Abstract
Librarians are not trained as original researchers during library school. As a result, librarians as authors may succumb to common statistical misconceptions and use errors, thus it is important for librarians to know how to recognize them. A quick discussion of what a researcher should be aware to avoid poor methods and inaccurate use of statistics is included. A review of statistics and research methods courses currently offered in library and information science programs helps determine if the lack of training observed in earlier studies has changed. A list of recommendations for authors and reviewers of LIS literature is presented.
Keywords
statistics, librarians, LIS education, library and information science education
Date of this Version
2-17-2012
Recommended Citation
Van Epps, Amy S., "Librarians and Statistics: Thoughts on a Tentative Relationship" (2012). Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research. Paper 24.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/lib_fsdocs/24
Comments
This article was published in Amy Van Epps (2012): Librarians and Statistics: Thoughts on a Tentative Relationship, Practical Academic Librarianship: The International Journal of the SLA Academic Division, 2:1, i-xiii. This article is available online at: http://journals.tdl.org/pal/index.php/pal/article/view/5890