DOI: 10.1111/hir.

12003

Information professionals’ participation in

interdisciplinary research: a preliminary study of
factors affecting successful collaborations
Diane L. Lorenzetti* & Gayle Rutherford†
*Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada, and †Faculty
of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

Abstract
Objectives: This pilot study explores the conditions that support or hinder information professionals’ par-
ticipation in interdisciplinary research teams.
Methods: We undertook a preliminary grounded theory study investigating factors that impact on informa-
tion professionals’ participation in interdisciplinary research. Four biomedical information professionals
working in academic universities and teaching hospitals in Canada participated in semi-structured inter-
views. Grounded theory methods guided the data collection and analysis.
Results: Participants identified the conditions that support or hinder research participation as belonging to
four distinct overlapping domains: client-level factors including preconceptions and researcher resistance;
individual-level factors such as research readiness; opportunities that are most often made not found; and
organisational supports.
Conclusions: Creating willingness, building preparedness and capitalising on opportunity appear crucial to
successful participation in interdisciplinary research. Further exploration of the importance of educational,
collegial and organisational supports may reveal additional data to support the development of a grounded
theory regarding the facilitation of information professionals’ engagement in interdisciplinary research.

Keywords: biomedical research, interdisciplinary communication, interprofessional relations, interview,

librarians, qualitative research, research

Key Messages

• Building research capacity among information professionals may require overt organisational sup-
ports.
• Peer mentoring can be a means of enhancing individual research skills.
• A willingness to work outside one’s comfort zone may be a prerequisite for involvement in inter-
disciplinary research.
• Developing the competencies and confidence necessary to engage, on an equal footing, with other
researchers can positively impact successful research team participation.

libraries or rely on information professionals to con-

Background
The advent of electronic books, journals and search
engines such as Google Scholar has created a whole
new paradigm for scholarly research. Researchers
are putting less emphasis on the need to frequent
Correspondence: Diane L. Lorenzetti, Department of Community Health
Sciences, University of Calgary, 3rd Floor, TRW, 3280 Hospital Drive
NW, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 4Z6. E-mail: dllorenz@ucalgary.ca
1–3
duct basic literature searches on their behalf. In
response, information professionals have increas-
ingly been moving towards the provision of highly
specialised services to meet the more sophisticated
4–6
needs of today’s researchers. Within medical
research, these services include working with clini-
cians to facilitate evidence-based decision-making at
the clinical bedside, teaching critical appraisal and

