From Curiosity to Concept: Developing a Research Plan from Everyday Library Issues
- 1. THE ROCK IN YOUR SHOE?” PART 2: “FROM CURIOSITY TO CONCEPT: DEVELOPING A RESEARCH PLAN FROM EVERYDAY LIBRARY ISSUES” June 13, 2012 Steven A. Knowlton, M.L.I.S.
- 2. Introduction Your host: Steve Knowlton Collection Development Librarian, University of Memphis Member of editorial board for Library Resources and Technical Services
- 3. “How We Done It Good” Writing a research article based on work you’re already doing in the library One of the most important types of library literature Share good ideas with colleagues Provide a historical record of how libraries coped with challenges
- 4. Some Recent Examples Rob Kairis, “A Subject-based Shared Approval Plan for Consortia Purchasing of U.S. University Press Books.” LCATS 36, 30-38, 2012 M.B. Maurer, S. McCutchen, T. Schwing, “Who’s Doing What? Findability and Author- Supplied ETD Metadata in the Library Catalog.” CCQ 49(4): 277-310, 2011. R. Cooke, D. Rosenthal, “Students Use More Books after Library Instruction.” C&RL 72(4):332-343, 2011.
- 5. Project Management vs. Research Some Fundamental Similarities PROJECT MANAGEMENT a. Determine needs b. Examine situation c. Try something new d. Assess if it works RESEARCH STUDY a. Define the Question b. Develop Hypothesis c. Gather Data d. Assess Hypothesis Sue Conger, Process Mapping and Management. New York: Business Expert Press, 2011. Ronald Powell, Basic Research Methods for Librarians. Greenwich, Conn.: Ablex, 1999.
- 6. Doing Your Project So It Becomes Research The sections of an article = the steps of your project 1. Introduction / Research Question 2. Literature review 3. Formulate hypothesis 4. Data collection 5. Data analysis 6. Discussion 7. Conclusions
- 7. Step 1: Introduction / Research Question What’s your problem? Something needs fixing at the library If it was obvious, you’d already be doing it Define the problem
- 8. Project Management can be Research Using our Examples Collection Development Project Management: members of our consortium duplicate a lot of holdings Research: what’s the ideal level of duplication for our consortium?
- 9. Project Management can be Research Using our Examples Cataloging Project Management: need to reduce time spent contributing metadata to ETDs Research: which cataloger-provided metadata are truly necessary to findability?
- 10. Project Management can be Research Using our Examples Instruction Project Management: as part of ongoing assessment, need to measure effect of instruction sessions on students’ use of library Research: what effect does research instruction have on students’ use of library?
- 11. Step 2: Literature Review Helps you understand what other people have done If you find a solution that works for your library – your director will be very happy with you You can put a twist on it and still write it up Decide what you’re doing that’s novel
- 12. Step 2: Literature Review How to find info Library Literature and Information (formerly Wilson, now EBSCO) LISTA (Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts) – aka LISTA Conference Proceedings – often online ALA Charleston Conference State Library Associations Don’t forget monographs ALA Libraries Unlimited (ABC/CLIO) Scarecrow Press
- 13. Step 3: Your Hypothesis/Project Goal Literature review shows what’s been done successfully You consider those approaches in light of your problems Propose to solve your problem by trying an approach
- 14. Step 3: Proposed Solution = Hypothesis Based on your literature review, you believe that a particular approach will help solve your library’s problem You can rephrase that into a research hypothesis: you believe that you will find a particular result Hypothesis can take many forms Some things are more useful than others There’s a connection between two things Changing one thing will affect another thing It must be testable parsimonious and fruitful
- 15. Step 3: Proposed Solution = Hypothesis Using our Examples Collection Development Background/Literature Review: author found a few other plans for cooperative collection of print titles Solution to problem: Develop a model that predicts the optimal number of holdings for a given title Hypothesis: my proposed model will result in a purchasing plan that accurately predicts needs within the consortium
- 16. Step 3: Proposed Solution = Hypothesis Using our Examples Cataloging Background/Literature Review: authors identified a number of models for leveraging author-supplied metadata Solution to problem: Figure out which metadata elements are most important for findability, and only supply those Hypothesis: not all metadata are equally valuable for findability
- 17. Step 3: Proposed Solution = Hypothesis Using our Examples Instruction Background/Literature Review: authors noted several different ways to evaluate library instruction Solution to problem: wanted to try something new, which was the use of library books after instruction Hypothesis: students who participate in library instruction use more library books in their research than students who do not participate
- 18. Step 4: Data Gathering Choice of research methods: What you hope to discover guides your choice of tools 1. Collecting information: surveys Polls Be careful about sample size & randomness Literature surveys
- 19. Step 4: Data Gathering Choice of research methods: 2. Studying effects: experimental methods Determine baseline Separate subjects into groups Apply different effects to each group (maintain a control group which gets no treatment) Repeat measurement to determine effects
- 20. Step 4: Data Gathering Choice of research methods: 3. Learning about behavior: Observation Unstructured observation: watch, listen and take notes on the spot Later categorize behaviors according to what you’ve observed Try not to influence behavior with cues of approval/disapproval Structured observation: use pre-determined categories or scales to record data
- 21. Step 4: Data Gathering Make appropriate categories Determined by a single classificatory principle Exhaustive of all possibilities Mutually exclusive Based on a sound knowledge of the subject matter and an anticipation of likely responses Powell, 181-182.
