LIBR 202-12
Information Retrieval
Summer 2005

Instructor: Joanne Twining, MLS, PhD
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Requirements | Texts and Readings | Technology Components | Assignments | Grading |

See the Course Web Site http://intertwining.org/sjsu/LIBR202/

Course 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.

Requirements

Reasonable Accommodation of Disabilities
Students who need accommodation due to a disability must register with SJSU's Disability Resource Center (DRC) during the first three weeks of the semester. The Center will work with the students to determine the disability, document it, and determine the services and accommodations necessary for student success. Then, the DRC will contact the faculty member to determine the types of consideration necessary.

Students attending the Fullerton campus should first contact the Disability Resource Center in San Jose since they are SJSU students. The DRC will then direct the students to supporting resources on the Fullerton campus.

The DRC Web site: http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/

Academic Integrity
Read the SJSU Academic Integrity Policy
http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.pdf

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Texts and Readings

• 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.
• "Supplemental Readings" on reserve in the library (15 required, more recommended); the bibliography and some electronic copies are available at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/courses/202/welcome202.html

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Technology Components

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

• send and receive e-mail and attachments
• access the School’s Web site 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 e-mail attachments of a moderately large size (1MB - 8MB). If your current e-mail service provider places restrictions on the size of attachments that you can send or receive, then you will need to obtain an e-mail account without such restrictions. All students are eligible for free accounts on the SLIS e-mail server (SLIS), and there are no attachment or storage restrictions for those accounts.

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Assignments

See course Web site at http://intertwining.org/sjsu/LIBR202 

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Grading

The grade of B reflects high quality work commensurate with expectations for graduate students. Please note that the class GPA for LIBR 202 usually runs between 91% and 93% (a B+). For the assignment grading scheme, see the course Web site at http://intertwining.org/sjsu/LIBR202 The following grading scale will be used:

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