An analysis of the development and use of theory in library and information science research articles

Kim, Sung-Jin; Jeong, Dong Youl

doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2006.03.018

Cited by 38 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Later, Kim and Yeong () studied content analysis theory's use and development in 1,661 LIS journal articles published in four journals from 1984 to 2003. They found that application of the theory was present in 41.4% of the articles.…”

Section: Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of library and information science, 1965–2005: Content analysis of journal articles

Tuomaala

Järvelin

Vakkari

2014

Asso for Info Science & Tech

121

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This article first analyzes library and information science (LIS) research articles published in core LIS journals in 2005. It also examines the development of LIS from 1965 to 2005 in light of comparable data sets for 1965, 1985, and 2005. In both cases, the authors report (a) how the research articles are distributed by topic and (b) what approaches, research strategies, and methods were applied in the articles. In 2005, the largest research areas in LIS by this measure were information storage and retrieval, scientific communication, library and information-service activities, and information seeking. The same research areas constituted the quantitative core of LIS in the previous years since 1965. Information retrieval has been the most popular area of research over the years. The proportion of research on library and information-service activities decreased after 1985, but the popularity of information seeking and of scientific communication grew during the period studied. The viewpoint of research has shifted from library and information organizations to end users and development of systems for the latter. The proportion of empirical research strategies was high and rose over time, with the survey method being the single most important method. However, attention to evaluation and experiments increased considerably after 1985. Conceptual research strategies and system analysis, description, and design were quite popular, but declining. The most significant changes from 1965 to 2005 are the decreasing interest in library and information-service activities and the growth of research into information seeking and scientific communication.

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Section: Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of library and information science, 1965–2005: Content analysis of journal articles

Tuomaala

Järvelin

Vakkari

2014

Asso for Info Science & Tech

121

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The need for theoretical foundations for research in the Library and Information Science (LIS) field is well documented (Grover and Glazier, 1986;Hjørland, 1998;Julien and Duggan, 2000;Julien et al, 2011;Leckie, Given, and Buschman, 2010;MeKechnie and Pettigrew, 2002;Pettigrew and McKechnie, 2001). Theory is "an important element for establishing the identity of LIS" (Kim and Jeong, 2006, 549) and yet there has been little attention paid to theory in the literature of the field and even a decline in theory use and development (Julien and O'Brien 2014;Kim and Jeong, 2006). This decline in theory development may represent a trend in LIS research to utilize "existing theory rather than to generate new theories" (Kim and Jeong, 2006, 559).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There have also been multiple calls for theory development in the field of LIS (e.g., Julien, Pecoskie, and Reed, 2011;Kim and Jeong, 2006;Kumasi, Charbonneau, and Walster, 2013;MeKechnie and Pettigrew, 2002;Pettigrew and McKechnie 2001). A theoretical foundation helps define a discipline and is necessary "for framing research problems, building arguments, and interpreting empirical results" (Pettigrew and McKetchnie, 2001, 62).…”

Section: Implications Of the Methods For Library And Information Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

Meta-Ethnography and its Potential for Theory Building in Library and Information Science

Everhart¹,

Johnston

2018

LIR

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Meta-ethnography is an interpretive method that provides a way to synthesize the findings of two or more qualitative studies concerning a similar research question or topic. Going beyond the traditional literature review, which looks at individual studies, meta-ethnography facilitates generalizations through extracting concepts, metaphors, and themes. This paper provides a thorough description of the seven steps of meta-ethnography as defined by Noblit and Hare (1988). Implications for this method and the field of Library and Information Science (LIS), especially in the area of theory building, are discussed. Appropriate examples of actual and potential applications within LIS and related disciplines are given to illustrate the potential for the meta-ethnographic method.

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“…The first theory level, called substantive theory, is defined as "a set of propositions which furnish an explanation for an applied area of inquiry" (p. 233) [11]. In fact, it may not be viewed as a theory but rather be considered as a research hypothesis that has been tested or even a research finding [16]. The next level of theory, called formal theory, is defined as "a set of propositions which furnish an explanation for a formal or conceptual area of inquiry, that is, a discipline" (p. 234) [11].…”

Section: The Role Of Theory In Lis Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This lack of theoretical contributions may be associated with the fact that LIS emanated from professional practice and is therefore closely linked to practical problems such as the processing and organization of library materials, documentation, and information retrieval [15,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research Methods in Library and Information Science

Togia¹,

Malliari²

2017

Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research

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Library and information science (LIS) is a very broad discipline, which uses a wide range of constantly evolving research strategies and techniques. The aim of this chapter is to provide an updated view of research issues in library and information science. A stratified random sample of 440 articles published in five prominent journals was analyzed and classified to identify (i) research approach, (ii) research methodology, and (iii) method of data analysis. For each variable, a coding scheme was developed, and the articles were coded accordingly. A total of 78% of the articles reported empirical research. The rest 22% were classified as non-empirical research papers. The five most popular topics were "information retrieval," "information behaviour," "information literacy," "library services," and "organization and management." An overwhelming majority of the empirical research articles employed a quantitative approach. Although the survey emerged as the most frequently used research strategy, there is evidence that the number and variety of research methodologies have been increased. There is also evidence that qualitative approaches are gaining increasing importance and have a role to play in LIS, while mixed methods have not yet gained enough recognition in LIS research.

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An analysis of the development and use of theory in library and information science research articles

Cited by 38 publications

References 7 publications

Evolution of library and information science, 1965–2005: Content analysis of journal articles

Evolution of library and information science, 1965–2005: Content analysis of journal articles

Meta-Ethnography and its Potential for Theory Building in Library and Information Science

Research Methods in Library and Information Science

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