Synthesis Statement
I have chosen to use my CCE/AHE 501 research proposal to represent my learning towards this outcome because it is the product of significant reflection on quantitative and qualitative research methods. It is designed to examine whether or not academic librarians think the digital privacy and security ought be considered information literacy issues supported by the profession. In designing this study I was torn between a quantitative and qualitative approach. The qualitative approach appealed to me because a grounded theory approach would have helped identify particular issues related to my thesis. However, after thinking critically Gay, Mills, and Airasian’s (2009) description of the benefits of a deductive versus inductive approach to research I decided to go with a quantitative methodology because it would be valuable to first deduce whether there was agreement with the thesis before looking into the specific details about what it would look like if academic librarians did treat digital privacy and security as an information literacy issue. Furthermore, a more nuanced qualitative study would likely be too labor intensive with the time I have available.
I have not yet actually implemented this study. However, that may be something that I do in the near future. The issue is still a major one, and new problems relating to digital privacy seem to be coming to light all the time. The only study that I have actually implemented was in my previous masters studying the information needs of international students at the University of Wisconsin. That study, a mixed methods survey and series of transcribed focus groups, is unpublished since it did not go through IRB review and was completed as part of my coursework. I do think that it would be of value for me, professionally, to implement a study, whether it be my proposal for CCE/AHE 501 or my proposed research project examining nonformal educational interactions at reference desks for this, the Portfolio and Applied Research Proposal class. I am very interested in the possibilities around conducting ethnographic research in nonformal educational settings similar to what Taylor (2006) has done, except in this case in a library environment. Doing so would give me new insights into the research process and help advance me professionally in my tenure-track role.
Working with scholarship is a part of my everyday work. As an academic librarian I am often helping students locate and evaluate sources that are appropriate for their needs. These needs might come from assignment requirements or self-identified needs for a project. Either way, an important aspect of my work is to advise students on how they should evaluate and consider different sources they might be using, including the benefits and drawbacks to quantitative and qualitative research in terms of how those sources inform their topic. For example, I might work with a Human Services student where they are examining effective social services practices for low-income families in Whatcom County. Scholarly field studies might be able to demonstrate some approaches that could be generalizable to Whatcom County, but it would probably also be useful for them to be able to use the Census to better understand the local situation. Knowing how different sources “speak to each other” and at least the basics behind the methodologies used to gather the data is useful in being able to consult with students on their information needs.
I have not yet actually implemented this study. However, that may be something that I do in the near future. The issue is still a major one, and new problems relating to digital privacy seem to be coming to light all the time. The only study that I have actually implemented was in my previous masters studying the information needs of international students at the University of Wisconsin. That study, a mixed methods survey and series of transcribed focus groups, is unpublished since it did not go through IRB review and was completed as part of my coursework. I do think that it would be of value for me, professionally, to implement a study, whether it be my proposal for CCE/AHE 501 or my proposed research project examining nonformal educational interactions at reference desks for this, the Portfolio and Applied Research Proposal class. I am very interested in the possibilities around conducting ethnographic research in nonformal educational settings similar to what Taylor (2006) has done, except in this case in a library environment. Doing so would give me new insights into the research process and help advance me professionally in my tenure-track role.
Working with scholarship is a part of my everyday work. As an academic librarian I am often helping students locate and evaluate sources that are appropriate for their needs. These needs might come from assignment requirements or self-identified needs for a project. Either way, an important aspect of my work is to advise students on how they should evaluate and consider different sources they might be using, including the benefits and drawbacks to quantitative and qualitative research in terms of how those sources inform their topic. For example, I might work with a Human Services student where they are examining effective social services practices for low-income families in Whatcom County. Scholarly field studies might be able to demonstrate some approaches that could be generalizable to Whatcom County, but it would probably also be useful for them to be able to use the Census to better understand the local situation. Knowing how different sources “speak to each other” and at least the basics behind the methodologies used to gather the data is useful in being able to consult with students on their information needs.
Artifact
References
Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2009). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and applications. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Pearson.
Taylor, E. W. (2006). Making meaning of local nonformal education: Practitioner’s perspective. Adult Education Quarterly, 56(4), 291–307. doi:10.1177/0741713606289122
Taylor, E. W. (2006). Making meaning of local nonformal education: Practitioner’s perspective. Adult Education Quarterly, 56(4), 291–307. doi:10.1177/0741713606289122