JENNIFERARCHULETASANTURE

“Demonstrate understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the ability to design a research project, and the ability to evaluate and synthesize research literature.”

 

Statement of Competency L

 

Research plays an essential role in the careers of library and information professionals.  One of the main services that professionals in the field provide is assisting users in carrying out research (Powell, 2008).  Librarians help users acquire the most appropriate information sources or materials to satisfy their research needs.  As educators and information providers, library and information professionals not only assist users in researching and gathering information, but they also carry out research themselves.  Librarians are sometimes required to carry out research due to their duties or their roles in various committees and project teams.  Library and information professionals may be tasked with evaluating services, collections, or programs, and they may also be charged with strategic planning, securing funds, allocating resources, or analyzing and utilizing data; all these activities require them to conduct research.  Librarians also carry out research in order to achieve growth in their professions.  For example, research can be used to enhance skills and knowledge, or to create new services and programs; all of these activities are necessary in ensuring that a library remains up to date (Powell, 2008).  By understanding various types of research methods, data analysis, and presentations of findings, library and information professionals can become more effective in linking users to information to meet their needs.

 

This competency will attempt to break down and explain the research process by outlining the various steps and considerations that go into conducting research.  The paper will begin with an examination of introductory research phases, then examine how primary versus secondary research projects differ and when these methods are most appropriate for use.  The paper will conclude with a comparison of qualitative and quantitative research methods, how to select between them, and finally how to conduct each of these methods.

 

Evaluation of Literature

 

The first steps in a research project are clearly presenting a research question, identifying why it is important, and surveying the existing literature base regarding the research question (Creswell, 2009).  This is integral in determining how the project’s actual research ought to be conducted (for several reasons).  First, it narrows the research question, and in doing so, helps align the project’s research question with particular research methodologies.  For example, if the question is phrased quantitatively, it necessitates quantitative methods.  Second, this phase of research is significant because the literature review helps to frame the research necessary for the project.  The literature review connects the research question to the existing literature base on the subject, and in doing so helps determine the direction of the project in several ways.  As stated by Creswell (2009), the literature review “provides a framework for establishing the importance of the study as well as a benchmark for comparing the results with other findings” (p. 25).  As such, the literature review determines the type of research methodology that will be required.

 

Researchers often write reviews of research articles from the existing research literature for their proposed studies; the resulting review is known as an abstract (Creswell, 2009).  The purpose of an abstract is to provide a brief review of the literature, to create a summary of its major elements, and to allow the reader to understand the basic features of research articles.  John W. Creswell (2009) notes that a good abstract of a research study should include the following points (p. 36): 

 

• Mention the problem being addressed.

• State the central purpose or focus of the study.

• Briefly state information about the sample, population, or subjects.

• Review key results that relate to the proposed study.

• If it is a methodological review, point out technical and methodological flaws in the study. 

 

Abstracting is an important practice for researchers because it helps them to analyze and synthesize existing research in their proposed field of study.  Understanding what research has been conducted can help to better situate the proposed research study in the field.  Abstracting is a method that can help researchers begin to frame and formulate the literature review sections of their research projects.

 

Primary and Secondary Research

 

The first consideration, in terms of research approach and methodology, is determining whether to use primary or secondary research methods.  Primary research is necessary when the existing literature and research base is insufficient in answering the research question at hand (Creswell, 2009).  There are several methods of primary research, and it can be conducted both quantitatively and qualitatively.  Quantitative primary research methods are perhaps more common and include several approaches.  One such approach is data driven; these are ideal when a correlative or quantitative claim is being made.  Examples of primary research in these instances use data collection methods such as measurement, surveys, and polls related to the subject matter (Powell, 2008).  If the numbers in question can be observed (such as environmental variables), this research might involve collecting that data.  Conversely, if the numbers are more demographic based, and less observable, surveys or samples might be better suited.  A second method of quantitative primary research is conducting experiments to answer the research question.  This involves isolating the research variable across a variety of subjects to determine a particular relationship and/or correlation between elements within the experiment (Creswell, 2009).  There are also several methods of qualitative primary research; an example would be gathering collections of primary source material for a research project.  This could involve interviewing people involved in the research question, in addition to finding primary source documents, narratives, and/or objects (Creswell, 2009).  Additionally, research might involve viewing original collections of work on the subject matter.

