Applications of Social Research Methods to Questions in Information and Library Science

445 Pages·2017·5.695 MB·English

by  Barbara M. Wildemuth

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Wildemuth, B. M. (Ed.). (2016). Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science, 2nd edition. Retrieved from
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from iupui-ebooks on 2018-09-12 10:26:22.
A P P L I C AT I O N S O F
S O C I A L R E S E A R C H
M E T H O D S TO
Q U E S T I O N S I N
I N F O R M AT I O N A N D
L I B R A RY S C I E N C E
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Wildemuth, B. M. (Ed.). (2016). Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science, 2nd edition. Retrieved from
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from iupui-ebooks on 2018-09-12 10:27:11.
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Wildemuth, B. M. (Ed.). (2016). Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science, 2nd edition. Retrieved from
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from iupui-ebooks on 2018-09-12 10:27:11.
A P P L I C AT I O N S O F
S O C I A L R E S E A R C H
M E T H O D S TO
Q U E S T I O N S I N
I N F O R M AT I O N A N D
L I B R A RY S C I E N C E
Second Edition
Barbara M. Wildemuth, Editor
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Wildemuth, B. M. (Ed.). (2016). Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science, 2nd edition. Retrieved from
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from iupui-ebooks on 2018-09-12 10:28:09.
Copyright © 2017 by Barbara M. Wildemuth
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
other wise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing
from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Wildemuth, Barbara M., editor.
Title: Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science /
Barbara M. Wildemuth, editor.
Description: Second edition. | Santa Barbara, California : Libraries Unlimited, [2017] |
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016022414 (print) | LCCN 2016037725 (ebook) | ISBN 9781440839047 (hard copy :
acid-free paper) | ISBN 9781440839054 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Library science—Research—Methodology. | Information science—Research—
Methodology.
Classification: LCC Z669.7.W55 2017 (print) | LCC Z669.7 (ebook) | DDC 020.72/1—dc23
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10 130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911
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Manufactured in the United States of Amer ic a
Wildemuth, B. M. (Ed.). (2016). Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science, 2nd edition. Retrieved from
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from iupui-ebooks on 2018-09-12 10:28:53.
Contents
Acknowl edgments ix
Part I. Introduction
1. Using Research Results to Improve Practice in the Information Professions 3
Barbara M. Wildemuth
Part II. Research Questions in Information and Library Science
2. Developing a Research Question 11
Barbara M. Wildemuth
3. Questions Originating in Library and Information Practice 21
Barbara M. Wildemuth
4. Descriptions of Phenomena or Settings 28
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Abe J. Crystal and Barbara M. Wildemuth
Wildemuth, B. M. (Ed.). (2016). Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science, 2nd edition. Retrieved from
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from iupui-ebooks on 2018-09-12 10:29:31.
vi CONTENTS
9. Longitudinal Studies 71
Barbara M. Wildemuth
10. Delphi Studies 81
Lili Luo and Barbara M. Wildemuth
11. Quasi- experimental Studies 91
Carolyn Hank and Barbara M. Wildemuth
12. Experimental Studies 103
Barbara M. Wildemuth and Leo L. Cao
13. Mixed Methods 114
Barbara M. Wildemuth
14. Sampling for Extensive Studies 123
Barbara M. Wildemuth
15. Sampling for Intensive Studies 136
Barbara M. Wildemuth and Leo L. Cao
16. Studying Special Populations 145
Carol L. Perryman and Barbara M. Wildemuth
Part IV. Methods for Data Collection
17. Historical Research 155
Chad Morgan and Barbara M. Wildemuth
18. Existing Documents and Artifacts as Data 165
Barbara M. Wildemuth
19. Visual Data Collection Methods 173
Barbara M. Wildemuth
20. Transaction Logs 185
Laura Sheble, Barbara M. Wildemuth, and Kathy Brennan
21. Think- aloud Protocols 198
.d Sanghee Oh and Barbara M. Wildemuth
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1 25. Unstructured Interviews 239
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Lili Luo and Barbara M. Wildemuth
Wildemuth, B. M. (Ed.). (2016). Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science, 2nd edition. Retrieved from
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from iupui-ebooks on 2018-09-12 10:29:31.
Contents vii
27. Focus Groups 258
Barbara M. Wildemuth and Mary Wilkins Jordan
28. Survey Research 272
Carolyn Hank, Mary Wilkins Jordan, and Barbara M. Wildemuth
29. Mea sur ing Cognitive and Affective Variables 284
Barbara M. Wildemuth
30. Developing New Mea sures 291
Songphan Choemprayong and Barbara M. Wildemuth
Part V. Methods for Data Analy sis
31. Content Analy sis 307
Kristina M. Spurgin and Barbara M. Wildemuth
32. Qualitative Analy sis of Content 318
Yan Zhang and Barbara M. Wildemuth
33. Discourse Analy sis 330
Barbara M. Wildemuth and Carol L. Perryman
34. Social Network Analy sis 339
Laura Sheble, Kathy Brennan, and Barbara M. Wildemuth
35. Descriptive Statistics 351
Barbara M. Wildemuth
36. Frequencies, Cross-t abulation, and the Chi- square Statistic 361
Barbara M. Wildemuth
37. Analyzing Sequences of Events 373
Barbara M. Wildemuth
38. Correlation 387
Barbara M. Wildemuth
39. Comparing Means: t Tests and Analys is of Variance 395
.d Abe J. Crystal and Barbara M. Wildemuth
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.no Barbara M. Wildemuth
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Wildemuth, B. M. (Ed.). (2016). Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science, 2nd edition. Retrieved from
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from iupui-ebooks on 2018-09-12 10:29:31.
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Wildemuth, B. M. (Ed.). (2016). Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science, 2nd edition. Retrieved from
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from iupui-ebooks on 2018-09-12 10:29:31.
Acknowl edgments
As with any other intellectual endeavor, the development of this book relied on the sup-
port of many people. I would particularly like to acknowledge the contributions of the
following:
• The authors of the examples discussed in these chapters. Without a large body of excellent
research from which to select examples, this book would not have been pos si ble. Thank you for
your scholarly efforts, both in their creativity and their rigor.
• My coauthors. All of the chapter coauthors w ere doctoral students at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill or recent gradua tes when t hese chapters w ere originally written. Thank
you for your intellectual curiosity and your high standards for the quality of your work.
• My colleagues at the University of North Carolina. Thank you for the many ideas you gave me
as I worked on part ic u lar chapters in this book and for your collegiality during the proc ess of
completing it.
• My editors at Libraries Unlimited, Blanche Woolls and Emma Bailey. Thank you for your encour-
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th Hill, the Fulbright Scholar Program, and the Institute of Information Studies and Librarianship at
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.n on the first edition of this manuscript.
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E n your gentle nudges to complete this manuscript and for your never- failing encouragement.
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Wildemuth, B. M. (Ed.). (2016). Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science, 2nd edition. Retrieved from
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from iupui-ebooks on 2018-09-12 10:30:01.