Advocating for a more active role for the user in LIS participatory research: a scoping literature review

• Published in: Journal of documentation Vol. 80; no. 2; pp. 446 - 468
• Main Authors: Nesset, Valerie, Vanderschantz, Nicholas, Stewart-Robertson, Owen, Davis, Elisabeth C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Publishing Limited 22.02.2024; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Coding; Collection management; Information Management; Information Retrieval; Information Science Education; Information Seeking; Information systems; Knowledge management; Libraries; Library and information science; Literature reviews; Participatory Research; Research methodology; Research projects; Researchers; Systematic review; Theory Practice Relationship; Trends; User behavior; Users (Information); User research; Participatory design; Action research; Research methods
• ISSN: 0022-0418; 1758-7379
• DOI: 10.1108/JD-11-2022-0254

PurposeThrough a review of the literature, this article seeks to outline and understand the evolution and extent of user–participant involvement in the existing library and information science (LIS) research to identify gaps and existing research approaches that might inform further methodological development in participant-oriented and design-based LIS research.Design/methodology/approachA scoping literature review of LIS research, from the 1960s onward, was conducted, assessing the themes and trends in understanding the user/participant within the LIS field. It traces LIS research from its early focus on information and relevancy to the “user turn”, to the rise of participatory research, especially design-based, as well as the recent inclusion of Indigenous and decolonial methodologies.FindingsThe literature review indicates that despite the reported “user turn”, LIS research often does not include the user as an active and equal participant within research projects.Originality/valueThe findings from this review support the development of alternative design research methodologies in LIS that fully include and involve research participants as full partners – from planning through dissemination of results – and suggests avenues for continuing the development of such design-based research. To that end, it lays the foundations for the introduction of a novel methodology, Action Partnership Research Design (APRD).