The representation and organization of information resources is a primary focus of the information profession. Organizational and representational structures such as classification schemes, indexes, and catalogs have been devised to provide access to information. The recent explosive growth in both the number and variety of information resources underscores the continuing need for application of effective methods of representation and organization.

Practical and effective information systems depend upon a comprehensive understanding not only of formal systems of organization and representation but also of human cognition itself. Accordingly, this course will investigate the basic principles and theoretical foundations of traditional representational and organizational schemes and review research in information science, cognitive science, semiotics, and computer science -- research that has contributed to an understanding of how people obtain, store, retrieve and use information. It will examine how this research can inform current practices of representation and organization in the design of more effective and more efficient information retrieval systems.

By the end of the course, participants will

1. Be aware of a broad range of representational models drawn from the fields of communication, semiotics, philosophy, cognitive psychology, and the computer and information sciences.

2. Understand the principles and functions of metadata structures such as classification schemes, precoordinate and postcoordinate indexing systems, and thesauri as well as the related process of abstracting and representation.

The structure of each class session will center around lectures by the instructor, class discussions of assigned readings and in-class activities designed to illustrate principles and theories presented in readings and lectures. Students may also be asked to work in small groups and to report to the class on the results of small-group discussions At each class session, lecture/discussion will cover the topic indicated on the syllabus. Students are encouraged to participate actively in all lectures and discussions since participation in class activities and listserv discussions will constitute 20% of each student's final grade.

It is important that all students actively participate in class discussions. The readings have been selected to facilitate participation in class discussions, in listserv discussions and in the group activities in which students will frequently engage. Accordingly, each student will be required to record in his/her journal an entry discussing some aspect of each of the required readings assigned for each class session. These entries and the listserv discussions are intended to encourage the student to think about the assigned materials; they will not be graded based upon "correctness" of content. Failure to keep up with the assigned readings and/or to record a journal entry for each reading will negatively impact both the class participation grade and the journal grade.

Copies of all readings, both assigned and recommended, are on reserve in the SLIS library. A "Schedule of LECTURES, ASSIGNMENTS and READINGS" is included with this syllabus. It lists both required and recommended readings, as well as journal assignments, when applicable, for each class session. Please note that assigned readings are subject to amendment by the instructor.

The student's final course grade will be computed on the basis of letter grades assigned for final exam, course project, class participation, and the journal.

Satisfactory fulfillment of the minimum course requirements as outlined in the syllabus is considered "Good work" and will constitute a grade of B (see "GRADING SCALE", below). A grade of A for work demonstrating "Outstanding achievement" or a grade of A- for "Excellent achievement" reflecting "thorough knowledge of the course materials" will be assigned only when both the intellectual quality and the originality and/or creativity of the student's work far surpass expectations reflected in the minimum course requirements.

In fairness to students who turn in assignments on time, late papers will be penalized. The earned grade will be lowered one grade level (e.g., from A- to B+; from B to B-) for each day that the assignment is late.

Each student is expected to complete all coursework by the end of the term. A grade of incomplete [ I ] will be assigned only when exceptional circumstances warrant.

All grades will be assigned according to the SLIS Grading Policy for Master's and Specialist Level Students. This policy was defined by student and faculty members of SLIS's Curriculum Steering Committee and was adopted by the Faculty of the School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University, on November 11, 1996, as an aid in evaluation of student performance:

Each student will be subscribed to the class listserv. The listserv will be used: 1) for distribution of lecture notes and other course-related information; and 2) for online discussions.

Class participation will constitute 20% of the final grade. It will be a composite grade computed on the basis of 1) participation in discussions and activities during class sessions; and 2) participation on the class listserv.

IN-CLASS DISCUSSIONS

Assigned readings, class discussions and small group activities are intended to create a learning community and to promote critical literacy skills among all students -- skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking and thinking. The success of these activities will require substantive and meaningful contributions from all students. Each student's class participation grade will be assessed on the following criteria:

LISTSERV DISCUSSIONS

Each student will be expected to participate regularly in discussions on the class listserv. Listserv discussions should focus on (but need not be limited to) the central topic(s) of readings assigned for each class session. Prior to each class session, each student will be expected to provide commentary on the ideas expressed in at least two of the readings assigned for that session. This commentary should demonstrate familiarity with the articles in question and may consist of discussion of a pertinent point raised in one or more of the articles; a specific question regarding the intent of a particular passage or reading; or a thoughtful response to the comment(s) and/or question(s) of another student. Please note, however, that the simple expression of agreement with either the author of an article or with the comments of another student without elaboration will not constitute fulfillment of the requirement.

