The research-practice gap in Library and Information Science (LIS) is well documented, especially in respect of the difficulties of translating research into practice, and resultant lost opportunities. While many researchers attempt to explain this research-practice gap, few suggest strategies to address it. The creation of researcher-practitioner networks, however, is one approach that has been proved empirically to bridge the distance between the two communities. Such a network is currently operating in Scotland, funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Research, Impact, Value and Library and Information Science (RIVAL) is part-way through its implementation based around four knowledge exchange events for a network membership of 32 from a wide variety of LIS sectors. RIVAL’s successful delivery depends in part on the project leads’ experience of undertaking, and evaluating the impact of, a UK Arts and Humanities Research Council funded grant: the Developing Research Excellence and Methods (DREaM) project. Already there are indications that RIVAL is delivering value to network members. There is a strong expectation for this to be enhanced, both in the remainder of the funding period and beyond, offering theoretical contributions to the study of social networks, especially in respect of social capital development to support knowledge exchange.

1. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
Research, Impact, Value and LIS (RIVAL)
Development, implementation and outcomes of a
Scottish network for LIS researchers and practitioners
Dr Hazel Hall and Dr Bruce Ryan
Presented virtually at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Association
for Information Science and Technology, 28th October 2020
Slides available on SlideShare at https://www.slideshare.net/hazelhall
Manuscript of full-text paper available at https://www.napier.ac.uk/~/media/worktribe/output-
2666106/research-impact-value-and-library-and-information-science-rival-development.pdf

2. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk

3. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk

4. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
Merchiston Tower
Edinburgh Castle

5. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
Edinburgh’s Georgian New Town

6. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
Merchiston Tower
Edinburgh Castle
Hazel’s flat

7. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
Please communicate
questions and comments
using the Q&A tab on the top
right hand corner of your
screen.
I will answer questions at the
end of the presentation
during the live Q&A.

8. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
DEVELOPMENT

9. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
There is an LIS research-practice gap.
(How) can this be narrowed (or even closed)?

10. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
https://lirgjournal.org.uk/index.php/lir/article/view/644

11. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/
10.1108/JD-12-2018-0212/full/html

12. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/
10.1108/JD-05-2017-0069/full/html
• Networks need resources
• Physical proximity helps in long-term
maintenance of ties
• Social media can provide proxies for physical
proximity - to an extent
• Network grants should provide provision for
lightweight continuity

13. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
IMPLEMENTATION

14. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
Physical proximity

15. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
Inclusion of optional,
post-event social time
Pre-assigned teams for
group activities
Active participation of
network members as
presenters
Strong representation of
network members on
Project Board and Event
4 steering committee
Event 5

16. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk

17. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk

18. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk

19. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
OUTCOMES

20. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk

21. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
Strengthened ties
• LIS researchers and practitioners who work across a range
of contexts
• LIS researchers across Scottish universities
Academic research and services provision
• Confidence and self-efficacy of practitioners as research
users, and as research partners e.g. joint funding
bids/publications, collaborating in committee work
• Research ideas inspired by needs of practitioner
community feed into funding bids
• Improved services provision can be traced back to RIVAL
Network development
• Model of network development for other researcher-
practitioner communities where a gap needs to be bridged

22. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
Resources
Presentation slides available on SlideShare at https://www.slideshare.net/hazelhall
Manuscript of full-text conference paper available at https://www.napier.ac.uk/~/media/worktribe/output-2666106/research-impact-value-and-
library-and-information-science-rival-development.pdf
RIVAL project web site at http://lisrival.com
References
Hall, H., Cruickshank, P. & Ryan, B. (2018). Long-term community development within a researcher network: a social network analysis of the
DREaM project cadre. Journal of Documentation, 74(4), 844-861.
Hall, H., Cruickshank, P. & Ryan, B. (2019). Closing the researcher-practitioner gap: an exploration of the impact of an AHRC networking grant.
Journal of Documentation 75(5), 1056-1081.
Kloda, L. A., Koufogiannakis, D., & Brettle, A. (2014). Assessing the impact of evidence summaries in library and information practice. Library and
Information Research, 38(119), 29-46.

23. Hazel Hall | @hazelh | www.hazelhall.org | h.hall@napier.ac.uk
Research, Impact, Value and LIS (RIVAL)
Development, implementation and outcomes of a
Scottish network for LIS researchers and practitioners
Dr Hazel Hall and Dr Bruce Ryan
Presented virtually at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Association
for Information Science and Technology, 28th October 2020
Slides available on SlideShare at https://www.slideshare.net/hazelhall
Manuscript of full-text paper available at https://www.napier.ac.uk/~/media/worktribe/output-
2666106/research-impact-value-and-library-and-information-science-rival-development.pdf