Collaborating with Undergraduate Students on LIS Research

abstract:Many librarians conduct research in higher education by studying the undergraduate students with whom they work. Instead of research on students, this paper argues the need for library and information science (LIS) research with, for, and by students. It shows why librarians should explore collaborative partnerships with student-researchers to produce LIS scholarship. Such partnerships can create work that amplifies and responds to students’ lived experiences. Research collaborations that include students as partners provide important learning opportunities, help learners gain familiarity with the LIS field, and produce significant student-centered scholarship. The authors present five principles for librarians to consider when conducting research with undergraduate students and provide two case studies to show the merit of these collaborations and how they work in practice.