INF417 Research Evaluation (8)
Enrolment Restriction: Not available to students who have completed LSC321
The purpose of this subject is to provide students with an understanding of the role of research as applied to libraries and related information services. Accordingly, it looks at 1) types of research, 2) survey and sampling techniques, 3) evaluation of research literature and 4) interpretation of research results. The assumption is that information professionals may be called upon not only to conduct research into their own organizations but also to apply research results at some stage; therefore, they must be able to evaluate such research objectively in order to separate the feasible from the ephemeral. Consequently, emphasis is on both how to conduct a research enquiry and on the components which one must understand in order to evaluate effectively.