Research topics

Appendix 3: Examples of research topics by theme:

Developing university libraries’ processes
• What are the current challenges of the university libraries’ operations, and how can they be met?
• The basic operations of the libraries in a new operational environment.
• Developing the basic operations of the libraries to suit the current requirements.
• Fluency in practices.

Impact of structural changes in the operational environment on the library processes
• The possibities and obstacles due to administrational changes (e.g. university mergers, reorganisation of service providers, changes in funding)
• Structural changes in universities and their impact on the operations of university libraries.
• What requirements do future scenarios impose on the libraries?
• Considering discipline-specific needs is difficult when merging organisations. How will the services be tailored?
• How can services be provided for (university) units that are not present (physically)?

Impacts of structural changes in universities on the personnel of university libraries
• Structural development: what are the pros and cons of more focused centralising (both within and between universities), and is this a measure for genuinely improving the services, or only a measure aiming at cost-efficiency?
• Management of the university libraries and changes in directorship.

Interaction between the university libraries’ personnel and library processes
• Both internal operational factors and library context factors affect the efficiency of the libraries.
• Sensible use of resources.
• How could university libraries unite in supporting the libraries’ internationalisation and knowledge of future technology and systems?

Impacts of developing university library processes on the libraries’ image
• The libraries’ ability to support the internationalisation of universities.
• The effects of services and information resources supply on the operations of teachers, researchers and students; i.e. what impacts do the operations (e.g. teaching information literacy and information control) have on the members of the community receiving the services (research, education, learning)?
• What kind of decisions concerning science policies do libraries make (e.g. directing acquisitions, reducing collections, changing the service concept)? Do these decisions affect research prerequisites now or in the long term?
• What kind of effects do library operations have on the shortened study periods and the quality of final theses?

Source:
Kari, Jarkko. 2008. Kari, Jarkko (2008b). Yliopistokirjastojen tutkimustarpeet -selvityksen loppuraportti: tutkimusohjelman hahmottelua [The final report of a disquisition on the research needs of Finnish university libraries: outlining a research programme]. Department of Information Studies Disquisitions 1/2008. Tampere: University of Tampere.