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Abstract: Telling stories with care: The ethical and political dimensions of action research in libraries
Action research is a method of inquiry which intends to improve professional practice, while also serving as a social practice to improve relationships between an institution and its community (Kemmis and McTaggert, 1988; Mehra et al, 2018). In libraries, action research has been used as a method to bridge research and practice in school libraries (Ballard, 2015; Robins, 2015), public libraries (Comito & Zabriskie, 2022; Mehra et al., 2018) and academic libraries (Brown-Sica, 2012; Carol & Klipfel, 2019; Conley et al., 2019, Jefferson, 2014), providing rich data that tells the story of the community and their social situations and experiences. However, the political dimension of action research is future-oriented and involves change interventions within the researcher’s own organization, creating some obstacles and challenges for action researchers.
Action research is by nature democratic and participatory as it involves the participants in the research process, ultimately producing changes which benefit them (as opposed to simply improving the institution). While the use of action research is not as common in libraries as it is in schools and education, it can be an excellent method for learning from practice. Librarian action researchers often have access to primary and secondary data sources (like circulation data or reference chat transcripts), as well as convenience samples (such as book groups, teen advisory boards, community members, etc). Power dynamics is an important consideration as the librarian researcher may engage more with the private life of those in the organization than they would in their professional role as they encounter organizational dynamics which may include disclosing feelings about the organization, or the people within it (Williamson & Prosser, 2002). In addition, librarian action researchers must have the ability to create the change as identified through the research, impacting the status quo and sometimes challenging existing power structures.
This paper examines the political and ethical dimensions which are relevant when using the action research method in libraries, such as studying issues linked with real-world problems, new bills which limit data collection in schools, conducting research with vulnerable populations (such as youth, non-English speakers, ethnic/racial minorities, or people from the LGBTQIA+ community), conducting research with people known to the researcher (and analyzing that data), and sustaining these collaborations. For the librarian researcher, they must balance the role of insider/outsider as they build trust with participants who they may continue to work with, as well as maintain objectivity (Coghlan & Casey, 2001). Practical considerations such as seeking permission to conduct research, ethical oversight, informed consent, transparency and privacy will also be examined within the context of conducting action research in libraries.
Action research is by nature democratic and participatory as it involves the participants in the research process, ultimately producing changes which benefit them (as opposed to simply improving the institution). While the use of action research is not as common in libraries as it is in schools and education, it can be an excellent method for learning from practice. Librarian action researchers often have access to primary and secondary data sources (like circulation data or reference chat transcripts), as well as convenience samples (such as book groups, teen advisory boards, community members, etc). Power dynamics is an important consideration as the librarian researcher may engage more with the private life of those in the organization than they would in their professional role as they encounter organizational dynamics which may include disclosing feelings about the organization, or the people within it (Williamson & Prosser, 2002). In addition, librarian action researchers must have the ability to create the change as identified through the research, impacting the status quo and sometimes challenging existing power structures.
This paper examines the political and ethical dimensions which are relevant when using the action research method in libraries, such as studying issues linked with real-world problems, new bills which limit data collection in schools, conducting research with vulnerable populations (such as youth, non-English speakers, ethnic/racial minorities, or people from the LGBTQIA+ community), conducting research with people known to the researcher (and analyzing that data), and sustaining these collaborations. For the librarian researcher, they must balance the role of insider/outsider as they build trust with participants who they may continue to work with, as well as maintain objectivity (Coghlan & Casey, 2001). Practical considerations such as seeking permission to conduct research, ethical oversight, informed consent, transparency and privacy will also be examined within the context of conducting action research in libraries.