W e l c o m e . t o
ILS 580 Research in Information and Library Science
(replacing): ILS 680: Evaluation and Research
(Fall 2009)
Monday, August 31 - Friday, December 4
Understanding the differences in changes regarding the former ILS 680/Special Project/portfolio policies and the new ILS 580/Special Project/portfolio policies (effective with the 2009-2010 Graduate Catalog).
Prior to May 2009:
ILS 680 Evaluation and Research was a required CAPSTONE empirical research course taken after completion of 21 or more credits in the MLS program. The capstone portfolio (a personal reflection and demonstration of courses and key work completed in the MLS program, including mapping to ALA core competencies) was checked in 680. The portfolio was taken as the Special Project.
With the 2009-2010 Graduate Catalog:
ILS 580 Research in Information and Library Science replaces ILS 680. It is explicitly designated as the Special Project proposal course and may be taken after completion of 15 or more credits in the MLS program. The capstone portfolio is still required but is no longer designated at the Special Project (but the Special Project documentation will be part of the portfolio).
The option of completing just the proposal during the term in which 580 is taken is particularly attractive if a student wishes to complete the planning stage, for example if taking 580 in the summer (10 week session), at a more leisurely pace and then conduct the research and complete the project during the following semester or even following two semesters.
While, prior to this policy change, students in 680 had been successfully "doing it all" in one term, many did comment that 680 was all-consuming of their time and energy and they would like to have had the option to stretch it out over a longer period of time. At the same time ILS was making changes, the Graduate Council began approvals of university-wide definitions and guidelines for the Special Project. These definitions and guidelines are helping to define and expand what ILS students might be planning in 580.
Prior to the May 2009, it had been observed that the MLS 680 research more resembled a thesis with the written product being in article manuscript format rather than traditional thesis format. With the university-wide definitions and guidelines, ILS will be broaden the choices MLS students have for the "product" of the original empirical research and meeting the university requirement for a capstone experience.
Distinction between a Special Project and a Thesis (under the Graduate School guidelines):
The special project is client-based while the thesis is field-based.
That is, the special project uses research to develop a deliverable for a client (such as practical application of research findings to a problem) while the thesis uses research to develop new knowledge to deliver to the field (such as theoretical application of research findings to a question).
For example, a student distributes a questionnaire to parents and students in several middle schools in order to gain knowledge of the relationship between parents' information literacy and certain information attitudes and behaviors of their students. The findings are written up and made available to readers in the form of a manuscript (such as a bound manuscript deposited in the library that details the method used, the findings, and the implications/significance of those findings). This is a thesis.
Another student distributes a questionnaire to parents and students in each of the middle schools in a district in order to gain knowledge of the relationship between parents' information literacy and certain information attitudes and behaviors of their students. The findings are used to design, and deliver to the district, an educational program for parents. This is a special project.
During the transition, students who wish to do "research for research's sake" will have as a "client" a specific research journal and will produce a manuscript following that journal's guidelines for submission to that journal's editor(s).
For some students, it will seem like little has changed; for others, it will be a welcome change both in the ability to choose their own pace and to choose their client/product.
On this class site, every effort has been made to acknowledge the work of others. Any omission is unintentional. If anyone finds an oversight, please contact me at brownm6@southernct.edu immediately so that any error can be corrected.
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