The Integration of Theory and Practice in Professional Programs

Abstract

Efforts to integrate theory and practice in the professional programs of library and information science have paid insufficient attention to three basic considerations: (1) the nature of integration, as it applies to the theorypractice issue; (2) the need for the appropriate kind of theory to exist; and (3) the need to accelerate theory-building in the field. Three types of integration can exist in professional programs: ( 1 ) teaching of applied theory; (2) application of applied theory to an analysis of specific settings; and (3) use of applied theory in specific settings. The appropriate kind of theory in library and information science is applied or practical theory, i.e., it focuses on the design of procedures for the effective performance of professional tasks. Researchers in library and information science should give priority to the development of applied theory, since all types of integration of theory and practice depend on the existence of applied theory.

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