This course is designed to provide a general introduction to the concerns and skills of both the producer and the consumer of research in the field of library and information science. The main emphasis in the course will be quantitative research techniques, however there will be an opportunity to examine qualitative approaches as well. The course content is designed for students who have had no prior experience with research or statistics. Students will be expected to keep up with outside computational and reading assignments. These will eventually entail the use of a computerized statistical package. Coverage of statistical methods will stress descriptive and exploratory techniques, initially, followed by inferential statistics. The course content will also provide the opportunity to evaluate published research within library and information science. Finally, students will create the introduction to a potential research effort as a demonstration of their understanding.
Objectives for the course include:
Methodology Report --- 10%
Midterm (open books & open notes) --- 15%
Final Exam (open books & open notes) --- 25%
Statistical Assignments (2) --- 30%
Problem Statement --- 20%
Attendance and discussion participation are essential, as is a thorough study of all assigned readings. Don't ignore the readings and don't fall behind. The amount of reading required is quite minimal, but the need to go beyond the texts occasionally and practice your understanding will be essential to those who wish to do well. About half of the semester, and perhaps less, will be devoted to statistics. It is my personal belief that you are better able to read a research article once you have had the experience of doing some statistical work yourself. The point of the course is not to create statisticians, so you will be introduced to only a modest (but most useful) number of statistics. The texts chosen are also good for their use of humor and illustration to provide a user-friendly approach to the world of number crunching. The exams will be open notes and open book, so it is beneficial to be fairly methodical in your note taking. Important concepts, definitions and calculations will always be covered by the instructor, so good attendance and attention are your best study skills.
It is a good idea to purchase an inexpensive calculator which is capable of the four arithmetic functions and of calculating the square root. That purchase should not cost more than $5 or so. A backup calculator will be provided by the instructor during exams. At present, SPSS for Windows 7.0 is the statistical package available in the IP Lab to calculate statistics for large data sets and a graduate teaching assistant will also be available to provide tutorial and review assistance.
All written work done by the student outside of class will be expected to be word processed. All calculational work done by the student can be done in pencil. The back pages of the syllabus provide some guidelines for writing the problem statement required. Also enclosed in the syllabus are guidelines for the research method group presentation you will be asked to participate in. We will discuss both thoroughly before either are due.
GRADING GUIDELINES
The grading system for GSLIS has been explained in your GSLIS Announcement. The University of Texas does not use the +/- grading system that we do here at GSLIS; UT accepts only full letter grades. Therefore, for example, final grades of B- and B+ at GSLIS will both translate to a final grade of B at the University level. You should expect a grade of B for acceptable masters' level work; only an outstanding performance will be given a grade of A. Each assignment will be given a letter grade together with an indication of the criteria on which the grade is based. Returned work will be given + and - indicators. In calculating the final grade, these letter grades will be assigned a numeric index which will then be weighted according to the weight given the assignment. For those who receive a final course average falling between, say, an A and a B, class participation and interaction with instructor will be used to determine push a mid-level average to the higher final grade assigned.
The exams will be graded on a 100 point scale, and generally 90 and above will be necessary to obtain an A. Where possible, grading criteria for other assigned work will be clearly indicated. Should you have a question about a grade you have received, please feel free to see the instructor. Because of the large class size, it is imperative that assignments be handed in on time, at the beginning of class on the date due. Please inform the instructor 24 hours in advance about work which will be late. Instructor reserves the right to decrease one letter for each day an assignment is late.
Katzer, Cook and Crouch. Evaluating Information: A Guide for Users of Social Science Research. 3rd edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1991.
Williams, Frederick. Reasoning with Statistics: How to Read Quantitative Research. 4th edition. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992.
Recommended for the "mathphobic", but not required
Brown, Amos and Mink. Statistical Concepts: A Basic Program. 3rd ed. New York: Harper & Row, 1994.
RESERVE READINGS
Busha and Harter. Research Methods in Librarianship: Techniques and Interpretations. New York: Academic Press, 1980.
Grazier, M. H. "Critically Reading and Applying Research in School Media Centers," School Library Media Quarterly10:135-146, 1982.
Hartwig and Dearing. Exploratory Data Analysis . Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1979, pp. 9-31.
Milgram, Stanley. "A Behavioral Study of Obedience," Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 67(4) 1963, pp. 371-378.