GREENSHEET
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course covers major commercial (fee-based) online search services,
AKA aggregators or vendors, and selected Web databases or Internet search
engines, including learning how to select databases and formulate search
strategies through hands-on exercises based on real-life reference and
research questions. Topics include history of the online information industry
and management and pricing issues.
Course Objectives
This course supports the following SLIS objectives:
To support the mission of the School in teaching students the major
theories, important principles, and current practice in: Information transfer,
information management, including the selection, organization, storage,
retrieval, dissemination and utilization of information resources.
Students will:
• Become familiar with aspects of the online industry and its
role in making information available to society in various formats
• Become familiar with content strengths of various online search
services.
• Gain experience using major databases
• Gain familiarity with basic commands
• Consider management and costs of online services
Required Texts
Introduction to Dialog; Featuring DialogClassic
http://training.dialog.com/sem_info/courses/general.html#idc
Download: Introduction
to Dialog; Featuring DialogClassic (PDF file, 1.2MB.)
Dialog Pocket Guide (HTML or PDF versions)
http://support.dialog.com/searchaids/dialog/pocketguide
Dialog Catalog 3Mb
http://support.dialog.com/publications/dbcat
Walker, Geraldene & Joseph Janes, Online Retrieval: A Dialogue
of Theory and Practice, 2nd Ed., 1999, Libraries Unlimited.
Additional Readings as Assigned
Blackboard
Please enroll in the Blackboard site for this class between
Jan. 27 and Feb. 2.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
|
|
Exercises
|
60 points |
Participation in Online Discussion
|
20 points |
| Essay |
20 points |
ASSIGNMENTS
Online Discussion
Students are required to participate in online discussions via Blackboard.
A class schedule with discussion topics will be provided.
Exercises
A series of questions in which you perform online searches will be posted
on Blackboard with specific instructions about each assignment. Grading
is based on a brief report in which you summarize your thought process,
search strategies, key terms, names of databases, and findings. Emphasis
is on your description and analysis of steps taken, rather than on getting
the right answer.
Exercise 1
|
Due March 8, 2004 |
Exercise 2
|
Due March 22, 2004 |
Exercise 3
|
Due April 5, 2004 |
Exercise 4
|
Due April 19, 2004 |
Exercise 5
|
Due May 3, 2004 |
| Exercise 6 |
Due May 17, 2004 |
Essay
Prepare a formal essay five to ten pages in length following APA style
and all the rules of good grammar and syntax. You can opt to work on a
research project using online databases in which you describe and analyze
your steps and results, or select an issue or trend to discuss. Due the
final week of the course
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