Does doctoral-level research in library and information management address professional needs?

The introduction in 2005 of a professional doctorate program in library and information management (LIM) at Charles Sturt University, Australia has prompted reflection about the relevance of doctoral-level research to professional practice. Australia and other British-influenced countries have traditionally offered only the Doctor of Philosophy program, which has no coursework component and is generally considered to be largely interested in theoretical concerns. Professional doctorates include a coursework component and are more clearly identified with workplace practice, and it is argued that this equips professionals to better undertake research that is relevant to professional practice, and that the research produced from professional doctorates will be of greater relevance to professional practice. This research explores the contention that Doctor of Philosophy programs in LIM in Australia have not produced research that addresses professional needs. It does this by analysing the research carried out in PhD programs in LIM, using publicly available information from universities in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.