Posts Tagged ‘Literature review’
Published in the Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice, Vol. 3, No. 3. Click here to read the full journal article.
Abstract
Despite the number of developed theories, it still remains a difficult task for some established and emerging scholars in various academic fields to clearly articulate new theories from research studies. This paper reviews and collates the views of scholars on what a theory is and how a good theory can be developed. It explains the concept of a theory, and the different components that make up a theory. The paper discusses the different processes of theory development by emphasizing what theory is and what theory is not. This review found that scholars differ in their definition of a theory, which leads to using terms such as model, paradigm, framework, and theory interchangeably. It found the lack of theoretical constructs in a study to be one of the factors which explains why articles are rejected for publication. This paper may be of benefit to established researchers who may be struggling with theory development, and especially younger academics who are the future of scholarship in various academic fields, particularly in information science.
Information Seeking Behavior of Clergy: The Research, the Results, and the Future
Posted on: March 9, 2016
This is an electronic version of an article published in the Journal of Religious & Theological Information, Volume 14, Issue 1-2, pp. 13-29. (2015). Click here to read this version.
Abstract
This paper examines the information seeking studies carried out on the professional roles of the clergy, their use of information resources, the place of the Internet in their information seeking behavior, and the studies conducted on the clergy across different religions. Results show significant relationship between clergy’s doctrinal position and their information seeking behavior, which changes with work roles of the clergy. The clergy use both formal and informal sources depending on the particular work role they assume. However, not many models of information seeking behavior have been tested in studies of religious professionals. The paper argues that most previous studies of the information seeking behavior of clergy resulted in similar findings because the areas of focus have been limited in scope. Hence, there is a need to look at the issue from different perspectives using diverse methods and contexts in order to broaden the understanding of the clergy and their information seeking habits. The paper points out areas for further research with recommendations of suitable theoretical frameworks, which if applied or tested in information seeking research with religious clergy, may add value to the understanding of this issue.
The published article is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/pWTKFJRTrt7Mdx65MQBv/full. DOI: 10.1080/10477845.2015.1035196
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