Identifying Opinion Leaders and Elites: A Longitudinal Design

Davis, Susan E.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/3662 Copy

Description

Title

Identifying Opinion Leaders and Elites: A Longitudinal Design

Author(s)

Davis, Susan E.

Issue Date

2006

Keyword(s)

• Research methods
• Longitudinal design

Abstract

The term longitudinal design refers to a flexible research approach that can be applied to a wide range of topics involving change over time. Longitudinal refers to both the data collected and the methods of analysis used, and project designs can combine several datagathering and analysis methods within a longitudinal framework. Longitudinal research demonstrates several features that permit the observation of process and change and facilitate identification and evaluation of the underlying factors. Several library and information science studies demonstrate the application of a longitudinal approach to both prospective and retrospective research questions. This article draws primarily on a longitudinal study of leaders who emerged in the archival profession during the 1980s when archivists developed the first set of descriptive standards (MARC AMC) in response to trends in the automation of library cataloging. The study identified a core group of leaders whose influence drove the archival profession to move in a specific direction. The identification of opinion leaders and elites, and the factors that led to their status, has significant implications for understanding patterns of decision making and communication within organizations.

Publisher

Graduate School of Library and Information Science. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

ISSN

0024-2594

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/3662

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2006 Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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