LIBR 202-20
Information Retrieval
Fall 2008 Greensheet
Dr. Mary K. Bolin
E-mail
Phone: (402)472-4281
Office Location: 322B Love Library, University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Lincoln NE 68588-4100
Office Hours: by appointment via email, chat, Elluminate
| Course Links Greensheet Handout #1 (PDF) Handout #2 (PDF) Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Handout #3 (PDF) Part 1 Part 2 |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials SLIS eBookstore |
LIBR 202 Resources Online Resource Supplemental Readings Inmagic Download |
Textbooks and Readings | Course Requirements
This course is taught online using Blackboard. Enroll in the course Blackboard site using the access code that will be e-mailed to you. Enroll between August 25 and August 29.
Course Description
Principles of information retrieval and their application to information systems and services. Emphasizing models of user information seeking behavior, human information processing, and their relationship to retrieval models in information systems.
Course Prerequisites: Demonstrated computer literacy
Students must know how to download software, zip and unzip files, work with folders, and do elementary computer trouble shooting.
Course Objectives
- Students will be able to design, query, and evaluate a database information retrieval system, using an appropriate user model
- Students will be able to articulate fundamental concepts of information-seeking behavior and employ them in the design and evaluation of systems
- Students will be able to define a set of terms reflecting fundamental concepts of information retrieval and use them in discussions of their projects for the class.
- Students will understand metadata, both structure and representation, and be aware of dominant standards such as MARC, LC Classification, Dublin Core, and NISO 39-19.
- Students will understand principles of good interface design and be able to evaluate interfaces using those principles.
LIBR 202 supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:
- Design, query and evaluate information retrieval systems
- Understand the system of standards and methods used to control and create information structures and apply basic principles involved in the organization and representation of knowledge
- Describe the fundamental concepts of information-seeking behavior
Textbooks and Readings
Required Texts and Readings
Please order the Meadow book from any online bookstore. If you order from the School’s amazon.com site, http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/courses/books/index.php, the School receives a referral fee which we use for student scholarships and events.
- Meadow, Charles T., Boyce, Bert R., Kraft, Donald H., and Barry, C. (2007). Text information retrieval systems, 3rd ed. San Diego: Academic Press. [NOTE: not the 2nd ed.] This is the only print text that is required. Everything else is available electronically.
- Marchionini, Gary (1995). Information seeking in electronic environments. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Ingwersen, Peter (2002). Information Retrieval Interaction. London: Taylor Graham Publishing. (Available as a PDF file. Available for download here)
- Manning, Christopher, et al. (2008). Introduction to Information Retrieval. Cambridge University Press. (A preliminary version available for download here)
- "Supplemental Readings" on electronic reserve
Course Requirements
Complete LIBR 203: Online Social Networking: Technology and Tools
This is a mandatory 1 unit course that introduces students to the various e-learning tools used in the SLIS program, including Blackboard, Elluminate and Second Life. This course must be completed by all new SLIS students within the first 4 weeks of their first semester. If you have questions about this course, e-mail Debbie Faires or Dale David.
For more information, see http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/classes/coursedesc.htm
Course Format
This course is online, taught primarily through Blackboard. There are assigned readings, from the printed textbook, two other textbooks that are available online, and other shorter online articles and texts. There will be weekly written or audio lectures. Office hours will use Elluminate. Students can also contact me using e-mail, Blackboard discussion threads, or phone. I will make every effort to get back to you within 24 hours.
New material will be posted on Blackboard every Tuesday. The class week will run Wednesday through Tuesday. Every week there will be one or more topics that we are studying. There will be a reading assignment for each topic. Each week, you will read the assigned material, and also choose an article from the supplementary reading. Each week, you will post a 350-500 word summary and reaction for your chosen reading, and discuss your reading with other students.
Exams
There are two exams, a midterm that covers material in the first half of the course, and a comprehensive final. Each will include both short answer and essay questions that cover important information retrieval concepts. Both exams are "open-book" and "take-home."
Assignments
The course has three major assignments that cover important IR topics. The first two have both group and individual components, and the third is an individual assignment.
Your reading and discussion should inform how you complete your assignments.
| Assignment | Points/Percentage |
| Assignment #1 (Group/Individual) | 15 |
| Assignment #2 (Group/Individual) | 15 |
| Assignment #3 (Individual) | 15 |
| Reading reactions/weekly journal | 10 |
| Discussion/participation | 15 |
| Midterm | 15 |
| Final | 15 |
| Total Points | 100 |
Grading Scale
The standard SJSU SLIS Grading Scale is utilized for all SLIS courses:
| 97-100 | A |
| 94-96 | A- |
| 91-93 | B+ |
| 88-90 | B |
| 85-87 | B- |
| 82-84 | C+ |
| 79-81 | C |
| 76-78 | C- |
| 73-75 | D+ |
| 70-72 | D |
| 67-69 | D- |
| Below 67 | F |
In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:
- C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
- B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work;
- A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.
Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0.
Late Assignments
Late assignments will only be accepted with prior notification. One letter grade is automatically deducted from late assignments.
Academic Integrity
Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San José State University, and the University's Academic Integrity Policy requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The policy on academic integrity can be found at http://sa.sjsu.edu/student_conduct.
Reasonable Accommodation of Disabilities
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability,
please e-mail me as soon as possible. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires
that students with disabilities register with the Disability Resource Center
(DRC) to establish record of their disability.
No matter where students reside, they should contact the SJSU DRC to register. The DRC Web site: http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/
One Washington Square - San José, California USA, 95192-0029
Phone: 408-924-2490
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