Synergies Sparked: A Research Agenda for Practicing Professionals

Coleman, Anita Sundaram (2005) Synergies Sparked: A Research Agenda for Practicing Professionals.

Abstract

This is a presentation (of 50 slides) at the University of California, Irvine sponsored by the Libraries' Department of Education and Outreach and by the LAUC-I (Librarians Association of the University of California, Irvine) Professional Development Committee. The title is picking up on the 2005 ASIS&T Annual Conference theme of Sparking Synergies: Bringing Research and Practice Together. Coleman discusses her research agenda which spans both sides of the information coin - she tries to examine representations of information and information usage in a unified program of inquiry. The research goal is to expand and integrate knowledge about uses and users in the organization of digital information and libraries. Using selected projects over the last 5 years as examples, Coleman identifies some ways to design, conduct, and manage doable research projects while also meeting the day-to-day demands of being a practicing professional. The focus is on the development of a cohesive research agenda (sustainable information behaviors), one that exemplifies and synchronizes with the values and challenges of practice, besides improving the quality of LIS research. Organizers: Cathy Palmer, Collette C. Ford, and Carol A. Hughes.