Library and information science applied studies on collaborative information behavior

Abstract

Library and information science (LIS) provides only limited support for evidence-based decisions in the field of collaborative information behavior (CIB). In this study using the Web of Science and Library and Information Science and Technology Abstracts databases the researcher identified applied studies in LIS research on CIB, reviewed the studies' ability to provide scientifically proven support for practice, the general goals, and the basic methodological decisions upon which the studies were based. A mixed qualitative/quantitative approach was used, along with the content analysis method. The analysis showed that approximately 50% of the LIS studies on CIB were to some extent applied research, but only 8% concluded with specific recommendations verified during the research. Generally, they were development-oriented, exploratory, explanatory, and descriptive at the same time, synchronic, conducted without specifying the research setting, and based on survey techniques and elicited data. The results reveal the limitations of the potential of LIS research for CIB practice and thus indicate the possibilities of its development.