Decolonizing Library and Information Science Research Methodology

Jaya Raju’s Decolonizing Library and Information Science Research Methodology is a timely, intellectually rigorous, and groundbreaking contribution to Library and Information Science (LIS) scholarship. Challenging the long-standing dominance of western epistemological traditions in LIS research, the monograph advances inclusive, socially responsive, and contextually grounded methodological perspectives rooted in global south and Indigenous knowledge systems. Foregrounding decoloniality, social justice, and epistemic plurality, this seminal work reimagines the philosophical foundations of LIS research and opens innovative pathways for scholars, educators, and practitioners worldwide. It is an essential text that will significantly shape contemporary and future discourse on LIS research methodology. -- Wole Michael Olatokun, Professor, Department of Data and Information Science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria & Visiting Professor, Department of Library and Information Studies, National University of Lesotho
Decolonizing Library and Information Science Research Methodology is a timely and significant contribution to the LIS field. It rigorously engages with the theoretical foundations and challenges the ongoing dominance of western paradigms in LIS research. Professor Raju draws on rich international case studies and diverse lived experiences of scholars engaged in decolonizing research. Her work actively promotes Indigenous and marginalized perspectives and offers practical pathways for transforming methodological approaches to conducting research in these contexts. This is essential reading for LIS scholars, educators, and practitioners seeking to rethink research in ways that are culturally inclusive and ethically grounded. -- Spencer Lilley, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Information Management, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Decolonizing Library and Information Science Research Methodology invites Library and Information Science (LIS) researchers and practitioners to think more deeply about the relationships among knowledge, power, identity, and community. By framing the text through a decolonizing lens that includes voices from Indigenous, Global South, and Global North LIS scholars, Raju challenges inherited assumptions about what LIS scientific research is and expands methodological possibilities for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research in libraries, archives, museums, and galleries. Accordingly, Raju's work is an apt textbook selection for LIS archival studies and research methods classes because it embeds cultural heritage informatics into the LIS methods conversation. Additionally, the book serves as a professional primer, providing an essential roadmap for LIS scholars seeking to conduct research that honors holistic ways of knowing and being in library and community settings. Thought-provoking and timely, this volume contributes meaningfully to the continuing transformation of LIS scholarship and practice as a socioculturally inclusive, global knowledge field within the social sciences. -- Vanessa Irvin, Associate Professor and Program Director, Master of Library Science Program, East Carolina University, USA
Jaya Raju's Decolonizing Library and Information Science Research Methodology is a landmark contribution to the field, challenging the supposed neutrality of libraries and exposing the epistemological dominance of western knowledge systems over Indigenous and marginalized communities. The author proposes a transformative approach based on "braiding" western and Indigenous epistemologies, offering a practical and community-centered methodological framework essential not only for post-colonial nations but also for European institutions tasked with re-evaluating their canons and information access structures. This is an indispensable book for the 21st-century LIS curriculum. -- Anna Maria Tammaro, Professor, retired, Digital Library Master's program, University of Parma, Italy