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This study investigated how library and information science (LIS) scholars who used qualitative data explained and justified their methods. It analyzed research tasks mentioned in the methods sections of 151 peer-reviewed LIS studies published from 2011 to 2015 and in a survey of their authors. The study assumed that professors of LIS would express different methodological concerns and perspectives than practicing librarians would. Findings show less contrast than expected between academics and practitioners and highlight five ways in which scholars in both groups frame ideas about rigorous research practices using quantitative and qualitative paradigms. The study provides a basis for expanding conversations about methodology to increase rigor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative analysis of reflective essays by first-year students in an academic skills course documented outcomes related to the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Student narratives showed how novices encounter the clusters of concepts described in the Framework as "Scholarship as Conversation," "Searching as Strategic Exploration," and "Research as Inquiry." Assessing students' metacognition--that is, their thinking about the learning process--revealed that they connected personal identity with academic conversations, developed strategies for exploring subject classification, and balanced persistence with help-seeking. The open-ended exercise was effective as a collaborative approach to academic engagement and information literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]