Competency: Reference, Research and Patron Services

Target Audience: Librarians who are interested in conducting empirical research and implementing support programs for empirical research

Learning Outcomes:

1) Participants will be able to identify some of the resources and methods utilized in conducting quantitative empirical research.

2) Participants will be able to select elements of successful empirical research programs to incorporate in empirical research initiatives at their organizations.

The U.S. Supreme Court has long acknowledged the usefulness of information produced by social science research methods. In 2003, the Supreme Court cited statistical evidence in two cases. Recognizing the persuasive power of research concluded through empirical methods, court, firm and academic librarians are now contemplating how they can add value to the empirical research process. This program will provide an introduction to empirical research methods and assist librarians in understanding how two academic law libraries and a law and legal studies librarian at an academic library have supported empirical legal research initiatives. Speakers will discuss their experiences in supporting empirical legal research initiatives and provide advice on the types of support “average” law librarians can provide. Speakers will also suggest avenues for law librarians to develop a greater familiarity with empirical research methods.