Information & Library Science Department ILS 695 outline

ILS 695

Online Information Retrieval

COURSE DESCRIPTION

An overview of major online systems providing resources and services to information users. Participants develop basic skills in online information retrieval.

COURSE OBJECTIVES/STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course is a practical hand on seminar on the retrieval of electronic resources found in all libraries. This course analyzes the role of database systems in reference work. It will teach students the features of a variety of database search systems. Instruction will focus on techniques and strategies needed to effectively and efficiently use online retrieval systems. The course will build on the skills learned in ILS 504 Reference Materials and Services.

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

• Understand and discuss current issues and research in online searching and information retrieval
• Apply Internet based information retrieval skills solve to patron information needs.
• Convert the information need into a search strategy
• Differentiate among proprietary databases from a variety of vendors, organizations and Internet databases
• List and discuss evaluation criteria for commercial and Internet -based search systems.
• Select and evaluate the most appropriate database(s) for a client
• Evaluate the overall effectiveness of a search including the relevance of the results of the search
• Identify and discuss problems, issues and future developments in online information retrieval and online searching. 

 

COURSE OUTLINE

I.     Introduction to Online Retrieval Concepts
          i.     Development of Online Retrieval
          ii.     Database Concepts
          iii.     Types of Online Databases

II.     Working with Databases
          i.     Search Techniques
          ii.     Boolean Logic
          iii.     Controlled Vocabulary
          iv.     Field Searching
          v.     Internet Searching

III.     Bibliographic Databases
          i.     Library Catalogs
          ii.     Indexes
          iii.     Citation Indexes

IV.      Social Science Databases/ Humanities
          i.     EBSCO
          ii.     ProQuest
          iii.     Dialog

V.     Science/ Medical Databases
          i.     Medline/PubMed
          ii.     Web of Science

VI.      Human Factors
          i.     Online Reference Interview
          ii.     Evaluation of Databases
          iii.     Vendor Issues
          iv.     Future Trends in Online Information Retrieval 

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Students will be required to demonstrate their knowledge of the concepts by completing the following assignments:

1.     Two major search projects*
        a.     Humanities
        b.     Science/Medicine
*For each project relevant information to support a research activity will be retrieved from relevant databases and organized for easy access.

2.     Laboratory Exercises  - Practice
        a.     Review Vendor tutorials
        b.     Practice searching of different search Interfaces
        c.     Selection/Evaluation of Various vendor products

3.     Database Comparison
Students will be required to locate the same database in TWO different vendors platforms and compare and contract the uses interfaces.

4.     Class Participation
        a.     Blogs
        b.     Discussion
        c.     Group Activities

SUGGESTED TEXTS / TEXTS    

Suzanne S. Bell. (2009). 2nd.ed.  Librarians' guide to online searching. Libraries Unlimited; Westport, CT.ISBN: 1-978-1-59158-763-7 (Bell) 

 

Approved by the ILS Department Curriculum Committee and Faculty, Spring 2009.