of library patrons

regarding new library hours or how often a patron participates in library events.

• Focus Groups– assemble focus groups for the purpose of

obtaining opinions, feedback or beliefs about a particular product or idea.

– a focus group may provide feedback about a possible new library reference service.

• Statistics– Collection and analysis of numerical data for

research which offer a tool for librarians to predict trends within library science

– Growing use of electronic databases within academic libraries during a specific time period.

Group Work

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

• Databases– SAGE Research Methods Online (SRMO)– LISA: Library and Information Science Abstracts– Emerald– Library Literature & Information Science Full

Text (H.W. Wilson)

• Institutional repositories– General– Subject specific

• LIScholar• e-lis

WHERE TO PUBLISH

• Non-refereed journals– Kekal Abadi– Jurnal PPM– Sekitar

• Refereed journals– Malaysian Journal of Library and

Information Science– Others – search in Scopus or WOS

FUNDING

• Internal– Library– University

• External– Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia– PPM– Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi– Kementerian Kebudayaan, Kesenian & Warisan– FELDA

Application for Funding

• Obtain and fill-in forms

• Write a proposal– Introduction– Literature Review– Methodology– Expected outcomes– Costing– Timeline/Gantt Chart

REFERENCES• KellieG, 2012. Research Methods in Library Science.

Available at: http://www.ehow.com/list_6920707_research-methods-library-science.html

• National Diet Library, 2007. Research in library and information science in Japan. CDNLAO Newsletter, 60. Available at: http://www.ndl.go.jp/en/cdnlao/newsletter/060/601.html

• Versoza, A.M. 2007. Research in Librarianship: Challenges, Competencies, and Strategies. PLAI-STRLC Seminar-Workshop, 9-10 October 2007, Laguna. Available at: http://paarl.wikispaces.com/file/view/Research_in_Librarianship_keynote_speech.pdf

YESTERDAY …

• 4 possible topics

• Usage of print collection

• Print book budget

• Usage of electronic dbases & journals

• Competency of librarians

• Others????

OTHER TOPICS?

REPORT WRITING

• Different format for different writings• Report• Conference paper• Journal article• Lots of instructions, guidelines, recordings

on report writing

REPORT – (U of Canberra, 2012)• Aims to inform - clear and succinct

• Easy to read

• Professional in its presentation

• Structure– Title page*– Table of contents– List of abbreviations and/or glossary– Executive summary/abstract– Introduction*– Body*– Conclusion*– Recommendations– Bibliography– Appendices

• Abstract (Summary or Executive Summary)– summary of the report– one sentence (or so) for every main section of

your report - eg. include:• the context of the research• the purpose of the report• the major findings (you may need several

sentences here)• the conclusions• the main recommendations

• Write the abstract after you have written the report.

• Introduction– Give enough background information to

provide a context for the report.– State the purpose of the report.– Clarify key terms and indicate the scope

of the report (ie what the report will cover).

• Body - content depends on the purpose of the report, primary or secondary research. 

• Primary research - based on own observations and experiments - include:– Literature review (what other people have

written about this topic. The literature review should lead towards your research question.

– Method - summarises what you did and why - use past tense.

– Findings or results - describes what you discovered, observed, etc, in your observations and experiments - use the past tense.

– Discussion - discusses and explains your findings and relates them to previous research - use the present tense to make generalisations.

• Secondary research - based on readings only - include:– Information organised under appropriate topics

with sub-headings• synthesise material from different sources

under topic headings.– Analysis/discussion of the sources you are

reporting

• Conclusion– Sum up the main points of the report

– Conclusion should clearly relate to the objectives of your report 

RESULTS BEYOND ACTIVITIES

ANALYTICAL AND NOT DESCRIPTIVE

CONFERENCE PAPERS (Carpenter, 2010• Select Your Topic

– What are the types of papers/posters/presentations?

– What topics are listed in the Call for Papers?– What aspect(s) of your work would be of interest to

this audience?– What do abstracts and papers for this conference

look like (check out past conference proceedings)?– Do you know anyone who has had a paper

accepted for this conference?– Consider adding a co-author

• Writing and Submitting Your Abstract– Re-read the requirements (word count, format,

font, etc.) in the Call for Papers.– Briefly summarize the context, problem,

approach, solution, future work (save details for the paper).

– Highlight what is interesting about your work.– Use a professional tone and correct

mechanics.– Use a descriptive and interesting title.– Have a mentor/colleague review your abstract

for clarity and correctness.– Submit your abstract well before the deadline

• Writing and Submitting Your Paper– Your paper should include: Abstract,

Introduction, Background, Main Body, Future Work, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, and References.

– Follow the requirements for format, length, etc.– Use pictures, charts, tables, lists to

communicate information, examples, data, results (number & title).

– Start early, write several drafts, have a mentor or colleague review the paper, submit early.

– Use a professional tone and correct mechanics.

• Reviews and How to Use Them– Some conference review papers and some don’t– Reviews are an opportunity to improve your

paper, as well as your overall communication skills.

– Reviews reflect the personal tastes of the reviewer.

– Some reviewers are more professional/helpful than others.

– Share your reviews with a trusted mentor if you need assistance responding to them.

– Submit your revised paper early

• General Tips– You can submit papers on different aspects of

your project to different conferences, but not the same paper to more than one conference

– Know the prestige/acceptance rate of the conference/papers – don’t aim too high or too low.

– Determine if a poster vs. a paper is the best fit.– Submit a poster & a paper (not on same topic),

attend a workshop, volunteer to moderate a session.

JOURNAL ARTICLES• In order to get an article published you first

must write one.• Study the most timely topics in the field –

uniqueness, future minded ness, and current interests are usually the best bet.

• Study the journals - all provide clues to the type of content areas or topics being accepted. Main point: Select the one seemingly best suited for your manuscript.

• Study the techniques of writing and the writing techniques ex pected for a specific journal.

• Get it written - write a first draft without worry about correctness and exact wording, let it rest for a few days, then rewrite and polish it. Ask others to read for feedback.

• The lead to an article is very important – it needs to grab a reader’s attention, so spend lots of time in the development process.

• Submit a perfect copy to the journal; it should be word-processed, clean, appropriate stylistically, etc.

• Never submit a manuscript to more than one publisher at a time

• Understand and adhere to the stylistic guidelines required by any periodical to which you intend to submit a manuscript– Title– Abstract– Introduction– Materials & methods– Results– Discussion– Conclusion

• Report writing

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFGNKJruxdg

• The literature review

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKL2pdRmwc4&feature=related

REFERENCES• Carpenter, Jenna P. 2010. How to Write and

Submit a Conference Paper. Available at: http://www.latech.edu/coes/assets/owise/How_to_Write-Submit_a_Conference_Paper.pdf

• Hiemstra, Roger. 2007. Tips for Greater Success in Writing Journal Articles. Available at: http://www-distance.syr.edu/writingtips.html

• University of Canberra. 2012. Report writing. Available at: http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/writing/reports