SPECIAL TOPIC: Respect and Awe: Progress in the Application of Research Methods in Library and Information Science in the 21st Century

Design and Implementation of Questionnaire Surveys and Their Normative Application in the Field of Library Science

  • Lu Jinyi ,
  • Xu Jianhua ,
  • Sun Xuan
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  • Department of Information Resource Management, Nankai University Business School, Tianjin 300071

Received date: 2023-12-18

  Revised date: 2024-02-28

  Online published: 2024-06-19

Supported by

This work is supported by the key program of National Social Science Fund of China titled “Study on the Training Mechanism for Youth Librarians Aimed at the Vision for 2035” (Grant No. 21ATQ004).

Abstract

[Purpose/Significance] Questionnaire survey method is frequently used in social science research as one of the positivist research methods. An in-depth understanding of the questionnaire method and its implementation process, as well as an analysis of its the status and existing problems in library science research, will help guide the standardized use of it in future research. [Method/Process] It reviewed the literature related to the questionnaire survey method, grasped its connotation, and sorted out the standardized application process of questionnaire design and questionnaire survey method. It took nine core journals in the field of library science as research objects, and conducted a comprehensive reading and analysis of 345 articles published in these journals in the past five years that utilized questionnaire survey methods. [Result/Conclusion] The questionnaire survey method has been widely popularized in the field of library science. Compared to previous years, articles published in core LIS journals currently demonstrate a significant improvement in the use of sampling methods, with an increasing number of large-sample surveys and high response rates. However, researchers still encounter many issues in the implementation of questionnaire survey methods, including a portion of studies that do not conduct pilot test or report the pilot test result. Moreover, it is necessary to improve the emphasis on validation and reliability testing.

Cite this article

Lu Jinyi , Xu Jianhua , Sun Xuan . Design and Implementation of Questionnaire Surveys and Their Normative Application in the Field of Library Science[J]. Library and Information Service, 2024 , 68(11) : 4 -13 . DOI: 10.13266/j.issn.0252-3116.2024.11.001

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