Research is important for a librarian for at least two reasons.  First, library and information science is a discipline as complex as and other academic discipline, and as such requires the same investigative and rigorous research procedures to acquire, test, and add to the knowledge and understanding of the field.  Second, since it is one of the jobs of a librarian to assist patrons with research, the more we know about the research process itself the more help and assistance we can provide to users of the library.  All sorts of quantitative data is used by librarians to evaluate collections, assess use patterns, and  to provide better overall service.  To this end data analysis as well as data description is an essential skill, supporting the concept of the librarian as a researcher.

Key concept: the basics of the research paper.

In ILS 680 students became familiar with the basic concept of the research paper in many ways, not the least of which was having to conduct a research study of our own.   A well-written research paper has several essential components.   The title should be a distillation of the main topic, simple and to the point.  An abstract should accurately summarize the contents of the paper.  An introduction should present the issue, relate it to previous literature in the field and discuss what benefit the study might provide. The method section describes the research tools used.  The results section summarizes the data and information collected.  Lastly, the discussion portion of the paper should interpret and evaluate the results of the study.  The last assignment for this class was to write a proposal for a research study that showed we had learned the basic components of the research process.  This essay is available at the top of the page, via the link: Virtual Reference: Path of Least Resistance or  Self-Sufficiency?