Are we a profession? Doctors Cameron M. Pierson & Elizabeth Tait answer

The question of ‘are we a profession?’ is something of a fixture for LIS. As an ‘interstitial’ profession (yes, profession), we see why this is a reoccurring topic (e.g., Raju, 2020). When our disciplinary boundaries span multiple domain areas, whilst also including those specific to our jurisdiction, we naturally ask ourselves questions related to identity and societal function.

Something we find interesting is the notion that the defining feature of ‘profession’ is its research activity (Howard, 2022). As members of the research and education-oriented side of the profession, we certainly agree that research is important. As was pointed out, however, there are other aspects which contribute to the composition and designation of a profession, such as ethics and engaging with disciplinary knowledge, of which a body of knowledge develop through research is but one form (Bell, 2022). We would suggest also for LIS, and the larger GLAMR sector, another key aspect naturally includes our societal function: co-constructed service to community rooted in information and cultural heritage.

We certainly agree that a part of what constitutes a profession is its willingness to seize opportunities to engage with new knowledge. Being a profession characterized by information and curiosity, we are undoubtedly in no shortage of such opportunities in the modern world. As our societies and world grow increasingly socio-technical, we have the dual task of remaining socially focused while being technologically adept. This task will only grow in importance, as we can offer a unique contribution to technological innovation, development, and its social navigation.

For example, we recently identified several professional opportunities in relation to artificial intelligence – for research, practice, and the meeting of the two (Tait & Pierson, 2022). We found ample opportunity to include more professional education around AI, as a technology that will very likely impact societal information interaction and information services. We similarly argue professional contribution can take the form of strengthened voices in information ethics grounded in LIS expertise. Of course, along with increased research and educational space, we also suggest Communities of Practice, and inter-institutional collaborative networks, such as for the development of open educational resources on AI and information ethics in LIS and the GLAMR sector.

The topics we discuss draw on the various aspects used to define ‘profession’, highlighting their interlocking nature. If a profession is characterised, amongst other things, by its research activity, it is also characterised by the opportunities it takes – in both research and practice, benefiting from a symbiotic relationship. Moreover, LIS occupies both unique and other disciplinary grounds, suggesting further benefit in the production of our forms of knowledge, both theoretical and practical. Perhaps this prompts us to consider our interstitial nature as being our strength, a defining feature of our profession’s adaptability.

References Bell, E. (2022, September 1). Are we a profession? Emilia Bell answers. ALIA LARK. https://lark-kollektive.blogspot.com/2022/09/are-we-profession-emilia-bell-answers.html

Howard, K. (2022, August 28). Are we a profession? ALIA LARK. https://lark-kollektive.blogspot.com/2022/08/are-we-are-profession.html

Raju, J. (2020). Future LIS Education and Evolving Global Competency Requirements for the Digital Information Environment: An Epistemological Overview. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 61(3), 342+. https://doi.org/10.3138/jelis.61.3.2019-0088

Tait, E. & Pierson, C. M. (2022) Artificial Intelligence and Robots in Libraries: Opportunities in LIS curriculum for preparing the librarians of tomorrow. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 71(3), 256-274. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2022.2081111

Dr Cameron M. Pierson is a Senior Researcher and Project Manager at L3S Research Center in Hannover, Germany and a Research Fellow at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Dr Elizabeth Tait is a Senior Lecturer in Information Studies at Charles Sturt University where she is a Course Director.

Are we a profession? Emilia Bell answers

Are we a profession? 

The first answer comes from Emilia Bell, Coordinator (Evidence Based Practice) at the University of Southern Queensland

Is it fitting that we currently call Library and Information Science (LIS) in Australia a profession? Yes, but doing so means engaging with new knowledge which does require sustaining research in future practice.

