The faculty of the School of Information Sciences is committed to conducting basic and applied research that promotes the generation of new knowledge, services, and technology. The School also encourages research that strengthens its instructional and public service programs. Areas of research specialization include:
- Academic Libraries and Librarianship
- Data Curation and Data Management
- Evaluation and Assessment of Libraries and Information Services and Systems
- Geographic and Scientific Information
- Human-Computer Interaction and User Experience
- Information Behavior, Information Literacy, and Information Retrieval
- Information Communication Technology in Developing Economies
- Information Policy and Intellectual Property
- Library and Information Science Education
- Open Source Software and Communities
- Scholarly and Scientific Communication
- Social Justice and Information Services
- Social Media and Social Informatics
- Youth Informatics and Youth Services
Funding & Partnerships
SIS faculty research is funded by a variety of sources including organizations such as the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Science Foundation, United States Geological Survey, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, IEEE, Engineering Information Foundation, and Council on Library and Information Resources, to name a few.
Research Support
SIS research is supported by the Center for Information and Communication Studies (CICS), which was established in 1989. When SIS joined the College of Communication and Information, CICS expanded its mission to become the primary research arm of the College. In addition to providing grant development support, CICS also manages the User eXperience Laboratory, where faculty and students conduct research on human-computer interaction, interactive search systems and media, search behavior, user interface design, and usability.
Faculty and students share their results through published works; conference presentations, participation, and proceedings; speaking engagements; community outreach; and other events and activities.