Research

This chapter reviews UK research in librarianship and information science (hereafter LIS) carried out during the period 2016-2020, and continues previous British Librarianship and Information Work (hereafter BLIW) chapters on this topic. i ii iii iv We start by describing the context in which LIS research has been carried out during this period, and then review the results of this research as described in the published literature, both academic and professional. The chapter next discusses the results of the most recent Research Excellence Framework exercise, before describing the effect of Covid on research and then presenting our principal conclusions. In preparing the chapter we contacted other LIS departments in the UK for their views on research. Our grateful thanks are due to colleagues from Aberystwyth University, City, University of London, Edinburgh Napier University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Strathclyde University and University College London, who via interviews and emails provided extensive details of the LIS research carried out in their own departments during the review period.