Data collection by multi-location, longitudinal focus group: an application in library and information science research

Leo Appleton

Dr Leo Appleton

I have recently published a new paper on research methods in Library and Information Science (LIS) research with Dr Leo Appleton of the Information School at Sheffield University.

This work is concerned with the data collection phase of Leo‘s part-time doctoral study completed in 2020 within the Centre for Social Informatics.  For this, Leo deployed a novel multi-location longitudinal focus group method. Fifty-three participants took part in three rounds of focus group meetings in eight public library authorities in England and Scotland over a period of three years. Continue reading

Bookings fill up fast for RIVAL events 2, 3 and 4

RIVAL logoFollowing the success of the ‘taster’ Research, Impact, Value and Library and Information Science (RIVAL) project event on July 11th 2019, most of the places for the set of three network events on 7th November 2019, 19th March 2020, and 9th July 2020 have been booked. Continue reading

Applications invited for four funded PhD places to start in October 2014

IIDI logoThe Institute for Informatics and Digital Innovation (IIDI) is currently advertising four funded PhD places to start in October 2014. The full advertisement can be found at jobs.ac.uk and on the Edinburgh Napier University vacancies web site. The closing date for applications is 31st May 2014, with interviews expected to take place on 19th June 2014.

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Social Network Analysis (SNA) and LIS research: newly-published article in the Journal of Documentation

Dr Louise Cooke

My co-author: Dr Louise Cooke of Loughborough University

Last year Dr Louise Cooke of Loughborough University and I worked on a research project that explored the applicability of Social Network Analysis (SNA) to Library and Information Science research. The novelty of this work was in its assessment of the value of SNA in the context of the development of researcher networks. The findings from our empirical work, which we wrote up for publication as a research paper, indicate the potential of a methodology that could be used as a replicable framework for further development of networks in other contexts.

The manuscript of our paper was accepted for publication in the Journal of Documentation (JDoc) in December 2012. JDoc is one of the top international information science journals and regularly achieves the highest citation ratings in ISI for comparable titles.

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Applications sought for funded PhD place within the Institute for Informatics and Digital Innovation

IIDI logoThe Institute for Informatics and Digital Innovation (IIDI) is currently advertising a funded PhD place to start in September 2013. The full advertisement can be found at at jobs.ac.uk and on the Edinburgh Napier University vacancies web site. There is also an associated item about the vacancy on the IIDI news feed. The closing date for applications is Monday 1st July 2013, with interviews expected to take place on Wednesday 24th July 2013.

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