A comparative study of Italian and Spanish research in Library and Information Science

Abstract

There is a long-standing tradition of collaboration in the Italian and Spanish Library and Information Science (LIS) community, including a wide range of activities such as joint meetings, conferences, and exchange of students and teachers. Despite this, there is a weak research collaboration. The purpose of this study is to explain the characteristics of LIS research methods in Spain and Italy and develop a theory to improve global collaboration and innovation in LIS research. The methodology used a four-stage comparative approach. The first stage involved analysing research methods of studies published in the core LIS Journals in Spain and Italy in 2019. In the second stage, the research team has interpreted the LIS research characteristics in both countries, analyzing: 1) Internal organization of the discipline; 2) Social organization of the discipline. In the third and fourth stages, the researchers have compared and contrasted the data collected, applying a constructivist approach to test a theory that could be used to improve the quality of LIS research nationally and possibly internationally. This chapter provides an overview of the research methods applied in the core LIS journals in Spain and Italy and will discuss the impact of the cognitive and social organization of LIS research nationally and comparatively. It includes insights on testing a theory to improve global collaboration for LIS research.