How Disciplinary Partnerships Shape Research Landscape in U.S. Library and Information Science Schools

TL;DR

This study empirically maps research themes and organizational influences in U.S. LIS schools, revealing diverse research portfolios, evolutionary dynamics, and the prominence of Human-Centered Technology as a growth vector.

Contribution

First comprehensive empirical analysis of organizational structures and research themes in U.S. LIS schools using computational methods and longitudinal data.

Findings

Computer-affiliated schools focus on computational research.

Information schools exhibit the greatest research diversity.

Most schools are shifting toward Human-Centered Technology.

Abstract

This study provides the first comprehensive empirical mapping of how organizational structures and research portfolios co-occur across U.S. Library and Information Science (LIS) schools. Analyzing 14,705 publications from 1,264 faculty members across 44 institutions (2013--2024), we employ computational methods including word embeddings and topic modeling to identify 16 distinct research themes organized into three foundational dimensions: Library and Knowledge Organization (LKO), Human-Centered Technology (HCT), and Computing Systems (CS). Our mixed-method analysis reveals significant differences in research composition across organizational types: Computer-affiliated schools cluster tightly in computationally-intensive research and differ significantly from all other school types, while independent Information schools demonstrate the greatest research diversity. Temporal analysis of LIS schools reveals complex evolutionary dynamics: 51.4% are moving toward HCT, 37.8% toward CS, and 37.8% toward LKO, with many schools simultaneously shifting along multiple dimensions. Contrary to narratives of computational dominance, HCT emerged as LIS's primary growth vector. These patterns challenge assumptions about field fragmentation, revealing structured diversification shaped by but not determined by organizational positioning. The study provides empirical foundations for institutional strategic planning, accreditation policy, and understanding LIS's evolving disciplinary identity amid computational transformation.