The Shifting and Changing Research Landscape and the Academic Librarian’s Response

Abstract

Research is increasingly changing due to among other reasons, technological advancement, funding models or policies, the general transitions on the international scene and lately, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The dawn of COVID-19 has particularly transformed the conduct of research. Apparently, both opportunities and constraints are emanating from this epoch which researchers and academic librarians have to embrace. The study was conducted as a literature review to gather data for the study on how the research landscape is shifting in order to determine ways in which academic librarians could best serve researchers. Adequate research support is key to success in academia because research institutions are also ranked on the level and quality of their research output on ranking platforms. The author argues that the changing research landscape transforms the role of the academic librarian. The study findings indicate that trajectories in research have modified the role of the academic librarian from a supporter through collections and training, to a partner in the entire research life cycle. Suffice to say, any change process bears challenges which academic librarians may encounter in their quest to promote research, and these were determined in this chapter. The chapter ends with some insights about new and innovative ideas for the further promotion of research. The study adds value in understanding the trajectories in conducting research, and what academic librarians need to do in light of the changes, for the benefit of research.