© 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group
274 Health Information & Libraries Journal, 29, pp. 274–284
 Information professionals & interdisciplinary research, Diane L. Lorenzetti & Gayle Rutherford
systematic searching skills, and adopting embedded
3,5,7–9
service delivery models. A recent study of the
emerging roles of biomedical information profes-
sionals confirmed that some are now engaging in
activities that, until relatively recently, would have
been considered to be outside of the scope of the pro-
3
fession. These roles include bioinformatics, teach-
ing and technical support, grant and manuscript
3
preparation, and interdisciplinary research.
Researchers and policy makers alike recognise
that many of the health and social problems that
plague our society may be beyond the scope of
10,11
one discipline to address.
Many funding agencies including the Canadian
Institute of Health Research (CIHR), the U.S.
National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the UK
Research Councils now require researchers to dem-
onstrate, through the inclusion of interdisciplinary
team specialisation and appropriate stakeholder
inclusion, their ability to adequately and comprehen-
12,13
sively address complex problems. Literature on
the effectiveness of interdisciplinary research teams,
where different disciplines come together to engage
in research of common interest, highlights the impor-
tance of establishing roles, overcoming feelings of
isolation, and addressing differing perspectives and
11,14–16
skill sets within the team collective. Although
we know that information professionals are becom-
ing involved in interdisciplinary research, very little
is known about the nature and effectiveness of these
research collaborations.
Objectives
Providing a forum through which information pro-
fessionals can give voice to their unique experiences
may lead to a greater understanding of the barriers
and facilitators facing those in the profession wish-
17
ing to engage in interdisciplinary team research.
Through interviews with participants, we explored,
in this pilot study, the conditions that support or hin-
der information professionals’ participation in aca-
demic research teams.
Methods
Research design
Building interdisciplinary research capacity within
the information profession requires the identifica-
© 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group
Health Information & Libraries Journal, 29, pp. 274–284
275
tion of environments, conditions, skills and other
factors that can best enable these collabora-
7,10,18
tions. Grounded theory, with its focus on con-
structing robust theory to reflect the multiple
realities of individual participants that are influ-
enced by the cultures and societies in which they
live, is an appropriate method with which to
17,19–22
explore this research question.
In grounded theory, data are collected, coded
and analysed in an iterative rather than a linear
23
fashion. As data are analysed and contrasted, by
way of constant comparisons, concepts emerge that
direct the researcher to focus future data collection,
coding and analysis on the exploration of these
concepts. To facilitate this process the collection
and analysis of data happen simultaneously.
Through constant comparisons between existing
and emerging data elements, prior interview data
informs the identification of new participants that
can speak to the concepts emerging from the
ongoing analysis.
As an information professional, the first author
(DLL) approached this research problem with an
interest in and experience of the topic at hand. She
has personally been involved in a variety of inter-
disciplinary research studies and is therefore very
24
much a subjective insider. Her perspective on this
topic includes an awareness of the impacts that
both education and the presence of powerful advo-
cates can have on the interdisciplinary research
experiences of information professionals. Her
familiarity with issues and concerns relative to this
area of inquiry facilitated her ability to interpret,
reflect and report on the data provided by partici-
pants.
Data collection
The first author conducted semi-structured inter-
views with four biomedical information profession-
als working in academic universities and teaching
hospitals in Canada. All have a Master’s degree
(one a PhD) and between 10 and 20 years’ experi-
ence working in large academic universities and
teaching hospitals. This study received ethics
approval through the university’s health research
ethics board.
The interviews were each approximately 1 h in
length. Interview questions included both broad
276 Information professionals & interdisciplinary research, Diane L. Lorenzetti & Gayle Rutherford
overview questions that encouraged participants to
reflect on their experiences, and specific questions
derived from both the first author’s personal expe-
riences and the literature on interdisciplinary team
research. In accordance with grounded theory
methods, participants’ responses to initial questions
led to the exploration of unanticipated threads ger-
mane to this line of inquiry. Interviews were
audio-taped and transcribed. Pseudonyms were
given to each participant interviewed.
Data analysis
Constant comparisons and coding of participant
data determined the relational fit of data within
codes and the appropriateness of coding within
broader categories, increasingly abstract concepts
20,21,25
or themes. Memo writing occurred throughout
the process of category development as a means of
developing concepts and clarifying ideas. In a fully
developed theory, categories are further combined
and abstracted until theory emerges. As this is a
pilot study, the categories that emerged from this
analysis cannot be said to be fully articulated.
They are preliminary at best, highlighting themes
worthy of further exploration.
Results
Participants in this pilot study believe that involve-
ment in interdisciplinary research is both a proper
and necessary activity for the profession. From an
Brand recogni on
Resistance
Champions
Time
Client-level
Interdisciplinary research
Organiza onal
support
Nature of support
Working in isola on
Figure 1 Emerging theory of interdisciplinary research participation
© 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group
