Research Trends in the Department of Information Management, Istanbul University 1967-2008: A Content Analysis of the Graduate Theses

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to identify and discuss the research trends in the Department of Information Management, Istanbul University through content analysis of the graduate theses which were submitted to the Department for the period from 1967-2008. In order to achieve this purpose, firstly, a total of 58 master's and PhD theses were investigated in terms of organization context, topic, method and the data collection techniques for period from 1995 to 2008. The classification schemes for topics and research methods of LIS used in the content analysis were those based on Jarvelin and Vakkari's. Apart from the master's and PhD theses, the data provided in the article written by Yontar (1995) has also been referred to obtain pertinent findings for the period from 1967-1994. These data sources have provided an opportunity to compare the obtained results and helped to determine trends. The overall findings reveal that the total number of theses has tripled over the last 15 years. Although it is encouraging to see the increase in the numbers, a strong interest in certain subcategories (in terms of organization context, topic, and method) can be seen as a problem. The article also discusses the reasons for this problem.