Free Essay. Library & Information Science Research

Disciplinary Debates and Bases of Interdisciplinary Studies: Andrew P. Carlin authored The Place of Research Ethics in Library and Information Science in 2003. Carlin is a member of staff at Manchester Metropolitan University. The article uncovers the place of ethics in Library and Information Science. It acknowledges that debates and cases from other disciplines necessitate the need for ethics for researchers in Library and Information Science.

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Carlin commences the introduction by asserting the urgency of studying ethics in Library and Information science. The article notes that there has been a significant number of publications on the topic. Besides, the introduction defines research ethics. The practices included are: maintaining confidentiality, ensuring the anonymity of individuals, gaining informed consent, and an analysis of the researched topic and the researcher.

Research Method

Interdisciplinary is a reflection of the view that specific topics studied by several other disciplines must get assembled into a cumulative field. Such issues need expertise in discrete disciplines. This study of interdisciplinary makes use of concepts and methods borrowed from other disciplines. Researchers using qualitative analysis have access to several ways to approach the subject. Library and Information Science allows for a variety of research methods. Adoption and reliance of theories and practices developed and incorporated in other disciplines are striking. Research ethics gathers issues that have the attention of scholars of social and human sciences. As a result of these factors, the article adopted the qualitative research methodology. The article proceeds to present psychology cases that were deemed controversial in the discipline. The studies were conducted between 1960 and 1970. The facts get regarded as change catalysts, the chronology of their appearances do not mention that the dilemmas in research ethics

Findings

The findings of the study recognize the difficulty in coordinating and organizing members' disciplinary and theoretical commitments toward the common research agenda. Interdisciplinary programs face various issues. These issues are contingent on the support from institutions to their practitioners, for example, recognizing publications in peripheral or core journals. The respondents of a survey conducted on Women's studies programs attest to the potential pitfalls associated with maintenance of interdisciplinary programs. The challenge of research and teaching phenomena unknown to other disciplines get experienced. Another finding is guidelines on good practice get designed to protect the research subjects, are inappropriate. It renders the guidelines inapplicable to other disciplines. Ethnomethodology fails to accept the dualism and conditions derived from sociology. Ethnomethodology applies ethical guidelines laid down by professional associations and institutions that are affiliated. Debates and cases from other disciplines may enable the visibility of ethics among researchers in Library Information Science. There is a possibility for the ethics of interdisciplinary.

In conclusion, the article concludes by acknowledging that Library Information Science should import or borrow elements of formal theory from several other fields. Library Information Science should take full advantage of research methods that cut across several disciplines. The recommendation is that the considerations of research ethics should not undermine Library Information Science. Library Information Systems can learn from debates and studies found in other disciplines. Thus, Library Information Science is obligated to have an informed discussion concerning research ethics, before studying, as it wrecks the trust between colleagues.

Reference

Carlin, A. P. (2003). Disciplinary debates and bases of interdisciplinary studies: The place of research ethics in library and information science. Library & information science research, 25(1), 3-18.