How Much of Library and Information Science Literature Qualifies as Research

Abstract There is an extensive amount of Library and Information Science (LIS) writing produced each year. While there is general awareness regarding the variety of journal literature, there is no certainty on the percentage of the collection that we can call research. This project is an important first step in answering the question. A content analysis of the LIS academic/scholarly journals at the Simmons College Library was conducted. The research level collection of LIS literature makes the library an ideal candidate for this study. The latest issue of each journal subscribed to for fiscal year 2012–2013 containing academic/scholarly content was analyzed. Each article was analyzed to determine: 1) if it was research or non-research, 2) the method used to collect data for the study in the article, and 3) the subject terms or keywords associated with the article. 105 journal titles were identified out of 177 periodicals. In the 1880 articles analyzed from these, 16% qualified as research. Surveys were found to be the most popular research method used. This study will benefit students, faculty, and staff with research requirements as well as librarians who guide patrons through a search for research literature.

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