 

If there is an adequate literature base, the researcher need not conduct primary research but rather can secondarily utilize the existing research base to draw their conclusions.  Secondary research methods can take several forms.  One type of secondary research is quantitatively oriented; this can involve examining existing datasets, demographic information, or other quantitative analysis, and using these figures to extrapolate new or revised conclusions (Creswell, 2009).  It might also involve drawing datasets together to demonstrate a relationship between variables or experiments.  An example of this might be drawing on demographic and voter turnout data in a particular region to argue for a connection between the two variables.  There are also several means of conducting secondary qualitative research; examples of this include drawing on philosophical arguments, or others’ analysis of the research question.  This can be done to expand on or tweak existing arguments pertinent to the subject matter.  Another example of secondary qualitative research is any research project that focuses on criticizing a particular argument within the field (Creswell, 2009).  This type of project would explicate and find flaws in the argument, as well as research other competing arguments, which the researcher might choose to draw on.  Researchers need not choose between primary and secondary research, as most research projects will involve both primary and secondary work.  However, it is important to understand the utility, methods, and strengths of each, so that they both might be applied when necessary.

 

Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods

 

A more distinct divergence in research methods are the differences between quantitative and qualitative research approaches, which are briefly discussed above.  Quantitative research focuses on numerical and data-driven analysis of the research question, whereas qualitative approaches are focused on the ideas and history behind the subject matter (Creswell, 2009).  Quantitative research approaches can vary, but tend to rely on connecting given data sets or values to the argument at hand.  These methods allow the researcher to “provide a quantitative or numeric description of trends, attitudes, or opinions” (Creswell, 2009, p. 12).  The methods and applications of quantitative research vary across fields; for example, how biologists apply experiment data differs from the use of demographic information within social sciences research.  In this way, quantitative approaches range from connecting various studies to one another and in new contexts, all the way to conducting original research and experiments.  It is important to maintain transparency in quantitative research, so that conclusions can be examined under similar conditions and tested by others interested in the same subject matter.

 

Qualitative research is more ephemeral, in that there tends to be less of a clear path towards research and conclusions.  Quantitative research methods often involve clear bright lines for conclusions (e.g. significance levels are correlation); this is not necessarily the case for qualitative research, where the research often resolves around more subjective argumentation and sources (Creswell, 2009).  In this way, qualitative work is often more reliant on its ability to be persuasive through its voice, as opposed to through objective numerical analysis.  This is not always the case though, as oftentimes qualitative research projects do not seek to advance an argument, but rather merely present information on a subject.  Examples of this might include anthologizing primary documents on a subject, or attempting to trace the history of a movement or idea.  This research focuses on finding credible sources of information linked to the subject matter, and bringing them together to create an original argument or perspective on the issue.  Qualitative research also often involves data collection, however, this data tends to be more substantive and/or narrative based, as opposed to numerical in nature (Creswell, 2009).  Furthermore, researchers need not choose between these methodologies but rather oftentimes can utilize them synergistically.  An argument can, in part, rely on data to demonstrate its validity but may also make use of qualitative narratives to make its point more compelling.  There are several methods to conduct qualitative research studies, these include (Creswell, 2009, p. 13): 

 

• Ethnography is a strategy of inquiry in which the research studies an intact cultural group in a natural setting over a prolonged period of time by collecting, primarily, observational and interview data. The research process is flexible and typically evolves contextually in response to the lived realities encountered in the field setting. 

 

• Grounded theory is a strategy of inquiry in which the research derives a general, abstract theory of a process, action, or interaction grounded in the views of participants. This process involves using multiple stages of data collection and the refinement of interrelationship of categories of information. Two primary characteristics of this design are the constant comparison of data with emerging categories and theoretical sampling of different groups to maximize the similarities and the differences of information. 

 

• Case studies are a strategy of inquiry in which the researcher explores in depth a program, event, activity, process, or one or more individuals. Cases are bounded by time and activity, and researchers collect detailed information using a variety of data collection procedures over a sustained period of time. 

 

• Phenomenological research is a strategy of inquiry in which the researcher identifies the essence of human experiences about a phenomenon as described by participants. Understanding the lived experiences marks phenomenology as a philosophy as well as a method, and the procedure involves studying a small number of subjects through extensive and prolonged engagement to develop patterns and relationships of meaning. In this process, the researcher brackets or sets aside his or her own experiences in order to understand those of the participants in the study. 

