School of Information Sciences

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Issues Impacting Science Information Provision

Spring Term

9.05 - 12.05 Wednesday

HHS 101

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Requirements

Completion of SIS 530 (Information Access and Retrieval) strongly desired.

This course is presented in a traditional classroom mode without the use of information technology. Although not a seminar, many aspects of a seminar approach to learning will be used.

Office

455 Communications Building [865-974-7918]
Email: wrobins1@utk.edu
web.utk.edu/~wrobinso/

Hours

1.00 - 3.00, Tuesday
Before and after class in the class room [brief questions only].

These are my official office hours, but I will be pleased to see you at other times. I am often available between 10.00 and 4.00 Tuesday and Thursday.  Ordinarily, I will be off campus on Monday. If I am not in my office, leave a note in my Communications 451 mail box and I will get back to you. Email is the easiest way for people who are not frequently on campus to reach me. I check my email at least twice each day during week days and once each day on weekends (when I am in town).

Disabilities

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a documented disability or if you have emergency information to share, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 191 Hoskins Library at 865-974-6087. This will ensure that you are properly registered for services. It is also important to discuss these issues with the teacher.

Scope

The purpose of this course is to introduce issues and trends in science information services, primarily in libraries. This is not a reference course. We will focus on major issues and problems after an introduction to what is unique or different about science information and science information services. In this course, science includes both the pure and applied sciences [science and technology]

Schedule

The following is an expected schedule of topics to be covered in the course. The nature of the topic, the amount of class discussion, and the discovery of new material may result in changes. We may not be able to cover all of the topics listed below.

Teaching Methods

Class room time will include teacher lecture and some student reporting and discussion. Lectures will focus on major topics. Students will comment on the required essays with some emphasis on lessons learned. Please be prepared. You may be called upon.

We will spend a few minutes each week discussing a story I've selected from the Science Daily news feed. In particular, we will consider impact, audience, and the like.

We will also discuss, as time allows, highlights from the Discover almanac. Browse the chapter specified and list a three to five highlights that seem important to you.

Class Attendance

Class discussion is important. Learning is an active process and it is difficult for you to participate if you are not here. Participation is expected and required.

The teacher will post a note on UTKSIS-L if he is unable to meet with the class. He will also inform the School Secretary who will post a note on the class room door. If this happens, a reasonable effort will be made to schedule a make-up meeting at a reasonably convenient time. Attendance at such a meeting is voluntary.

Outcomes

When you successfully complete this course, you should be able to:

• Define and discuss the importance of major issues associated with the creation, exchange, and preservation of scientific information
• Identify and discuss the general characteristics of several science disciplines
• Identify and discuss the elements of an effective science information program in a library or information agency
• Thoughtfully discuss the future of science information in light of present trends

Assignments

Introduction

Papers must be in either rtf or doc formats. Work should be double spaced. List sources used at the end of your paper. Foot or end notes are not required. URLs need to have a date visited included. Pages need to be numbered. Include your name and physical mailbox number on the first page. Essays are normally three to five pages in length

Specifics

Assignment One

Write a zippy essay on what science means to you and how you encounter it in your daily life. The essay should be personal and anecdotal. This assignment should encourage you to think thoughtfully about the role of science in daily life. Each essay is worth 10 points.

Assignment Two

Assignment Three

• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction/problem statement
• Literature review
• Methods
• Results or findings
• Discussion or conclusions.

Assignment Four

Select a scientific or technical field. Select two scholarly periodicals and review the research articles in one issue of each. Create a chart for each periodical. Record information on these elements:

• How long is the title? Is there a sub-title?
• How many authors for the article?
• Where are the located? Brief organization name? Country?
• How long was the article?
• How many references were cited?
• Self-citations?
• Which format was cited most frequently?
• What does this tell you about published scientific research?

Assignment Five

Select two recent issues of a scientific or technical research periodical in a discipline or field of interest. Examine the research articles for information about funding and funders. How many of the articles were the result of external or internal funding? Who were the funders? Your conclusions?

Assignment Six

Visit two websites of scientific or technical research libraries or information centers in a STM area of personal interest. Identify, list, and comment on the collections and services available to users of this library as seen on the web page.

Assignment Seven

You have been asked to speak to a class at a local library school on Gray Literature. Please prepare an outline of your presentation with these elements:

1. Definition
2. Typical formats [examples]
3. Importance
4. Bibliographic control
5. Examples of gray literature
6. Useful websites

Assignment Eight

Using the New York Times and the Washington Post front pages from their website. Which STM topics and disciplines, if any, make the front page? Your conclusions?

Using the Science News and the Science Daily website front pages on a particular day, which STM disciplines are in the news? Your conclusions?

Assignment Nine

With global warming as your subject, characterize political and governmental reaction to global warming research in the past year or so. Using this as an example to what degree is STM research controversial and involved in the political arena?

Assignment Ten

One of the essential services of the STM organization is to provide for data archives or data repositories. What is a data archive? What is a data repository? Briefly identify and discuss the major types or categories of data, data sources, and provide a characterization of STM data archive or data repository.

Assignment Eleven

You are taking a final examination in a course much like this one. Answer this question: What is unique or different about providing information services to the STM community?

Assignment Twelve

Increasingly, MS graduates will find themselves in leadership positions fairly soon. Clearly distinguish between management and leadership. Discuss your leadership philosophy/manner/style. Indicate how you would handle a difficult personnel problem in your information agency.

Text

There is a required text book: Field Guide For Science Writers by Blum  [3d ed.]. Although you will not be science writers, this is a good introduction to STM and should increase your understanding. Use this work as a handbook to provide background on science and technology.

The second text book is the Discover Science Almanac by Discover Magazine. This is useful for providing you with good background information on the STM universe. We will browse in this work and discuss highlights in class.

Bookmark or use the RSS feed for a reasonably comprehensive science news site of your choice. I like ScienceDaily, but select a source which is a good fit for your interests. Current awareness is absolutely necessary for a competent science information professional.

Warning

This is an introductory survey course intended to present basic information about issues in providing science information. The course is not comprehensive. Rather, you should leave the course with the feeling that your foot is in the door, and that you know enough to continue your education on your own. Obviously, one short course cannot give you the background or competencies necessary for a professional lifetime spent working with social science information.

It is important that you do your own work so that you can become familiar with the resources that you will need to use as an information professional.

Late work will be accepted within one week of the due date. Late work will receive a grade penalty so that B is the highest grade that may be earned. In cases where arrangements are made BEFORE the due date, late work will be accepted without penalty.

In addition to assignment specifics, all written work will be evaluated in terms of these criteria:

1. Quality of the presentation--neat and free from error
2. Quality of the writing--clear, direct, and correct
3. Quality of the organization--smooth, logical flow of content
4. Quality and amount of reflection, analysis, comparison, and evaluation
5. Use of the appropriate literature.

The following convention is used in evaluating student work:

• A = 93 - 100
• B+ = 86 - 92
• B = 80 - 85
• C+ = 75 - 79
• C = 70 - 74

Please see the teacher if you have special needs, objectives or problems.

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