Presentations

There is a Method to It: Making Meaning in Information Research through a Mix of Paradigms and Methods
Melbourne, Australia
Researchers share the prevalence of survey research, review qualitative and mixed-method studies, and provide real-world examples with Worldcat Discovery search log analysis.
Topics: Research Methods

From Research to Reality: Transforming Libraries for a Global Information World
Athens, Greece
Lynn Silipigni Connaway details research methods and techniques used in library and information science, the most popular research methods used in LIS, what we’ve learned from mixed methods research, and why teaching research methods is important. This was a keynote presentation at IFLA 2019.
Topics: Research Methods

Authority, Context, and Containers: Student Perceptions and Judgements When Using Google for School Work
Athens, Greece
Two of the investigators of the “Researching Students’ Information Choices” project provide an in-depth update on this project that examines and compares the judgments and perceptions of students as they select resources for science-related school inquiry projects.
Topics: Information Literacy, Research Methods

Container Collapse: Student Search Choices and Implications for Instructional Interventions
Washington, DC (USA)
This update from the project Researching Students’ Information Choices (RSIC) includes research and information concepts, methods, and the idea of “container collapse,” which describes the obscuring of information sources from the print containers that once provided visual context and cues to help individuals identify the documents’ origins.
Topics: Information Literacy, Research Methods

A User-Centered Perspective: Integrating Qualitative Research Methods into the Study of Information Behavior
Mexico City (Mexico)
In this keynote presentation, Silipigni Connaway delves into data collection methods, information behavior research methods, making a case for qualitative research methods and providing examples in recent research of how this has been implemented.
Topics: Research Methods

Using Qualitative Methods for Library and Information Science Research: An Interactive Workshop
Mexico City (Mexico)
In this workshop, participants learned about qualitative research data collection methods and tools, focusing on interviews, structured observations, usability testing, and ethnographic research. Participants also went through a few exercises to put the knowledge into action.
Topics: Research Methods

Digging into the Research: An Overview of Models and Networks
Three researchers and program officers share how OCLC Research develops models to help research libraries (and others) with sensemaking, striving for our models to be useful and to facilitate big picture thinking.
Topics: Research Methods, Research Library Partnership

Convenient Isn't Always Simple: Digital Visitors and Residents
Adelaide (Australia)
This presentation explains the concepts and framework of digital visitors and residents and the project of mapping individuals on a spectrum of visitor vs. resident for personal and individual use. Examples from the University of Adelaide are featured as well.
Topics: Digital Visitors and Residents, Research Methods

User-Centered Research for Developing Programs and Articulating Value
Adelaide (Australia)
Lynn Silipigni Connaway makes a case for how the library can support institutional research data management, recent OCLC Research work in this area, as well as the many research methods used in this work.
Topics: Research Data Management, Research Methods

Beyond the Survey: Using Qualitative Research Methods to Support Evidence-based Practice
Sydney (Australia)
Lynn Silipigni Connaway reviews different forms of qualitative research and mixed research methods using examples from recent research projects.
Topics: Research Methods, User Research