Dunn & Wilson scholarship project 1995

Method

Introduction
The design of this study is informed by case study research. Yin (1993) stated that case study research was 'an appropriate research method ... when trying to attribute causal relationships' and that the main reason for using the case study 'is when your investigation must cover both a particular phenomenum and the context within which the phenomenum is occurring' (p31). These criteria certainly fitted my intent to investigate the relationship between library technicians and higher-level library worker positions within the context of various services within the academic library. In keeping with the case study approach, I identified concrete examples of higher-level practice, and brought together observation and discussion to describe the higher-level functioning of the library technicians under study.

Case studies are not necessarily defined by the research methods used but by the interest placed in particular cases and what can be learned from them. My evidence arose from observation and interviews of the participants, and supporting documentation and thereby fitted Yin's (1993) suggestion that 'the important aspect of case study data collection is the use of multiple sources of evidence - converging on the same set of issues' (p32).

Wolcott (1994) stated that the 'greater problem for first-time qualitative researchers is not how to get the data but how to figure out what to do with' it (p9). He went on to state that 'analysis refers quite specifically and narrowly to systematic procedures followed in order to identify essential features and relationships' (p24) and I decided to take such a systematic approach by identifying themes and sub-themes. I did this with all the data from both the observation and interview phases of the study.

Participants
The participants in the case studies were myself as the researcher, at times observer/interviewer, and three participant-practitioners. I purposefully selected the participants from a small list of known practitioners operating at a higher level. I was interested in gaining an understanding of the participants, what had contributed to their career progression, and of activities and processes that they were involved in, not in judging or evaluating them.

Data collection
During the observation phase of the study, the participant-observation mode was mainly used in which I (the participant-observer) was engaged in passive participation. I did not interact with others to any great extent, but observed the participants and recorded what occurred, and my major role in any situation involving others was that of 'spectator'. I found it useful to take on an 'in training' stance in which I concentrated on what I saw and heard as if I would be called upon to replicate it later. I made a particular effort to note everything. When participants were involved in process activities, I sometimes required further information and therefore raised questions at the time. Sometimes the participants felt the need to inform me about what they were doing or to give me some background detail; this in fact contributed to the richness of the data.

I certainly made every effort to avoid intrusion into the situations studied. I asked the participants to inform other staff prior to my visit about the purpose of the visit. I believed this would serve to prevent undue interest in my presence within any particular situation. I asked that no special preparations were made for my visit and that no attempts were made to set up special situations; I just wanted to observe and record typical work days.

I requested secondary sources that I thought would be helpful in verifying details (such as correct titles), in corroborating information and as supportive evidence. I was provided with curriculum vitae, a diary of activities for a month, two position descriptions and one job evaluation, organizational charts, annual reports, strategic plans and other documentation such as action plans, forms, and brochures which the participants had compiled and which they considered useful to the study.

During the observation phase of the study I spent a total of nine hours spread over one and a half days with each participant. The aim of the observation was to identify their duties, interactions with other staff, and level of functioning. I used that initial data analysis of the observational phase on which to decide my approach to the interviews which were held four months later. In fact the observational data plus the secondary sources was so rich with information about the roles and levels of functioning of the participants that I decided to mainly focus the interviews on: their experience of getting into the position; their experience of being in the position; their Continuing Professional Development (CPD); how they viewed the future for themselves and for the position; and the implications of their being in the position. The interviews lasted between one and three hours.

Data management
I personally typed up the observational data and fully transcribed the interview conversations. This process was very useful because it assisted me in identifying some of the themes. I then highlighted what I considered to be important issues and allocated a thematic label after which I assigned labels to thematic groupings. Those groupings provided the structure for the descriptions below.