ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries October 1984 / 489 RESEARCH FORUM The research problem By Ron R. Powell Assistant Professor University o f Michigan School o f Library Science The logical starting point for any rigorous re­ search, whether it be applied or theoretical, is the problem. In fact, Paul Leedy, a research method­ ologist, has stated that “the situation is quite sim­ ple: no problem, no research.”1 Albert Einstein has been quoted as saying that “the formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution.”2 This could be a bit of an overstatement, but there is no question that the nature of the research problem is critical to the success of the research effort. But many doctoral students and practicing li­ brarians, suddenly faced with the prospect of con­ ducting research, discover that research problems are not as easy to identify as one might expect. Why is this the case? Part of the answer lies with the fact that while research problems are all around us, given limitations of time, money and expertise, not all of these problems are researchable. Indeed, the selection of a suitable research problem is often a problem in itself. In determining whether a problem is likely to be researchable there are several questions that the would-be researcher should ask. Among these questions are: 1. With what academic disciplines is the prob­ lem concerned? The answer to this question should indicate in what areas the researcher will need some expertise and/or will need to conduct a litera­ ture review. 2. Are the data which will be needed to resolve ]Paul D. Leedy, Practical Research (New York: Macmillan, 1980), p. 50. 2Claire Selltiz, et al. , Research Methods in Social Relations (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1959), p. 26. the problem available? For example, if the re­ searcher will need budgetary data for specific li­ braries, will he or she be able to obtain such infor­ mation? How much effort will be necessary to obtain the data? How much time and money will it require? 3. Does the researcher have the expertise needed to collect the data? For example, the researcher may need to conduct interviews in order to obtain user evaluations of a library service, but is he or she adequately trained to conduct a proper interview? If not, is expert assistance available and how much will it cost? 4. Are special equipment or facilities necessary in order to gather the research data? If yes, are they available and how much will they cost? 5. Will administrative support, guidance, and cooperation for the research study be provided? This question is particularly important for the practicing librarian who must weigh the impor­ tance of doing research against his or her more pressing day-to-day responsibilities. 6. Is the problem clear, precise, specific, and ex­ plicit? An oft-quoted statement is that “A question well-stated is a question half-answered.”3 This quotation applies equally well to problems. 7. Is the problem appropriate for research? Some problems are simply too philosophical in nature to be amenable to scientific research. 8. Is the problem of interest to the researcher and relevant to his or her professional goals? A re­ searcher who is not adequately motivated is less 3Stephen Isaac and William B. Michael, Hand­ book in Research and Evaluation (San Diego: Edits Publishers, 1971), p, 2. 490 / C &R L News likely to conduct good research and may well fail to complete the study. One is more likely to be inter­ ested in research th at meshes w ith his or her educa­ tional and work experiences, is relatively new, and is not trivial in nature. One should, of course, de­ term ine w hether some researcher has already staked out a claim to the research. A variety of ap­ proaches to the same problem are generally possi­ ble, however. 9. Does the problem represent conceptual think­ ing and inquiry? A problem th at does not meet this criterion probably calls for simple d ata gathering rather than true research. The collection of statis­ tics may be im portant to the operation of a library and can provide part of the basis for future re­ search, but research th at is more than mere activity generally involves the investigation of meaningful concepts and their relationships. In addition to questions regarding the feasibility of a research problem, the researcher may w ant to ask questions about the social and professional sig­ nificance of the problem. But such considerations are probably academic, if all or most of the ques­ tions of researchability were not answered ade­ quately. Research on community college Learning Resource Services By W. Lee Hisle Director, Learning Resource Services Austin C om m unity College My paper at ACRL’s T hird National Conference in Seattle, “Libraries in Learning Resource Ser­ vices: Has the Cornerstone Become Just Another Block in the Foundation?”, was intended to ques­ tion the impact of growth of Learning Resource Services (LRS) programs on library services in com­ m unity colleges. I suspected, from my own experi­ ence, th at increasing the size of the LRS could de­ crease the influence of a library program. Then in the spring of 1983 the Southern Association of Col­ leges and Schools sent a visitation team to Austin Community College as p art of our reaffirmation of accreditation process. We had completed a self-study the previous fall identifying the most serious problems and the most laudable aspects of our institution. One particular area for our attention was the organizational struc­ ture of the Learning Resource Services, a program th at encompassed not only library and media ser­ vices, but also telecommunications, duplication centers, testing centers, and aspects of instructional television. Several of us in LRS argued that an organiza­ tional structure w ith intermingled program budg­ ets was problematical; it gave a distorted view of the true size of the library and media services com­ ponents of the college. The visitation team , includ­ ing D r. G loria T erw illiger, N orthern V irginia Com m unity College, agreed and recom m ended th at the college break out the Testing and D uplica­ tion Services from the LRS budget. Terw illiger was instrum ental in defining the possible problems for libraries when p art of an ex­ pansive L earn in g R esource Services p ro g ram means less time and effort can be spent providing leadership to library/media services. By combining the budgets together the size of the LRS is dis­ torted. The budget can more easily be interpreted as adequate or even too large. Terwilliger was ex­ periencing a proliferation of services in the LRS at Northern Virginia. She commented th at a trend seemed to be developing tow