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An Evening with Emily Dickinson

The editor of a a newly published volume of Dickinson’s letters recently spoke at Houghton Library.

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University Archives to preserve Harvard Lampoon materials

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These NLM-funded researchers bring together artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and visual prostheses – retinal and brain implants referred to as “bionic eyes” – in hopes of one day providing better assistive technology for incurable blindness that affects about 40 million people worldwide.

Despite recent advances in gene and stem cell therapies, which are showing great promise, there are no effective treatments for many people blinded by severe degeneration or damage to the retina, the optic nerve, or cortex. In such cases, an electronic visual prosthesis (“bionic eye”) may be the only option. The goal is thus to address fundamental questions at the intersection of neuroscience, computer science, and human-computer interaction that will enable the development of a Smart Bionic Eye.

Find more information in the NIH RePORTER or PubMed Central .

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Nlm intramural research program.

Intramural research at NLM consists of the development and application of computational approaches to a broad range of problems in biomedicine, molecular biology, and health. READ RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS | MEET OUR PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS | EXPLORE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

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2024 CRL Council of Voting Members Meeting

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Afghan Documentation Spans Tumultuous Century

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Research Library i s a truly multidisciplinary resource featuring a diversified mix of scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and other timely sources across the top 150 subject areas.  By covering more subject areas than other resources, It is ideal for serving diverse needs, from the one-time user to the interdisciplinary needs of serious researchers.

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Research libraries work to advance access to economic and social…

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Scholars & Scholarship

Our priority is to align library strategy, staffing, and spending…

Call for Expressions of Interest by May 31: Participate in Research on Costs of Public Access to Research Data

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ARL President’s Institute Program Planning Task Force—Call for Expressions of Interest by May 31

Joseph Hafner Appointed Dean of York University Libraries

Upcoming events, sustainability series—virtual workshops: june–december 2024, ideal 2024 conference: sustainable resistance and restoration in global communities, association meeting, fall 2024 (invitation only), social sciences librarian, director, miller learning center & student success, engineering librarian, e-resources metadata librarian.

ARL Libraries Celebrate Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

During the month of May, join ARL in celebrating the contributions of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month by rounding up the blogs, events, and resources at our member libraries. Please...

ARL Libraries Can Improve Accessibility on Global Accessibility Awareness Day

May 16 is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), an opportunity for libraries and others to take action to improve digital access and inclusion. This Global Accessibility Awareness Day, learn more...

Arab American Heritage Month in ARL Libraries

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and ARL member libraries celebrate Arab American Heritage Month during April. Below is a roundup of the events, exhibits, and other resources in our...

No One Can Own the Law—So Why Is Congress Advancing a Bill to Extend Copyright to It?

This week, the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted to advance the Protecting and Enhancing Public Access to Codes Act, or the Pro Codes Act (H.R. 1631), to the...

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The Oxford Guide to Library Research

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With all of the new developments in information storage and retrieval, researchers today need a clear and comprehensive overview of the full range of their options, both online and offline, for finding the best information quickly. In this third edition of The Oxford Guide to Library Research, Thomas Mann maps out an array not just of important databases and print sources, but of several specific search techniques that can be applied profitably in any area of research. From academic resources to government documents to manuscripts in archives to business Web sites, Mann shows readers how best to exploit controlled subject headings, explains why browsing library shelves is still important in an online age, demonstrates how citation searching and related record searching produce results far beyond keyword inquiries, and offers practical tips on making personal contacts with knowledgeable people. Against the trendy but mistaken assumption that "everything" can be found on the Internet, Mann shows the lasting value of physical libraries and the unexpected power of traditional search mechanisms, while also providing the best overview of the new capabilities of computer indexing. Throughout the book Mann enlivens his advice with real-world examples derived from his experience of having helped thousands of researchers, with interests in all subjects areas, over a quarter century. Along the way he provides striking demonstrations and powerful arguments against those theorists who have mistakenly announced the demise of print. Essential reading for students, scholars, professional researchers, and laypersons, The Oxford Guide to Library Research offers a rich, inclusive overview of the information field, one that can save researchers countless hours of frustration in the search for the best sources on their topics.

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• Why Can't I Find That Article?

