Ken and all - 

This is very disappointing to read.  I certainly hope our PhD students were not contributors to this communication you mention here about lack of theoretical framework for dissertation research. I can imagine that many LIS educators who are reading this are likely to be thinking this same thing.

I was one of several judges for the PhD poster session at ALISE in San Diego.  It was a lovely, scholarly event with many student posters.  I truly enjoyed the experience.  The PhD poster session, in my opinion, is one of the highlights of the ALISE conference.   I highly recommend it as a rare and wonderful opportunity to become familiarized with what topic/questions, critical theory-methodology, methods (tools), target populations/setting, etc., are being studied and what finding and conclusions PhD students have discovered.  There was lots of enthusiasm for doing LIS research that went on throughout the evening awards ceremony and beyond.  

I did come away thinking that I was a bit surprised how many students gave so much of their time to speaking about methods and findings rather than pointing out their theoretical framework.  I always want to know how existing theory been "read against the grain" and been used to build new theory.  PhD students also come up with new theories that they are investigating.  I gave students the benefit of the doubt and decided that maybe I didn't get my own quota (if you will) of theoretical critique from students because it was a very brief time and about all that could be accomplished in one such event. 

I, for one, am glad you are raising this important matter.  I am not going to give up my quest to "push" PhD students to know the literature and to use an appropriate and relevant theoretical framework.  Without it, the LIS research "show" cannot go on!

Mirah Dow, BSE, MLS, PhD
Associate Professor, Coordinator, PhD Program
School of Library and Information Management
Emporia State University
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>>> "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]> 04/06/11 5:52 PM >>>
Two incidents in the past month lead me to raise a question on this list about doctoral studies. I want to be very careful to frame the question so that it is clear that I am seeking to understand expectations not to criticize them.
At a recent doctoral student presentation the candidate was asked about the theoretical framework for the study. The response was that the institution did not require a theoretical framework (for some of us this is a distinguishing feature between master's and doctoral work). Is this the case at your institution? Is this a change?
Today a doctoral student from another institution asked me about recent research in a specific area. The institution "requires that I use research no further back than the year 2006." (I will set aside whether there is any relationship between the topic of study and the date prescription.) Again, is this the case at your institution? Is this a change?
I have not encountered these before and wonder if there are changes underway or I am less aware of expectations elsewhere or whether these are unique.
Thank you.
[cid:3384940994_50458785]
Ken Haycock
voice: 778-689-5938