Use of Theory in Library and Information Science Research in Turkey: A Content Analysis

Year 2019, Volume: 33 Issue: 4, 249 - 266, 27.12.2019

Hülya Dilek Kayaoğlu

https://doi.org/10.24146/tk.647460

Abstract

The
level of intellectual identity of a discipline is assessed by its capacity for
establishing theories. The main objective of this research is defined as to
examine the use of theory in the library and information science in Turkey. The sample of the research consists of 366 graduate theses, which are listed
in the HEC National Thesis Center database and completed in the departments of
Information Management between 1983-2019, with permission to access their
content (n=366). The subjects of the theses, the names of the theories used in
the theses, the level of the use of theory, and their scientific origin were
examined by the content analysis method. According to the findings, 75 theories
are mentioned in the theses, and at least one theory is referred in 22% of the
theses. Theses on the
subject of user studies and library / information
centers are used theories the most. Bertalanffy’s
general systems theory, Wilson’s information behavior theory, and document life
cycle theory are the most widely used theories in the theses. The degree of theory use indicates 2.6 in the five-point ratio scale of the
Five Degrees of Theory Use Model. 58.6% of the theories used in these theses are
related to social sciences, and 30.6% of them are about the library and information
science. The majority of social science-based theories belong to the
disciplines of psychology and management.

Keywords

theory, theory use, library and information science research, content analysis, Turkey

Türkiye’de Kütüphane ve Bilgibilimi Araştırmalarında Kuram Kullanımı: Bir İçerik Analizi

Abstract

Bir bilim dalının entelektüel kimliğinin düzeyi onun
kuram oluşturma kapasitesi ile değerlendirilir. Bu
araştırmanın temel amacı da Türkiye’de kütüphane ve bilgibilimi alanındaki
araştırmalarda kuram kullanımını incelemek olarak belirlenmiştir. Araştırmanın
veritabanını YÖK Ulusal Tez Merkezi Veritabanında listelenen ve 1983-2019
yılları arasında BBY bölümlerinde tamamlanmış içeriğine erişim izni olan 366
lisansüstü tez oluşturmaktadır (n=366). Her tez, konusu, kuram adı, kuramın
bilimsel kökeni ve kuram kullanım düzeyinin derinliği açılarından içerik
analizi yöntemiyle incelenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgulara göre tezlerde 75 kuram
adı kullanılmıştır. Tezlerin %22’sinde en az bir kuram adı geçmektedir.
Kullanıcı incelemeleri ve bilgi merkezi ya da kütüphane yönetimi konulu tezler
en fazla kuram kullanılan tezlerdir. Bertalanffy’ın genel sistemler
kuramı, Wilson’ın bilgi arama davranışı kuramı ve belge yaşam döngüsü kuramı tezlerde en fazla kullanılan
kuramlardır. Kuram kullanım düzeyinin ortalaması beş derecelik kuram kullanım
modeline göre 2,6’dır. Tezlerde kullanılan kuramların %58,6’sı toplumsal bilim
kökenlidir. %30,6’sı ise kütüphane ve bilgibilimi kökenlidir. Toplumsal bilim
kökenli kuramların çoğunluğu da psikoloji ve yönetim disiplinlerine aittir.

Keywords

kuram, kuram kullanımı, kütüphane ve enformasyon bilimi araştırması, içerik analizi, Türkiye

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