Library Research Methods

• Evaluating Websites
• Citing Sources
• Productivity Tools for Scholars

(Adapted from Thomas Mann, Library Research Models )

Keyword searches . Search relevant keywords in catalogs, indexes, search engines, and full-text resources. Useful both to narrow a search to the specific subject heading and to find sources not captured under a relevant subject heading. To search a database effectively, start with a Keyword search, find relevant records, and then find relevant Subject Headings. In search engines, include many keywords to narrow the search and carefully evaluate what you find.

Subject searches .  Subject Headings (sometimes called Descriptors) are specific terms or phrases used consistently by online or print indexes to describe what a book or journal article is about. This is true of the library’s Catalog as well as many other library databases . 

Look for recent, scholarly books and articles. Within catalogs and databases, sort by the most recent date and look for books from scholarly presses and articles from scholarly journals. The more recent the source, the more up-to-date the references and citations.

Citation searches in scholarly sources .  Track down references, footnotes, endnotes, citations, etc. within relevant readings. Search for specific books or journals in the library’s Catalog . This technique helps you become part of the scholarly conversation on a particular topic.

Searches through published bibliographies (including sets of footnotes in relevant subject documents).  Published bibliographies on particular subjects (Shakespeare, alcoholism, etc.) often list sources missed through other kinds of searches. BIBLIOGRAPHY is a subject heading in the Catalog , so a Guided Search with BIBLIOGRAPHY as a Subject and your topic as a keyword will help you find these.

Searches through people sources (whether by verbal contact, e-mail, etc.). People are often more willing to help than you might think. The people to start with are often professors with relevant knowledge or librarians.

Systematic browsing, especially of full-text sources arranged in predictable subject groupings . Libraries organize books by subject, with similar books shelved together.  Browsing the stacks is a good way to find similar books; however, in large libraries, some books are not in the main stacks (e.g., they might be checked out or in ReCAP), so use the catalog as well.

The advantages of trying all these research methods are that:

Each of these ways of searching is applicable in any subject area

None of them is confined exclusively to English-language sources

Each has both strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages

The weaknesses within any one method are balanced by the strengths of the others

The strength of each is precisely that it is capable of turning up information or knowledge records that cannot be found efficiently—or often even at all—by any of the others

How to Gut a (Scholarly) Book in 5 Almost-easy Steps

Evaluating sources.

From Wayne C. Booth et al., The Craft of Research , 4th ed., pp.76-79

5.4 EVALUATING SOURCES FOR RELEVANCE AND RELIABILITY When you start looking for sources, you’ll find more than you can use, so you must quickly evaluate their usefulness; use two criteria: relevance and reliability.

5.4.1 Evaluating Sources for Relevance

If your source is a book, do this:

• Skim its index for your key words, then skim the pages on which those words occur.
• Skim the first and last paragraphs in chapters that use a lot of your key words.
• Skim prologues, introductions, summary chapters, and so on.
• Skim the last chapter, especially the >rst and last two or three pages.
• If the source is a collection of articles, skim the editor’s introduction.
• Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic.

If your source is an article, do this:

• Read the abstract, if it has one.
• Skim the introduction and conclusion, or if they are not marked by headings, skim the first six or seven paragraphs and the last four or five.
• Skim for section headings, and read the first and last paragraphs of those sections.

If your source is online, do this:

• If it looks like a printed article, follow the steps for a journal article.
• Skim sections labeled “introduction,” “overview,” “summary,” or the like. If there are none, look for a link labeled “About the Site” or something similar.
• If the site has a link labeled “Site Map” or “Index,” check it for your key words and skim the referenced pages.
• If the site has a “search” resource, type in your key words.

This kind of speedy reading can guide your own writing and revision. If you do not structure your report so your readers can skim it quickly and see the outlines of your argument, your report has a problem, an issue we discuss in chapters 12 and 14.

5.4.2 Evaluating Sources for Reliability You can’t judge a source until you read it, but there are signs of its reliability:

1. Is the source published or posted online by a reputable press? Most university presses are reliable, especially if you recognize the name of the university. Some commercial presses are reliable in some fields, such as Norton in literature, Ablex in sciences, or West in law. Be skeptical of a commercial book that makes sensational claims, even if its author has a PhD after his name. Be especially careful about sources on hotly contested social issues such as stem-cell research, gun control, and global warming. Many books and articles are published by individuals or organizations driven by ideology. Libraries often include them for the sake of coverage, but don’t assume they are reliable.

