The "principles" paper: some thoughts on an unusual hybrid

Abstract

For years, ‘principles’ papers have made an important contribution to LIS literature and their influence on subsequent writers has been considerable. They make a series of concise claims in relation to a topic, which are usually supported by a variety of evidence and are pertinent across time and space. These claims have emerged from the literature or are derived directly from the author’s own experience. In writing such a piece, research students may seek to enhance their abstract thinking abilities, whilst practitioners benefit from considering their work more critically and from contextualising their day-to-day experience in terms of wider knowledge. Although ‘principles’ papers are difficult to construct, a would-be writer should not be deterred, as readers are likely to appreciate the ease with which the main claims can be seen, and the paper may form a significant step towards the creation of higher order work.