The second edition of this innovative textbook illustrates research methods for library and information science, describing the most appropriate approaches to a question—and showing you what makes research successful. Written for the serious practicing librarian researcher and the LIS student, this volume fills the need for a guide focused specifically on information and library science research methods. By critically assessing existing studies from within library and information science, this book helps you acquire a deeper understanding of research methods so you will be able to design more effective studies yourself. Section one considers research questions most often asked in information and library science and explains how they arise from practice or theory. Section two covers a variety of research designs and the sampling issues associated with them, while sections three and four look at methods for collecting and analyzing data. Each chapter introduces a particular research method, points out its relative strengths and weaknesses, and provides a critique of two or more exemplary studies. For this second edition, three new chapters have been added, covering mixed methods, visual data collection methods, and social network analysis. The chapters on research diaries and transaction log analysis have been updated, and updated examples are provided in more than a dozen other chapters as well.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Part I. Introduction 1. Using Research Results to Improve Practice in the Information Professions Barbara M. Wildemuth Part II. Research Questions in Information and Library Science 2. Developing a Research Question Barbara M. Wildemuth 3. Questions Originating in Library and Information Practice Barbara M. Wildemuth 4. Descriptions of Phenomena or Settings Barbara M. Wildemuth 5. Testing Hypotheses Barbara M. Wildemuth 6. Questions Related to Theory Chad Morgan and Barbara M. Wildemuth Part III. Research Designs and Sampling 7. Case Studies Songphan Choemprayong and Barbara M. Wildemuth 8. Naturalistic Research Abe J. Crystal and Barbara M. Wildemuth 9. Longitudinal Studies Barbara M. Wildemuth 10. Delphi Studies Lili Luo and Barbara M. Wildemuth 11. Quasi-experimental Studies Carolyn Hank and Barbara M. Wildemuth 12. Experimental Studies Barbara M. Wildemuth and Leo L. Cao 13. Mixed Methods Barbara M. Wildemuth 14. Sampling for Extensive Studies Barbara M. Wildemuth 15. Sampling for Intensive Studies Barbara M. Wildemuth and Leo L. Cao 16. Studying Special Populations Carol L. Perryman and Barbara M. Wildemuth Part IV. Methods for Data Collection 17. Historical Research Chad Morgan and Barbara M. Wildemuth 18. Existing Documents and Artifacts as Data Barbara M. Wildemuth 19. Visual Data Collection Methods Barbara M. Wildemuth 20. Transaction Logs Laura Sheble, Barbara M. Wildemuth, and Kathy Brennan 21. Think-aloud Protocols Sanghee Oh and Barbara M. Wildemuth 22. Direct Observation Barbara M. Wildemuth 23. Participant Observation Barbara M. Wildemuth 24. Research Diaries Laura Sheble, Leslie Thomson, and Barbara M. Wildemuth 25. Unstructured Interviews Yan Zhang and Barbara M. Wildemuth 26. Semistructured Interviews Lili Luo and Barbara M. Wildemuth 27. Focus Groups Barbara M. Wildemuth and Mary Wilkins Jordan 28. Survey Research Carolyn Hank, Mary Wilkins Jordan, and Barbara M. Wildemuth 29. Measuring Cognitive and Affective Variables Barbara M. Wildemuth 30. Developing New Measures Songphan Choemprayong and Barbara M. Wildemuth Part V. Methods for Data Analysis 31. Content Analysis Kristina M. Spurgin and Barbara M. Wildemuth 32. Qualitative Analysis of Content Yan Zhang and Barbara M. Wildemuth 33. Discourse Analysis Barbara M. Wildemuth and Carol L. Perryman 34. Social Network Analysis Laura Sheble, Kathy Brennan, and Barbara M. Wildemuth 35. Descriptive Statistics Barbara M. Wildemuth 36. Frequencies, Cross-tabulation, and the Chi-square Statistic Barbara M. Wildemuth 37. Analyzing Sequences of Events Barbara M. Wildemuth 38. Correlation Barbara M. Wildemuth 39. Comparing Means: t Tests and Analysis of Variance Abe J. Crystal and Barbara M. Wildemuth Part VI. Conclusion 40. Putting It All Together Barbara M. Wildemuth Index of Authors of Examples Discussed Subject Index About the Editor and Contributors