Research Methods in Library and Information Science: Concepts, Techniques and Applications

Research Methods in Library and Information Science: Concepts, Techniques and Applications provides a comprehensive guide to planning, conducting and reporting research in LIS. Written by three practising academic librarians, it connects research principles with professional practice through examples drawn from Indian libraries and data sources. Organised into twenty-three chapters across five units, the book covers research problems, literature reviews, hypotheses, research design, ethics, data collection, sampling, descriptive and inferential statistics, metric studies, report writing and data visualisation. It also explores emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, research data management, digital humanities and altmetrics. Worked calculations and guidance for MS Excel and IBM SPSS Statistics complement practical applications of VOSviewer, Biblioshiny and CiteSpace. Research scenarios, study spotlights, chapter summaries, review questions and ten UGC-NET-style multiple-choice questions per chapter support learning and examination preparation. A model questionnaire, model research proposal and citation-style references provide additional practical support. Designed for BLISc and MLISc students, research scholars, teachers, practising librarians and UGC-NET/SET aspirants, this book supports rigorous academic research and informed decisions about library collections and services.