Government Information Education and Research, 1928-1986

Subjects:

• Library & Information Science » Library & Information Science (General)

Reviews:

• This is a fascinating work that is of general interest. Richardson's imaginative technique could be used to examine other aspects of library education with great benefit.
  —Wilson Library Journal
• Richardson surveys master and doctoral studies accepted by North American schools of library and information science that treat government information and publishing and on the servicing of government publications in libraries. He supplies a six-part listing of 317 annotated citations arranged by level of government (local, state, federal, foreign, UN, comparative) and in reverse chronological order. Nearly two thirds of the studies deal with the federal government. An analysis of the characteristic features of this research and changing patterns over time is presented, identifying types of methodology employed, the major sponsoring institutions, and key faculty advisers (including Richardson himself). Other factors examined include subsequent publication and citation, and gender as it correlates with the adviser's possession of the doctorate or the student's pursuing graduate studies at the doctoral level. Richardson offers some suggestions for encouraging quality research in the field of government information, e.g., the development of a program of grants and prizes by the American library Association's Government Documents Round Table. Graduate collections and libraries with significant public documents holdings.
  —Choice
• There is no question of the importance of this book, both for the status of government information research and for ranking research on schools that are emphasizing this aspect of library and information science."
  —RQ
• As one of the most capable contemporary library school faculty members with an interest in government documents, John Richardson . . . offers fascinating work of general interest that examines the educational research relating to documents in library education over an extended period of time.
  —Wilson Library Bulletin

Table of Contents:

• Tables
• Foreword by Bernard M. Fry
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• The Sociology of Research in Government Information
• The Nature of Education and Research
• Major Centers for Research
• Influential Faculty Advisers
• Publishing: Scholarly Eminence
• Conclusions
• Graduate Work: Citations and Author Abstracts
• Local Government Studies
• State Government Studies
• Federal Government Studies
• Foreign Government Studies
• United Nations Government Studies
• Comparative Government Studies