The 1961 Copyright Office study on renewals, authored by Barbara Ringer, has cast an outsized influence on discussions of the U.S. 1923-1963 public domain. As more concrete data emerge from initiatives such as the large-scale determination process in the Copyright Review Management System (CRMS) project, questions are raised about the reliability…

To introduce students to library research skills, university faculty often encourage them to attend hour-long presentations offered by the library. This face-to-face introduction to research skills can be disappointing, however, if students do not participate during the session. This article reports on a study that focused on improving student…

Surveys some of the theoretical positions that underlie various qualitative research methods and discusses the methodological issues raised by those positions for use in library and information science research. Contextualization, understanding, pluralism, and expression are discussed; and qualitative research methods are compared with a…

Library performance criteria used by managers in 62 academic, special, and public libraries are analyzed to measure the extent to which criteria proposed in the literature are actually used, to identify types of criteria in use, and to develop guidelines for future criterion selection. (Author)

Introduces this journal issue which is a symposium on the theory, methods, and applications of qualitative research in the field of library and information science. Highlights include a definition of qualitative research, models of qualitative research, distinguishing features of research practice, comparisons with quantitative research, and…

Presents conceptual framework for library and information science research and analyzes research methodology that has application for information science, using as example results of study conducted by authors. Rationale for use of qualitative research methods in theory building is discussed and qualitative and quantitative research methods are…

Presents an overview of the field of comparative librarianship, i.e., systematic analysis of library development, practices, or problems as they occur under different circumstances, most usually in different countries in context of relevant background factors. Highlights include definition, purposes, research methodology, problems, and possible…

Describes three methods of sample size determination, each having its use in investigation of social science problems: Attribute method; Continuous Variable method; Galtung's Cell Size method. Statistical generalization, benefits of cell size method (ease of use, trivariate analysis and trichotyomized variables), and choice of method are…

Analyzes relationships between the social and cognitive institutionalization of library and information science research in Scandinavian countries from 1965-89. The goal of the study was to compare the development of the subject area, the research approach, the research methods, and the degree of internationalization. (Author/LRW)

This study examines and compares the purpose, content, and form of the problem statement by researchers in disciplines other than library and information science (LIS). Their assessments of the attributes of a problem statement were compared to the literature and an evaluation of problem statements evidenced by researchers within LIS. (Contains 16…

Analyzes articles in the "Canadian Library Journal" from 1981-91 using a set of selected descriptive bibliometric techniques. Variables examined include types of items, authorship characteristics, subject coverage, research-based approaches, scholarliness, and collaboration. Results are compared with an earlier 1968-80 study. (Contains…

Categorizes library personnel into three groups by their functions--public services, technical services, and management--and reports the results of a study which compared levels of job satisfaction between these groups. Factors which correlate with job satisfaction or dissatisfaction are identified. (CLB)

Study comparing statistical use in 99 journals from four subject areas (library and information science [LIS], education, social work, business) found that: LIS produced more articles making no use of statistics; and only in LIS were there more articles using only descriptive techniques than articles using inferential techniques. (17 references)…

Argues that the analytical comparison of library collections to the people using those collections could provide insights related to library acquisition priorities and practices, and describes and illustrates a method for analyzing this relationship. A sidebar by Myra White describes an application of the results of such a study at California…

This review of the research on the use of card catalogs and online catalogs highlights research methodologies and significant findings. Discussion of the results focuses on user needs and satisfaction, and the need to separate bibliographic practices that are universally sound from those that are an adaptation to the medium. (CLB)