Teaching Library and Information Science students to count

Citation

Shaffer, R.I. (2001), "Teaching Library and Information Science students to count", The Bottom Line, Vol. 14 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/bl.2001.17014baf.002

Teaching Library and Information Science students to count

Teaching Library and Information Science students to count

Keywords: Statistics, Teaching, Librarians, Education, Research

Introduction

Information professionals today work with numbers as a routine part of their practice life. They review studies and research reports conducted externally to their organizations, and they oversee many research-based projects internally. Both external and internal research will often be the basis of strategic planning and decision-making. It is, therefore, very important that information professionals have adequate formal education in research methodologies so that they can envision, implement, interpret, and critique research results. If this skill set is not taught in formal educational settings, it may be difficult to gain "on-the job" expertise to the level of sophistication that is needed.

Because research and an understanding of it are so critical today, Library and Information Science programs have searched for ways to prepare students for the realities of work. This column will provide a brief overview of the ways that LIS programs teach research methods.

Background

There is no doubt that Library and Information Science graduate studies have changed drastically in recent years. Curricula changes have been motivated, in part, by market forces, which have opened up previously unexplored employment opportunities for students with graduate degrees in Library and Information Science (LIS). In fact, many such graduate schools have changed the actual name of the school or the name of the degree conferred to reflect what is seen as a larger and not "place-based" role for information professionals.

Another critical factor in bringing changes to these programs has come from within the universities of which LIS programs are a part. There has been an increased awareness of interdisciplinarity, and recognition of the need to understand principles and theories of others disciplines because they may very well relate to one's home or basic discipline.

These two trends have had a significant impact on the importance placed on research methodology courses in LIS schools. The first trend assumes that our graduates will have facility with numbers – both collection and analysis thereof. In fact, many LIS professionals work shoulder to shoulder with business school graduates who expect LIS graduates to speak their specific dialect of the numbers language.

As for the second trend, a common understanding of shared research methodologies is often the universal language that allows interdisciplinary exchanges among scholars, researchers and students who may initially think that they come from different language groups. They find out through research (numbers) that they have a great deal in common, a vehicle for communication and ultimately collaboration.

This column will provide a brief overview of the ways that Library and Information Science programs teach research methods.

How and why we teach?

While most LIS programs have had a Research course in their master's curriculum for many years, it is only in the last decade or so that most have required Research in order to graduate. Initially, many of the courses were heavily weighted toward Statistics. This approach created anxiety among many students since the traditional academic backgrounds of LIS students were not in disciplines that were mathematical or even merely numerical in focus. Even though the academic backgrounds of LIS students are now much more diverse and may include studies in several disciplines that are numerically based, LIS programs have shifted away from a purely statistical emphasis in their Research classes.

More common teaching methodologies used today take a "cafeteria" approach to teaching Research. Many still keep a number of modules in the syllabus, which require students to apply certain statistical tests, but this is often a lesser percentage of the grade than was the case in earlier years.

A highly-successful technique that is used to help students evaluate statistical significance and validity is through the use of studies reported as "news". Each week, for example, students may be required to bring an article into class that presented research of some kind. Students are then asked to analyze what has been reported and, if findings are included, to comment on the relationship of the findings to the research.

Another aspect of these classes is to have students actually design a research proposal and then undertake a pilot or sample study based on the proposal. An added variation on this idea is to then ask students to critique each other's research.

Finally, students may participate as "data gatherers" in actual research that is being conducted. As an aside, if practitioners need students to undertake data gathering, they should contact their local LIS schools to inquire about the possibility of enlisting students.

Why should we care if LIS students can count?

Required research classes are important because they expose students to research in an environment in which they can be closely directed and receive credible feedback – the reason we want students to take so many courses offered in graduate professional education. When we see a research course on a transcript, we can expect that the student will know something about evaluating research, designing a research plan, and critiquing research results. Practitioners know that this ability is hardly the exclusive domain of academics. In today's productivity-driven work environment, many information professionals must deal with research on a regular basis.

There may be another issue that is also relevant to routine challenges faced on the job. If we accept the fact that many LIS students may have an aversion to numbers when they begin their graduate studies, then perhaps the research courses play a greater role in their education than merely informing about research methodologies. These classes may dispel some of the "math mythology" that some students (and many practitioners) may have accepted. If we can help students over number-phobias, then we might interest them to taking courses dealing with budgeting, financial strategic planning, cost-benefit analysis, and risk analysis. These are a major part of the informational professional's responsibilities today. Each have such a high correlation to successful management. We cannot undervalue these responsibilities in preparing information professionals for practice.

Conclusion

The ability to understand research is a key attribute that covers the entire spectrum of information professionals. Library and Information Science educators would be remiss if students were not given a solid background in research methodologies before completing their master's degrees. As numerical analysis and understanding becomes more critical in our everyday decision-making, we must be sure that new graduates come into the workforce with a good, general understanding of what this entails. As we consider basic portfolio skills like "excellent written and oral communications", might we also raise to this assumed level of baseline competence numeracy and the ability to "count"?

Roberta I. ShafferDean, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, The University of Texas at Austin