 

• Narrative research is a strategy of inquiry in which the researcher studies the lives of individuals and asks one or more individuals to provide stories about their lives. This information is often retold or restoried by the researcher into a narrative chronology. In the end, the narrative combines views from the participant’s life with those of the researcher’s life in a collaborative narrative.

 

Data Analysis and Presentation of Research Findings

 

One of the final stages of research is data analysis; this is important to the research process because a researcher must analyze the data (either qualitative or quantitative) after collecting it to draw conclusions.  The findings of some studies are simple and easily understandable; in such cases, data analysis may not be required, through it might be necessary to organize and summarize the data (Powell, 2008).  Descriptive statistics (mean, mode, median) may be utilized in the analysis of quantitative data.  Inferential statistics may also be used in the analysis of qualitative data, especially when the researcher has to test the hypothesis or generalize the attributes of a sample to its population (Powell, 2008).  Regression and correlation may be used when attempting to get a connection between various variables, for example, when establishing the relation between age and library use.

 

Although data analysis may seem like the final stage of research, the research process cannot be completed if the findings of the research are not communicated.  A researcher can communicate the findings of their research by writing a research report (Powell, 2008).  There are a number of attributes that a research report must have in order to present the findings easily; the report should be straightforward, and it must also describe the research and its findings in a clear and precise manner.  The report should be well organized, and adhere to an appropriate formatting and referencing style.  Publishing a research report in an appropriate professional journal does not only improve its credibility, but it also helps it reach a wider audience (Powell, 2008).  If a researcher is unable to publish his research in a journal, they should still try to make it available in a way that may reach users who are interested in the topic or can benefit from the research findings.  Methods of reaching users directly who may benefit from the research include publishing it in a library newsletter, electronic discussion list, or professional association bulletin (Powell, 2008).  In summary, a research report must communicate its findings to the appropriate audience, contribute new information in its field, and create a need for further studies. 

 

Conclusion

 

Research projects are multifaceted and require several steps.  The important first step is the task of outlining the specific research question at hand and surveying the relevant literature.  This helps to map out the project’s general relevance and its relationship to existing literature on the subject matter.  Additionally, this foundational step helps outline the nature of the project, and in doing so, the research methods and approaches that it will require.  Specifically outlining the research question helps determine whether quantitative or qualitative research methods will be required; surveying existing literature helps narrow down the areas of the project (if any) that will require primary research.  From here, the research is often determined by the intricacies of its field but still relies on quantitative and qualitative methodologies to present its argument.  It is important for library and information professionals to have a solid understanding of how research is conducted; with this knowledge, librarians can help users conduct research, they can conduct their own research to benefit their libraries and information organizations, and they can better interpret the findings of research reports.

 

Evidence

 

Evidence 1: ES101A- Food Security in West Oakland: A Qualitative Study 

 

This final research project was created for Ethnic Studies 101A: Social Science Methods in Ethnic Studies, a course that I took during my final semester of my undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley.  The purpose of this course was to introduce students in the Ethnic Studies department to various social science research methodologies.  For this course, we were tasked with creating and conducting our own qualitative research project, with a topic pertinent to the field of Ethnic Studies.  This assignment was the first time that I had ever conducted a research project myself; the process was daunting at first, and I faced many challenges during the process of data collection.  The research paper centers on the topic of food insecurity for the residents of West Oakland, California.  The purpose of the study was to expand on current scholarship about the daily realities of obtaining food in West Oakland, to expand the definition of “health food” according to residents of this area, and to discuss some of the unique strengths possessed by this community. 

 

The research paper begins with a discussion of why I selected this particular topic.  I personally grew up in an area classified as a “food desert”- meaning an area with limited access to grocery stores and fresh, healthy and affordable foods.  Food insecurity exists in both rural and urban settings today, where residents of these communities struggle to access food.  West Oakland is one such community, and as a result there have been several food organizations that have been created to try to meet the food needs of residents of this area.  In this research paper, I provide a historical background about West Oakland, which has shaped the food-scarce landscape that exists there today.  I specifically set out to focus my project on one food organization located in West Oakland called City Slickers Farm.  The purpose of this non-profit urban agriculture organization is to empower community members to grow their own food.  In addition to the creation and maintenance of several community farms in the West Oakland area, City Slickers Farms also helped individuals set up food gardens in their own backyards.  Unfortunately, over the course of my research I ran into issues with the gatekeepers of this organization, and I was unable to gain access to individuals who participated with City Slickers Farms.  Because of this, I had to refocus and widen my research project, so that I could find viable participants. 