- 22. Step 4: Data Gathering Statistics Validity: do your measurements really tell you what you think they do? Reliability: will the test return the same results if performed again on the same data? Help determine appropriate sample size
- 23. Step 4: Data Gathering Document EVERYTHING Key to other reproducing your results Keep a key to any color coding, etc.
- 24. Step 4: Data Gathering Using our Examples Collection Development Hypothesis: my proposed model will result in a purchasing plan that accurately predicts needs within the consortium Research Method: Experiment Computer simulation of his model for cooperative print purchasing Compared to actual holdings
- 25. Step 4: Data Gathering Using our Examples Cataloging Hypothesis: not all metadata are equally valuable for findability Research Method: Structured observation Looked at all fields applied to ETDs / categorized them for easier analysis Determined which ones contribute to findability
- 26. Step 4: Data Gathering Using our Examples Instruction Hypothesis: students who participate in library instruction use more library books in their research than students who do not participate Research Method: Classic experiment Established baseline of citations per paper Divided students into two groups: one received instruction, one did not Examined number of citations per paper in each group after instruction
- 27. Step 5: Data Analysis Remember those statistics? Data may appear to tell you a story, but do run proper tests Remember, any judgment (inference) you make is based on Probability
- 28. Step 5: Data Analysis Line Graph Shows changes over time 2,276 2,195 5,749 5,309 Circulation 5,801 2,897 3,442 4,191 4,663 3,446 1,841 2,094 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
- 29. Step 5: Data Analysis Pie Chart Compare parts of a whole 1% 2% 1% 18% Circulation by Location Audiology 1% 61% 10% 6% 0% 78% Law Math Music McWherter Audiovisual McWherter Books McWherter Equipment McWherter Government Publications McWherter Reserves
- 30. Step 5: Data Analysis Bar Graph Compare two different groups 60000 Total Circulation by Year 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 2010 2011
- 31. Step 5: Data Analysis Area Graph Track changes over time in two or more groups 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun ITEMS ADDED CIRCULATION
- 32. Step 5: Data Analysis X-Y Plot Show relationships between two different sets of data 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 CIRCULATION vs. TEMPERATURE 0 20 40 60 80 100 CIRCULATION AVERAGE TEMPERATURE CIRCULATION Linear (CIRCULATION)
- 33. Step 5: Data Analysis Don’t Confuse CORRELATION with CAUSATION Identify “confounding factors”
- 34. Step 6: Discussion WHAT ARE YOUR FINDINGS? Did your project solve your problem? What worked, what didn’t Did your data prove or disprove your hypothesis? How do your findings compare to what you thought you would find, and what other people have found? What does that tell you?
- 35. Step 6: Discussion What is the Difference Between “Discussion” and “Conclusion”? Discussion does say what you “concluded” Results of your test of hypothesis Limitations of your study (sample size, insufficient ability to distinguish causation from correlation, etc.) Comparison of your study to other similar studies Future avenues of research (what do you wish someone had done before you started your study?)
- 36. Step 6: Discussion What is the Difference Between “Discussion” and “Conclusion”? (cont.) Conclusion tells reader what you learned from this research / how the project came out
- 37. Step 6: Discussion Using our Examples Cataloging Answered question of hypothesis: Identified 30,200 of 35,636 metadata that had a positive impact on findabilitys and determined whether authors or catalogers supplied them Discussed research limitations Sample size, sample origin, lack of inquiry into semantic appropriateness
- 38. Step 7: Conclusion Using our Examples Cataloging Brief summary of research conclusions Comparison of those conclusions to results from other studies Anticipated effect of these conclusions on the library’s operations
- 39. Doing Your Project So It Becomes Research The sections of an article = the steps of your project 1. Introduction / Research Question 2. Literature review 3. Formulate hypothesis 4. Data collection 5. Data analysis 6. Discussion 7. Conclusions
- 40. Further help Tomorrow’s webinar: how to write up your research Ronald Powell & Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Basic Research Methods for Librarians (Libraries Unlimited, 2010) The editorial board of your favorite journal! Your presenters: sknwlton@memphis.edu