Library & information science literature: How much of it is research?

Abstract In Library and Information Science (LIS), while there is an awareness of the variety of journal literature, we do not have a number on the percentage of the collection that qualifies as research. A content analysis of the LIS literature available at the Simmons College Library is currently in progress. The research level collection of LIS literature in support of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) program at the college makes the Library an ideal candidate for this study. Research is pre‐defined and a collection method for a content analysis is planned. The entirety of the collection of articles available in 2011 will be analyzed and classified as per: 1) research versus non‐research, 2) the subject of each article, and 3) the percentage of research compared to non‐research. This study will benefit students, faculty, and staff with research requirements as well as librarians who guide patrons through a search. Further, it will provide a sense of the state of LIS literature for the sample year to be compared to previous studies.