 

The methodology of this study uses both the grounded theory and case study strategies of inquiry.  Using the data collection method of interviews, I gathered the views of 6 West Oakland community members about their experience with food insecurity.  Transcription and analysis of the study using grounded theory helped me to develop a better understanding about several aspects of food insecurity in West Oakland including: the strengths and weaknesses of City Slickers Farms, access to healthy food by residents, the strengths of the community, and lastly an expansion of the definition of healthy food, according to residents.  Collectively, my findings from this qualitative research study can be used to help expand and build upon topics of food security, and the definition of a food desert, while also providing an in-depth view of the challenges faced by many residents of the West Oakland community.  Through this research project I learned how important it was to first assess the real needs of the community through discussion with residents, and that real and lasting change of the food systems currently in place can only happen together with them.

 

Lastly, this research project also provided me with insight into just how complicated the process can be.  Prior to this, I had no real familiarity with conducting research, so getting my hands dirty trying to gain access to participants through gatekeepers was an eye-opening experience.  Determining the proper methodology to suit my research topic was another challenge.  Actually conducting several interviews, transcribing them, and making sense of my data was also another learning experience for me.  This first foray into conducting my own research provided me with invaluable experience and understanding about the process.

 

Evidence 2: LIBR-200- Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography 

 

This annotated bibliography was created for LIBR-200: Information and Society.  The purpose of this assignment was to identify our final term paper topic and to locate and evaluate 15-20 sources pertinent to that topic.  For this assignment, I identified exploring the changing landscape of prison law libraries as my topic, and I provided 15 abstracts of research and articles pertaining to this topic.  Each abstract includes an APA bibliographic citation for the article, and then a summary of the content of the article.  This assignment helped me to begin the first part of a literature review—identifying and abstracting research articles related to the topic.  The presentation of key ideas that I identified through this process later served as a foundation for my final term paper on prison law libraries created for this course.  This assignment helped me to strengthen my skills of locating research reports, articles, and other publications related to a particular topic.  Additionally, crafting succinct abstracts helped me to better evaluate and identify the key parts and findings of these publications.  Staying on top of current research of the library and information fields can help to provide the basis for improvement of services, programs, and collections.  As such, being able to understand and evaluate research reports are important skills for every librarian and information professional to possess.

 

Evidence 3: LIBR-285- Distributed Research Group Annotations and Literature Review 

 

These two related assignments were created for LIBR-285: Research Methodologies.  The first assignment is a group annotation project.  For this course, everyone was assigned into groups based on a broad research topic interest.  I was placed in a group along with four other classmates interested in the broad topic of youth and reading.  For this assignment, it was our individual responsibility to find, read, and critically abstract eight articles on our proposed research topic.  As we completed our abstracts, each of the other group members were in charge of reading each other’s abstracts, and posting comments, connections, responses, and suggestions on our group discussion board.  Group members also helped each other by providing suggestions to narrow proposed research topics, suggestions for journals to look for research articles, and giving editing feedback to make abstracts clearer.  During my time in this group, I was able to narrow my proposed research topic to the use of graphic novels and comics in an educational setting.  For the assignment, I provided a summary of why I chose this topic, and what I hoped to explore through my proposed research project, as well as provided eight succinct abstracts of current research related to my topic.  This assignment was important because it showed me the value of research done in a group environment, in addition to both the challenges and benefits of working together with others in the field of research. 

 

The group annotation assignment helped to form the foundation of my research literature review.  This assignment expanded on the findings from the research articles that I abstracted as I connected the ideas presented in them into different groupings.  Additionally, the creation of the literature review assignment helped me to further narrow my research question.  The main groupings of the articles that I abstracted in the previous assignment included: comic books as a tool to support new forms of literacy, comic book as educational tool for all ages, comic books as a scaffold to learning, and comics as a support for institutional teaching standards. The creation of these broad categories in which the literature I reviewed fell into helped me to better understand the existing scholarship related to the use of comics in education, and to allow me situate my own research proposal within this field.  Furthermore, I conclude my literature review with a discussion of future research that still needs to be done in this area of interest.  This assignment was important in my understanding of a crucial aspect of the research process.  I learned it is not enough for researchers to read and abstract the research of others, but rather they must evaluate the findings of the existing scholarship in order to draw out and connect ideas.  The two assignments I present here show my personal evolution from creating abstracts of research scholarship related to the topic of comics in education, to connecting the findings from these different research projects, and to finally developing and situating my own research proposal within this context. 

