Week

Date

Topic

Reading Due

Class Activity/

Homework Assignment

1

1/7

1:30-1:50 Introduction

1:50-2:30  Lecture 1: Ways of knowing and the research process

2:30-2:40  Break

2:40-3:20  In-class activity
 

 Bouma - Chapters 1 - 2

1/9

1:30-2:15  Lecture 2:  Research design – the first steps. Phase 1: Step 1 Selecting, narrowing, formulating a problem.

2:15-2:25  Break

2:25-3:20  Class discussion and research group formulation
 

2

1/14

1:30-2:30 Lecture 3: How can I measure that? Selecting variables; Developing indicators for concepts

2:30 - 2:40 Break

2:40 - 3:20 Human Subjects introduction
 

Bouma - Chapters 3 - 4

1/16

1:30 - 2:00  Research methods reports

2:00 - 2:50 Introduction to SPSS lab exercise: "Life Be In It Part 2"

2:50 - 3:00 Break

3:00 - 3:20 Finalize research groups
 

Bouma - Chapter 5

Lab Exercise:
"Life Be In It" Part 2

Choose groups for your research project

3

1/21

1/23

Bruce, H. "Perceptions of the Internet: What people think when they search the Internet for information." Internet Research, v 9 no3 1999. p. 187-99.
Available online or E-Reserves.
 

4

1/28

1:30 - 2:15   Lecture 4: Qualitative Research
Comparison of Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches: an addendum to Lecture 4

2:15 - 2:25 Break

2:25 - 2:55  Research methods reports

2:55 - 3:20  Focus Group role play exercise
 

Bouma - Chapters 10-11

1/30

1:30 - 2:15 Lecture 5: Selecting a sample

2:15 - 2:25 Break

2:25 - 2:50 Research methods reports

2:50 - 3:20 Class exercise/discussion
 

Bouma - Chapters 6, 8
 

Carter, D. & Janes, J. "Unobtrusive data analysis of digital reference questions and service at the Internet Public Library." Library Trends v 49 no2 Fall 2000. p. 251-65.
Available online or E-Reserves.
 

5

2/4

1:30 - 2:15  Lecture 6:  Methods of observation - Collecting data

2:15 - 2:25 Break

2:25 - 3:20 Class exercise - Questions
 

Bouma - Chapter 7

2/6

1:30 - 2:00 Research methods reports

2:00 - 2:25 Class discussion

2:25 - 2:35 Break

2:35 - 3:20 Discussion and peer review of data collection instruments
 

Pettigrew, K. "Waiting for chiropody." Information Processing and Management v 35 no6 Nov 1999. p. 801-17.

Available online or E-Reserves.

6

2/11

No class - work in research groups

Visit the UCLA portal to SPSS tutorials and resources and browse one or more of the tutorials.

2/13

No class – work in research groups

Poltrock, S., et al. "Information seeking and sharing in design teams." Information Seeking and Sharing in Design Teams
Available online or E-Reserves.
[note: This article will be discussed in class on Tuesday 2/18]
 

7

2/18

1:30 - 2:15  Lecture 7:  Summarising and presenting data – Univariate analysis

2:15 - 2:25 Break

2:25 - 2:45 Research methods reports

2:45 - 3:20 Class discussion
 

Bouma - Chapter 9
(pdf now available)

Several paper copies are also in the hallway outside MGH 420 for you to borrow and read or photocopy.  Sorry for the delay! -KP

2/20

1:30 - 2:15  Lecture 8: Summarising and presenting data – univariate analysis continued; Bivariate analysis

2:15 - 2:25 Break

2:25 - 2:45 Research methods reports

2:45 - 3:20 Class discussion
 

De Vaus - Chapters 8 - 9

Muramatsu, J. & Pratt, W.  "Transparent queries: Investigating users' mental models of search engines." SIGIR-01: Proceedings of the Twenty-fourth International ACM Conference on Research and Development in Information Retrieval. New Orleans, LA. September 2001.
Available online or E-Reserves.

8

2/25

2/27

1:30 - 2:15 Lecture 10: Elaborating bivariate relationships: interpreting data and drawing conclusions.

2:15 - 2:25 Break

2:25 - 2:45 Research methods reports

2:45 - 3:20 Class discussion
 

Bouma - Chapters 12 - 13

Carlyle, A. "Developing organized information displays for voluminous works: A study of user clustering behavior."  Information Processing and Management v 37 no5 Sept 2001. p. 677-99
Available online or E-Reserves.

9

3/4

A User Study of the MSCUA

3/6

The iSchool Experience

10

3/11

Patron Interactions

3/13

Information Needs, Seeking, and Use