Research Methods

Every CALIS project must have an accepted form of evaluation or measurement of outcomes supported by data. There are a variety of qualitative and quantitative forms of research that may be utilized to explore problems in information science, library science, information systems and information environments.

Students must confer with their advisor to select the most appropriate methods for their particular inquiry since each method requires specific strategies and procedures. Some problems require a variety of methods to gather and analyze relevant data. For example, an instructional or educational project that aims to teach a sample of a population certain knowledge and skills must involve (i) a needs assessment of potential participants, (ii) a pre-test of relevant initial and target skills, as well as (iii) a post-test outcomes assessment of their accomplishment of the instructional objectives.

The following research methodologies may be employed in CALIS research projects:

  • Historical Research
  • Case Study
  • Survey Research
  • Marketing Research
  • Quasi-experimental Research
  • Experimental Research
  • Action, Field, or Ethnographic Research
  • Protocol and/or Content Analysis
  • Evaluation Research
  • Systems Analysis
  • Usability Testing

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