Instruction Librarians as Researchers: An Example of Phenomenography and the Evolution of “Publishing as Pedagogy”

Abstract

Phenomenography is a maturing social science method where the researcher uses semi-structured interviews to gather qualitative data that helps in explaining the nuances of an experience. In this case, as a researcher, I am interviewing two small, purposive samples of undergraduate students in the U.S. about their exposure to the publication process as an author and as a peer reviewer. More specifically, I am investigating the guidance students received from their faculty mentor including their understanding of the peer review process and other related scholarly communication issues, and what they feel contributed to their success in completing a research cycle. The data will be used to revise a “publishing as pedagogy” curriculum, a scaffolded series of workshops exploring the publishing landscape, whether that be for their current undergraduate research experience, to plan for graduate school, or as part of their professional goals outside of academia. The results of this study help to further a connection between library science and higher education, establishing the value of information literacy-focused instruction on scholarly communication for undergraduate research, and makes recommendations for how librarians can “scale up” their teaching efforts for undergraduates to more closely mirror the services offered to graduate students and faculty.

My research results are empowering librarians to work with undergraduate students on scholarly communication issues so that they can transform...