CulturalCo, LLC

  • CulturalCo · Research Initiative
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Culturally Competent Research in Library & Information Science

Evidence-based interventions to improve cultural competence, cultural intelligence, and cultural humility across the LIS research process and research team development.

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The Project

About the CCRLIS Project

CCRLIS is a project to develop evidence-based interventions that improve cultural competence, cultural intelligence, and cultural humility in Library and Information Science (LIS) research — particularly for application to research team development and the research process.

It empowers researchers and professionals who rely on their research to tackle issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in more meaningful, nuanced ways by deepening our understanding of these concepts as applied to LIS research.

While the transformation of practice around these terms has advanced in recent years, the procedures for conducting this research within LIS remain underdeveloped — a problem that inhibits future knowledge development and embeds unidentified bias within research and projects.

Our Driving Question

How do researchers harness cultural competence, cultural intelligence, and cultural humility in their research to transform diversity, equity, and inclusion in current and future practice?

What You’ll Learn

The CCRLIS Framework

An iterative, relational framework of interconnected domains that loops to form a continuous cycle — because culturally competent research is an ongoing process.

Grounding Domains

Researcher Orientation

Researcher Positionality

  • Know yourself
  • Reflect and declare your positionality

Ethical & Epistemological

  • Honor local knowledge
  • Be transparent and ethically grounded

Practice Domains

Research Design & Conduct

Cultural Immersion & Learning

  • Read, listen, observe
  • Stay humble and curious

Community Engagement & Collaboration

  • Co-create research
  • Build reciprocal relationships

Inclusive & Contextual Design

  • Design for diversity
  • Respect local norms and values

Accountability Domains

Evaluation & Continuity

Validation & Review

  • Involve cultural insiders
  • Pilot instruments and terms

Broader Cultural Competence

  • Understand systems
  • Commit to ongoing learning
The framework loops back on itself — a continuous, ongoing cycle

Why Take the Course

What you’ll gain

The CCRLIS course walks you through each domain of the framework so you can put it into practice. Along the way, you will:

  • Incorporate self-reflection into your research workflow to address the effects of personal bias on outcomes.
  • Apply inclusive, culturally responsive approaches across the full research process — from design to evaluation.
  • Help build a fair, equitable research community that strengthens cultural competence now and for the long term.

Learn With Us

The CCRLIS Course

We have developed a course to introduce you and take you through the evolution and development of CCRLIS.

The CCRLIS Course Includes

  • CCRLIS framework
  • Quizzes and Activities for Learning
  • Assessments
  • Workbook
  • Forum for Discussions
  • Additional Resources

Course Learning Outcomes

  • Reflect on how your own cultural identities — and the concepts connected to them — shape the research process and collaboration in LIS contexts.
  • Describe the CCRLIS framework, including its key domains, underlying concepts, and how it can be applied in practice.
  • Analyze and evaluate interpersonal research using the CCRLIS framework, and develop strategies that support respectful, culturally responsive collaboration.

Curriculum

6 Dedicated Modules

Hover or tap any module to reveal what it covers.

Reach

Broader Impact

Because both cultural competence and research impact all fields and disciplines across the world, the project deliverables can be easily adapted to specific fields. Some — such as medicine and healthcare — already emphasize culturally competent care and evidence-based research, and CCRLIS’s deliverables can be readily integrated, adapted, and modified for use in their research processes.

While CCRLIS’s deliverables are neither institution- nor community-specific, they can be adapted to strengthen the workflows of specific institutions or communities in practice.

  • Medicine & Healthcare
  • Education
  • Community Workflows
  • Cross-Disciplinary Research

    Get Involved

    Interested in CCRLIS?

    If you are interested in learning more about CCRLIS or participating in the CCRLIS course, please sign up!

    More Info: ccrlis@culturalco.com

    Sign Up for the Course