LIBR 285-10
Research Methods in Library and Information Science
Topic: Evaluating Programs and Services
Summer 2011 Greensheet

Tom Peters
E-mail
Phone: 816.616.6746 
Office location: Oak Grove, Missouri (Central Time Zone) 
Office Hours: Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:00 P.M. Pacific Time (the half hour before our Elluminate sessions) and by appointment. 

Course Format: D2L and Elluminate will be used for this section of this course.  Students will be automatically enrolled in the D2L Course site on the first day of the semester. Attendance at the live online Elluminate sessions is NOT mandatory.  Each live online session will be recorded for viewing and reviewing at times convenient for you. 

Course 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 and learn the basic skills of planning, designing, executing and reporting research as well as evaluating and applying published research findings. Emphasis will concentrate on developing, planning, and producing a quality research proposal.

This section provides a general introduction to the theory and practice of both creating and consuming research in the field of library and information science.  In this section we will use the goals and processes of evaluating library programs and services as our lens for exploring and practicing LIS research. 

Course Prerequisites: LIBR 200, 202 and 204

285 Waiver Option:

If a student has 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), the student 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. See Waiver option

Course Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:

• Understand the difference between primary and secondary research
• Conduct a systematic and critical literature review of published and unpublished research
• Articulate different types of research methods, appropriately apply them, and understand their strengths and limitations
• Identify and apply ethical concerns connected to primary research
• Gain exposure to appropriate data compiling tools and procedures
• Demonstrate knowledge of fundamental principles and processes of conducting research
• Develop, plan, and produce a research proposal that involves a plan to evaluate a library program or service

LIBR 285 supports the following MLIS Core Competency:

• SJSU SLIS Competency L: "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"
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Course Requirements

Students' work will be evaluated according to the following specific criteria:

• Identify and articulate a research problem
• Conduct a critical literature review
• Collect, analyze, and interpret data
• Develop a conceptual hypothesis and theory
• Produce a substantial final written product containing a formalized research proposal

IRB Training Requirement

Complete the National Institute of Health’s online workshop titled: “Protecting Human Research Participants (PHRP).” 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: phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php

Course Calendar 

NOTE:  The live online Elluminate sessions will be on Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time.  Attendance at these sessions is encouraged but not mandatory.  We will record and archive these sessions for later viewing/listening. 

• Thursday, June 9, 2011: Live online Elluminate session (not mandatory):  Intro to creating and using LIS research
  • Overview of course structure, assignments, grading, and other course-related information.
  • Intro to the topic of using LIS research methods to evaluate library programs and services
  • Required reading: Booth, Colomb, and Williams, pp. xi – 27 (preface and Chapters 1 and 2).
• Thursday, June 16, 2011:  Live online Elluminate session (not mandatory): 
  • Required reading: Booth, Colomb, and Williams, pp. 29-101 (Chapters 3-6).
• Thursday, June 23, 2011: Summary Analysis of a Research Report or Article Due. 
  • 15 points:  Read critically a research report or article (at least 5 pp. long) and write a short paper (3-5 pp.) summarizing your understanding and assessment of the research problem, research methods, findings, and recommendations, as well as your assessment of the value of the research and the overall quality of the research report.  
• Thursday, June 30, 2011:  Live online Elluminate session (not mandatory): 
  • Required reading: Booth, Colomb, and Williams, pp. 105 – 170 (Chapters 7-11)
• Thursday, July 7, 2011:  Literature Review on a Hot Topic Due
  • 20 points:  Compile a literature review (at least 25 items) containing recent blog posts, wiki entries, journal and newsletter articles, Tweets, videos, online programs, virtual world events, and other rapidly deployed info sources on a hot topic in librarianship that contains a program or service evaluative research opportunity.  Briefly describe a research question you might like to pursue based on this literature review. 
• Thursday, July 14, 2011:  Live online Elluminate session (not mandatory): 
  • Required reading:  Booth, Colomb, and Williams, pp. 171-231 (Chapters 12-15)
• Thursday, July 21, 2011:  Data Analysis Assignment Due
  • 20 points:  Analyze a sample set of data (obtained directly by you or from the instructor), noting the assumptions, definitions, strengths, and limitations of the type of data set you have chosen.  
• Thursday, July 28, 2011:  Live online Elluminate session (not mandatory):
  • Required reading:  Booth, Colomb, and Williams, pp. 232-276 (Chapters 16 and 17, and the Ethics of Research section).
  [Note:  There will be no live Elluminate session during the  work week of August 1-5.] 
• Wednesday, August 10, 2011:  Final Library Program Evaluation Research Proposal Due
  • 30 points:  Final written research proposal (10-12 pp.) describing a real or fictitious library program or service to be evaluated, the research problem(s) inherent in the program or service, the methodology and data collection strategies to be used, a critical literature review, and a plan of action.

