School Librarianship and Evidence Based Practice:  Progress, Perspectives, and Challenges

Todd, Ross J.

doi:10.18438/b8bs62

Cited by 27 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Similarly, Todd (2009, p. 89) categorizes research evidence as "evidence for practice," one of three dimensions of evidence in a "holistic," conceptual approach to looking at evidence used in professional practice. Two other dimensions of evidence, evidence in practice and evidence of practice, are identified in Todd's (2009) model. User-reported evidence and results of evaluation programs are examples of "evidence of practice" (Todd, 2009, p. 89).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Do Australian Library and Information Professionals Experience as Evidence?

Gillespie¹,

Miller²,

Partridge³

et al. 2017

EBLIP

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Objective -This article presents the findings of a project which established an empirical basis for evidence based library and information practice (EBLIP). More specifically, the paper explores what library and information professionals experienced as evidence in the context of their professional practice.Methods -The project consisted of two sub-studies. The public library sub-study was conducted using ethnography. Over a 5-month period, a member of the research team travelled to a regional public library on 15 occasions, staying between 3 and 4 days on each visit. The researcher observed, interacted, and became involved in the day-to-day activities of this library. These activities were recorded in a journal and added to the researcher's insights and thoughts. Additionally, 13 face-to-face interviews with staff in positions ranging from the operational to the executive were conducted. The academic sub-study was conducted using Constructivist Grounded Theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted either in person or via Skype, with 13 librarians from Australian universities. Interviewees were in a diverse array of roles, from liaison librarian to manager and library director.Results -The project found that the Australian academic librarians and the public librarians who participated in the project experienced six elements as evidence: observation, feedback, professional colleagues, research literature, statistics, and intuition. Each of these will be described and highlighted with examples from each of the two studies.Conclusions -The findings of this study revealed many similarities in the way that library professionals from both studies experienced evidence. Evidence was not hierarchical, with evidence from many sources being valued equally. In contextualizing evidence and applying to the local environment, library professionals were able to draw upon more than one source of evidence and apply their professional knowledge and experiences. In this way evidence was more nuanced.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Do Australian Library and Information Professionals Experience as Evidence?

Gillespie¹,

Miller²,

Partridge³

et al. 2017

EBLIP

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Because RCTs involve the use of randomly assigned participants in control groups and treatment groups, to deprive children of a possibly beneficial educational intervention by including them in a control group raises ethical concerns as well (Morrison, 2001). Therefore, researchers have sought other methods to assess the soundness of school library research (e.g., Clyde, 2004) and its ability to inform practice that benefits children's learning (Todd, 2009) to remain relevant in the educational policy context (Booth, 2003). To date, these alternate methods of establishing the soundness of research have been based on an investigation of the peer review process (Clyde 2004(Clyde , 2006 and the evaluation of the outcomes of practice based on research (Todd, 2009).…”

Section: School Library Research and Evidence Based Librarianshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, researchers have sought other methods to assess the soundness of school library research (e.g., Clyde, 2004) and its ability to inform practice that benefits children's learning (Todd, 2009) to remain relevant in the educational policy context (Booth, 2003). To date, these alternate methods of establishing the soundness of research have been based on an investigation of the peer review process (Clyde 2004(Clyde , 2006 and the evaluation of the outcomes of practice based on research (Todd, 2009). As the use of EBP has become more common in LIS, it has evolved into a type of cycle in which the outcomes of the evidence based decision have become the object of study and, in essence, project and performance evaluations have become data sources.…”

Section: School Library Research and Evidence Based Librarianshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence or Evidence Based Practice? An Analysis of IASL Research Forum Papers, 1998-2009

Mardis¹

2011

EBLIP

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Objective - Conferences are essential opportunities for professional development and for learning about research. This study analyses papers presented in the Research Forum track of the International Association of School Librarians (IASL) conferences to determine whether the amount of school library research reporting increased or decreased over time; who (i.e., what author roles and affiliations) has written about research; which countries were represented in the research articles; what topics were discussed in research articles; and what research methodologies were used. The aim was to determine the extent to which the Research Forum provides research evidence that relates to practice. Methods - This study continues the longitudinal analysis of published school library research begun by Clyde (1996) by analyzing Research Forum papers published in IASL conference proceedings from 1998-2009 and using the same approaches and metrics as previous studies by Clyde (e.g., 1996; 2002; 2004), Clyde and Oberg (2004), and Oberg (2006). Results - Conference paper topics, author origins, quantities, and research approaches remained static through the 11 years analyzed. The analysis reveals that the papers’ authors, methods, and topics reflected those found in previous studies of school library research. As well as replicating previous studies, the role of academic research at a practitioner-based conference was investigated. Conclusions - Based on long-established imperatives from leaders in the profession, the IASL conferences provide both evidence and evidence -based practice for school librarians from all over the world. However, when scholarly research is shared at practitioner venues, it is possible that school librarians may assume that research results constitute evidence -based practice (EBP), not evidence upon which practice should be based. This distinction is important if considering that the purpose of academic research is to objectively inform, not to advocate a particular position or practice. The Research Forum can be a valuable venue for the presentation of empirical research findings and conclusions and objective program evaluations and provide a valuable complement to the evidence -based practice descriptions shared in the Professional Papers portion of the conference program. It is argued that the Research Forum must be clear in its purpose: to present the results of research; to present effective practice determined by rigorous evaluation; or to present research-supported arguments for the support of school libraries. Through a reconceptualization of EBP, the paper demonstrates how EBP is both a method and a methodology for the presentation of school library research and practice in a conference atmosphere.

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“…The first step, Ask, is largely the focus of this discussion, as asking the right questions and formulating and answering questions requires using professional knowledge, or "librarian observed" evidence (Booth 2004, p. 62). Todd (2009) begins to acknowledge the role of professional knowledge in the evidence-based practice process, presenting a holistic approach to evidence-based practice in the school library context. "Evidence in practice" is the "transformational dimension" in Todd's (2009, p. 89) conceptual model that is about integrating available research evidence with professional knowledge, while also engaging with locally derived evidence to identify issues, needs, and opportunities to actively contribute to the student learning goals of the school.…”

Section: A Decision-making Framework For Library and Information Profmentioning

confidence: 99%

How academic librarians experience evidence-based practice: A grounded theory model

Miller

Partridge

Bruce

et al. 2017

Library & Information Science Research

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School Librarianship and Evidence Based Practice: Progress, Perspectives, and Challenges

Cited by 27 publications

References 5 publications

What Do Australian Library and Information Professionals Experience as Evidence?

What Do Australian Library and Information Professionals Experience as Evidence?

Evidence or Evidence Based Practice? An Analysis of IASL Research Forum Papers, 1998-2009

How academic librarians experience evidence-based practice: A grounded theory model

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