Page 109 - RUICHSS 2023 Proceeding

University of Ruhuna ISSN: 2706-0063
Matara, Sri Lanka

(VICLIS, 2021). It offers a useful forum for scholars, practitioners, and

policymakers to stay current on new advancements, share knowledge, and
support the development of LIS. To further emphasise the significance of

inclusivity and accessibility within library services, VICLIS dedicates a

special track to present research findings relating to library services for people
with special needs.

Many LIS conferences at the global level have contributed to investigating the

role of libraries in enhancing inclusive education. However, it appears that a

large number of people attended the conferences in Sri Lanka (Perera et al.
2012). It is crucial to consider how VICLIS has tackled inclusive education

through its research as a global conference with a Sri Lankan base. This study
focuses on inclusive education in LIS research and conducts a thematic

analysis of research abstracts and oral presentations made at VICLIS
conferences (VICLIS, n.d.). The study tries to uncover important topics,

trends, and views relating to inclusive education from the LIS field by looking

at these abstracts and presentations. The study intends to develop inclusive
LIS practices, advance equitable access to information sources, and provide

guidance for future research practices and directions.

2. Research Methodology

A flexible and organised method called thematic analysis makes it possible to
find and understand recurrent themes, patterns, and concepts in qualitative

data. It enables in-depth investigation of the research abstracts and gives

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