Developing the methodological toolbox for information literacy research: Grounded theory and visual research methods

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2018.09.001Get rights and content

Highlights

  • The use of visual research methods extends an emic perspective to grounded theory analysis.

  • Grounded theory method brings theoretical complexity to information literacy research.

  • Increasingly complex information environments call for continued research into the extension of grounded theory method.

Abstract

The growing complexity of information environments calls for a reconsideration of the ways in which grounded theory method is employed within library and information science (LIS). This methodological discussion explores the synergies between grounded theory, information literacy and visual research to establish a research agenda for the extension of grounded theory method within LIS. The discussion draws upon recent theoretical and methodological advances to outline the challenges and opportunities of the proposed shift in focus for the development of a LIS researchers methodological toolbox. The ongoing exploration of grounded theory method is vital for the creation of richer and more complex theorising about the ways in which people engage with information within evolving settings and spaces.

Introduction

Grounded theory provides a method for the collection and analysis of data that can lead to the construction of theory (Charmaz, 2014). Emerging in the 1960s through the work of two sociologists, Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss, grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) has since developed distinctive practically-focused (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) and constructivist versions (Charmaz, 2014). Frequently used within library and information science (LIS) to explore how research participants understand and interpret the ways in which they engage with information (Mansourian, 2006), grounded theory has also been credited as playing an important role within the turn towards qualitative research (Westbrook, 1994). Notwithstanding, the evolving shape of research practices as well as changing social priorities calls for an ongoing interrogation of the ways in which grounded theory is employed within LIS. This methodological discussion explores the synergies between grounded theory, information literacy and visual research to present a research agenda for the continued elaboration of grounded theory method within LIS research.

Section snippets

Research problem

Grounded theory has been employed within LIS since the 1980s (Mansourian, 2006), where it has been used to produce a number of well-known LIS theories, including Mellon's (1986) theory of library anxiety, Kuhlthau's (1988) information search process and Ellis' (1993) model of information-seeking behaviour. However, since these early studies, the use of grounded theory has predominantly been confined to the domain of information behaviour (González-Teruel & Abad-García, 2012; Mansourian, 2006)

(Constructivist) grounded theory

Grounded theory, which refers to both the method as well as the final product of inquiry (Charmaz & Bryant, 2008), emerged in the 1960s as researchers sought to develop newly established qualitative research methods (Thomas & James, 2006). Providing the means to analyse qualitative data as well as to generate theory (Charmaz & Bryant, 2008), grounded theory was rapidly adopted by researchers who were looking for a solution to the problems of working meaningfully through findings from their

Research agenda and challenges

An exploration of the synergies between grounded theory, information literacy, and visual research suggests that there are a number of avenues that future research could take to continue developing the methodological toolbox within LIS. Most importantly, empirical research is needed to provide a more detailed understanding of the impact that the extension of grounded theory method has on LIS research. From an information literacy perspective, empirical research should scrutinise the

Conclusion

The complexity of current information environments requires the employment of a research design that is versatile enough to respond to new research imperatives while flexible enough to facilitate insight into changing social processes. In providing the means to raise data to analytical and conceptual significance, grounded theory method facilitates the production of rich and theoretically-infused understanding about the shape of information literacy. The use of visual methods further

Acknowledgements

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The author would like to thank Professor Annemaree Lloyd for her feedback on an earlier draft of this paper and Professor Olof Sundin for sparking the original idea for this work.

Author biography

Alison Hicks is a lecturer (assistant professor) in the Department of Information Studies at University College London, UK. Her research centres on sociocultural approaches to information literacy, with a focus on world language learning and intercultural settings. Having previously worked as an academic librarian in the United States for over a decade, Alison is currently engaged in exploring questions of transition within academic and everyday information environments. Her work has been

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