The role and value of fieldwork in education for library and information science

Includes bibliography.An investigation was undertaken into the role and value of fieldwork in professional education for library and information science. Following a literature search, the researcher undertook a philosophical investigation of the educational rationale of fieldwork as it relates to other components of the educational programme The second part of the investigation comprised an empirical investigation of the fieldwork programmes at two selected South African universities. Employing a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the candidate evaluated the two programmes and, by means of cross-site comparison, attempted to establish common patterns, to account for differences and to construct a model of fieldwork. Findings relating to each programme were reported and conclusions regarding the most important dimensions and positive indicators of effectiveness were made