2. Was the book or article peer-reviewed? Most reputable presses and journals ask experts to review a book or article before it is published; it is called “peer review.” Many essay collections, however, are reviewed only by the named editor(s). Few commercial magazines use peer review. If a publication hasn’t been peer-reviewed, be suspicious.

3. Is the author a reputable scholar? This is hard to answer if you are new to a field. Most publications cite an author’s academic credentials; you can find more with a search engine. Most established scholars are reliable, but be cautious if the topic is a contested social issue such as gun control or abortion. Even reputable scholars can have axes to grind, especially if their research is financially supported by a special interest group. Go online to check out anyone an author thanks for support, including foundations that supported her work.

4. If the source is available only online, is it sponsored by a reputable organization? A Web site is only as reliable as its sponsor. You can usually trust one sponsored and maintained by a reputable organization. But if the site has not been updated recently, it may have been abandoned and is no longer endorsed by its sponsor. Some sites supported by individuals are reliable; most are not. Do a Web search for the name of the sponsor to find out more about it.

5. Is the source current? You must use up-to-date sources, but what counts as current depends on the field. In computer science, a journal article can be out-of-date in months; in the social sciences, ten years pushes the limit. Publications have a longer life in the humanities: in philosophy, primary sources are current for centuries, secondary ones for decades. In general, a source that sets out a major position or theory that other researchers accept will stay current longer than those that respond to or develop it. Assume that most textbooks are not current (except, of course, this one).

If you don’t know how to gauge currency in your field, look at the dates of articles in the works cited of a new book or article: you can cite works as old as the older ones in that list (but perhaps not as old as the oldest). Try to find a standard edition of primary works such as novels, plays, letters, and so on (it is usually not the most recent). Be sure that you consult the most recent edition of a secondary or tertiary source (researchers often change their views, even rejecting ones they espoused in earlier editions).

6. If the source is a book, does it have a notes and a bibliography? If not, be suspicious, because you have no way to follow up on anything the source claims.

7. If the source is a Web site, does it include bibliographical data? You cannot know how to judge the reliability of a site that does not indicate who sponsors and maintains it, who wrote what’s posted there, and when it was posted or last updated.

8. If the source is a Web site, does it approach its topic judiciously? Your readers are unlikely to trust a site that engages in heated advocacy, attacks those who disagree, makes wild claims, uses abusive language, or makes errors of spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

The following criteria are particularly important for advanced students:

9. If the source is a book, has it been well reviewed? Many fields have indexes to published reviews that tell you how others evaluate a source.

10. Has the source been frequently cited by others? You can roughly estimate how influential a source is by how often others cite it. To determine that, consult a citation index.

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Research methods--quantitative, qualitative, and more: overview.

• Quantitative Research
• Qualitative Research
• Data Science Methods (Machine Learning, AI, Big Data)
• Text Mining and Computational Text Analysis
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About Research Methods

This guide provides an overview of research methods, how to choose and use them, and supports and resources at UC Berkeley. 

As Patten and Newhart note in the book Understanding Research Methods , "Research methods are the building blocks of the scientific enterprise. They are the "how" for building systematic knowledge. The accumulation of knowledge through research is by its nature a collective endeavor. Each well-designed study provides evidence that may support, amend, refute, or deepen the understanding of existing knowledge...Decisions are important throughout the practice of research and are designed to help researchers collect evidence that includes the full spectrum of the phenomenon under study, to maintain logical rules, and to mitigate or account for possible sources of bias. In many ways, learning research methods is learning how to see and make these decisions."

The choice of methods varies by discipline, by the kind of phenomenon being studied and the data being used to study it, by the technology available, and more.  This guide is an introduction, but if you don't see what you need here, always contact your subject librarian, and/or take a look to see if there's a library research guide that will answer your question. 

Suggestions for changes and additions to this guide are welcome! 

START HERE: SAGE Research Methods

Without question, the most comprehensive resource available from the library is SAGE Research Methods.  HERE IS THE ONLINE GUIDE  to this one-stop shopping collection, and some helpful links are below:

• SAGE Research Methods
• Little Green Books  (Quantitative Methods)
• Little Blue Books  (Qualitative Methods)
• Dictionaries and Encyclopedias  
• Case studies of real research projects
• Sample datasets for hands-on practice
• Streaming video--see methods come to life
• Methodspace- -a community for researchers
• SAGE Research Methods Course Mapping

Library Data Services at UC Berkeley

Library Data Services Program and Digital Scholarship Services

The LDSP offers a variety of services and tools !  From this link, check out pages for each of the following topics:  discovering data, managing data, collecting data, GIS data, text data mining, publishing data, digital scholarship, open science, and the Research Data Management Program.