In understanding ‘professions’ to be grounded in ethical standards and specialised knowledge, research remains a valuable and necessary contribution to the LIS professions' knowledge base and practice. Our professional expertise and judgments should build on professional ethics and knowledge, with knowledge being acquired, created, and applied through various processes, research being one.

perhaps engagement with new knowledge should guide our understanding of whether we have a profession

Juznic and Urbanija (2003) recognise that “research is needed to create new knowledge”. Undertaking research is vital in contributing to our professional knowledge base, and should be “published, shared, questioned, and debated” (Howard, 2022). For this, perhaps engagement with new knowledge should guide our understanding of whether we have a profession. This still presents an imperative to engage with research processes for knowledge creation, but also captures coinciding methods of inquiry and knowing (McGregor, 2021) that may inspire future research directions as a profession and a discipline.

Many overlapping processes (including research, evidence-based practice, and reflection) allow us to engage with our professional ethics and values, taking them beyond aspirational to being realised in practice (Young, 2020). Positioning ‘knowledge’ as a basis for the profession highlights other processes of inquiry, such as critical reflection, that help support the application of knowledge and ethics to practice. This requires we are deriving new knowledge from research while acknowledging those other processes that I hope will facilitate curiosity and interest in 'doing research' and going beyond routine as a profession.

References
Howard, K. (2022, August 28). Are we a profession? ALIA LARK. https://lark-kollektive.blogspot.com/2022/08/are-we-are-profession.html

Juznic, P., & Urbanija, J. (2003). Developing research skills in library and information science studies. Library Management, 24(6/7), 324-331. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120310486048

McGregor, R. (2021, November 6). Reflective practice. Is this the library?. https://rowenamcgregor.com/2021/11/06/reflective-practice/

Young, S. W. H. (2020). On ethical assessment: Locating and applying the core values of Library and Information Science. Library Assessment Conference. https://www.libraryassessment.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/87-Young-On-Ethical-Assessment.pdf

Are we a profession?

Dr Katherine Howard

I recently had the privilege of working on the ARC funded Library and Information Science Research in Australia (LISRA) project. When preparing a literature review for on aspect of the project, I came across a quote that I have not been able to get out of my head (emphasis added):

Library and information science (LIS) has emerged, not only as a profession and the educational programme that supports it, but also as a research discipline. Research is needed to create new knowledge and thereby contribute to the growth of LIS as a profession or discipline. If research is absent, non-existent or even scarce, there is no profession, but only an occupation grounded in techniques, routine and common sense (Juznic and Urbanija, 2003).

Further, if we consider that the Australian Council of Professions defines (in part) a
profession as:

a disciplined group of individuals who [...] are accepted by the public as possessing special knowledge and skills in a widely recognised body of learning derived from research, education and training at a high level [...] (2003, emphasis added) ...

... do we really have a profession?

From my experience, and what I have observed, my answer would have to be ‘no.’ Now please don’t think I am ‘dissing’ my own sector – quite the opposite. If I didn’t love this sector and care about its future, I would just stay quiet. But I do care. I care that there seems to be very little research undertaken, published, shared, questioned, and debated.

Perhaps more worrying is that there seems to be very little interest in even finding out what it means to do research – proper, actual, rigorous research. I understand the constraints: there’s no time, there’s no support, there’s no recognition – all factors that have been written about in the literature and largely supported by findings from the LISRA project. But if we think we are already “doing research” and therefore we are “a profession” and nothing needs to change ... I beg to differ.

“Research” – sometimes incorrectly referred to as “academic research” - is a
methodologically sound investigation into a ‘thing.’ Ironically, the people who understand what I am talking about in the previous sentence are those who have undertaken research themselves. On reflection, perhaps it is not so ironic – it the difference between sympathy and empathy. You can’t empathise with something you have never empirically experienced, no matter how much you know about the topic or situation. 

So – I’d love to know what other people think. Within the bounds of the two quotes above, are we a profession? Why/why not?

Send us your responses and we will share them on this blog and Twitter.

References

Australian Council of Professions (2003). What is a Profession?

https://www.professions.org.au/what-is-a-professional/

Juznic, P., & Urbanija, J. (2003). Developing research skills in library and information science studies. Library Management, 24(6/7), pp. 324-331. 

Dr Katherine Howard, eResearch Analyst, Intersect