When this volume landed on my desk, I expected it be about information audits, but it turned out to be about more than that. In fact, it argues that “research”, “evaluation” and “audits” have many similarities, and it is that common ground that this handbook covers. Based on the Health Information and Libraries for Evaluation and Research network’s research toolkit (http://researchflowchart.pbworks.com/w/page/6839792/Welcome%20and%20Acknowledgements), this easy-to-read book follows its ten-step programme and addresses the needs of practicing librarians and students alike. Its chapters are short, and written by academics and practitioner researchers. The emphasis is on practical guidance – starting off with a piece on building confidence as a researcher, followed by one looking at “asking the right question”. Every step of the research process is explained, including dissemination of findings and applying them in practice. Chapters on quantitative and qualitative research approaches provide an introduction into different traditions; the one on data analysis covers, among other things, the basics of both descriptive and inferential statistics in simple terms. Another part of this book looks at essential questions, such as ethics and best practice. Ethical questions need to be considered for any type of research, but are often neglected outside academia. This is no doubt new territory for many practitioners, unlike the next chapter. This one is dedicated to literature review, the one task librarians would probably be most at home with. “Writing your project plan” is the topic of another section, which introduces both project plans and research proposals, and suggests ways of adapting them to different organisational needs. As an additional aid, there are “tick box” sheets in several chapters that the reader can use as guidelines for their own project.
Case studies give examples of real-life research scenarios, often reporting on projects that the authors had been engaged in. This, no doubt, will spark ideas in many readers, who are being encouraged at regular intervals to reflect about their own research ideas. Plenty of references and recommendations on further reading, which include some classic texts, allow for deeper immersion. Readers can also pick up little nuggets, such as free online tools, that can be implemented in their daily current awareness routine. The only small caveat I have is that “demonstrating your value” seemed to have been given little space, but I can imagine that that would probably be a book in itself. As the editors have pointed out, “research can demonstrate the relevance, value, impact and effectiveness of the day-to-day business of library and information provision” (p. 3).
This is an ideal book for busy individuals who are new to research or who have not used their skills since graduation day. They can brush up on a specific aspect of the research process by reading a particular chapter. Cross referencing throughout the book then points interested readers to related sections elsewhere. Thanks to the calibre of contributors, I could not put the book down and read it from start to finish. Postgraduate students in Library and Information Studies (LIS) are often referred to Judith Bell’s “Doing your research project”. The present book would complement their reading through its grounding in real-life LIS research. It is a welcome addition and should attract an international audience.