Be sure also to check out the visual guide to where to seek assistance on campus with any research question you may have!

Library GIS Services

Other Data Services at Berkeley

D-Lab Supports Berkeley faculty, staff, and graduate students with research in data intensive social science, including a wide range of training and workshop offerings Dryad Dryad is a simple self-service tool for researchers to use in publishing their datasets. It provides tools for the effective publication of and access to research data. Geospatial Innovation Facility (GIF) Provides leadership and training across a broad array of integrated mapping technologies on campu Research Data Management A UC Berkeley guide and consulting service for research data management issues

General Research Methods Resources

Here are some general resources for assistance:

• Assistance from ICPSR (must create an account to access): Getting Help with Data , and Resources for Students
• Wiley Stats Ref for background information on statistics topics
• Survey Documentation and Analysis (SDA) .  Program for easy web-based analysis of survey data.

Consultants

• D-Lab/Data Science Discovery Consultants Request help with your research project from peer consultants.
• Research data (RDM) consulting Meet with RDM consultants before designing the data security, storage, and sharing aspects of your qualitative project.
• Statistics Department Consulting Services A service in which advanced graduate students, under faculty supervision, are available to consult during specified hours in the Fall and Spring semesters.

Related Resourcex

• IRB / CPHS Qualitative research projects with human subjects often require that you go through an ethics review.
• OURS (Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarships) OURS supports undergraduates who want to embark on research projects and assistantships. In particular, check out their "Getting Started in Research" workshops
• Sponsored Projects Sponsored projects works with researchers applying for major external grants.
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College & Research Libraries News  ( C&RL News ) is the official newsmagazine and publication of record of the Association of College & Research Libraries,  providing articles on the latest trends and practices affecting academic and research libraries.

C&RL News  became an online-only publication beginning with the January 2022 issue.

C&RL News  Reader Survey

Give us your feedback in the 2024  C&RL News   reader survey ! The survey asks a series of questions today to gather your thoughts on the contents and presentation of the magazine and should only take approximately 5-7 minutes to complete. Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback and suggestions for  C&RL News , we greatly appreciate and value your input.

Jennifer Matthews is head of collection services at the Rowan University Campbell Library, email: [email protected] .

Ane Turner Johnson is professor of educational leadership, administration, and research at Rowan University, email: [email protected] .

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Jennifer Matthews and Ane Turner Johnson

What Students Want

Electronic v. Print Books in the Academic Library

Jennifer Matthews is head of collection services at the Rowan University Campbell Library, email: [email protected] . Ane Turner Johnson is professor of educational leadership, administration, and research at Rowan University, email: [email protected] .

© 2024 Jennifer Matthews and Ane Turner Johnson

A ttending college can be a significant milestone in many young adults’ lives. For some, it is a well-worn path walked by multiple generations, while for others, it is a new journey marked by an unfamiliarity with the expectations of the collegiate environment. First-generation college students do not have generations of experience and knowledge to rely on or to consult regarding academia’s hidden policies and procedures. As a result, understanding aspects of college life that reinforce first-generation students’ efforts to succeed throughout their college journey is essential for libraries. Today’s university administration tends to assume that first-generation students are digital natives who prefer electronic resources since they have grown up surrounded by this technology. 1 On the other hand, libraries have witnessed first-generation students frustrated by current technology despite their digital native status, adding another barrier to success.

Besides being alert to how engaged students may be with technology, libraries are also fundamentally aware that print books and electronic books lead to different outcomes depending on the reading styles of students. 2 Print books have been linked to deeper focus and concentration, better integration of concepts, and easier memorization. In contrast, electronic books are linked to quick decision-making, rapid pattern recognition, instant gratification, and often impatience when results are not immediate. 3 The choice of reading material often aligns with the student’s desired reading style to achieve the optimum outcome.

