Research Practices of Literature, Culture, and Writing Scholars: A Local Report at the University of Illinois at Chicago

This local report is part of a larger study conducted by Ithaka S+R and the Modern Language Association (MLA) on the research practices and needs of literatures, culture, and writing scholars. Librarians from 14 universities across the United States interviewed scholars at their own institution sand shared these interviews with Ithaka S+R. Ithaka S+R will analyze the compiled data and publish a comprehensive report next year. Eleven faculty members from the School of Literatures,Cultural Studies, and Linguistics and the English department were interviewed for this study.The faculty members spoke at length about their research habits, detailing their processes from idea formation to publication. Although some differences emerged among those interviewed, several topics seemed universally important: 1) disciplinary perspectives, 2) the use of primary sources and archives, 3) the limitations of search and the need for more informal strategies for information seeking, 4) the quantity of resources (not enough vs. too much), 5) the social dimensions of information seeking, and 6) varying forms of training. Based on these research findings, the investigators recommend several steps the library can take to help literature, language, writing, and cultural studies faculty at UIC with various research needs.