Building a Research-led Profession

Workshop 3
May 9, 2011

Ann Gillespie spoke to us about evidence-based practice. In practical terms, this means:

• Converting information into answerable questions
• Finding the best available evidence to answer those questions
• Critically appraising the evidence for validity and usefulness
• Applying the results of that critical appraisal to your professional practice
• Evaluating whether it makes a difference to performance

Evidence-based librarianship has been around since about 1997, and evolved from medical librarians working in evidence-based medicine. Ann made a case for evidence-based practice, but she also pointed to its challenges. There is a lack of time practice it, a lack of confidence, a lack of research and critical appraisal skills, and a gap between the research questions that are asked and what is actually delivered.

I can see the lack of time being one of the biggest conflicts in a workplace. If your employer does not support EBP, it would be difficult to gain permission to spend time researching. Ideally, you could show a projected savings of time and/or money if a project or report is delivered using the principles of evidence-based practice. Unfortunately these resources are often put ahead of skills and expertise.

The class discussed the meanings of two words: Professional and Research. Our pair came close to the Australian Council of Professions definition, which included an adherence to standards, a public acceptance of their special skills and knowledge, and a high level of education and training. What we missed was a professional's willingness to use this knowledge and these skills to benefit others.

It was more challenging to pin down a definition of research. It's both a noun and a verb, so it can create something tangible, and it also requires action. It's also a way of finding out information, confirming facts, or gathering a basis for comparison. The definitions from Leedy and Ormorod (2005) made research into a logical progression. The detailed breakdown really helped me to see "behind the scenes" of research - the things you do without thinking about them.

Research involves more than looking up information; you must reflect on it or critically review it. Once you're actively researching, evidence-based practice can happen. Similarly to reflecting on experiences and learning, the application of knowledge is just as important as the gathering of knowledge.

I agree with the potential benefits of following EBL we discussed - higher standards, lower risk of failure, adding knowledge to the field, informing other practitioners, and providing solutions to problems. I hope to find a place of employment where EBL is encouraged, and in the meantime I will try to consider the wider outcomes of my own research.

Wikimedia Workshop

I was chosen as one of two QUT students from IT43 to attend a Wikimedia workshop at the State Library of Queensland on Monday, May 16th. Craig Franklin, QLD representative, and John Vandenberg, Wikimedia president for Australia, taught the session at The Edge.

We began with an overview of 10 Simple Rules and the 5 Pillars of editing, then learned how the Wiki family of sites is interconnected. There's a single sign-on, so once you've registered, you can add content across all the wikis.

During the training session we edited some scanned text. The Wiki software uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to read and interpret scanned documents, but it's not perfect. Faded or antiquated fonts are more difficult to process, and human eyes are needed to proofread, with a second volunteer to verify the initial proofread. In these types of content pages, the "original" copy is retained alongside the plain text, for reference and as added value. A historical document or early print edition of a book, for instance, is notable for its format and not just its content.

Craig and John assured us that Wikipedia's collective knowledge is growing and has become more reliable than when it was first started up. Some high-profile pages, for example Katy Perry's entry, are locked so that only certain accounts can make changes - this has cut down on malicious edits. The upload and naming policies aren't exactly strict (in fact, you're encouraged to BE BOLD!) and it seems more people are becoming part of this amazing worldwide knowledge network.

What astounded me was the woman in the workshop who had no background knowledge or Wikipedia at all. It's certainly not new, so I assumed anyone who'd spent any time online would have come across it and known its basic principles. But when we were editing pages of the scanned book, she noticed an earlier edit and asked, "Who is that?" and I just shrugged and said, "Some guy." She was astounded that he wasn't a professor, or a writer, or a vetted expert in the field. She just didn't understand, until that moment, that Wikipedia was literally the encyclopaedia that anyone can edit. I'm glad she came to the workshop and hope she is able to use her new skills in her work!

It was neat to edit the scanned book and learn more about OCR. I wish the workshop had been more advanced because I might end up teaching a session on wiki editing myself, along with Katya, the other participant from QUT.

What is the LIS Profession?

Workshop 2
April 11, 2011

Everyone has been asking me what kind of library I want to work in, but as new student I am ill equipped to answer this question. I was looking forward to hearing from real librarians.

Paula Callan - E-research Access Coordinator
Paula's special needs toy library interested me because in high school, I worked as a peer tutor for a special needs boy. I love the idea of seeing a need in the community and working out how to meet it.

Alex Main - Records Manager for the QLD Nurses' Union
Sofie Falkenbach - Web Content Manager at QLD Museum Library, and now QUT
Alex's role was unexpected; I've never thought about records management outside a business context, but now it seems obvious that information needs to be managed and catalogued and preserved. Sofie manages a lot of information in her role as well, and told us that metadata is very valuable.

Rachel Wray - Electronic Health Services Librarian
Fiona Winston-Brown - Library Manager of Caboolture & Redcliffe Hospitals
Rachel and Fiona's jobs seem like very important support roles. Rachel liaises between the state library and health libraries, and frequently uses reference interview techniques to learn what her clients need. Fiona is a solo librarian for two hospitals. I don't think I would enjoy working alone, but it suits Fiona. She is careful to note that she is an information specialist, not a medical specialist.

The panel was very diverse, but they agreed that you need people skills in the LIS profession. Because people may not understand what skills we have as librarians, we can help them by demonstrating what skills and ideas we have.

Kate Davis has told me I don't need to decide what 'type' of librarian I want to be yet, but until tonight I had no idea there were so many options! I noticed that three out of five panellists have "e" related roles. With the rise of all things digital, I expect there will be even more roles available by the time I graduate.

The speakers advised us to try different sectors, and take whatever work placements we can. At the moment, I think I'd be happy in a public, state, or academic library. Law and medical libraries don't appeal to me; I think I would prefer the variety of local people and students walking through the doors.

This workshop gave me a much better idea of the specifics of a library job, but it left me thinking about the wider world of information professionals.