The listserv will be set up immediately following the first class session. Because it may take several days for the listserv to become fully operational, class members will not be expected to meet this requirement until they have received notification of the listserv address from the instructor.

Dorothy Lambert observes that a journal is not only a record kept for one's self, but a record of one's self. It is, she says, "a place to fail. That is, a place to try, experiment, test one's wings. For the moment, judgment, criticism, evaluation are suspended; what matters is the attempt, not the success of the attempt. In a journal one practices the lines before going onstage [sic]" (quoted in Ken Macrorie, Writing to be read, 2nd ed. Rochelle Park, NJ: Hayden, 1976, p. 151).

Journals are to be organized chronologically by date of entry. Although students are encouraged to keep the journal in a spiral notebook or a bound composition book, it is acceptable to keep it as a series of computer files. Each entry is to be dated and should carry a short heading that indicates the type of entry (summary of assigned reading; summary of outside reading; abstract; class commentary; class notes; small group notes; essay; etc.). Some students have used marginal notes or symbols to indicate different types of entry, while others have used magic markers to create a color-coded identification scheme.

Because journals are personal and therefore unique, the content of each journal will vary and will reflect the intellectual effort put forth by the individual student. For this reason, journals will not be graded on the basis of their intellectual content or on the "correctness" of the ideas or thoughts recorded therein. Instead, each journal will be evaluated on the basis of the intellectual effort it reflects.

REQUIRED JOURNAL ENTRIES

There is a minimum set of entries that must be included to receive a grade of B. The following entries are required of all journals:

OPTIONAL JOURNAL ENTRIES

To earn a grade of A or A-, a student's journal must contain evidence of extraordinary effort. Such "extraordinary effort" will consist of additional, optional entries that go beyond the required entries. Optional materials may include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

NOTE ON JOURNAL ENTRIES

GRADING OF JOURNALS

Journals will be turned in for review and evaluation at three points during the semester: an initial review following Session 4 that will identify any areas of misunderstanding or miscommunication regarding journal format or contents; an intermediate review following Session 10 to verify that the student is on track; and a final review conducted at the time that the course project is turned in. At each review, a letter grade will be assigned based on the criteria provided below. The final journal grade (30% of the course grade) will be computed as an average of the three review grades. Each journal will be evaluated on the following criteria:

The final exam, which accounts for 25% of the student's final course grade, will be a take-home exam consisting of not more than six (6) essay questions. The exam will be distributed via the listserv on 23 April 2001 and are to be turned in no later than 5:00 pm on Monday, 30 April 2001.

Creation of the portfolio is intended to demonstrate the student's understanding of the basic principles of organization as they apply to the management of access to data / information / knowledge. The portfolio, which accounts for 25% of the student's final course grade, will serve as a record of the student's intellectual development across the semester and should therefore be designed to demonstrate increasing proficiency with and understanding of the concepts of categorization and classification and how they impact organizational structure. Portfolios are to be submitted for evaluation no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 2 May 2001.

CONTENT OF PORTFOLIO

Intellectual development is relative and has meaning only within a prescribed context. The demonstration of intellectual development will therefore require the student to include not only the completed product(s) that indicate his/her final achievement, but also first attempts, rough drafts, revisions, etc., that track the student's progression across the semester. Because each student's previous experiences, personal interests and intellectual expectations will be unique, he/she will select those assignments, journal entries, abstracts, and/or essays that best convey his/her own sense of intellectual development.

Each portfolio will include, at a minimum, the following materials :

EVALUATION OF PORTFOLIO

Portfolios will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Any assignment that contains plagiarized material or indicates any other form of academic dishonesty will receive, at a minimum, an automatic grade of F. A second instance will result in an automatic grade of F for the course. Penalties may be harsher depending upon the severity of the offense. There will be no appeals or second chances in instances of academic dishonesty.

If you are a student with a special need, please feel free to discuss it with your lab instructor or with either of the lecturers.