analysis of participant responses thus far, it
appears that successful collaborations with
researchers may hinge on the integration of four
major overlapping domains: client-level, individ-
ual-level, opportunity and organisational supports
(Fig. 1).
Client/researcher-level
Information professionals recognise that in order to
participate in interdisciplinary research, they must
prove their value to clients or researchers who
may have little awareness of the skills that they
can bring to academic research. Early experiences
with public and school libraries may influence
how information professionals are perceived.
These perceptions can become entrenched in the
minds of researchers and be difficult to change.
Brand recognition. Information professionals
devote a significant amount of time to raising the
profile of the library, connecting one-on-one with
researchers in other disciplines, and promoting the
value of interdisciplinary collaborations. If the con-
tributions that information professionals make to
interdisciplinary research are not understood, their
inclusion in the research process may neither be
valued nor sought:
……the notion of asking a librarian to participate
doesn’t necessarily occur to people… they’ve
never had the experience… [Emily]
Research readiness
Self-assurance
Clarity
Saying no
Individual-
level
Opportunity
Marke ng
Recognizing the moment
Comfort zone
Health Information & Libraries Journal, 29, pp. 274–284
 Information professionals & interdisciplinary research, Diane L. Lorenzetti & Gayle Rutherford
….people don’t understand what we do all that
well so I find I’m having to explain it a lot… no
one asks a doctor what they are doing no one
really asks a nurse… my mother doesn’t know
what I do. [Nina]
Resistance. Resistance on the part of clients can
take a variety of forms. It can manifest itself in
limiting participation to specific tasks, or excluding
information professionals from key project plan-
ning activities:
…. people don’t always see that we should be
there [research discussions] at the beginning and
that’s not good.[Nina]
….during the meetings you very much felt that a
lot of the discussions were not with you. You were
there to hear what was being discussed but they
would not ask you questions…[Wavee]
Resistance in the form of limited or token partici-
pation can negatively affect both the ability of infor-
mation professionals to participate and their desire
to engage in future interdisciplinary research.
Champions. Researcher-advocates or ‘champions’
can mediate resistance by facilitating the introduc-
tion of information professionals into team
research:
Because they are the key champions within psy-
chosocial services a lot of our current projects are
there. It is…. the influence that they have with
their peers.[Wavee]
Recognizing the value of this support, partici-
pants reported that they employed creative methods
of capturing the notice of busy researchers:
I invited myself to be in that sub-committee and
chirped up at that meeting when I could… Wherever
there is any kind of a research theme, or a life-long
learning theme in any of the courses I’ve tried to just
speak to how I could, the library could, contribute…
just [being] a pest really [Emily]
Networking appears to be instrumental to mak-
ing that first important connection with a
© 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group
Health Information & Libraries Journal, 29, pp. 274–284
277
researcher who may then promote the participation
of information professionals in further research.
Time. Tight deadlines, competing projects and
non-research responsibilities impact on the
research participation of all professions:
They – clinical researchers – need things so fast
and in a much more condensed way than [we] are
used to… This is not news to…. clinical librarian-
ship but it was news to me… [Nina]
This ongoing busyness can influence the ways
in which research teams are formed. Team leaders
may choose to partner with individuals with prior
research experience and proven records of success.
This may preclude information professionals, par-
ticularly those who are new to research, from
becoming involved.
Individual-level
Acceptance notwithstanding, the ability to partici-
pate as an equal member of an interdisciplinary
research team, giving voice to one’s views and
sharing one’s unique expertise within a team of
acknowledged experts can present a challenge.
Research readiness. For information professionals,
some of the biggest hurdles may be developing the
competencies and confidence necessary to engage,
on an equal footing, with other members of
research teams:
I think [we are defensive] because we are not often
at the core of things so we know we are expendable.
It is not ….no one says oh well we have to have the
lab and the OR [operating room] and the library…
we are all so shocked when someone says that.
[Nina]
Although information professionals have always
provided research and education support to other
disciplines, participating on research teams requires
a comfort level with the research process that
some information professionals may lack.
The perception [while studying] was maybe a few
people in our class might pursue a research based
278 Information professionals & interdisciplinary research, Diane L. Lorenzetti & Gayle Rutherford
career but the majority of us were never going to
need this…how wrong we were… [Emily]
This unfamiliarity, the feeling that one must
‘learn the process’ [Wavee] in order to participate,
may cause information professionals to turn away
from opportunities to participate in interdisciplin-
ary research:
…and the fear because I think – am I actually
good enough at this? Can I operate at the level
these people are operating at? And then I’m
embarrassed inside myself because of it. It is inse-
curity because we should be operating at their
level. If we can’t operate in the way that they are
why kid ourselves? [Nina]
On a more basic level, participants indicated that
in order to participate, it is necessary to know and
be ready to adapt to the needs of the researchers
they wish to engage.
As one participant articulated:
What I was hoping to teach isn’t what they needed
to learn. All this stuff all these details about how
to search that I worry my life about they don’t
