Locating the Research Methods of Doctoral Students: The Results of Interviews with Current Religious Studies Doctoral Students

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  • February 28, 2019
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  • Flynn, Kathryn
    • Affiliation: School of Information and Library Science
Abstract
  • This paper describes a study conducted to better understand both the ways in which current PhD students in religious studies gather research and which library resources they are using. PhD students provide invaluable insight regarding shifts in research, library science, and publishing, yet little research has been conducted with them in comparison to their more senior faculty-status colleagues. In order to correct that oversight, this study was designed in an effort to improve PhD student’s instruction in the art of research and to improve library assistance with PhD student-specific research bottlenecks. This study used a semi-structured interview protocol to solicit the experiences of current religious studies doctoral students on the issue, seeking five, and garnering seven usable responses. Interview results indicate that in comparison to current religious studies faculty at the same institution, doctoral students are 1.) more comfortable identifying their work as data; 2.) incorporating more technology into their research methods and storage; and 3.) weighing in more heavily on the importance of public engagement. They do, however, still disagree amongst themselves on such issues as when to incorporate nontraditional publishing avenues into their portfolios. The results of this study are of primary interest to UNC University Libraries staff, academic library staff members in general through professional organizations, humanities faculty across the country, researchers studying trends in higher education, and by other PhD students.
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  • In Copyright
Advisor
  • Hughes-Hassell, Sandra
Degree
  • Master of Science in Library Science
Academic concentration
  • Library and Information Science
Degree granting institution
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Graduation year
  • 2017
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  • 24fd1f76-f10b-430c-ab94-1221ada86cd9

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