Key Concepts: Methods/Ethics/Theory Readings

Powell Ch 3 Selecting the Research Method

Basic research is judged by its clarity of purpose and interpretation, by its ability to support or refute particular hypotheses, by the incisiveness of the new hypotheses it generates, by the generalizability of the results, and by its technical accuracy, but in addition by the degree to which the results can be utilized in developing a product, a process or a policy, to mention just a few types of application.
Applied research on the other hand, can validate theories and lead to the revision of theories. It 'takes theory and concepts from basic research and by formal methods of inquiry, investigates real world phenomena.'

The ethical researcher creates a mutually respectful, win-win relationship with the research population; this is a relationship in which subjects are pleased to participate candidly, and the community at large regards the conclusions as constructive.

Ethical practice guidelines for LIS professionals: stress that anonymity, or confidentiality, of everyone involved must be maintained; that library services should never appear to depend on patron participation in the study; and that no harm should come to any subject.



Powell Ch 4 Survey Research and Sampling


 The basic assumption of survey research is that by carefully following certain scientific procedures, one can make inferences about a large group of elements by studying a relatively small number selected from the larger group.

The strength of survey research is in answering questions of fact and in assessing the distributions of the characteristics of populations.

Wildemuth Ch 6 Questions Related to Theory


Developing theory is by definition inductive - it moves from the particular to the general. Testing theory, on the other hand, is deductive.

You should plan to work with theories in the middle range - broad and abstract enough to be useful to the information and library science community generally, but concrete and well defined enough to be applicable to specific questions in the field.