ILS 580   Research in Information and Library Science

Course Description:  Fundamentals of quantitative and qualitative research methods will be studied. Central research findings and research literature of the field are considered. Each student prepares a Special Project proposal to meet the Graduate School and MLS requirements. 

Course Objectives:  Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

• Explain the importance of research in the creation of new knowledge.
• Explain and demonstrate the components of the research cycle.
• Define research problems and scientific research procedures in general.
• Describe the philosophical concepts and methodologies involved in library and information studies.
• Describe the role of research in library and information services.
• Analyze and critically evaluate existing research.
• Assess the actual and potential value of new research.
• Describe a variety of research methods and approaches.
• Identify an area of study and plan for conducting empirical research and analyzing collected data.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of ethical issues of research including human participant research.

      ILS 580 was the last course taken in fulfillment of my Masters of Library Science degree.  It was also my hardest course in many ways. As I was already employed as a school media specialist, I had encountered many practical areas in which I would like to have conducted empirical research.  I found it very difficult to narrow my research topic to a manageable one.  While I would have liked the experience of conducting human participant research, this methodology would not have achieved the data I needed in order to analyze my ultimate research topic.  As my district lacked a school library media curriculum,  I chose to conduct a content analysis of district level school media curricula in order to determine if existing curricula contain the focus and information literacy skills instruction which prepare students for success in the twenty-first century.  In this way, my project neatly aligned with the goals of the special project.  "The special project provides an opportunity for graduate students to complete an academically rigorous project that contributes in some meaningful way to the student’s discipline and professional community."  (Special Project Handbook, Fall 2009).  Most significantly, it contributed to my professional goal of teaching information literacy skills to my students and provided a model curriculum for adoption by my district which currently lacked a school library media curriculum.    My special project proposal with coding sheet was passed in November 2009.