LIBR 202-06
Information Retrieval - online
Fall 2004

Enid J. Irwin
E-mail

GREENSHEET

Description:

This course is a survey of the principles of information retrieval and their application to information systems and services. The course emphasizes models of user information seeking behavior and human information processing, and their relationships to retrieval models in information systems. It explores the fundamental processes of description, classification, information structures, database models, and intermediation as those processes are reflected in information systems of all types, including, libraries. In addition, the course explores various information systems to illustrate principles.

Goals and Objectives:

To introduce the student to:

• Basic concepts of information systems;
• User information seeking processes;
• Those user characteristics that affect information seeking and use.

At the completion of the course the student should be able to:

• Describe appropriate models of information seeking processes and factors influencing them
• Describe the salient characteristics of an information system, using the model introduced and developed in the course
• Describe how the characteristics of information systems and users interact in the effective use of information.

This course supports the following SLIS objectives:

• To teach students the major theories, important principles, and current practice in:
  • Information management, including the selection, organization, storage, retrieval, dissemination, and utilization of information resources
  • The application of diverse technologies to information management.
• To foster research by:
  • Requiring students to evaluate and utilize relevant research studies from a variety of disciplines in their coursework.

Texts:

• Meadow, Charles T., Boyce, Bert R., and Kraft, Donald H. (2000) Text Information Retrieval Systems, 2nd ed. San Diego: Academic Press.
• Marchionini, Gary (1995). Information Seeking in Electronic Environments. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. (Out of print.)
• “Supplemental Readings ” on electronic reserve or available in the stacks of King and Pollak Libraries

Note: Chapters 3, 4, 9, 10 of Meadow; the entire Marchionini text, and some Supplemental Readings are online at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/courses/202/welcome202.html

Course Requirements:

Grading:

The class GPA for LIBR 202 usually runs between 91% and 93% (a B+). University policy states that competent graduate level work is B. Late assignments can only be accepted without penalty if prior arrangements are made with the instructor.

The following grading scale will be used:

All assignments submitted need to be your own work with sources properly cited as required by the assignment. The San Jose State University regulations governing plagiarism will be enforced.

Be sure to read the SJSU Academic Integrity Policy at http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.pdf

Technology components:

To be successful in this course, you need to be able to:

• send and receive email and attachments,
• access the School’s website for course handouts and readings,
• download software from a web site and install it on your computer,
• use common web search engines, and
• learn a new database management system.

You may be required to send and receive email attachments of a moderately large size (1MB - 8MB). If your current email service provider places restrictions on the size of attachments that you can send or receive, then you will need to obtain an email account without such restrictions.

All students are eligible for free accounts on the SLIS email server (slis.sjsu.edu), and there are no attachment or storage restrictions for those accounts.

For more information on SLIS Computing, check the Computing link at SLISWeb:

http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/

If you are a new student and missed the orientation, check

http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/slis/orientationfall2004.htm

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