Cartographies of research designs in library information science research in Nigeria and South Africa, 2009–2015

The objective was to map out the contours of the research designs that are utilised in LIS, particularly to keep the profession abreast of the trends in the field and the patterns in research designs used. Qualitative content analysis was used to examine 104 PhD dissertations, using six taxonomies to categorise research designs used in the two countries. Positivist epistemologies and quantitative methodologies predominated research in LIS. A handful of studies used basic mixed method research designs. Questionnaires and interviews were commonly used for data collection, but the triangulation of methods was not prevalent. The value of this study lies in that it will lead to the accumulation of knowledge of research designs and provide a baseline for studies on methodological practices.
Source: Library and Information Science Research - Category: Databases & Libraries Source Type: research