Delivered at Librarians as Researcher event at York St John University 25th January 2013, hosted by Academic and Research Libraries Group Yorkshire & humberside division.
Getting Started as a Researcher by Carolynn Rankin
1. Getting started as a researcher.
Carolynn Rankin
ARLG Yorkshire and Humberside
The Librarian as Researcher event
York St John University
25th January 2013
2. Introduction and session plan
• Hello
• Everyday research skills
• The big IDEA…
• The what, why, how and when of getting
started as a researcher…
3.
4. What is the role of the researcher?
Please take a few minutes to think
about words we could use to
describe the role of the researcher.
storyteller facilitator analyst
detective observer reporter
7. What do we mean by ‘research’?
‘Academic’ research
• Problem solving or curiosity
driven - purpose is to create
new knowledge (or confirm
existing knowledge)
• Grounded in disciplinary
context
(literature, theory, methodolo
gy, interpretation)
• Produce outputs of
publishable quality
• Audience: other
scholars, policy
makers, practitioners
‘Practitioner’ research
• Focused on current problem
or need
• Pragmatic approach to
theory and methodology –
often investigative or
evaluative
• Results inform practice –
support decision-making for
immediate benefit
• Dissemination often a
secondary consideration
7
8. Why should we do research?
• There are the benefits:
– To the individual
– To the parent organisation
– To the profession
– Potentially to society in general
Motivation
Passion
8
9. Using everyday skills
Research is the professionalization of everyday
skills ( Blaxter, 2008)
Library practitioners are often highly
innovative in their practice and undertake
research related activity as a normal part of
their working lives.
This new knowledge and understanding is
often not recognised as research nor is it
shared with the wider professional
community…
10. Find someone who…
You have five minutes to complete this
task…
Using the handout sheet find someone
who can help you answer one question.
When you have an answer fill in the
details and move on.
Await further instructions…
11. Points for reflection
Why get involved as a researcher?
What kind of researcher are you/will you be?
What methodologies will you use?
Qualitative?
Quantitative?
12. That’s a good IDEA
The framework:
I = Interest, Issue, Idea
D = Develop, Discuss, Define
E = Engage, Elaborate, Enact
A = Advocate, Advertise, Apply
IDEAS on a postcard please
13. I = interest, issue, idea
Identify a project or research opportunity that
interests you or meets a need
What do I want to know?
How could this help my practice/benefit the
organisation
What’s in it for me?
14. D = develop, discuss, define
Define the research question
What has been done on this before?
– where is the evidence base?
– where are the gaps?
Develop the project proposal
- SMART objectives
- appropriate methods
15. E = engage, elaborate, enact
Partnerships and connections
Look for common goals
Win-win agenda
Who will you engage with and how?
This might be
partners, colleagues, management, funders, p
olicy makers…
16. A = advocate, advertise, apply
• Who needs to know about your work?
– Service user community
– Managers
– Funders
– Policy makers
• Where will your research make a difference?
• Effecting change within and beyond the library
– making the impact
17. S = skills
The multiplier effect comes when you add
skills
You already have research skills!
18. Why research - benefits to the
profession
• furthering professional excellence
• creating new knowledge, provoking
conversation and debate
• providing an evidence base for practice
• Bringing about positive change
• enhancing reputation
• developing an engaged and vibrant professional
community
• ...
18
19. What are the barriers to doing
research?
• What are they?
• How can they be overcome?
• Whose support is needed for this to happen?
19
20. How - barriers to getting started as a
researcher
• Perceived lack of research skills and experience
• Lack of confidence
• Don’t know what to research or where to start
• Lack of time - too many other competing
priorities
• No support or interest from managers or
colleagues
20
23. How – developing and enhancing your skills
• Training and skills development
• Collaborate with partners
– Build a team with complementary skills
– Take advantage of others’ expertise
• Mentoring / buddying – share experience,
learn together
What are you doing already?
23
25. How - gaining support
• Make the case – persuade others (line
manager, colleagues, potential research partners)
of the value of your work:
– How does it support departmental/organisational
priorities and strategy?
– How will it benefit the individual and the service?
– What is the cost of not doing the research?
• Develop formal research proposal, with costs
and deliverables (courses and guidance are
available e.g. Eve, 2008)
25
26. How – establishing context
• Read around your subject in professional and
scholarly publications
• Attend professional events (like this) and conferences
for information gathering and networking
• Join special interest groups such as LIRG
• Subscribe to mailing lists and use RSS feeds for
alerting e.g of funding opportunities, research news
• Use Twitter or other social networking tools to raise
own and others’ awareness of ongoing projects
26
27. How – funding opportunities
• Practitioner research projects can be relatively
low cost
• Submit a bid for funding - externally (e.g.
HEA, JISC, LIRG) or internally (e.g. your own
university research or Learning & Teaching
awards)
• Reality check – very competitive market for
funding, but don’t let that put you off.
(See the Missenden clinic and masterclass
advert).
28. This is a picture of what your research might
look like
29. Some of you may be motivated
to undertake PhD level research
– there are opportunities.
34. References and resources
Blaxter, L., Hughes C. & Tight, M., (2010) How to Research. 4th ed. Milton Keynes:
Open University Press.
CILIP Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB)
http://www.cilip.org.uk/jobs-careers/professional-knowledge-and-skills-
base/pages/professional%20knowledge%20and%20skills%20base.aspx
Eve, J. (2008) Writing a research proposal: planning and communicating your
research ideas effectively. Library and Information Research, Vol. 32, No 102.
Available from:
http://www.lirg.org.uk/lir/ojs/index.php/lir/article/viewFile/92/136.
Vitae – realizing the potential of researchers.
http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers
Introduce the IDEA framework (recognising research in the workplace) – covers the whole research process (as conducted by practitioners) – very flexible – choose the parts that resonate for youExplain about the postcards