Perhaps more than ever, libraries should know students’ preferences for reading materials when preparing for classroom assignments and exams. This is especially important when university administrations are unilaterally determining to close brick-and-mortar libraries for virtual versions with little input from those affected. 4 Fortunately, recent examples of such efforts did not materialize after community objections. A focus on digital resources requires careful consideration of library policies by policymakers to ensure that they reflect the university’s public mission and ensure the success of all students. At Rowan University, one such endeavor was to embark on this study to determine if our policies actually reflected the ways in which the student body used the library collection.

About the Institution

Rowan University is a four-year public research institution in the northeastern United States. It has a rapidly growing undergraduate student population, with over one-third identifying as members of underrepresented groups, plus 5,711 self-identified first-generation students. Like many research institutions, it boasts a multi-library system, with two medical libraries catering mainly to graduate students and a central library focusing primarily on the undergraduate student population. With such a large body of first-generation students, the study team, which consisted of a librarian doctoral student and their advisor, was interested in learning how the library’s current electronic primary collection policy might affect this population, as this policy requires the purchase of electronic books first, with rare exceptions for print book purchasing.

Rowan University has been an e-primary institution since 2015 to address many issues, including lack of space. Rowan University Library’s collection development policy was adapted to reflect this need and requires that the library purchase materials in an electronic format first, with exceptions for curricular and format needs. In practice, this policy has led to frustration and annoyance with the library for students who cannot access materials in their preferred format.

Investigating Library Policy

In the fall of 2022, the study team designed a mixed methods study to explore the effectiveness of the electronic primary policy and received IRB approval. Data were collected in two parallel phases and used an intrinsic case study design to focus on first-generation college students at Rowan University. 5 The study aimed to better understand this population’s behaviors and preferences toward print or electronic books in the Rowan University Libraries’ collection. The quantitative phase focused on the Academic Reading Questionnaire, 6 which was chosen because Likert items are designed to measure an individual’s attitudes toward a particular topic, and attitudes displayed by individuals indicate a positive behavioral belief. 7 Analyzing these results informed the study team of behavioral beliefs toward print or electronic books. The survey, distributed twice during the fall semester using stratified random sampling methods, included continuing-generation college students, soliciting 318 responses. The data, collected via Rowan University’s instance of Qualtrics, were downloaded, then analyzed using SPSS software. All personal information was kept in a separate anonymized and password-protected file. Survey questions were then analyzed using contingency tables.

From the survey, 80 indicated interest, but 19 first-generation college students self-identified to be interviewed. The survey team then undertook a qualitative phase with these students to evaluate their engagement with library resources considering their unique collegiate needs and analyzed using Stake’s categorical aggregation technique. 8 During the interviews, participants could highlight and expand upon their preferences for using the print or electronic book collection in the Rowan University Libraries. All data were collected during the 2021–2022 academic year.

What We Learned

Through this mixed-methods study, the team discovered that both continuing-generation and first-generation students primarily prefer print books for course materials. In fact, kinesthetic learning was a prominent component of student preferences and relates to reading style through skimming or detailed reading as used by the student. Specific survey or interview questions did not cover this attribute. It first appeared in the survey’s free text area but was fully uncovered during the study team’s interviews. During these interviews with first-generation college students, they frequently mentioned their need to touch course materials. Below, three key aspects of participants’ kinesthetic learning experience are explored.

Kinesthetic Learning

While the need to touch course materials was not covered in the survey, several participants did mention this in the survey’s open-text field. In this section, participants said, “there is something about actually holding the material. It makes me able to comprehend the material better,” and “I prefer to annotate and work from a print version. I work best if I can turn the pages myself, and it’s easier to keep track of places I need to refer to.” One participant simply stated, “I think using the kinesthetic method is good for the student.” Again, participants were not queried about kinesthetic learning but about overall preferences for course materials rather than specifics, such as if they preferred to flip pages or scroll screens. Regardless, the need to touch the material was critical in their learning.

Recalling Material

In many cases, touch is related to the ability to recall a fact or reinforce subject matter while studying. Turning the page accentuates the material differently for these first-generation participants than the endlessly scrolling electronic book page. Most participants felt that the tactile experience of holding a book or flipping a page strengthened information retention as they studied. Sabrina stated,

I like having it in front of me. I like flipping through pages, trying to find texts. It’s better for me to focus, and overall, I just like physically having it in front of me that I can hold.

