LIBR 285-01
Research Methods in Library and Information Science
Summer 2008 Greensheet
Renee Jefferson
E-mail
Office Hours: Blackboard, by appointment
| Greensheet Links Course Materials Course Requirements |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials SLIS eBookstore |
Blackboard will be used extensively in this course. The Blackboard site for this class will open for self-enrollment on Wednesday, May 28. I will provide you with a password access code using the MySJSU messaging system. You should be enrolled by June 6, 2008 (the end of the first week of classes). It is crucial that you log in every few days between meetings. The SLIS Blackboard site is located at http://tigris.sjsu.edu and tutorials are available at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/blackboard.
Course Description
Catalog Description
Research methods covering fundamental principles, processes, values and roles of research for professional application in information organizations. Students will become critical consumers of research products. Emphasis will concentrate on developing, planning, and producing a quality research proposal.
Course Description
This section of research methods will introduce students to the theory and methods of action research. It explores the ways in which action researchers formulate viable research topics, assess current literature, locate and critically use primary and secondary sources, and conduct a research study. Emphasis will be placed on the terminology and methodology action researchers’ use and the role information professionals play in their development, dissemination, and use.
Course Prerequisites: None
SLIS LIBR 285 Waiver Reminder
If you have taken and passed a graduate level-research methods course AND completed a thesis or dissertation as part of a previous graduate degree (as documented by an official transcript), you can petition the SLIS Graduate Advisor to waive the LIBR 285 requirement. A waiver, if granted, does not reduce the total units required for the MLIS degree.
Course Objectives
Learning Outcomes
At the completion of the course, the student should be able to perform the following:
- Describe the role of action research within library and information science environments.
- Apply the concepts and methodologies related action research.
- Analyze and evaluate critically library and information science research so that he or she will be an intelligent consumer of research throughout his or her professional career.
- Apply rigorous thinking and analytical methods to the solution of library and information science problems.
LIBR 285 supports the following SLIS Core Competency:
- understand the nature of research, research methods and research findings; retrieve, evaluate and synthesize scholarly and professional literature for informed decision-making by specific client groups.
The SLIS Core Competencies are found at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/slis/competencies.htm
Course Materials
Required Textbooks
- Donnelly, R. A. (2007). Complete idiot’s guide to statistics (2nd ed.). New York: Alpha Books. [Use SLIS eBookstore.]
- Greenwood, D. & Levine, M. (2006). Introduction to action research: Social research for social change (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. [Use SLIS eBookstore.]
Go to SLIS eBookstore.
Additional Required Readings
Additional required readings will be available in Blackboard.
Recommended Textbooks
The SLIS eBookstore contains several reference textbooks. You may use any of these textbooks to supplement the textbook for this course.
Course Requirements
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used extensively in this course. The Blackboard site for this class will open for self-enrollment on Tuesday, May 28. I will provide you with a password access code using the MySJSU messaging system. You should be enrolled by June 6, 2008 (the end of the first week of classes). It is crucial that you log in every few days between meetings. The SLIS Blackboard site is located at http://tigris.sjsu.edu and tutorials are available at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/blackboard
Elluminate
There are several required Elluminate meetings in conjunction with this class. If this is your first class using Elluminate, please complete an orientation session prior to our meeting. You will need to have a microphone attached to your computer in order to participate; it is recommended that you log in at least 10 minutes before class to check the audio. A list of training times and other helpful information can be found in the SLIS Student guide to using Elluminate at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/software/elluminate/students/index.htm
Office Hours
I will not set specific online hours. I will be available to answer questions Monday through Friday. You should have a response to your questions within 48 hours. You may also make an appointment to meet with me in the chat room that is available in Blackboard, or you may schedule a time for me to telephone you.
Expectations
Students are expected to adhere to the following:
- Check email and Blackboard daily for messages and announcements. Know how to use Blackboard. See the Blackboard Tutorials and Resources for SLIS Instructors and Students located at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/blackboard/.
- Communication in an online course is essential. Be an active participant in class discussions and activities. Class discussions and activities are integral components of the course.
- Work cooperatively on group assignments. Group work is an important component of this course. If a member of a group is not contributing his or her fair share, please inform the instructor as soon as possible.
- Submit all assignments by the specified due date and time. Instructions for each assignment are posted under the Assignments section of Blackboard. Points will be deducted for failure to follow directions. Any assignment submitted after the due date, without the permission of the instructor, will have its total score reduced by 10%. [Note: You must have permission from the instructor to submit your assignment late PRIOR to the due date.] Any assignment submitted more than one week after the deadline will not be accepted for grading, and a failing grade will be recorded; that is, unless a student has received an extension from the instructor. This is only fair to students who work to submit their assignments on time. Extra credit assignments are not available. Incompletes will be assigned only in cases of medical or family emergency. Medical or other proof will be required.
- Submit assignments that are free of spelling and grammatical errors. All sources must be correctly cited using the APA style manual.
- It is the responsibility of the student to maintain a copy of all graded and returned materials for use as evidence in any question that might arise regarding the final grade in the course.
- Identify a local academic library, preferably a CSU library, with a sizable reference collection. Plan to visit that library frequently throughout the course. Although the course is conducted online, not all reference sources are readily available online.
Assignments
Detailed instructions for the following assignments will be provided in Blackboard.
- Action Research Study (Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4): Students will perform the following activities: select a topic, conduct a review of the literature related to the topic, collect data related to the topic (interview, observation, or survey) and prepare a written report. The assignment will give students the opportunity to demonstrate comprehension, knowledge, and application of various types of data.
- IRB Certification (Learning Outcomes 1, 2): Complete the National Cancer Institute’s online workshop titled: "Protecting Human Research Participants." Completion of this workshop is required by all San José State University faculty and students intending to do research with living human subjects. The course can be located at: http://phrp.nihtraining.com. It will take about 2-3 hours to complete the workshop. When you have finished the course, you will be given a certificate, which you should submit to me as proof of completion.
- Action Research Study Exercises (Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4): The purpose of the exercises is to give you an opportunity to submit drafts of the action research study report.
- Statistics Exercises (Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4): The purpose of the exercises is to give you an opportunity to become familiar with and use statistical techniques and procedures which will be used to analyze data for the action research study.
Evaluation
| Assignments | Points |
| Action Research Study Report | 30 |
| Action Research Study Exercises | 20 |
| IRB Certification | 5 |
| Statistics Exercises | 45 |
| Total | 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.
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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