Guidelines for Research Articles in Library Hi Tech

These guidelines are intended to help authors new to Library Hi Tech and new to writing research articles for peer-reviewed journals. The guidelines come from 10 years of working with Library Hi Tech authors as well as from working with masters and doctoral students. They do not necessarily apply to every possible circumstance, and I will probably update them from time to time to help answer new questions that arise.

Note: manuscripts should be submitted to: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/lht

THE BASICS

• Research Question. Research begins with a question and the question should grow out of a particular scholarly context. If you pose a research question then you need to know enough about the literature to be sure that a) the question matters to others, and b) no one else has answered it the way you do. A simple report about the installation of a new piece of software is not a research article, though it could be  if you investigate whether the software solves a particular problem in your library (i.e. does software X solve problem Y?) or if you compare the installation process  with similar packages (i.e. is installation process X faster / easier / more complete than the installation for similar packages Y and Z?). The question need not be unique. It can be valuable to ask an old question over again if you have a different analysis method or if you get a different answer.
  
• Research Method. The method needs to go with the research question and should be made explicit within the article. Ideally the research methods is something where you have basic training or knowledge. If you have never taken a statistics course, for example, you should, be wary of using a parametric test such as a t-test unless you know that the data fits the required assumptions. Library Hi Tech does not restrict authors to particular methods. Researchers in our discipline often have heterogeneous backgrounds and a working knowledge of multiple methods. What method you pick is not important, as long as the method works for answering the research question you pose.
  
• Literature Review. "Literature review" is the traditional term for a section of a research article that discusses prior scholarly works on a subject and offers an explanation of why a particular research question requires asking. Every Library Hi Tech paper is expected to identify and briefly explain the most closely related literature to show its intellectual context. A section with the label "Literature Review" is not required as long as the substance exists, perhaps at multiple places, within the article. Without some reference to other work in the area, research cannot build on past efforts. Some authors claim that past scholarship offers nothing on their chosen topic, and this may be true within narrow limits. Usually it is an indication that the scope of the literature under discussion needs broadening: there are few topics where nothing remotely relevant exists within the scholarly literature. Ideally the literature review also looks beyond the limits of a single country. Library Hi Tech is an unusually international publication with its editor in Germany, its publisher in England, its origins in the US, and readers and board members around the globe.
  

OTHER COMMON QUESTIONS

• Topics. Ed Wall founded Library Hi Tech in 1982 to cover a broad range of technology-oriented topics that affect libraries. Over the years Library Hi Tech has published on topics ranging from architecture to web design. We have had regular columns on copyright, metadata, and research methods. Theme issues have included accessibility, OAI-PMH (Open Archives Initiative Protocol Metadata Harvesting), and ethics in the digital world. The journal's interests are very broad as long as the articles have something to do with both technology and libraries or information services. Today we are particularly looking for articles on human-computer-interaction, the next generation of OPACs, digital libraries, and digital publishing.
  
• Length. Articles for Library Hi Tech normally run 4000 - 8000 words. Occasionally a research article will be accepted that is shorter than 4000 words. 8000 is a more important limit because of size-limits on the paper edition. Authors are encouraged to consider splitting articles over 8000 words into two parts (both of which can be submitted for review and publication).
  
• Pronouns and contractions. Some readers and reviewers consider anything other than third person inappropriate for scholarly publishing. As editor I am quite ready to accept articles written in the first person, especially when personal experience plays a role in the research method as is the case with my own anthropological approach. At one time I discouraged the use of second person in articles and the use of contractions, but I have ceased to object to either since they have become so standard in modern English.
  
• Acronyms. Acronyms are part of life today. Some acronyms have ceased to have meaningful words attached to their letters (e.g. OCLC  is now really just OCLC). In general acronyms should be explained when used for the first time, or an acronym list should be provided. Sensitivity to cultural difference is important here. In some countries ICT is a standard word that needs no explanation. In other places no one has a clue that it means Information Communication Technology. When in doubt, please explain the acronym.
  
• Citation style. When Emerald acquired Library Hi Tech it shifted from University of Chicago to Harvard style for notes. For a good explanation of the Harvard style, look at the Author's section of the Emerald Website: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/info/authors/writing_for_emerald/submissions.jsp
• Peer review. Library Hi Tech is a peer-reviewed journal. This means that the editor requests opinions about the quality of an article from two other readers, generally members of the editorial advisory board. The review process is double-blind, which means that the reviewers do not know who the author is and the author does not learn who the reviewers are. Reviewers comments are rarely standard. Some give a two sentence thumbs up or down, others may write long notes with suggestions. Although a long note may seem disconcerting to an author, it usually shows a level of interest and desire to help, and such notes are well worth reading.
  
• How long to publication. Library Hi Tech handles the peer review process entirely electronically, but it can still take a long time. The editor and his assistants needs to find appropriate reviewers, those reviewers need to find time to read and comment, and then the editor needs to find time to review and sometimes reconcile reviewer recommendations before writing back to the author. If an author really needs an answer by a particular date (e.g. for a tenure decision), it is helpful to know that in advance. We will make every effort to respond in a timely manner.
  
• Theme vs Non-theme issues. Theme issues are a specialty of Library Hi Tech. Generally an outside editor with an established record of subject expertise organizes these issues and works with the authors. Those who have an idea for a theme issue should contact the editor directly. Virtually all theme issues have a few non-theme articles and Library Hi Tech publishes one or two non-theme issues each year. Articles need not fit into a current theme for us to publish them.
• Copyright Policy. Library Hi Tech's publisher, Emerald, has a very open-access friendly policy. See the Author's charter.
  
• Further questions. Authors who have further questions should contact the editor, Michael Seadle: seadle at ibi.hu-berlin.de