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CONTENTS:
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LSI 580-70: Evaluation and Research
Fall 2000
NOTE: for the purposes of online courses, "class,"
"in-class," "classroom," "participate," "discuss," "present," "presentation"
refer to activities online. The final exam will be online as are any quizzes.
- Instructor:
- Mary E. Brown, Ph.D. [Prof. Brown]
Brown@SouthernCT.edu
OFFICE HOURS
- CLASS:
- online, beginning October 4
Principles and methods of evaluation and research are systematically reviewed.
Major research undertakings are considered, as well as landmark studies.
The student will be able to:
- demonstrate mastery of course content.
- demonstrate thinking and problem-solving skills.
- demonstrate ability to plan and evaluate research.
The student will ....
- understand the nature of research and the role of research in addressing
today's information problems and needs
- evaluate research articles in the field per criteria established in the course
- identify a problem/area for study and complete a background literature review
- design a pilot study and complete a research prospectus, including
required IRB forms and procedures
- collect and analyze data per research prospectus
- present findings of pilot study in a paper
- understand the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics
and demonstrate ability to use statistics required for analysis of pilot study
- Prior to the course, read all material under Suggestions for Success in Online Courses and
Online Etiquette and Guidelines for Online Participation on the instructor's
website.
- Prior to the course, familiarize yourself with OnlineCSU's courseware and
navigation on the Web.
- Reading assigned text and course notes prepared by the instructor.
- Participating in weekly online discussions and activities.
- Reading in the library science or instructional technology literature and
related fields relevant to an area of research selected by the student
- Developing an independent research proposal
- Conducting a preliminary and a pilot study
- Producing a comprehensive written analysis and discussion of completed study
Powell, R. R. (1999). Basic research methods for librarians (3rd ed.). Greenwich, CT: Ablex. ISBN: 1-56750-338-1.
Hernon, P. (1994). Statistics: A component of the research process (rev. ed.).
Norwood, NJ: Ablex. ISBN: 1-56750-093-5. (Available from University Bookstore.)
HELPFUL RESOURCES:
Each student will prepare a research proposal, conduct a pilot study, analyze and
present your findings. [The course project will comprise 50% of your final
grade.]
General knowledge of course content (50% of final grade) will be measured as
follows:
- one quarter determined by participation in threaded discussions;
- one half determined by submission of reviews of research articles to shared documents;
- one quarter determined by end-of-unit exercises and exams.
All students will take a final examination (online), which will be held during
Southern's final exam week. The final exam will cover research principles and methods, including statistics.
Each student is expected to participate in weekly online discussions and
activities. Each student will be responsible for leading a number of online
discussions based on assigned and supplementary readings (and shared summaries
of these readings).
Attendance is automatically monitored and recorded by the OnlineCSU courseware.
While it is expected that every student will
participate regularly, there may be times when illness, official university
activities, etc., force a student to miss a day(s) of online activity. Final
course grades may be
lowered for each unexcused absence from online activity. Attendance for the purpose of
this course is defined as a combination of frequency and duration of activity in
any given week. A student who does not participate--or participates
only marginally--in any one week can expect to have their final grade lowered by
10% for each week of "absence" from the course. For example, a student does not
participate for a week and has not received written permission from the
instructor for the absence; if the student's grade would otherwise be an "A" (4.0), it is now a
B+ (3.6) and if the student's grade would otherwise be an "A-" (3.7), it is now
a B+ (3.3). [A=4.0; A-=3.7-3.9; B+=3.3=3.6; B=3.0-3.2; any average below 3.0 (B)
is below expected graduate level performance.]
Any student with long term or short term special needs should contact Dr.
Brown, Brown@SouthernCT.edu, and give specific instructions on
adaptions or accommodations needed.
- Unit I
- Sept. 6-12
Nature of research;
Role of research in library and information science
- Read Powell, pp. xi-xii, 1-55
[Optional: Hernon, pp. xiii-45]
- Formulate initial research question(s)
- Unit II
- Sept. 13-19
Survey Research
- Read Powell, pp. 57-87
[Optional: Hernon, pp. 47-70]
- Conduct initial review(s) of the literature
- Unit III
- Sept. 20-27
Data Collection
- Read Powell, pp. 89-122
[Optional: Hernon, pp. 71-126; 225-227]
- Finalize research question
Extend review of the literature to cognate area(s)
- Unit IV
- Oct. 1-5
Types of Research
- Read Powell pp. 123-178
[Optional: Hernon, pp. 127-213 (skim); 215-224]
- Complete plans for pilot
- Unit V
- Oct. 10-22
Data Analysis
- Read Powell pp. 179-202
[Optional: Hernon, pp. 127-213 (skim)]
- Conduct initial and pilot studies
- Unit VI
- Oct. 23-Nov. 5
The Research Proposal
- Read Powell, pp. 203-221
[Optional: Hernon, pp. 127-213 (skim)]
- Complete initial analysis of data
- Unit VII
- Nov. 6-19
The Research Report
- Read: Powell, pp. 223-233
[Optional: Hernon, review as needed.]
- Complete draft of work
- Unit VIII
- Nov. 28-Dec. 7
Research and Philosophy
- Read: Powell, pp. 235-253
- Finalize and post research paper (and informative abstract)
- Unit IX
- Final Exam Dec. 11-12
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