Libraries,hospitals and schools: a new research frontier

Abstract

This paper is based on current and recently completed research at the Department of Information and Library Management, University of Northumbria at Newcastle. It will examine the development and use of novel qualitative research methods in LIS in projects in the education, health and library sectors. The methodology developed in work funded by the British Library, on school governors (in the projects “school governors' access to information”, and “GINN: investigating school Governors INformation Needs”), and public libraries (in the project “LOGOPLUS: the impact of LOcal GOvernment re-organisation on Public Library Users and Staff”), is discussed. As well as using a mix of “conventional” qualitative research methods, the projects are fostering the development of a more experiment-based information tracking technique which aims to improve the objectivity and validity of the qualitative data obtained. Work being undertaken in the project IMPEL2 (the “IMpact on People of Electronic Libraries”), which is being funded by the JISC under the eLib programme, is also described. QSR NUD.IST, a qualitative data analysis software package, is being used as a management tool in the management of this very complex multistrand project and this paper will focus on the co-ordinated development of an index structure which improves the validity of cross-project analysis. Shortcomings of the technique are highlighted and an approach combining qualitative computing with more traditional methods of qualitative data analysis are suggested.