Putting Research into Practice: An Exploration of Sheffield iSchool Approaches to Connecting Research with Practice

The relationship between research and practice in the work of members of the University of Sheffield’s Information School (iSchool) was examined through a mixed-methods study carried out in two stages. Two focus groups with doctoral students and faculty members explored motivations for undertaking research, views about the impact of research, and the role of social media in its dissemination. Personal enjoyment and pursuit of knowledge for its own sake emerged as strong motivators but were also linked with expressing professional identity and contributing something useful to practice in the field. Differing stakeholder definitions of research impact were perceived as problematic, and multiple channels of communication were advocated, including judicious use of professional and social networks. A content analysis of journal articles written by iSchool faculty collected qualitative and quantitative data on the subject matter, methodology, references, and other dimensions of published output, including statements relating the research to practice. Published outputs highlighted diversity in the methods used, demonstrated collaboration with practitioners in conducting and communicating research, and identified five distinct ways of connecting research with practice. The study concludes with ten recommendations for strengthening the research–practice relationship in library and information studies.