AHIS Conference Dublin

Is there a CoW in the Library?

Issues and solutions in providing library services for research

Moira BentNational Teaching FellowFaculty Liaison Librarian

Today’s talk

• Who are “researchers” and what do they do?

• The 7 ages model of research• Where do libraries fit into the 21st

century picture?• Issues and solutions- do we

need a CoW?

AHIS Dublin June 2009


What is research? Researchers said ..

Research is• Theory-led; Data-led; Scholarship• Grounded in disciplines; multi / inter

disciplinary• Investigation; interpretation; gathering

evidence• A holistic activity; a set of transferable

skills• Collaborative / solo activity• Related to self• Validated by peer group• Made meaningful by an external audience

What are researchers? Researchers said..

Researchers are:

• Usually recognised within organization

• People who find out new things, reflect and take action

• At different levels and career stages

• Working in different disciplines

• Keen/ obliged to share what they find

• Ready to be challenged

• Making connections

• Passionate

• Ambitious

A researcher is someone with “enthusiasm, an

almost insane desire to know more about what

you are interested in…”


The 7 Ages of research

• Masters students• Doctoral students• Contract researchers• Early career researchers • Established academic staff• Senior researchers• Experts

New Review of Information Networking (2007) 13 (2) : 81-99


Early• Apprenticeship - influenced by supervisors / tutors /

mentors

• Skills and competences are defined (also funded and monitored)

• Different levels of control

• Transition from structured learning to self-organization

• Managing different roles e.g. other jobs, developing teaching skills

• Information consumer, objective is production

“I reckon I spent nearly all my first year reading journal articles.” [Computing Sciences Final year PhD]



Mid• Moving field / moving role / learning a different

landscape • Balancing teaching/ mentoring with research• Situating yourself / making your name / establishing

credentials– Locally/ wider research community

• Need to be adaptable / avoiding isolation • Starting to supervise other researchers• Starting role in management / administration• Information production and consumption• Shift from systematic to pragmatic information

retrieval

“I hardly ever use databases, probably because I’m not usually starting from a position of knowing nothing. I tend to start with a few key papers and then follow up their references.”

[Senior lecturer in Biology]

Late / Senior

• Significant role in research leadership and administration

• Leading research teams / research centres / research projects

• Supervising and examining theses• Teaching research methods• Plenary conference speaker• Editorial board of journals etc.• Refereeing / peer reviewer / specialist assessor• Disseminating research practice or defining their field• Information producers

“These days all my papers are invited plenaries and similar tertiary reviews”

[Retired Professor of Chemistry, UK]


How is research changing?Researchers said…

• More accountability / Fewer blue sky opportunities

• More targeted outcomes• More collaboration (UK, overseas, across

different types of organisation)• Multidisciplinary research areas• Data archives – data mining, data storage• E science / grid• Repositories / Open access mandates• Harder to know all that is happening, especially

in China, India etc


What is the library role in supporting research? Librarians said…• Research methodology - how to do it• Updating skills for older/

experienced researchers• Awareness of needing to know• Understanding scholarly

communication issues• Effective use of sources, inc people• Supervisors & librarians - skills

assessment • Access to resources• Separate study spaces


Researchers saidI have concerns about

• Resources: No full text access /Missing / unavailable material

• Space: Access/ Noisy study spaces• English as language of scholarship• Management of data• REF/ measuring my impact• Publishing – where and how• Repositories, keeping track of my publications

accurately, organising information• Time wasting, quantity/ quality of information• “E” limits research to what is easy


Where can librarians contribute to the research process in future?

– Everything we do now….– More involvement in research proposals– More information literacy development– Understand REF/ personal impact measures/

metrics– Access/ resource sharing (SRX, UKRR)– Help researchers to publish– Develop expertise in data mining/data storage -

E science / grid– Support Repositories / Open access mandates– Collection development – less western centric


Types of publication• Book• Book chapter/section• Conference paper/proceedings• E-article• E- book• Book review• Journal article• Magazine article• Newspaper article• Wiki• Report• Thesis• Webpage• Presentation• Handout • Personal communication (letter, blog, email,

discussion list, chat room…)


Why do people publish?• Expectation of the job• Condition of the funding• Pressure to publish• Contributing to debate/ body of knowledge/

networking• Passion• Research informed teaching• Intellectual challenge• Personal profile• Sense of achievement/ enjoyable• Advance career• Income generation• Develop skills• Clarify thinking


What stops them?

• RAE/REF can skew priorities• Lack of motivation• Don’t have to do it• Other (work) commitments• Too busy to get started• Lack of support• Confidence in own ability• No ideas to write about• Fear of rejection• Fear of open criticism• Lack of knowledge of how to start• Language skills• Information Literacy ability


So publication can be:

• Subject based– Peer reviewed paper

• Philosophical– Opinion piece– Letter to editor

• Pedagogical– Audit of practice– Reflective piece

• Whimsical– Laurie Taylor in THE


How can LIS get involved in the publication process?

• What do we do now?– Personal examples?– Do we do it well?

• What else might we do?– Ideas/ inspirations

• What is stopping us– Barriers to effective support

• What do we need to help us?– Apart from more money….


“One thing”The Librarian’s perspective

• Advice & support, mentoring• Resources/collection development• Services• Training opportunities• Promote yourself• Use of other services• Use of other academic staff• Networking• Lead by example


Case studies

• NUI Maynooth www.anltc.ie • MMU• Northampton Open Access

Journals• Newcastle Research Training

programmes• JISCiPAS IL researcher leaflet


http://www.anltc.ie/

Some further thoughts

• Who else in our organisation is researching/ writing?

• Who else is supporting?• Who else do we need to talk

to?


AHIS Conference Dublin

Education

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