Reflections on Practitioner Research: A Practical Guide for Information Professionals

“We exhort you to read this book... It is the first book we have seen that invites LIS practitioner-researchers to tell the stories behind their research findings."
—from the Foreword by Kristine R. Brancolini and Marie R. Kennedy

A practitioner-researcher is an information professional who may not have formal training in using research methods and is learning how to use these methods during their busy, complex job. Reflections on Practitioner Research: A Practical Guide for Information Professionals can help information professionals build an understanding of the research process as applied to our field and address the challenges of undertaking research as a practitioner, as well offer support and advice for all stages of a research project, from writing the proposal to collecting the data to disseminating the findings. Twenty-five chapters from a blend of novice and experienced practitioner-researchers are divided into three thorough sections: 

• Section 1: Research Process. Grapples with various aspects of the overall research process, from topic selection to research design to time frame. How do you set a research agenda? What happens when your plans get derailed? How do you approach a topic that may be controversial?
• Section 2: Research Methods. How information professionals use specific qualitative and quantitative research methods in their projects. 
• Section 3: Relationships. Investigates the ways in which relationships form and how they can impact the research process, and strategies that can help make your collaborative efforts successful rather than stressful. 

Reflections on Practitioner Research attempts to capture the actual experience of doing research and the lessons that can be gained from that experience. Projects and studies are not always as linear or without hiccups as the published literature may lead us to believe, and this book shows and celebrates the complexity of information professionals using a research design by picking up these skills along the way.