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description - outline - resources - assignments
LIS 419 - Assignments
There may be some group work in this class (in the online components) as it gets redesigned as a hybrid course.
Assignments & grading
Detailed descriptions of the assignments for this course will be forthcoming. When words such as "compare ..." or "discuss ..." appear in Assignments 1-4, it means that I expect a formal word-processed discussion or comparison in the final document.
Presentation
For certain assignments, I will ask you NOT to staple sets of indexing and abstracting together. I sort them by article. Put your name on every piece of paper. Also for essays and references, remember - APA style.
When participating in online forums, please do NOT use attachments - it disrupts the flow of conversation to have to open documents. Just post your contribution directly into the message.
Please review the FAQ on assignment file names.
Semester project
You must involve yourself in a project which consists of the development of an information system, or the improvement of an existing one, with regard specifically to subject access (not name indexing, and not cataloguing). You will be expected to choose the topic by the second week of class, hand in a reading list by the third week, an interim report halfway through the semester demonstrating substantial progress, and an in-class presentation and final report (written report due before the last class meeting, see course outline). You may work with one other person. You may use computer-based systems for your project, although you do not have to. Examples of projects include databases (using any database management system), subject indexes to collections of Web resources, modified or newly developed thesauri, single-item indexes, and so on. I expect you to spend 40% of your outside-class time on the project, as it is worth 40% of your grade.
Assignment schedule
| When | Content | Mode | % of grade | Outcomes (see below) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 29-Feb 4 | introductions | online forum | 1 | n/a |
| Jan 29-Feb 4 | project topic | e-mail, then online forum | 1 | n/a |
| Feb 5 | 1-minute paper | in class exercise | 1 | n/a |
| Feb 12 | project bibliography | paper turned in online | 5 (letter grade) | 4 |
| Feb 12-18 | Asst 1 discussion | online forum | 2 | 2, 3, 5 |
| Feb 19 | Asst 1 final | paper turned in online | 8 (letter grade) | 2, 3, 5 |
| Feb 19-25 | Asst 2 concept analysis | hard-copy forms | 1 | 1 |
| Feb 25 | RSQC2 on lecture content | online exercise | 1 | n/a |
| Feb 26-Mar 3 | Asst 2 discussion | online forum | 2 | 1, 2, 5 |
| Mar 4 | Asst 2 final | hard copy forms and paper turned in online | 8 (letter grade) | 1, 2, 5 |
| Mar 10 | vocabulary quiz | online exercise | 3 | 2, 5 |
| March 18-31 | interim report comments | online forum | 2 | all |
| Mar 25 | interim report | paper turned in online | 10 (letter grade) | all |
| Apr 1 | RSQC2 on lecture content | online exercise | 1 | n/a |
| Apr 1-7 | Asst 3 discussion | online forum | 2 | all |
| Apr 8 | Asst 3 final | paper turned in online | 10 (letter grade) | all |
| Apr 15-21 | Asst 4 discussion | online forum | 2 | 1, 2, 5 |
| Apr 22 | Asst 4 final | paper turned in online | 10 (letter grade) | 1, 2, 5 |
| May 6 | final project - presentation | in class | 5 (letter grade) | all |
| May 6 | final project - report | paper turned in online | 10 (letter grade) | all |
| May 6 | final project - product | depends on format | 10 (letter grade) | all |
By the end of the course, the student
- uses the tools of subject analysis effectively
- uses the vocabulary of the field appropriately
- can identify and evaluate the subject analysis components of an information discovery service
- can determine the best approach for solving a given subject access problem
- demonstrates knowledge of core concepts and principles
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