Other participants, like Dave, echoed this sentiment, stating, “I don’t retain as much without having the book in front of me. I guess you get the extra tactile feedback.” Thus, a direct connection exists between physically holding the text, focusing on the material, and later recalling it, making this a vital aspect of their study habits.

Deeper Engagement

Comparatively, participants felt that electronic books—with their never-ending screens—were too ephemeral in design and made it harder to pinpoint information without taking copious handwritten notes, printing information, or highlighting and annotating those documents. Almost as a group, participants mentioned that they do not read electronic books as deeply as they do print books. For instance, Nazir states,

I know I’m going to go through it quickly. I’m not going to absorb it and sit down. You know how people say, “Oh, skim over it?” One, I’m not that good at that, but when I’m using digital, it makes me do it.

In fact, direct engagement with the text became an event through which participants nurtured their learning. Nazir mentioned that he preferred printed books so that he “could go in the library. I can sit down, open it. I know I’m going to make an event out of the book. I like to really nurture it and really go through it.” Participants who sought that physical element were better able to reinforce, to nurture their learning through a deeper engagement with the content.

This study made apparent that while undergraduate students work in both print and electronic mediums, it is impossible to predict a common preference from one group of students to the next. Sharing the results of this study with both the library administration and the Provost’s office will enable discussions regarding current policies and practices at Rowan University that would allow for reflection surrounding student reading styles and the purchasing requirements that might affect these preferences. Additionally, engaging with the first-generation task force on campus could help construct more informed policies surrounding library materials and reading preferences, thus removing hidden barriers from this population. Finally, an expanded version of the study that seeks to understand how all underrepresented groups use library materials would lead to better policies and practices overall for the Rowan University Libraries.

Attending college for first-generation students is challenging, with many obstacles and barriers. University administrations and libraries often assume first-generation students are digital natives and have created policies that, in a significant part, do not consider how these students ultimately engage with library materials.

The work conducted in this study reinforced that first-generation students choose their reading material preference based on classroom assignments and exams. Libraries such as Rowan University that have an electronic resource–first policy are creating a disservice to not just their first-generation student population but, as this study indicated, other student populations on campus. From the administrative point of view, it appears beneficial to the student population to make resources widely available through electronic resource packages, which can be accessed from multiple locations and by the maximum number of individuals. However, participants interviewed and surveyed have strongly indicated that this does not adequately replace the print format for study and focus. It is also cheaper for the administration to make these resources available electronically because they no longer need to provide square footage for their print counterpart. Conversely, electronic materials are also typically purchased in packages (e.g., “Big Deals)” that, while often negotiated to the best of the library’s ability, still cost thousands more than the average print book version.

Rowan University Libraries and libraries of a similar class—for example, public research institutions catering to first-generation student populations—must continue providing greater access to print books for this population and other student populations with similar preferences and needs despite the electronic-first policies. As university administrations continue to push for an electronic-only library, it is essential to provide hard data from studies such as this to indicate the continued need for print collections. Libraries need to continue to advocate strongly for resources that are in the best interest of the students to facilitate student success and matriculation. Through joint conversations, the Rowan University Libraries and similar libraries can continue to ensure that policies and procedures are developed and maintained that do not undermine specific student populations in the future, but rather factor into these populations’ college success.

• Marc Prensky, “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part 1,” On the Horizon 9, no. 5 (2001): 1–6, https://doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816 .
• Maryanne Wolf and Mirit Barzillai, “The Importance of Deep Reading,” Educational Leadership 66, no. 6 (2009): 32–37, https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-importance-of-deep-reading .
• Wolf and Barzillai, “The Importance of Deep Reading.”
• Jeralyn Darling, “VT Digger: Vermont State University to Close Libraries, Downgrade Sports Programs,” Newstex, Singer Island, February 8, 2023; David Jesse, “After Protests and a Resignation, a New University Withdraws a Plan for a Digital-First Library,” The Chronicle of Higher Education , April 25, 2023.
• John W. Creswell and Vicki L. Plano Clark, Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research, 3rd ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2018); Robert E. Stake, The Art of Case Study Research (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1995).
• Diane Mizrachi, Academic Reading Questionnaire (Oakland, CA: The Regents of the University of California, 2015).
• Izek Ajzen, Attitudes, Personality, and Behavior (Chicago: Dorsey, 1988); Martin Fishbein, Readings in Attitude Theory and Measurement (New York: Wiley, 1967); Rensis Likert, “The Method of Constructing an Attitude Scale,” in Martin Fishbein, Readings in Attitude Theory and Measurement (New York: Wiley, 1967), 90–95.
• Stake, Art of Case Study Research.

