LIS-S 691 Information Science Research Seminar II
3 credits
- Prerequisite(s): None
- Delivery: Online
Description
Information Science Research Seminar II is an engaging course that cultivates advanced research skills and fosters a deep understanding of historical and contemporary issues in information science. This second introductory course provides an in-depth exploration of the seminal works in the three prominent areas of information science: information retrieval, bibliometrics, and information behavior. In their exploration, students connect to community informatics and community-engaged research. The five main content areas of the course are each covered over a three-week period. Students learn to discern various contributions, understand problem selection, research execution, evaluation implementation, and the reporting of results through critical discussions in weekly sessions. Through the discussion and the assignments, students develop their own interests further in relation to the larger field of information and library science while making connections to community informatics and community-engaged methods.
Rationale and relationship to the current curriculum. Students must take LIS-S 691 in the first year of their doctoral studies. Discussions in this seminar help students identify research questions of particular interest to them and provide a context within which initial explorations of those questions can be conducted.
Topics
Community and Social Informatics
- Open data impacts
- Users as social actors
- Youth, social media, and civic engagement
- Foundations of social informatics
- Computer technology in social organization
- Social informatics frameworks
- Technology in information ecologies
- Trends in social informatics
Community Engaged Research
- Scholarship in community engagement
- Indigenous learning styles
- Research ethics and trustworthiness
- Everyday ethics in research practice
- Participatory research for health equity
- Practices and outcomes in community-engaged research
Information Retrieval
- ASK information retrieval model
- Information as a tangible concept
- Future visions of information systems
- Evaluation of index languages
- Information needs and user behavior
- Information interaction studies
- Methods of information retrieval evaluation
- Concept of relevance in information science
Bibliometrics
- Scholarly communication and metrics
- Retrieval beyond textual information
- Domain analysis in information science
- Competitive analysis in bibliometrics
- Scientific revolutions and bibliography
- Author mapping and intellectual space
- Bibliography and text sociology
- Co-citation analysis
Information Behavior
- Online browsing and search techniques
- Text retrieval in historical research
- Outsider perspectives in information seeking
- User-based information concepts
- Academic research information patterns
- Online searching styles
- User perspectives in information seeking
- Information seeking in daily life
- Academic search and retrieval behaviors
- Web search behavior analysisTop of Form
Program Learning Goals Supported
Instructors map their courses to specific LIS Program Goals. Mapped program goals drive the design of each course and what students can expect to generally learn.
The Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program prepares students to become reflective practitioners who connect people and communities with information. The program goals (PGs) were adjusted to the following effective fall 2023:
- Connect core values and professional ethics to practice
- Facilitate engagement in the information ecosystem
- Curate collections for designated communities
- Lead and manage libraries, archives, and other information organizations
- Organize and represent information
- Conduct systematic research to inform decisions
- Innovate professional practice with information services and technology
- Examine systemic inequalities to improve library and information practices through equitable and socially just interventions
Each student should read the assigned material and arrive at a competent understanding of it prior to discussions and assessments. These measures will be used to assess student learning outcomes.
Learning Outcomes
Instructors develop learning outcomes for their courses. Students can expect to be able to achieve the learning outcomes for a given course after successfully completing the course.
- Critical Analysis of Literature: Evaluate and critique existing literature, identifying gaps and opportunities for making original contributions to the field.
- Advanced Research Exploration: Conduct innovative information science research while mastering advanced research methods, both quantitative and qualitative.
- Theoretical Frameworks: Evaluate theoretical frameworks relevant to information science to situate research within broader disciplinary contexts.
- Interdisciplinary Perspectives: Conduct interdisciplinary research that connects information science with other fields to develop a holistic approach to research.
- Ethical Considerations: Discuss, reflect, and conduct ethical information science research, emphasizing responsible conduct, integrity, and the ethical implications of technological advancements.
Course Overview
Instruction is in Canvas. Lessons are organized into Modules whose length may vary.
This second introductory doctoral course provides an in-depth exploration of the seminal works in the three prominent areas of information science: information retrieval, bibliometrics, and information behavior. This exploration connects foundations in information science to the emerging fields of community informatics and community-engaged research.
- Modules 1 (Weeks 1 to 3): Community and Social Informatics
- Module 2 (Weeks 4 to 6): Community Engaged Research
- Module 3 (Weeks 7 to 9): Information Retrieval
- Module 4 (Weeks 11 to 13) Bibliometrics
- Module 5 (Weeks 14 to 16) Information Behavior
Policies and Procedures
Please be aware of the following linked policies and procedures. Note that in individual courses instructors will have stipulations specific to their course.