The role of theory in social sciences is, among other things, to explain and predict behavior, be usable in practical applications, and guide research. According to Smiraglia, theory does not exist in a vacuum but in a system that explains the domains of human actions, the phenomena found in these domains, and the ways in which they are affected. He maintains that theory is developed by systematically observing phenomena, either in the positivist empirical research paradigm or in the qualitative hermeneutic paradigm. Theory is used to formulate hypotheses in quantitative research and confirms observations in qualitative research,Library and information science research has been often criticized as being fragmentary, narrowly focused, and oriented to practical problems. Many authors have noticed limited use of theory in published research and have advocated greater use of theory as a conceptual basis in LIS research. Feehan et al. claimed that LIS literature has not evolved enough to support a rigid body of its own theoretical basis. Jarvelin and Vakkari argued that LIS theories are usually vague and conceptually unclear, and that research in LIS has been dominated by a paradigm which "has made little use of such traditional scientific approaches as foundations and conceptual analysis, or of scientific explanation and theory formulation". This lack of theoretical contributions may be associated with the fact that LIS emanated from professional practice and is therefore closely linked to practical problems such as the processing and organization of library materials, documentation, and information retrieval. In this book, after briefly discussing the role of theory in LIS research, we provide an updated view of research issues in the field that will help scholars and students stay informed about topics related to research strategies and methods. The aim of this book is to provide an updated view of research issues in library and information science.

Nimit Kaimal is a librarian and author who specializes in library and information science. He has over 15 years of experience in the library field, and he has worked in a variety of settings, including public libraries, academic libraries, and special libraries. Nimit Kaimal has honed his skills in conducting empirical studies, employing quantitative and qualitative research methods, and analyzing data effectively. His practical experience has given him firsthand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities that researchers encounter in the library and information science domain, Kaimal is the author of several books on research methods, including Research Methods and Techniques in Library and Information Science. Kaimal is also a frequent speaker at library conferences and workshops. He is passionate about helping librarians to improve their research skills and to conduct high-quality research.