Knowledge Translation Pathology: Strategies to Improve Students' Research Performance Library and Information Science

  Every day, many researches are conducted and results are obtained that seem to remain at the level of a research and are not exploited. According to Reher and Morrison, the results of the researches should be able to help managers and decision makers in making decisions and formulating and revising the organizational policy. Because research findings can be helpful in identifying needs, identifying issues and problems, prioritizing facilities and financial and human resources, and providing new solutions. The issue of communication between the two communities of researchers and decision makers is not a new thing and we have said and heard for a long time that universities and research institutions, as one of the most important sources of knowledge production, should have a proper relationship with the organizations that consume this knowledge. This communication is a two-way process and it obviously improves the effectiveness of the activities of both of them, i.e. the university and the benefiting organizations.  Information science has more than half a century of academic experience and associate to doctoral degrees, and research is one of its prerequisites. However, despite this historical precedent, some current writings indicate that most of the knowledge produced in the form of dissertations is unused or lacks research value, or by repeating the previous material, lacks innovation and the ability to influence and They do not have application in the scientific community. With regard to this issue, the present study aimed to identify the reasons for this and provide solutions to improve it.

This research was conducted in two stages. In the first, literature of the subject was analyzed and the effective factors in writing and compiling academic researches were identified. After refining and removing duplicates, the identified variables were placed in the three components of producers (students), mediators (the university system, include teachers), and consumers (operating community) and a questionnaire was designed based on it. Then each of its components and variables were measured by postgraduate graduates of library and information science.

By content analyzes, 12 variables were obtained as individual influential factors in the efficiency of academic research and their application. Nearly 100% of the graduates believed that being motivated had the greatest impact on a good and successful dissertation. After that, ignorance of how to conduct research due to lack of previous experience or incorrect teacher training has been mentioned as an important issue. Also, 14 variables were obtained in relation to contextual factors (mediators of knowledge / university system); Among them, the lack of material and spiritual support for research students by the university or the educational system, the inability of professors to give new and innovative ideas to students, the lack of knowledge of professors on research topics and lack of knowledge of 90% of the problems Was assigned. Also, by content analyzes of the related texts, 11 variables related to the scientific community and exploitation centers had a higher frequency. Among these variables are the distrust of executive branch managers in academic achievements or the weakness of administrative structures in exploiting academic research findings in decision-making, low quality level, ignorance of administrative bodies and stakeholders of academic research and its topics. Lack of material or spiritual support for academic dissertations was one of the most frequent variables mentioned by the research community.

Any decision that has research support can be a model for similar decisions in similar circumstances. It is obvious that managers in academic environment who wish to avoid major failures in their decisions and plans should pay more attention to research and university systems in order to be able to integrate the knowledge gained from education with research findings and inject it into professional communities. Dissertations play an important role in the production of new knowledge. For this reason, the academic system in library and information science must pay special attention to the competencies and continuous improvement of the process of production, exchange and proper application of knowledge among students, faculty and consumers of knowledge in order to use research findings to produce more effective products or provide stronger services.