Communicating research findings to library and information science practitioners: a study of ISIC papers from 1996 to 2000

Introduction. This study examined if and how the results of information behaviour research are being interpreted and reported for application to the work of library and information science practitioners. Method. A content analysis was conducted of 117 research reports published in the 1996 to 2006 ISIC proceedings. Analysis. Articles were coded for author affiliation, theories and methods used, inclusion of explicit implications for practice and, if these were included, where they appeared in the article (title, abstract, introduction, literature search, method, findings, discussion andconclusion). Also noted were the specific strategies used by authors to report implications for practice, the accessibility of papers to practitioner readers and whether or not the studies had been shared through other venues. Results. A majority of papers (n= 69, 59%) included implications for practice. However, of these 39 (56.5%) used vague, general or otherwise unclear statements rather than explicit delineation of implications for practice. Conclusions. The culture and conventions of scholarship appear to work against the transfer of the results of information behaviour research to practice. Researchers must bring greater consciousness to linking and reporting their results to practice and information professionals.