ard expanded Learn­ ing Resource Services in larger com m unity col­ leges. I took the cue. After a couple telephone calls and a few conven­ tion cocktail hours, I found that other LRS direc­ tors were having the same experiences. W ithout further evidence I could have made a case for lim it­ ing the growth of Learning Resource Services and reemphasizing the value of library programs. But I knew my case would be stronger if these few re­ ports of growing LRS programs were representa­ tive of a larger universe. I selected (most unran- domly) 40 large community college programs to survey. Essentially I tried to pick colleges th at were near my own in terms of size and character. Also I paid attention to geographical distribution and picked colleges from all areas of the United States. In developing a questionnaire to elicit informa­ tion from directors of LRS, I kept it simple: only six questions on two pages. Four of the questions were check-off types and tw o required only minim al writing. If the data requested was near at hand, I estimated no more than 10 minutes would be re­ quired to complete the survey. Since the first m ail­ ing was done in mid-August and the paper was due to ACRL on October 1, 1983, I did not have time for a follow-up mailing. I hoped the simplicity of the survey and the speed w ith which it could be completed would encourage a high first-time re- DO YOU THINK THIS TO BE A FAIR QUESTION? Ask 495 European publishers to And with all these publishers... SWETS ■ standardize their serial bills to the key to reliable subscription handlinç • one format and unrivaled ordering, claiming and • one currency paying procedures. • one expiration date Why go direct or use many agents if Guess at their answers... SWETS offers a complete solution. But once you concentrate your subscrip­ SWETS - a solid bridge between your tions with SWETS the miracle happens... library and European publishers. one currency (US$ orCan$), one renewal date, invoice date(s) of your choice. Ask for more information. See coupon below. Thank you. 492 / C&RL News sponse. In fact the response rate was a barely ac­ ceptable 57 % . Nevertheless, the resluts seemed to substantiate my thesis. Like the pleading sinner, I yearned: if only I could live my life over. Well, maybe not my whole life, but at least regarding this survey effort I would do a few things differently. The reviewers for the paper all had problems w ith its research methodol­ ogy. I was not surprised—it was a real seat-of-the- pants effort. Were I to do this survey again, ran ­ dom sam p lin g all co m m u n ity colleges w ith enrollments over 4,000 FTE would head the list of changes. I have little basis for claiming th at my sample was representative. To increase my re­ sponse rate to a more defensible 80 %, I would do a second mailing or a telephone follow-up. F urther­ more, the questionnaire should have been pilot tested or at least reviewed by an experienced prac­ titioner in research design. Finally, data elements could have been better defined to ensure that the survey actually measured w hat it purported to measure. One final note: the ACRL conference was excel­ lent; but w ith only one contributed paper, one group session, and one them e speaker, community colleges w ere under-represented. I t ’s our own fault. One of the problems in community college li- brarianship and in community colleges in general, is the lack of required or even encouraged research. Unlike their college and university counterparts, in order to be retained and promoted, community college librarians and faculty rarely perform origi­ nal, publishable research and may even be discour­ aged from doing so as irrelevant to the teaching and service mission of a community college. Of course it’s a ludicrous position. W ithout eval­ uation our programs cannot improve. W ithout the concentrated study and analysis research requires, we may become superficial. Unfortunately the lack of research is part of our community college envi­ ronment. We slug through the mud and rarely look to the sky. I suggest th at we must look to the sky— research will be an essential means of establishing our college and program validity in the coming hard times in higher education. ■ ■ ★ ★ ★ News from the Field Acquisitions • T hirty-five C enter for Research L ibraries member libraries have contributed $120,000 for the purchase of the complete microfilm edition of the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. The set is now being deposited w ith the Center and will be avail­ able on loan to all Center members. The maps used for filming have been provided by the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division. The m i­ crofilm reproduces 623,000 maps of 10,000 Ameri­ can towns and cities for the period 1867 1950, in­ cluding all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Sanborn maps are large-scale plans th at show the outline of each building, street names, street and sidewalk widths, property boundaries, building use, and house and block numbers. Construction details are also noted. Film ing by C hadw yck- Healey began in January 1983 and will be com­ pleted in early 1985. • The Emerson College Archives, Boston, has received a collection of theater clippings and re­ views covering plays which opened in the Boston area from the late 1890s through the 1970s. Do­ nated by theater critic Elliot Norton, these files in­ clude reviews w ritten by him for the Boston Herald as well as those w ritten by other critics. Also in­ cluded are files pertaining to opera and dance per­ formances, and biographical information on noted individuals in the performing arts. • The Library of Congress Rare Book and Spe- cial Collections Division has acquired a copy of Vergil’s Opera printed in Venice by Aldus Manu- tius in 1501. This early printed work contains the first full book use of the letterform known today as italic, and is also the first of a series of classical works printed by Aldus in a form at smaller than quarto, making it the first portable secular book in print. • Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jer- sey, has purchased a collection of criminal justice books and documents from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, which recently closed its east coast office. The collection includes approx­ im ately 8,000 books, 400 bound periodical vol­ umes, 37,000 published and unpublished reports, 3,000 newspaper clippings, 175 subscriptions to criminal justice serials, and 6,000 documents on microfiche. Annual statistical reports from munici­ pal, state, and federal agencies, original research projects and doctoral dissertations from American universities are among the valued prim ary source