Impact evaluation, professional practice, and policy making

This paper examines the relationship between research into the evaluation of the impact of library and information services, policy making in the field, and professional practice and education. The paper first summarises the background to a recent critical literature review undertaken on behalf of R...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:New library world 2004-01, Vol.105 (1/2), p.33-46
Main Authors: Johnson, Ian M., Williams, Dorothy A., Wavell, Caroline, Baxter, Graeme
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access to Education
Archives
Archives & records
Community Relations
Evaluation
Evidence
Funding
Government (Administrative Body)
Impact analysis
Information dissemination
Information Networks
Information professionals
Information services
Librarians
Libraries
Library Administration
Library and information networks
Library and information science
Library management
Library Services
Literature Reviews
Museums
Policy making
Professional practice
Public Policy
Resource Allocation
Schools of library and information science
Teaching Methods
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Summary:This paper examines the relationship between research into the evaluation of the impact of library and information services, policy making in the field, and professional practice and education. The paper first summarises the background to a recent critical literature review undertaken on behalf of Resource the Council on Museums, Archives and Libraries. The review was intended to identify any published evidence that Museums, Archives and Libraries are making a contributory impact to developments in the British Governments key policy areas. Except in the field of learning, little supporting evidence was found. Methodological weakness undermined the validity of much of the related work identified by the review. After considering approaches to ensuring the impact of research on policy making, including a more appropriate publication strategy and greater facetoface dialogue, the paper discusses the attitudes of LIS practitioners towards academic research and the need for closer collaboration. Finally, the paper speculates on some of the implications for LIS educators in developing future researchers better equipped to identify the contribution that libraries make, and more effective in influencing policy makers.
ISSN:0307-4803
2398-5348
2398-5356
DOI:10.1108/03074800410515255