Goal IV: Theory and Praxis

Students have a critical grounding in theoretical perspectives that draw on research in LIS as well as other fields of knowledge, that inform their professional practices including research, organization, management, and access to information.

IV.a. Students will describe applications of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in library and information science.

• LIS 5526 – Lesson Assessment: Becoming an Informed Voter Literacy Program. As part of my teaching information literacy course, I developed an assessment plan for my proposed Lunchtime Civic Series: Being an Informed Voter program. I developed an easy to understand chart listing out my objectives, data sources and intervals, and learning targets (percentage of learners expected to understand the material). I also described my formative assessment strategies in paragraph form and summative assessment in the form of a survey plus observations. Devising my assessment plan in this way allowed me to clearly state how I would assess learners in a way that others could easily follow.
• LIS 6271 – Scholarly Article Review: Utilizing Interviews as a Research Method. I analyzed the practical aspects of focus group interviews in a research project since my research methods team planned to use focus group interviews as part of our mixed methods research proposal. I reviewed Branch’s 2019 article “Illuminating Social Justice in the Framework: Transformative Methodology, Concept Mapping, and Learning Outcomes Development for Critical Information Literacy,” and learned about transformative frameworks within the context of concept mapping.
• LIS 6271 – Survey Questionnaire for Research Proposal: Linking Vulnerable Populations to Social Services: A Public Library’s Role. In order to determine patron needs in my five-person team’s hypothetical proposal, we created a survey instrument with demographic questions, open-ended questions inquiring about community problems, needs, and barriers to access, and Likert scale questions about library locations, staff, and social workers providing services at the library. We worked together to keep the survey brief but also include all facets needed to discern our research goals.

IV.b. Students will identify opportunities for research and develop plans for research in applied settings in library and information science.

• LIS 6271 – Research Proposal: Linking Vulnerable Populations to Social Services: A Public Library’s Role. My five-person team designed a mixed-methods proposal determining how to best incorporate social services in a public library setting to serve patrons from vulnerable populations. My role in this proposal included creating a literature map and outline for the literature review and then drafting and revising that section. I also drafted the Population, Sampling, and Personnel sections, and brainstormed with the group issues surrounding reliability and validity and the general research design. This type of study would reinforce the public library’s role as a community center because it could lead to the library branching out to provide much needed services not currently being offered.
• LIS 6409 – Research Paper: How Public Library Management Can Engage in Effective Social Media Planning, Marketing, and Staffing Efforts to Empower Communities Through Connection. I reviewed the literature in the field for best practices in social media in public libraries and used that information to create and send out an informal survey about social media policies to all fourteen member libraries of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative. I received seven responses, which formed the backbone for exploring how public library administrators in Pinellas can engage in effective social media planning, marketing, and staffing efforts to empower their communities through connection.