Introduction

Deplorable compulsion, when something happens to enquire 'What?'

Samuel Beckett The Unnameable

To advance the state of science, research universities must educate researchers and future research-capable educators. Educators at leading universities must consciously lead the best young minds to the very frontiers of research and then train and collaborate with those emerging researchers to push those frontiers forward.

UCGIS Education White Paper. (1997). Research-based GIScience Graduate Education. http://www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/other/ucgis/ed_priorities/research.html

You have chosen an interesting career path. In a sense, you are joining a tradition of inquiry stretching back for at least three thousand years. Over this time, the development of knowledge has been dependent, in no small part, to the incremental advances and sudden revelations of scientific research. Movement in science seems to be in fits and starts and some see the history of science as an example of Eldredge and Gould's "punctuated evolution." ¹. What has been common to the pursuit of scientific knowledge? According to Katzer, Cook, and and Crouch ²,

What we need to understand and recognize are the conditions necessary for us to consider something true; what are the characteristics of accurate information?"

You will spend years asking and attempting to answer (hopefully) interesting and important questions. Why? And how can you best do this? How will you know when your research has led you to findings that you consider "accurate information"?

The conduct of research is essential to your future for at least three reasons. First, research is the currency of the academic world. The work we do is important for our peers and for practitioners as you contribute to the accepted knowledge of our field. Second, you build your career as you investigate your research agenda. Third, your immediate success in the field (academic or other settings) is dependent on your research productivity.

This class is an initial step in your journey. The purpose of this class is to introduce you to research in library and information science. There are many fascinating issues to consider:

• What constitutes research in library and information science?

• What are the main approaches used by LIS researchers?

• What are some important theories and how do we choose among them?

• What counts as reasonable evidence in these approaches?

• What are the main ideas that have captured the imaginations of LIS researchers over the last two decades?

Over the course of the semester we will explore the research tradition in library and information science, discuss key issues in the conduct of research in this field, examine the range of approaches taken by LIS researchers, critically evaluate key concepts in this field, and discuss research ethics that come into play when studying people.

Sources

1. Gould, S.J., and N. Eldredge. (1977). Punctuated equilibria: the tempo and mode of evolution reconsidered. Paleobiology 3, pp. 115-151.

2. Katzer, J., Cook, K.H., and Crouch, W.W. (1982). Evaluating information: A guide for users of social science research. p14. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.