Synthesis

I've been thinking about this course and how I'll apply what I've learned here to my "real life," assuming my real life one day includes working as a Teacher Librarian.  Although this course has peaked my interest in research a bit, I know that I do not want to be an "Academic" forever, and I have no real interest in pursuing a Ph.D.  All of my real interest is in education, and I think I could be most impactful in a K-12 setting.  That means, for me, working as a librarian in a K-12 school is my primary goal, with working in a public library following behind that.

Where, then, does research fit into that picture?  Well, thanks to this course, I am a far smarter "searcher" than I have been in the past.  I am also less intimidated by long, academic (aka stuffy) research reports.  Those are the practical benefits of this class.  But the true benefit is in my understanding of how research "works."  I think the most surprising realization for me, although it now seems obvious, is that the hardest part of research isn't really the research.  It's the analysis and synthesis of the data--identifying the trends and figuring out what it all matters.  Research that stays research isn't all that useful, but research that changes how people do or think about things can make a big difference, particularly in the decisions policy-makers and funders make, and that really does impact me.  So those who can make sense of the data and write about it in a way that policy-makers can understand are the researchers who can really make a difference.

I also appreciate the limitations of qualitative and quantitative research and the need for both in a way I haven't in the past.  In LIS, quantitative data will only get you so far.  You can look at circulation statistics, satisfaction surveys, and attendance records all day long, but that can only tell you how you're doing right now.  In order to learn what you need to do to improve in the future, qualitative research is really necessary.  But it's also messy (and, because it is more open to interpretation, likely less trusted by some), and time consuming, and involves far more than the average person would consider, particularly when you're dealing with youth.  For that reason, you need to balance it out with quantitative data when you can.  While you likely won't be able to get the same type of data with the two methods, you can collect data that, when examined together, can help solidify your conclusions in a way that a simple survey or case study could not individually.

I hope that makes sense.  What I'm trying to say is that using mixed methods appeals to the pragmatist in me.  Collect some quantitative data.  Then do some qualitative research and find out why the quantitative data indicates what it does, or if it even indicates what you assumed it indicated.  If you identify a problem and put a program in place, after a time collect some more quantitative data to measure the difference.  While I appreciate the value of strictly qualitative research in LIS, for my purposes, both are going to be required.

I really like the way Lance (CO study) is building upon previous qualitative research to now focus on more qualitative research in Idaho (and, I assume, other places in the future?).  Now we know TLs have a real impact on student learning, and it's time to move on and look more closely at what, exactly, they do that makes the biggest impact, how big a role perception plays in that impact, etc. 

I also have a much better understanding of why research can take so long.  The concept of research as a "conversation" between professionals was completely new to me and also changes my view of the types of studies that are done.  While in the past I'd simply view something as obvious and wonder why we needed to research that (or research it AGAIN), now I understand how there are gaps in the conversation that, while they seem common sense, must be validated with methods.  I also have a real appreciation for those who can conduct research and maintain their role as the researcher for an extended period of time.  I am a talker by nature, and even my short observation of a library program was difficult for me to complete without engaging in a conversation driven by my personal interests rather than the research at hand.

In a day-to-day way, I do hope I can put some of what we've learned in this course to use in my future career.  I have no real interest in publishing articles (although, who knows, maybe I will), but I would like to use research to improve my performance and the learning of my students (and other teachers).  Knowing how important data is to administrators, this will help me both improve my own practice and communicate the worth of the school library to my principal, superintendent, and school board.