want and most of them don’t need. [Nina]
Developing self-assurance. Although the willing-
ness to participate was voiced in no uncertain terms
by the participants interviewed for this study, a cer-
tain amount of self-doubt was also expressed:
I would like to be a more outgoing person who
could leap in because I felt intimidated by a lot of
it. These are very bright people and what do I
know? So there were times when I could have
spoken up and didn’t and times when I kicked
myself in the rear end and spoke up even if I
wasn’t 100 percent sure. [Nina]
A lack of confidence in one’s ability may affect
both willingness and the development of colle-
gial relationships with researchers from other
disciplines:
…you have to put in your own time to learn the
content base of the discipline, and the jargon
and…the key methodologies…if that’s what you
© 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group
are interested in, you have to demonstrate some
interest in the field – show that you have some-
thing to bring [Emily]
Participants highlighted the importance of vocal-
ising the nature of one’s expertise as a means of
both building self-confidence and interacting with
team members on an equal footing:
…if I could do it over again I probably would
have had a much stronger voice…Because their
[researchers] scope was unmanageable and I still
think it is unmanageable…. [Wavee]
I usually just try to work it into the conversation.
I say you know…I’ve done some of these
reviews before and we might have gone through
this kind of process before. Usually I try to name-
drop. I say well you know I have a paper coming
out soon…it will sneak it into the conversation….
ever since I got my Master’s degree….…and that
helps [Nina]
In fact, one participant [Kate] stated that she
thought having a PhD ‘legitimises’ her in the eyes
of research faculty.
While participants alluded to the fact that
researchers were often unaware of the value of
including information professionals in interdisci-
plinary research, there was also some sense that
information professionals themselves undervalued
the contributions that they made to research
studies:
I was usually at the bottom [last author], except
for the grey literature paper. But, you know,
‘cause they’re doing all the data analysis and all
the writing and that, and I only wrote the library
literature part [of the research report]. [Kate]
Clarity. All participants alluded to the importance
and value of clarity, or lack of ‘fuzziness’ [Nina]
in dealings with researchers from other faculties:
The communication piece is really critical. So the
better the communication skills the more likely
you are to be successful…clearly communicating
to people what you can, and cannot deliver.
[Emily]
Health Information & Libraries Journal, 29, pp. 274–284
 Information professionals & interdisciplinary research, Diane L. Lorenzetti & Gayle Rutherford
In fact, it may be said that, for these information
professionals, clarity of language, expectations,
role and timelines are the hallmarks of effective
collaborative relationships. The extent to which
information professionals can facilitate the estab-
lishment of this clarity of purpose is a skill like
any other that develops with experience and over
time:
When I’ve been approached I’ve tried to be quite
clear up front what I think I can and can’t reason-
ably do. I’ll just explain….the processes that are
helpful for me and the kind of communication that
I need from them in order to make sure that I’m
on track with what they need. [Emily]
One area where the information professionals
interviewed may fall short is in clarifying expecta-
tions and assumptions with respect to authorship:
This last [review] I was asked to help [with] it
was for a grant, but I’m not quite sure – I never
clarified. Am I co-investigator? Am I helper librar-
ian, or collaborator I guess would be the word.
I’m more probably a collaborator, because I never
saw anything that was submitted [Kate]
For some, negotiating a legitimate co-author-
ship role with other researchers may be a chal-
lenge. Many information professionals have
academic status in their institutions. If they are
held to the same standards as other faculty, then
the imperative to publish is an important compo-
nent of professional advancement. As such, it is
justifiable for information professionals to pursue
legitimate authorship opportunities. The ability
and willingness to engage in these types of con-
versations with researchers during the initial
phases of projects is a key element of role clari-
fication with respect to research participation.
Saying ‘No’. Participation in interdisciplinary
research may require significant investments in
professional time. The participants who were inter-
viewed voiced concerns over the ongoing need to
market their services versus their corresponding
ability to respond to every request generated as a
result of these marketing endeavours. Despite this
© 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group
Health Information & Libraries Journal, 29, pp. 274–284
279
tension, participants were reluctant to turn away
requests.
A lot of times I found it challenging enough to
say no. You have 3 literature reviews already and
another one comes in…and you feel OK at what
point you can say no? I could say no but what
happens if they don’t come back…? [Wavee]
Participant responses may reflect both the ser-
vice nature of the profession and the inherent inse-
curities that result from feeling marginalised
within the research community. Both consider-
ations may prompt information professionals to
take on more and more research responsibilities.
One participant compensated for this behaviour by
using personal time as research time:
You know when you are here…you are constantly
interrupted…it is hard to be concentrated enough
to do your 20 h literature review search. So some-
times I do spend quite a bit of time working…at
night trying to get searches done. [Wavee]
This response, in addition to being unsustain-
able, may be indicative of professional insecurities
with respect to the extent to which information
professionals value themselves, the contributions
they make to the research process, and perhaps the
profession as a whole.
Opportunity
Client and information professional-level factors
