Knowledge into Action: Research Methods for Library, Archives, and Museum Professionals

This new edition of a trailblazing textbook is written for students and professionals who need real-world approaches to applying research methodologies to solve practical problems within their institutions. With extensive new and updated content, the second edition of Knowledge into Action retains Danny P. Wallace and Connie Van Fleet’s focus on practical applications of research and evaluation methods by library and information science professionals in workplace settings. Expanded to include the role of research methodologies in outcomes-based assessments, this book is an invaluable resource for today’s LIS workplaces including libraries, archives, and similar institutions, such as museums. New author Susan K. Burke highlights the diversity of people who engage with LIS institutions and emphasizes the importance of including diverse voices in research and evaluation activities. This text introduces readers-both students and working professionals-to core principles of research and evaluation, the structure and steps of a research project, the most common methodologies used in LIS, and the use of study outcomes for continuous improvement of services and processes. In addition to learning how to design and implement studies of their own, readers will also learn to be educated consumers of research and evaluation literature.