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Welcome! This guide is a collection of materials for librarians who are interested in starting, restarting, or reinvigorating their research and writing. We're glad you found it!
This began as a supplement to the presentation we gave at the 2021 Rhode Island Library Association Annual Conference, and we'll continue to update it as we find new tools and tips. If you have something we should consider adding, please contact Amanda Izenstark at amanda@uri.edu.
Many thanks!
Amanda Izenstark, University of Rhode Island
Ann Agee, San Jose State University
Holly Jackson, Mansfield University
Anna Sandelli, University of Tennessee Knoxville
Linds Roberts, University of Colorado Boulder
Sources of Ideas: Research Agendas
Professional documents and research agendas can be great ways of gaining a sense of the big picture and where there are gaps in the research for your area of librarianship. These are just a handful of research agendas from different areas of librarianship.
As an individual professional, having a research agenda for yourself can help you focus your work and plan for the future. Some academic positions will require a written research agenda, but it can be useful across library types. Inside Higher Ed's 2009 article "Creating a Research Agenda" provides a short introduction.
Accessing LIS Research
If you are at a small institution or non-academic library, it can be tricky to track down library and information science articles, book chapters, and books. Here are some strategies we've found helpful for gathering your research materials!
- Use Interlibrary Loan
- Find free materials by searching open access sources or using Google Scholar's "Other versions"
- Reach out to colleagues or the authors directly to ask for a copy of an item
- Subscribe to Table of Contents emails for publications you enjoy or use Google Scholar alerts to have regular inspiration sent to your inbox
EBSCO Free DatabasesEBSCO has a few free databases, including Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts and some open access dissertations. You can then request full text through an Interlibrary Loan service.
Directory of Open Access JournalsBrowse the 175+ open access journals related to library and information studies.
Resources for Collaboration
- LibParlor ClassifiedsLibParlor, a blog and online community to support librarian research, offers several ways to find collaborators. Through their Classifieds webpage, you can seek connections, share opportunities, and build collaborations for project ideas
- We HereWe Here™️ resources include private communities offered as private spaces for Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, as well as a Community School, with live and recorded classes, webinars, and downloads.
- A Library Writer's BlogCollated by Corey Seeman, University of Michigan, this site features regularly updated calls for papers, presentations, participation, and reviewers.
Time Tracking and Productivity Tools
- TogglA time tracker that works across multiple devices. See where your time actually goes and where you might make time for research and writing.
- Strict WorkflowThis Chrome extension is a productivity tool that provides a structured 25 minute/5 minute work/rest schedule. Bonus: it is pre-configured to block popular distracting websites.
- Pomodoro TechniqueWikipedia's history of the Pomodoro Technique and details on how to use it.
- TrelloA tool for managing tasks and projects individually and collaboratively.
Additional Resources
- So you want to publish: Becoming a researcher (C&RL News)The article we were inspired to write when we discovered we shared a common interest in helping our colleagues research and publish.
- Library Writing CooperativeWe launched the Library Writing Cooperative based on comments in this presentation. Utilize our First Draft Matchmaker initiative to improve your first draft, or join us for National Article Writing Month (NaArWriMo) and Monthly Writing Time to get things done!
- LARKS (Librarian and Researcher Knowledge Space)From the American Library Association, this site is a "resource for researchers of all levels of experience in school, academic, and public libraries."
- A Selected List of Journals on Teaching & Learning (Association of College & Research Libraries, Instruction Section)A "selective list of teaching and learning journals that focus on instructional strategies within academic disciplines in higher education," compiled by the ACRL Instruction Section's Research and Scholarship Committee. These journals welcome library-related articles as they connect with the various disciplines.
- Finding a good fit faster: Tips for writing query letters to LIS journals (C&RL News)This article provides tips for finding a venue for publication. Writing query letters was one of the techniques we (the presenters) employed once we decided to publish our work.
- Anti-Racist Scholarly Reviewing Practices: A Heuristic for Editors, Reviewers, and AuthorsCreated by a group of writing and rhetoric faculty, this document provides information on how to write, review, and edit scholarly articles with inclusion in mind.
- Cite Black AuthorsFrom their mission: "We seek to enhance recognition and citation of Black academic voices. Our approach requires a shift from traditional citation practices that are passive and white-centric to active citation practices that both quantify and equilibrate racial representation." Consider searching the database, and/or submitting your work.
- When You Need a Little Nudge to Write (The Atlantic Newsletter)If you have a subscription to The Atlantic, this article offers some tips for dedicating time to writing.
- How to Cope With Presentation Anxiety (Chronicle of Higher Education)"Here’s how a professor and experienced public speaker has learned to deal with the academic version of stage fright."