 

Evidence 4: LIBR-285- Research Proposal

 

This research proposal was created for LIBR-285: Research Methodologies.  This assignment provided students the opportunity to apply the knowledge we gained about the research process and different research methodologies into a culminating project.  This proposal not only encompasses all of the assignments that I created for this course, but also builds upon the work to create a comprehensive plan to explore my research topic of interest.  This proposal includes all aspects of a research proposal including: title and abstract, introduction, proposed research question, literature review, significance of proposed research, plan for research design and methodology (including details about participant recruitment, ethical considerations, data collection, and plan for data analysis), and conclusion. 

 

This proposed research project sought to understand the questions: 1) How do youth use comics and graphic novels in the classroom? 2) Are comics and graphic novels an effective teaching tool in the classroom?  This research project would be significant because the popularity of comics and graphic novels is booming today, and there is much discussion about the expansion of using comics for educational applications.  From the literature review I present, I argue that it still seems to be unknown is if comic works are suitable for educational use, if there are benefits of the use of the format in the class, and how educators actually incorporate comics in their classrooms.  While the review of the literature seems to suggest that such works are beneficial, much of this assumption is based on anecdotal evidence, rather than on research data and analysis.  Specifically, this study seeks to give a voice to the perspectives of students and educators who use comics and graphic novels in their classrooms. 

 

Because of my proposed research topic, I designed this study with a qualitative research design.  Additionally, the research will be guided by a social constructivist worldview, in which it is the intent of the researcher to “make sense of (or interpret) the meanings others have about the world.  Rather than starting with a theory… inquirers generate or inductively develop a theory or pattern of meaning” (Creswell, 2009, p. 8).  Because the proposed study seeks to learn directly from youth and educators about how they use comics in the classroom through their own words, ideas, and thoughts, the selected strategy of inquiry was the case study.  Three methods of qualitative data collection will be used: survey, interview, and observation.  Surveys will include both open and close ended questions, and the research proposal includes sample surveys in Appendix A.  Interviews of students and educators will be used to collect data directly from the experiences and ideas from participants, and sample interview questions are included in Appendix B.  The survey data will be analyzed for themes and perspectives, and similar themes with be grouped together in broad categories.  These themes and categories will guide the formulation and/or revision of interview questions.  Analysis of interview transcripts and field notes will be done through developing a data-driven code.  In this style of data analysis, themes are not predetermined but rather emerge from the data itself.  Thematic analysis of interview transcripts will also occur, in which comments are summarized, common elements are grouped together, and finally each theme is assigned a code.  All analyzed data will be interpreted in light of the research problem and questions, and suggestions for new questions raised by the data will be posed to advance future research.  

 

Though this assignment is only a proposal for a research study, it helped me to greatly understand the undertaking of a research project.  Though I got a taste for conducting my own qualitative research back in my undergraduate studies, my evolution as a better researcher is apparent in this proposal.  Identifying my research question, completing a literature review, devising the proper research methodology, and discussing the data collection methods and analysis to be used for this research project allowed me to better understand the research process.  Though I do not have plans on continuing my education beyond SJSU, understanding how and why research is done will be important to my future career as a librarian.  Not only will I be helping library users to conduct their own research, but I must also conduct research in a library setting to help improve programs, services, and collections.  Understanding what data collection methods to use, and how best to analyze the data to develop conclusions will certainly be an important aspect of my future job, and this assignment allowed me to become familiar with all of the many methodologies and techniques.  Lastly, being able to evaluate current research literature will also be an important skill.  New breakthroughs that have the potential to affect the library and information fields will continue to occur through research.  Being able to effectively evaluate this research as a library professional will be important in understanding the ways that this new knowledge will impact the field.

 

References

 

Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods

approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

 

Powell, R. (2008). Chapter 15: Research. In K. a, & B. E. Sheldon (Eds.), The portable MLIS:

Insights from the experts (pp. 168-178). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

 

Evidence Files

 

Click to download the following files:

 

ES-101A Food Security in West Oakland

 

LIBR-200 Annotated Bibliography

 

LIBR-285 Distributed Research Group Annotations

 

LIBR-285 Literature Review

 

LIBR-285 Research Proposal