Anyone wanting a clear overview of research in library and information studies in a readable text will find it in this, the second edition of Pickard's highly regarded work. The work has been updated throughout, and expanded with two additional chapters: one on research data management by Julie McLeod, Sue Childs and Elizabeth Lomas, and one on the analysis of existing, externally created materials by Andrew K. Shenton. Both topics are often overlooked in research texts and are a valuable addition here.
The book is aimed at the library and information studies (LIS) practitioner as much as at the LIS student, and researchers of all levels of experience will find it useful. Quantitative and qualitative approaches are given equal treatment, and mixed methods are also covered. The introduction defines a research hierarchy, and the rest of the book expands on this structure. Part 1 “Starting the research process” is followed in part 2 by short descriptions of research methods commonly used in LIS, while part 3 covers data collection techniques, including case studies, surveys, experimental research, usability testing, ethnography, Delphi studies, action research, historical research and grounded theory. The last is discussed at more length than other research methods, due to the relative complexity of its history, and the question of whether it is a method or a form of analysis is raised and explored. Part 4 reviews data analysis and the final write-up and presentation of the research.
There are research methods texts aplenty; what sets this work apart is the thorough and balanced coverage, the range of topics and the quality and clarity of its writing. Pickard writes in the first person and addresses the researcher directly through most of the book, and this will provide a sense of reassurance for less experience researchers in particular. It is sometimes difficult for a new researcher to identify which paradigm and methodology suits them best, and this may depend on the research project as much as on the researcher's experience and inclination. Pickard clarifies this stage of the process, providing guidance on major research paradigms as well as on the various methodologies. There is enough detail in each of the research methods and data collection chapters that an informed decision to use these can be made from this book. Practical exercises and further reading amplify each chapter, and there is a glossary, a comprehensive list of references and an excellent index to further support the reader.
Research is framed as something that benefits the profession, not just the individual, and the sense of a wider research community, of which each individual researcher is a part, is explicit. While I might quibble a little with the title's “information”, as opposed to “information and library studies”, there is no doubt that this is an excellent text for all researchers, regardless of experience.