notwithstanding, participants were agreed on the
importance of identifying opportunities to engage
in research. Participants highlighted a variety of
factors as contributing to the creation of these
opportunities.
Marketing one’s service/marketing oneself. Mar-
keting the library and marketing of self are inextri-
cably linked and indeed central to many of the
activities in which information professionals
engage. In many ways, professional practice resem-
bles a business model. One-time purchases will not
sustain the enterprise and so the focus must be on
marketing efforts to ensure repeat business.
280 Information professionals & interdisciplinary research, Diane L. Lorenzetti & Gayle Rutherford
The information professionals who participated
in this study employ multipronged approaches to
encourage research collaborations: attending
departmental meetings, hosting education sessions,
developing new services, purchasing important
resources for in-library use only and co-locating
information professionals within research units.
One participant [Wavee] reported that by arranging
to meet with each new researcher, she is building
a culture of information professional involvement
in research.
Although the time spent on these activities was
questioned by one participant [Nina], ultimately
the need to promote library services and, by exten-
sion, themselves remains an ongoing constant in
the professional lives of these participants.
Recognising the moment. Participants remarked on
the importance of recognising and capitalising on
opportunities that present themselves. They
reported that they made their own opportunities
rather than waiting for occasions to arise:
People who I know….come back to me and say
can you do that for us. I say sure… and I wonder
if it would be better if I sat in on your meetings
then I start to get more and more involved [Nina]
One participant who regularly scans notices of
successful grant awards related the following:
So I just emailed them [a successful grant
holder] and said…You know, I think you need
the guidance of a librarian….so I opened the
door. [Kate]
Another participant attended faculty meetings as
a way of engaging with faculty and building
opportunities for involvement in research activities.
In fact, the importance of being proactive cannot,
it seems, be overstated:
…and they say can you do this? And I say sure if
you let me – if you put my name on it. I’ll help
you judge the quality of the articles and set up the
criteria. [Nina]
Moving outside of one’s comfort zone. A willing-
ness to work outside of one’s comfort zone may
© 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group
be a prerequisite for engaging in interdisciplinary
research:
…a physician was really interested in evidence
based medicine. I happened to be talking to [him]
when he was in my library and he said…you
should come out on rounds with us. And my heart
dropped in my stomach and I said yes you are
right I should. [Nina]
if you’re serious about doing it [research] then you
have to do as much to prepare yourself as you can
and then the rest of it really is dive in and be will-
ing to change and learn [Emily]
Information professionals who can approach
interdisciplinary research as an opportunity for
professional learning and growth rather than sim-
ply an occasion to demonstrate existing skills may
find more opportunities to engage in research than
those who cannot:
And the reason I stepped up is they said could
you give us the best ones and annotate it? And I
said I haven’t done it I’ll be honest, but I see no
reason why I couldn’t [Nina]
Organisational supports
If the profession values interdisciplinary research
collaborations as a legitimate professional activity,
one would expect there to be strong organisational
support for information professionals to participate
in research.
Nature of support. The data coming out of this
study indicate that, for some, passive rather than
active organisational support may still be the
norm.
So, I was speaking to my principal evaluator that
I’m concerned that I will have even less time [for
research]. And she said, ‘well only 10 percent of
your time is meant to be dedicated to research.’
Well you can’t do anything in…two point seven
hours a week. By the time you pick up an article
your time’s gone. [Kate]
Health Information & Libraries Journal, 29, pp. 274–284
 Information professionals & interdisciplinary research, Diane L. Lorenzetti & Gayle Rutherford
It’s not [research] just icing on the cake it’s inte-
gral to your job, and so if you’re really going to
be effective in your field then you really need to
have those [research] courses…Often what it
means is that for that semester I’m just going to
be working more hours… [Emily]
Some participants indicated that their supervi-
sors did not know how they spent their time, the
implication being that so long as other commit-
ments are met, they are free to engage in research.
I don’t’ know if administration realizes librarians,
… are not in control of their time. I could go back
on my computer and have five emails from stu-
dents wanting to meet me, or I could have none.
So to do sustained research, you can’t predict
when you actually have the time. [Kate]
Although currently, there may be insufficient
accommodation made to address challenges such as
competing demands, loss of personal time and read-
iness to participate, participants indicated that this
state of affairs may be changing in their institutions:
Support for the research endeavor [is]going to
become an even more formal part of the program
of libraries [Emily]
The one thing [Head Librarian] is very interested
in supporting and continuing to support is a right
to sabbatical. [Kate]
Working in isolation. Many information profes-
sionals, even those affiliated with large academic
libraries, may feel isolated from their colleagues.
This may be due in part to the department or fac-
ulty-specific model of service delivery in many
academic institutions and the recent push to embed
or co-locate information professionals within the
research units they are meant to serve.
As one participant commented:
…I’ve worked as a solo reference librarian a lot of
my life and you kind of wonder after a while – do I
really know everything everyone should know? I