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Heard Libraries’ research engagement collaborations bolster faculty scholarship

When Vanderbilt Law School professors Kevin Stack and Ganesh Sitaraman were researching their 2023 article advocating for the professional licensure of election administrators, Heard Libraries’ Keri Stophel is among those they turned to for help.  

Stophel, a research services law librarian at the Alyne Queener Massey Law Library , routinely performs in-depth state and federal regulatory research in support of faculty members’ work. In her collaboration with Stack and Sitaraman, she developed methodologies to search for relevant statutes, regulations, policy documents and guidance about election administration, as well as the scope of training requirements across the country. Stophel also organized and surveyed other materials, such as election audit reports and processes, and found additional secondary sources on various regulatory topics.   

Her contributions were integral to the writing of “ Election Administration as a Licensed Profession ,” published in Wisconsin Law Review by Stack, the Lee S. and Charles A. Speir Professor of Law, and Sitaraman, the New York Alumni Chancellor’s Professor of Law. In their article, they argue that election administrators should be subject to professional licensure, much the same way doctors and lawyers are, which would expand the requirements for election officials’ training, enhance their professional identification, and reinforce norms of reliability and impartiality. “Such a reform meets our moment,” write the authors in their introduction, citing how licensure could greatly improve public confidence in the integrity of U.S. elections.  

Stophel was indispensable to the process, Stack said. “Keri is able to carefully assemble hard-to-find information about state processes and laws. It is hard to imagine attempting to make claims about state practices without her help.”  

Stophel’s research on the topic also helped to inform the fourth edition of The Regulatory State , a textbook co-authored by Stack, Lisa Bressman, the David Daniels Allen Distinguished Professor of Law, and Edward Rubin, University Distinguished Professor of Law and Political Science; an article in the Iowa Law Review , “ Representative Rulemaking ,” by Stack and Jim Rossi, the Judge D.L. Lansden Professor of Law; and a forthcoming article concerning state election regulation powers.    

Translating research into knowledge  

This collaboration highlights an important facet of the academic librarian’s role: leveraging research expertise to find and organize information and evaluate its quality, accuracy and validity to bolster faculty scholarship. In essence, librarians are information specialists who help to translate research into knowledge that has practical and far-reaching applications.  

Embedding librarians at critical points in the research lifecycle at Vanderbilt is a guiding mission of the Heard Libraries and the focus of the libraries’ Research Engagement Committee.  

“Our goal is, essentially, to systematize active research engagement between faculty and librarians,” said Joshua Borycz , chair of the committee and librarian for STEM research at the Sarah Shannon Stevenson Science and Engineering Library . “We provide support and training opportunities to librarians, and we are developing a website and information on services for faculty. Ideally, we want to make it so that active outreach and engagement with faculty about their research are just as integrated into the work life of librarians as instruction.”  

Improving patient care  

Having the most up-to-date research is vital in evidence-based nursing practice. Rachel Lane Walden works closely with the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research Committee to facilitate research activities with the aim of improving patient care.   

As a committee member, Walden, assistant director for research and education services at the Annette and Irwin Eskind Family Biomedical Library , provides training and consultations on how to craft research questions, search the literature, and use citation managers and other software tools. This year, the committee is also designing a repository for research-based practice nursing projects and is currently creating a proposal for that initiative.  

“Rachel’s commitment to supporting evidence-based nursing practices and research is demonstrated time and again with her involvement on the committee, her outside-the-nursing-box thinking, and her willingness to educate, train and present when needed,” said Stacy Stark, co-chair of the committee and principal quality and patient safety advisor for Vanderbilt Behavioral Health and Quality, Safety and Risk Prevention . “Rachel is an invaluable resource for the committee and for nurses at VUMC, and her depth of knowledge and expertise cannot be overstated.”     

Fostering connections  

Staff in the Heard Libraries’ Digital Lab are using their unique expertise in harnessing data to organize, visualize—and, ultimately, to strengthen—professional and scholarly networks.  

