The best practices for LIS education: embed in scientific research lifecycle

Abstract

Purpose—During LIS education, we pay more attention to internships, practicums, field experiences, and mentorships which play important roles in preparing students to be competitive in the search for the first professional position and to be prepared to succeed in the position. And we are looking for more chances and best practices for it. Meanwhile, supporting scientific research is becoming one of the most important services in university libraries. Scientific research has experienced dramatic changes which are closely related to the library studies and practices. Generally, the research lifecycle is considered to contain four main elements: idea discovery, proposal writing, research process and publication, we can actively combine LIS education and library services with each of them in order to practice internships, practicums, field experiences, and mentorships for us, to promote scientific development for researchers, and most of all within these LIS educational programs may be learned from the various approaches to these learning opportunities. In this paper, research how to better integrate the LIS education into scientific research activities, practice our students and meet the needs of the researchers. Design/methodology/approach—Through in-depth interviews, we analysed the LIS education goals and researchers’ needs in the scientific research lifecycle, and construct a LIS education and library service model that can be practically integrated into the entire research life cycle. By trying to apply the model to research activities in school of mathematical sciences in Peking University, we demonstrate the necessity and significance of combining LIS education with scientific research life cycles. Findings—LIS education can be inserted in the scientific research life cycles successfully. It is critical that students or future librarians are engaged in the researchers’ activities so that they can train their own abilities. Originality/value—Peking University Library has created a new LIS education and library service model that described the LIS education contents and students’ roles in research lifecycles, and apply it to practice to verify its validity.