Evidence Based Library and Information Practice
Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 2010, 5.2
Evidence Based Library and Information Practice
Editorial
Thoughts on Reflection
Denise Koufogiannakis
Editor‐in‐Chief
Collections & Acquisitions Coordinator, University of Alberta Libraries
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Email: denise.koufogiannakis@ualberta.ca
2010 Koufogiannakis. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons‐
Attribution‐Noncommercial‐Share Alike License 2.5 Canada (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‐nc‐
sa/2.5/ca/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original
work is properly attributed, not used for commercial purposes, and, if transformed, the resulting work is
redistributed under the same or similar license to this one.
There has been some acknowledgement in the
published literature that reflection is a crucial
element of the evidence based library and
information practice (EBLIP) model we have
adopted (Booth 2004, 2006; Grant 2007;
Helliwell 2007). As we work through a
problem and try to incorporate the best
available evidence into our decision making,
reflection is required at several stages,
including the very identification of the
problem through to our assessment of the
process itself and what we have learned in
order to inform future practice. However,
reflection and reflective writing have not fully
been integrated into the process we espouse,
and very little has been done to look more
closely at this element of the model and how it
can be integrated into professional learning.
In a recently published research article, Sen
(2010) confirms the relationship between
reflection and several aspects of professional
practice. These include critical review and
decision making, two aspects that are tied
closely to the evidence based process. Sen
notes:
Students were more likely to show
evidence of learning, self‐
development, the ability to review
issues crucially, awareness of their
own mental functions, ability to make
decision [sic] and being empowered
when they had mastered the art of
reflective practice and the more
deeply analytical reflective writing.
(p.84)
EBLIP (the journal) tries to incorporate
elements of reflection within the articles we
publish. While we clearly believe in the need
for our profession to do quality research and
publish that research so that it can be
accessible to practitioners, we also know that
research cannot be looked at in isolation. Our
evidence summaries are one way of reflecting
critically on previously published research,
and in the same vein, our classics bring older
research studies back to the foreground. This
work needs to continue to be discussed and
looked at for its impact on our profession.
More directly, the Using Evidence in Practice
section uses a standardized format enabling
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mailto:denise.koufogiannakis@ualberta.ca
Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 2010, 5.2
practitioners to share their experience of
integrating research evidence into their
practice. The final section of these brief articles
asks the writers to reflect on their experience.
Although it is not research, the individual
reflection allies with what Schön (1983) called
“reflection on action” and such reflections
over time form a practical, tacit knowledge
that we use to inform our work. Within this
section of the journal, we hope readers will
become more aware of how different types of
evidence can be integrated into real‐world
decision making. Not everything requires a
full blown research study, and this section
allows readers to see what other practitioners
are doing, and in turn it should enable them to
reflect upon what they are doing in their own
practice.
Being aware of situations where things may or
may not have worked, and reflecting on the
reasons why, brings together our sense of
critical thought and practical experience that
go a long way in filling the “librarian
observed” and “professional judgements”
parts of the EBLIP definition (Booth and Brice
2004). Acquiring professional knowledge does
not end when we complete a graduate
program, or have a certain number of years
experience under our belts. It needs to be
continually and consciously cultivated via
reflection on our practice, our research, and
simply what works and why.
Research knowledge only takes us so far.
People often ask me, “What do I do when
there is no evidence? Or when the research
evidence is weak?” Does this stop us from
moving ahead? No. A decision still needs to be
made. Evidence based practice is not only
about acting when there is good evidence.
Enhancing our professional judgments via a
career built on analytical reflection, will
provide knowledge that goes a long way
towards making difficult decisions a little bit
easier; even (or perhaps, especially) in the
cases when there is already a large body of
research evidence.
Perhaps EBLIP proponents need to start
thinking about the best ways to be reflective
practitioners. Could we start a new type of
“journal club” where practitioners keep
journals as reflective tools, and meet regularly
to work through problems and give one
another feedback? Or pair up with a reflective
partner to have discussions on critical
incidents that occurred within our practice? I
am sure some people are already doing this, or
are finding other mediums such as blogs,
wikis, and mailing lists to reflect on elements
of practice and engage others who are
interested in the topic. However, coming up
with concrete strategies for developing
reflection within our profession needs to be
more widely discussed and articulated. Our
professional bodies would be a good starting
place, and via these bodies developing skills
through continuing professional development.
We can learn a lot from other fields such as
Education and Nursing, which have more
fully incorporated elements of reflection into
their practice. We also need to consider the
best way to integrate our reflection with
available research. I’m sure there are many
ideas just waiting to be put into action, or
already happening (in which case we would
love to hear about them). As with anything
worthwhile, there is no simple formula for
success, but there is a valuable goal; in this
case, improving our practice for the benefit of
our patrons and a better understanding of
how and why we do what we do as librarians
and information professionals.
References
Booth, A. (2006). Clear and present questions:
Formulating questions for evidence
based practice. Library Hi Tech, 24(3),
355‐368.
Booth, A. (2004). Evaluating your
performance. In: Booth, A. & Brice, A.
(Eds). Evidence‐based practice for
information professionals: A handbook
(pp. 127–137). London: Facet
Publishing.
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Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 2010, 5.2
Booth, A. and Brice, A. (2004). Why
evidence‐based information
practice? In: Booth, A. & Brice, A.
(Eds). Evidence‐based practice for
information professionals: A handbook
(pp. 1‐12). London: Facet
Publishing.
Grant, M. (2007). The role of reflection in the
library and information sector: A
systematic review. Health
Information and Libraries Journal,
24(3), 155‐166.
Helliwell, M. (2007). Reflections of a
practitioner in an evidence based
world: 4th International Evidence
Based Library & Information
Practice Conference. Evidence Based
Library and Information Practice 2(2),
120‐122.
Sen, B. A. (2010). Reflective writing: A
management skill. Library
Management, 31(1/2), 79‐93.
Schön, D.A. (1983). The reflective practitioner:
How professionals think in action. New
York: Basic Books.
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