Working in partnership with Professor of Otolaryngology Alex Gelbard , Librarian for Scholarly Communications Shenmeng Xu and Data Science and Data Curation Specialist Steven Baskauf embarked on a project to map the large collaborative network of otolaryngologists practicing in the U.S. The project spanned two years and involved input from additional Vanderbilt faculty, medical school trainees, students and staff.  

“Libraries have always connected surgeons,” said Gelbard, the Robert H. Ossoff Endowed Director of Research at VUMC’s Center for Complex Airway Reconstruction. “Historically, they were essential to the flow of ideas and experimental results between authors and readers. Central to this experience were the professional librarians who identified, collected and organized this information.  

“However, with the rise of new digital tools to connect each other directly, newer structures linking academic surgeons have emerged,” he said. “At the individual level, a small set of influencers with high measures of social connectivity can disproportionately influence large populations in different contexts. At the collective level, network ties may play an important role in fostering the global spread of information.”  

The team used peer-reviewed manuscript co-authorships to define network connections, then Xu and Baskauf utilized emerging tools in network analysis to explore, visualize and quantify the relationships between faculty physicians in accredited otolaryngology programs. The results provide a comprehensive new methodology to examine the interrelationships, influence and impact of individual surgeons, grouped networks and sub-specialties in academic otolaryngology. Their work was presented at a meeting of The Triological Society earlier this year, and Gelbard and his team have applied for a Digital Lab Seed Grant to develop the project further.  

“Shenmeng and Steve leveraged both their technologic expertise in data acquisition and network analysis, along with their professional commitment to understanding the movement of ideas across academics, to make this project possible,” Gelbard said . “With this work, the team showed that quantitative measures of social connectedness in physician networks correlate with academic impact, and collaborative interactions within the academic community are strongly shaped by sub-specialty affiliation and academic institution.”  

For more news and information about the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries, visit library.vanderbilt.edu .  

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Students earn awards for excellence in research, use of K-State Libraries resources

Friday, May 17, 2024

MANHATTAN — Excellence in research has earned several Kansas State University students recognition through the 11th annual Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards from K-State Libraries. The awards recognize the use of library resources to complete research for projects. The awards committee, composed of faculty from varying disciplines, recognized outstanding undergraduate research in topics ranging from flash flooding in developing countries to the effect of production design in Indigenous film. Grand prize awards were given in two categories: individual non-freshman and group. The individual grand prizewinners received $1,500 each, and the group grand prizewinners shared a $6,000 award. Honorable mentions were granted $100 each. The awards are made possible through a gift from the Philip and Jeune Kirmser estate. Both grand and honorable mention prizewinners are invited to archive their projects in the university's institutional repository, the K-State Research Exchange , so they will be available online to the public. The following students were recognized as recipients of individual grand prizes through the Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards: • Mandy Henshaw, master's student in interior architecture, Leawood , grand prize in the individual non-freshman research category for her project, "Indigenous Film: The Effect of Production Design," completed in spring 2023 for the Indigenous Film class taught by Lisa Tatonetti, professor of English and Coffman Chair for University Distinguished Teaching Scholars. • Caleb Stelk, senior in industrial engineering, Lawrence , grand prize in the individual non-freshman research category for his project, "Optimization Models for Flash Flooding in Developing Countries," completed for the Written Communications for Engineers class taught by Roger Friedmann, instructor in the English department. The grand prize in the group research category was for the project "EcoBrew Design Group: Collection and Implementation of Trüb into Animal Food Products." The project was completed for the Biological Systems Engineering Senior Design class taught by Edwin Brokesh, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering. The group research grand prize was presented to the following students: Caden Searcy, senior in biological systems engineering, Linwood ; Zachary Molitor, graduate in biological systems engineering, Sydney Tumberger, senior in biological systems engineering, and Emma Worthington, senior in biological systems engineering, all from Overland Park . The following students received honorable mentions: Morgan Olmstead, senior in social work, Hays , honorable mention in group research project; Campbell McNorton, junior in social transformation studies and global food systems leadership, Manhattan, honorable mention in individual non-freshman research category; Karsyn Arnold, senior in social work, Salina , honorable mention in group research project; and Alyssa Wedlock, senior in social work, Wichita , honorable mention in group research project.

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Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards

Hays, Lawrence, Leawood, Linwood, Manhattan, Overland Park, Salina and Wichita.

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