Page 51 - Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.47, 2021

050 Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.13, 2021

method and correlation analysis method. The fundamental theoretical system of library science
with Chinese characteristics should strive to build a methodological system for this discipline.
This methodological system should be under the guidance of dialectical materialism and historical
materialism, adhere to the combination of qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis methods,
and absorb the advantages of interdisciplinary research methods. At the same time, it shall draw on
the experience of foreign theories and methods to study and address the issues in the development
of Chinese librarianship.

2.2 Constructing the core values of the fundamental theory of library science with
Chinese characteristics

(1) Problem-oriented approach
The fundamental theoretical system of library science with Chinese characteristics should
be rooted in China, addressing various new issues and new situations in the development
of Chinese librarianship, advancing with the times and innovating continuously. Any new
ideas, new theories and new viewpoints in this regard should be based on the realities in
the development of librarianship, not the “virtual” issues deduced from the concept, or self-
conceived issues without any practical basis. The fundamental theoretical research of library
science in China not only boasts profound and solid practical basis but also addresses distinctive
practical issues. The value goal of the fundamental theoretical research of library science is not
to pursue a “theoretical system” that is far from reality like a mirage, but to become the “key”
to scientifically explaining and solving the practical problems and contradictions at all levels in
librarianship.
(2) Paradigm awareness
American scholar Thomas Kuhn puts forward the concept of “paradigm” in his book The
Structure of Scientific Revolutions. He believes that paradigm consists of a set of beliefs shared
by a group of scientists on issues and theories of common concern. Kuhn’s paradigms had
an internal anatomy with four components: symbolic generalizations, models, values, and
exemplars [27] . Research paradigms often externalizes into a set of definitions and categories.
Therefore, the construction of the fundamental theoretical system of library science with Chinese
characteristics should strengthen the awareness of the paradigm. Specifically, we shall focus
on the following aspects. First, it is necessary to condense basic concepts with a high degree of
generality and stability, which can reflect the basic features and logical starting points of research
and practice in Chinese library science. Second, it is necessary to determine the basic categories
in the fundamental theory of Chinese library science. These categories must conform to the
characteristics of the mainstream ideology and the people-centered research orientation, meet the
current needs of the society, and follow the development law of Chinese librarianship. Third, by
summarizing the existing research results of the fundamental theory of library science in China,