LIBR 244-11
Online Searching
Spring 2014 Greensheet

Dr. Virginia Tucker
E-mail
Office Hours: Office hours schedule will be posted on the course site. To contact me outside of office hours, please use email or Blackboard IM.

The Greensheet is a course syllabus which may be revised before or during the semester.

Course Description

The course covers techniques of online searching, understanding database structures, and hands-on search experience on commercial search services. Emphasis is on the ProQuest Dialog system, with coverage of LexisNexis and Dow Jones Factiva. The knowledge gained from this course is applicable in any setting where information professionals answer questions, conduct research, train others how to search, or work with databases and retrieval systems. Learning how to formulate search strategies using these three sophisticated search services builds a solid foundation in critical concepts for achieving better search results when using any commercial search service, as well as for using advanced features offered by website search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and Bing.

Topics include search techniques and strategies, database indexing, evaluation of search methods, and understanding the relationship between database structures and effective search techniques. In addition, students gain familiarity with issues in the online information industry through relevant professional literature.

Course Requirements

General Requirements

• Sign up for the ProQuest® Graduate Education Program in the first few days of the semester (details provided on course site). Access is free to enrolled MLIS students and necessary for completing the coursework.
• Check the course site at least every other day for announcements and discussion posts.
• Participate in two seminars, described below. Refer to the Class Schedules page for seminar dates. 
• Submit assignments by the due date. Late assignments are not accepted except in cases of serious illness or family emergency.

Assignments

• Exercises & Quizzes (50% of course grade)
  Hands-on search exercises require that students conduct and evaluate search strategies, database content and structure, and demonstrate an understanding of concepts and methods needed to achieve cost-effective and on-target search results. Support SLOs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8.
  
  Short quizzes nail down content and search techniques for each system covered in the course. Each quiz is open-book, untimed, and all questions may be viewed at once. Students are given several days to complete each quiz. Support SLOs 2, 3, 4, 8.
   
• Presentation Seminars (20% of course grade)
  Students will give two short presentations (3 to 5 minutes each) in a seminar with a small group of their colleagues in the class. The seminars are engaging, fast-paced, and help build a sense of community in the online learning environment. Support SLOs 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and Comp M.
   
• Discussions (15% of course grade)
  Participation in discussions is an important component of the course. Posts need not be lengthy but must be thoughtful, meaningful, and constructive.  Support SLOs 1, 4, 5, 8.
   
• Final Project (15% of course grade)
  Students will choose from three options for the final project: (1) an essay on a topic related to online searching; (2) a client project; or (3) a training packet for a specified user group on search techniques and concepts (may be done with a partner). Supports SLOs 1, 4, 6, 7, 8.

Course Calendar
A detailed calendar will be available on the course site.

Additional Readings
Readings in addition to the required texts will be available on the course site, including journal articles and system documentation from search service vendors.

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Course Workload Expectations

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.

Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group;contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.

Course Prerequisites

LIBR 202. 

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a broad understanding of the design of major fee-based online databases and how to search them effectively.
2. Describe database content, search language, and syntax.
3. Apply effective search strategies and techniques, with a focus on concept analysis and pearl building.
4. Identify the value and role of fee-based database aggregators in obtaining precision results quickly and efficiently.
5. Understand how knowledge of database aggregator systems increases the quality of Internet research.
6. Use quality Internet search tools and techniques.
7. Demonstrate skills and knowledge applicable to assisting and training end users.
8. Develop confidence in their ability to learn to search other databases or online systems similar to those covered in the course.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)

LIBR 244 supports the following core competencies:

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Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

• Hock, R. (2013). The extreme searcher's internet handbook: A guide for the serious searcher (4th ed.). Information Today. Available through Amazon: 1937290026

• Mann, T. (2005). Oxford Guide to Library Research (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. Available through Amazon: 0195189981.

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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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