The Library Research Round Table (LRRT) will sponsor two Research Forums at the 2016 American Library Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. The LRRT Forums are a set of programs featuring presentations of library and information science (LIS) research, in progress or completed, followed by discussion. The two sessions are described below:
LRRT Research Forum: Connecting Research and Practice
This session, for practitioners, researchers, and students, will feature three research papers that demonstrate how library and information science research can be used to improve library services. The three peer-reviewed papers will be selected by members of the Library Research Round Table (LRRT) as examples of quality research to improve library practice.
LRRT Research Forum: New Voices and Studies from the Field
This session, for practitioners, researchers, and students, will feature three graduate research papers selected as examples of studies that have the potential to make significant contributions to the library field. Audience members will learn about the latest research-in-progress from graduate students in library and information science programs.
LRRT welcomes papers emphasizing the problems, theories, methodologies, or significance of research findings for LIS. Topics can include, but are not limited to, user studies and user behavior, electronic services, service effectiveness, and organizational structure and personnel. Both completed research and research in progress will be considered. All researchers, including practitioners from all types of libraries, library school faculty and students, and other interested individuals, are encouraged to submit proposals. Both members and nonmembers of LRRT are invited and welcomed to submit proposals.
The Committee will utilize a "blind" review process to select a maximum of six papers, three for each of the two forums. The selected researchers are required to present their papers in person at the forums and to register for the conference. Criteria for selection are:
- Significance of the study to library and information science research
- Quality and creativity of the methodology
- Potential for research to fill a gap or to build on previous studies in LIS
- Previously published research or research accepted for publication by January, 2016 will not be considered.
Proposals are due by midnight Eastern on Friday, March 4, 2016. Notification of acceptance will be made by Monday, March 28.
The submission must consist of no more than two pages. On the first page, please list your name(s), title(s), institutional affiliation, and contact information (including your mailing address and email address). Also indicate which forum you are applying for:
- Connecting Research and Practice
- New Voices and Studies from the Field
The second page should NOT show your name or any personal information. Instead, it must include:
- The title of your project
- A 500-word abstract of the research project. The abstract must include a problem statement, problem significance, project objectives, methodology, and conclusions (or tentative conclusions for work in progress), and an indication of whether the research is in-progress or completed.
Please send submissions (via email or post) to:
Karen Gavigan, PhD - Chair, LRRT
Associate Professor
School of Library and Information Science
University of South Carolina
1501 Greene Street
Columbia, SC 29208
803-777-1676
kgavigan@mailbox.sc.edu