Research into practice: library and information research resources briefing

Research into practice: library and information research resources briefing

Christine Irving, Peter Cruickshank & Hazel HallEdinburgh Napier University

Today’s agenda

#rilies

Today’s agenda

Today’s agenda

Peter: evidence base, sources, tools

Christine: community response

Hazel: RiLIES rationale and results

Getting to know one another

• Task to be completed in groups of 3 or 4– Introduce yourself to your other group members and

tell them about your work and interests in LIS research

– Together decide which sticker to add to your badge• Red: practitioner interested in LIS research• Green: practitioner who conducts LIS research• Yellow: LIS researcher (i.e. someone who is LIS research-

active but does not currently practise as a library or information professional)

• Orange: other, e.g. consultant

The Coalition, DREaM & RiLIES

To develop a UK-wide network of LIS researchers

To facilitate a co-ordinated and strategic approach to LIS research across the UK

The Coalition, DREaM & RiLIES

To develop a UK-wide network of LIS researchers

To explore the extent to which LIS research projects influence LIS practice

To facilitate a co-ordinated and strategic approach to LIS research across the UK

The Coalition, DREaM & RiLIES

To develop a UK-wide network of LIS researchers

To create outputs to support the use and execution of research by librarians and information scientists

2To facilitate a co-ordinated and strategic approach to LIS research across the UK

The Coalition, DREaM & RiLIES

To develop a UK-wide network of LIS researchers

Both RiLIES projects are concerned with impact

To facilitate a co-ordinated and strategic approach to LIS research across the UK

Impact: why?

• Investment in research should deliver a socio-economic impact– Need for an evidence base on which to base

decision-making in public services• Need for the evidence base to be consulted

– Research funders focus on value for money– REF2014

Impact: why?

• Investment in research should deliver a socio-economic impact– Need for an evidence base on which to base

decision-making in public services• Need for the evidence base to be consulted

– Research funders focus on value for money– REF2014

Impact in the context of LIS & RiLIES

Projects Focus Key research question

LIS The evaluation of library and information services

What is the impact of these services?

Methods for evaluation library and information services

What is the best way to measure the impact of service provision?

Bibliometrics What is the impact of specific research outputs on the work of others (“academic” impact)?

RiLIES1 Links between research output and practice

To what extent do funded LIS projects influence practice?Which factors increase/hinder the impact of research findings on those who deliver library and information services?

Impact in the context of LIS & RiLIES

Projects Focus Key research question

LIS The evaluation of library and information services

What is the impact of these services?

Methods for evaluation library and information services

What is the best way to measure the impact of service provision?

Bibliometrics What is the impact of specific research outputs on the work of others (“academic” impact)?

RiLIES1 Links between research output and practice

To what extent do funded LIS projects influence practice?Which factors increase/hinder the impact of research findings on those who deliver library and information services?

RiLIES1 project stages

• February to July 2011• Desk research– Literature review

• Empirical work– Practitioner poll– 5 case studies of “impactful” projects– 3 sector-specific focus groups– Validation survey

5 “Impactful” studies identified from the practitioner poll

1. Open to all (2000)2. eValued (2004)3. Researchers’ use of academic libraries (2007)4. Evaluating clinical librarian studies (2009)5. School libraries in the UK (2010)

RiLIES1 findings as relevant to today’s themes

• What did the findings from RiLIES1 tell us about:

– preferences for exploiting the existing evidence base?

– long-term research support needs of LIS (practitioner) researchers?

• Dissemination face-to-face highly valued– tailored– overcomes fragmented

infrastructures, information overload

• Textual dissemination– teaching & community

support materials– in accessible language

Preferences for exploiting the existing evidence base

New!

Preferences for exploiting the existing evidence base

• Dissemination face-to-face highly valued– tailored– overcomes fragmented

infrastructures, information overload

• Textual dissemination– teaching & community

support materials– in accessible language

Social media as key tools to raise awareness of research

New!

Practitioners more likely to exploit research if involved in project design

Long-term support needs of LIS (practitioner) researchers

• Training needs– How to attract funding, sponsorship, high level

stakeholders– How to replicate good practice from other sectors

• Challenges– Relevance of funded projects depends on

practitioner input: explicit research goal should be to influence practice

– Lack of institutional/professional “reward” for research activity

From RiLIES1 to RiLIES2

Peter will cover (amongst other things): sample teaching and community support materials we have developed (leaflets); how we have addressed problem of fragmented infrastructures (web pages); proposals for technical/community solutions to issues of access.

Contact details:

http://about.me/hazelhh.hall@napier.ac.uk@hazelh