Meta synthesis in Library Information Science Research
Abstract The meta synthesis method has received increased interest in social science research, but relatively few meta synthesis studies have been conducted in the library and information science (LIS) field. The purpose of this study was to analyze 44 LIS related meta synthesis studies in terms of contribution, meta synthesis methodology, and research topics. The results revealed that there are four types of contributions of meta synthesis research: isolated findings, non dynamic relationships, dynamic relationships, and models. Moreover, a variety of methods have been used to search, select, analyze, and synthesize the individual studies. Finally, although meta synthesis studies have been conducted on some LIS topics (e.g. health informatics, library user services, and information management) it has been an undervalued method for other research topics. Recommendations are offered to encourage the use of this method and to guide researchers to conduct more rigorous meta synthesis studies on LIS topics.