This paper reports part of an investigation into the UK research literature 1965-1995, and follows the methodology developed by Jarvelin and Vakkari. The ultimate aim of the project is to examine trends in UK research from 1965 (selected because it was a time of growth in UK LIS education and research), and to consider the influences that determined the nature of research and development in LIS in the UK.
Table 1. Source journals 1965 1975 1985 1995 Aslib Proceedings * * * * Int. Journal of Information Management * * Int. Journal of Information & Library Res. * Journal of Documentation * * * * Journal of Information Science * * * * Journal of Librarianship & Information Sci. * * * Library & Information Research News * * New Review of Academic Librarianship * Research in Librarianship * * Notes: * = year available for analysis
The International Journal of Information Management was formerly Social Science Information Studies and the Journal of Librarianship and Information Science was formerly the Journal of Librarianship.
The findings are necessarily presented as an overview, further detail is available from the author.
Table 2. The distribution of research and professional articles 1965 1975 1985 1995 n= n= n= n= Research articles 10 46 62 116 Professional articles 34 33 33 37 Totals 44 79 95 153
Table 3. The distribution of LIS topics in research and professional articles Topics 1965 1975 1985 1995 n= n= n= n= The professions 2 1 6 12 Education in LIS 5 7 10 8 LIS activities 12 39 32 62 Information storage and retrieval 10 20 21 34 Information seeking 11 4 21 25 Scientific and prof. communication 4 8 5 9 Other aspects of LIS 2 Other discipline 1 Totals 44 79 95 153The most frequent topic changed during the 30 year period. Information retrieval headed the list in 1965, this changed to information and reference service in 1975, and for 1985 and 1995 the preoccupation has been in administration and planning.
Table 4. Most frequent LIS topics in research and professional articles 1965 1975 1985 1995 1. inf. retrieval 1. inf. & ref. service 1. admin & planning 1. admin & plan 2. use of inf. channels 2. bib. databases 2. automation 2. inf. retrieval 3. inf. & ref. service 3. inf. retrieval 3. inf.retrieval 3. automation 3. admin & planning 3. admin & planning 3. educ. In LIS Note: some topics recorded similar scores
It is perhaps to be expected that the majority of the articles were written from the viewpoint of the intermediary organisation’s viewpoint, but there has been a growth in the number written from the end-users viewpoint, particularly in 1995. This may well result from the growth in the market of electronic information services and the growth of the Internet.
Table 5. Viewpoint on information dissemination Phase of information dissemination 1965 1975 1985 1995 n= n= n= n= Several interconnected phases - 1 2 2 Producer’s viewpoints - 11 10 15 Seller’s viewpoint - 2 1 1 Intermediary’s viewpoint 12 22 22 9 Intermediary organisation’s viewpoint 13 24 35 48 End-user’s viewpoint 16 13 17 55 End-user organisation’s viewpoint - - 5 15 Developer’s viewpoint - - - 1 Educator’s viewpoint 3 6 2 5 Other viewpoint - - 1 2 Totals 44 79 95 153
Table 6. Research strategies in the articles 1965 1975 1985 1985 Research strategies n= n= n= n= Empirical research strategy Historical method - 1 4 1 Survey method 7 15 19 44 Qualitative method - - - - Evaluation method - 3 - 8 Case or action research method - 2 1 11 Content or protocol analysis - 2 4 10 Citation analysis 2 5 6 10 Other bibliometric method - 1 - - Secondary analysis - 2 1 - Experiment - 2 5 4 Conceptual research strategy Verbal argumentation, criticism - 3 12 22 Concept analysis - 3 9 12 Mathematical or logical method - 4 7 4 System/software analysis design - 1 5 8 Literature review 3 8 12 11 Discussion paper 32 27 10 8 Bibliographic method - - - - Totals 44 79 95 153Given the results above, it is to be expected that questionnaires and interviews are frequent methods of data collection. ‘Thinking aloud’ or ‘verbal argumentation’ - the latter term also being used by Jarvelin and Vakkari, is the most frequent method. The historical method and observation are less frequently reported in 1995.
Table 7. Data collection methods in the research articles Method 1965 1975 1985 1995 n= n= n= n= Questionnaire, interview 7 12 13 44 Observation - 6 5 4 Thinking aloud 35 33 38 48 Content analysis - 4 15 23 Citation analysis 2 6 6 10 Historical source analysis - 14 9 5 Several methods of collecting - 1 1 8 Use of data collected earlier - 2 - 3 Other methods of collection - 1 8 6 Not applicable - - - 2 Totals 44 79 95 153
The published output from research projects is, of course, not limited to articles in journals, and Kajberg’s study (1996) covers reports, conferences and other relevant sources. The UK study is to be extended to cover the report literature.
Whilst there is a clear indication of growth in the number of articles published, this was not as great as expected. During the period under examination higher degrees had been introduced in the majority of the UK schools, and there had been a noticeable growth in the volume of students studying for masters degrees. In the UK there are two types of masters degree - the taught and research. The taught masters students will outnumber the research students, but for the majority of the taught masters students, a dissertation is a requirement for the award of the degree. The question is raised as to whether the dissertation contains an element of original research, or if it does, whether the students are not necessarily publishing their findings. So, in common with any investigation, the preliminary findings raise a number of interesting questions which will take the study forward together with a citation analysis.
Jarvelin, K. and Vakkari, P. (1990). Content analysis of research articles in library and information science. Library and Information Science Research , 12, pp. 395-421.
Jarvelin, K. and Vakkari, P. (1993). The evolution of library and information science 1965-1985: a content analysis of journal articles. Information Processing and Management , 29, (1), pp.129-144.
Kajberg, L. (!996). A content analysis of LIS serial literature published in Denmark 1957-1986. Library and Information Science Research , 18, pp. 25-52.