Research and professional practice

Abstract

After a brief introduction to the research process and activities involved, the author makes a diagnosis very encouraging about the state of Library Science research activity in Argentina highlighting the following obstacles to full development: training does not give priority to research as an essential input for professional success and does not focus into the theoretical and interpretive problems, lack of a critical mass of researchers, ignorance of the steps to achieve balance between the problem and the most appropriate design to study it. Moreover, lists and describes the barriers to communication between practitioners and researchers and identifies five features related with the use of research in practice. The author concludes with a series of recommendations to reverse the dissociated trend between research and practice.