Course Grading
Note:  Assignments (except the weekly discussion topics) are due by midnight Pacific Daylight Time on the date listed.  A 48-hour grace period without penalty (i.e., without loss of points) is given for each of the four writing assignments.  While comments to each weekly discussion topic are encouraged during the week they are posted, comments can be added at any time between when they are posted and the end of the semester.  Although the IRB training requirement is not due until the end of the semester, you are welcome and encouraged to complete it sooner. 

• 10 points (Due weekly):  Post at least one comment or question about each of the weekly discussion topics that will be conducted via D2L. 
• 5 points (Due August 12):  Complete the mandatory IRB training requirement. 
  • Complete the National Institute of Health’s online workshop titled: “Protecting Human Research Participants (PHRP).” 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: phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php
• 15 points (Due June 23):  Read critically a research report or article (at least 5 pp. long) and write a short paper (3-5 pp.) summarizing your understanding and assessment of the research problem, research methods, findings, and recommendations, as well as your assessment of the value of the research and the overall quality of the research report.  
• 20 points (Due July 7):  Compile a literature review (at least 25 items) containing recent blog posts, wiki entries, journal and newsletter articles, Tweets, videos, online programs, virtual world events, and other rapidly deployed info sources on a hot topic in librarianship that contains a program or service evaluative research opportunity.  Briefly describe a research question you might like to pursue based on this literature review. 
• 20 points (Due July 21):  Analyze a sample set of data (obtained directly by you or from the instructor), noting the assumptions, definitions, strengths, and limitations of the type of data set you have chosen.  Your data analysis need not be exhaustive, but it should be approximately 3-5 pages in length.   
• 30 points (Due August 10):  Final written research proposal (10-12 pp.) describing a real or fictitious library program or service to be evaluated, the research problem(s) inherent in the program or service, the methodology and data collection strategies to be used, a critical literature review, and a plan of action.

Penalty for late work:  Beginning 48 hours after an assignment is due, for each subsequent day an assignment is past due, 5 percent of the total available points will be automatically subtracted from the grade, in fairness to students who submit their work on time.  

Textbooks and Readings

Required Textbooks:

• Booth, W., Colomb, G., & Williams, J. (2008). The Craft of Research (3rd ed.). University of Chicago Press. Available through Amazon: 0226065669.

Grading Scale

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

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;
  For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation.  You must repeat the class the following semester. If -on the second attempt- you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  
• 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 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

General Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities of the Student

As members of the academic community, students accept both the rights and responsibilities incumbent upon all members of the institution. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with SJSU's policies and practices pertaining to the procedures to follow if and when questions or concerns about a class arises. See University Policy S90-5 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S90-5.pdf. More detailed information on a variety of related topics is available in the SJSU catalog at http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/LIS.html. In general, it is recommended that students begin by seeking clarification or discussing concerns with their instructor. If such conversation is not possible, or if it does not serve to address the issue, it is recommended that the student contact the Department Chair as a next step.

Dropping and Adding

Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester's Catalog Policies section at http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage at http://www.sjsu.edu/provost/services/academic_calendars/. The Late Drop Policy is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes.

Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/.

Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material

University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to obtain instructor's permission to record the course and the following items to be included in the syllabus:

• "Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are recording him/her. You must obtain the instructor's permission to make audio or video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material."
  • It is suggested that the syllabus include the instructor's process for granting permission, whether in writing or orally and whether for the whole semester or on a class by class basis.
  • In classes where active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or guests should be obtained as well.
• "Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent."

Academic integrity

Your commitment, as a student, to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. The University Academic Integrity Policy F15-7 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/F15-7.pdf 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 Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.

Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of their disability.

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