A Practical Framework for Social Justice
Research in the Information Professions
Kevin Rioux, Division of Library
and Information Science, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences
Bharat Mehra, School of Information
Sciences, University of Tennessee Kendra S.
Albright, Department of Information Studies, University of
Sheffield
Abstract
This paper/poster proposes a practical framework for social justice
research in the information professions by sharing examples from
three qualitative studies, each of which represents an information
service and/or application of social justice ideals for meeting the
needs of a particular underserved population. In order to develop
the framework and to encourage consideration of the social justice
angle within mainstream information science discourse and practice,
the three studies are examined in light of social justice elements
and principles. What is common to these studies is an underlying
need to bring about a change in existing power dynamics between who
we as information professionals consider central and who we
consider peripheral in our teaching, research, and service
missions.