don’t know…. I hope so….it would be nice to have
someone else’s experience to speak to. [Nina]
© 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group
Health Information & Libraries Journal, 29, pp. 274–284
281
The resulting lack of opportunity to benefit from
the mentoring support of colleagues may also
impact on the ability of the profession to develop
research capacity.
Discussion
In 2007, the Medical Library Association (MLA)
adopted an educational policy statement for infor-
mation professionals that outlined seven competen-
cies deemed essential to ‘ensure the continued
achievement of excellence by…. the profession as
26
a whole’. Among these is ‘conducting research
and reporting and disseminating research findings
either individually or in interdisciplinary research
26
teams’.
Research collaborations with other disciplines
provide opportunities for information professionals
to enhance research skills and provide a value-
added service to their clientele. As such, collabora-
tions are generally viewed positively by informa-
tion professionals and their respective
organisations. In this pilot study, the findings that
have emerged thus far highlight the importance of
internal and external supports as enablers of
research participation. For the participants who
were interviewed, tensions appear to arise from
struggling to address personal competencies, oper-
ating within existing organisational support struc-
tures, and identifying and capitalising on
opportunities to participate in research.
Grounded theory research is iterative in nature.
Initial interviews serve to identify gaps in theory
development and inform the identification of addi-
tional interviewees. Four participant interviews,
rich in content though they might be, do not con-
stitute sufficient data to allow us to say with any
certainty that the emerging categories have been
saturated or indeed represent all facets of the the-
ory under consideration. Indeed, Corbin and
Strauss, in their text on grounded theory, comment
that ‘it is doubtful that five or six-one-hour inter-
views can lead to [category] saturation’ and ade-
21
quate theme identification. What our research
does do is begin an exploration of the concepts
related to this topic and illuminate areas worthy of
further inquiry. Among these are research readi-
ness and collegial and organisational support.
282 Information professionals & interdisciplinary research, Diane L. Lorenzetti & Gayle Rutherford
All the participants who were interviewed were
established professionals with 10–20 years of
experience. More than one participant alluded to
the fact that their professional education did not
emphasise the acquisition or application of
research skills. Given the increasing importance of
this aspect of professional practice, an essential
next step in our research would be to explore the
degree to which the experiences of these partici-
pants mirror those of newly practicing information
professionals who have benefited from research-
focused educational curriculums.
The extent to which mentorship opportunities
are available to information professionals and the
impact that these can have on fostering confidence
and developing research readiness were mentioned
by participants. Mentoring has long been an estab-
lished method of facilitating advancement in aca-
demic settings. It has been associated with
achieving tenure, developing research agendas or
programmes, obtaining successful grant applica-
tions, and being productive in research/publica-
27–35
tions. Interviewing participants with formalised
access to professional mentoring and peer mentor-
ing supports might add additional layers of rich-
ness to our analysis.
The participants interviewed in this pilot study
are employed in organisations with similar
approaches to supporting engagement in research.
Previously published literature has highlighted
the importance of overt organisational supports,
and the development of a culture of research in
18,36,37
fostering research capacity and participation.
Support can come in many forms and may
include funded professional learning, protected
research time, and the promotion of ‘research
culture’[s] within organisations, where informa-
tion professionals are expected to engage in
research as a requirement for retention and
advancement.
36
Information professionals may
take their cue from the value that they perceive
that their organisations place on certain activities
and not on others. Key to the further develop-
ment of this research study will be to identify
and interview individuals operating within organ-
isations where tangible supports, such as dedi-
cated research time, are in place and explore the
impact these supports may have on the develop-
18,36,37
ment and application of research skills.
© 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group
Through this preliminary research, a number of
threads of inquiry have been identified which,
when explored further, may yield a rich under-
standing of the facilitators and barriers integral to
information professionals’ participation in interdis-
ciplinary research.
Conclusions
Research collaborations appear to be created
through a marriage of awareness/willingness on
the part of researchers, preparedness on the part
of information professionals, opportunity, and sup-
ports, organisational and otherwise. The degree to
which these factors resonate within the informa-
tion profession at large has yet to be determined.
Themes arising from this pilot study indicate that
successful collaborations may hinge on the inte-
gration of these elements. A further exploration of
the importance of educational, collegial and or-
ganisational supports may reveal additional data
to support the development of a grounded theory
regarding the facilitation of information profes-
sionals’ engagement in interdisciplinary research.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge and thank
the participants who contributed their experiences
and insights to this exploration of interdisciplinary
research participation.
Conflicts of interest
None.
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Received 15 November 2011; Accepted 17 August 2012

© 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group
Health Information & Libraries Journal, 29, pp. 274–284