Connaway & Powell Chapter 1
Research and Librarianship
More than one definition
- Merriam Webster - studious inquiry or examination; investigation or experimentation - discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in light of new facts or practical applications of such new or revised theories or laws.
- Hillway - method of study - careful and exhaustive investigation of all the ascertainable evidence, reach a solution to problems w/planned and systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of data.
Two Major Types of Research
- Basic - purely theoretical or scientific, deriving new knowledge, INDIRECTLY involved with application of that knowledge
- Hypothesis and theories NOT directly related to technical and practical problem
- Acquire knowledge for its own sake
- Produce generalized new knowledge
- Often leads to practical applications
- Applied - Solving Specific problems in REAL SITUATIONS
- Frequently acts as foundation for subsequent theoretical or basic research.
- Techniques:
- Systems Analysis
- Operations Research
- For example: evaluating book collections or automated circulation systems
Various philosophies regarding integration of these two methods
- distinction is not always clear
- both are oreinted toward the discovery of scientific truth
- lead to the solution of people's problems
- relevancy most important whether basic or applied
Quantitative or Qualitative?
- Quantitative
highly structured
relies on quantification of concepts - measurement and evaluation
- Qualitative
attempt to understand behavior
natural approach
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