COURSE MATERIALS:

Required Text: Taylor, Arlene G., & Joudrey, Daniel N. (2009). The Organization of Information. Third Edition. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. ISBN-10 (paperback): 159158700X; ISBN-13 (paperback): 978-1591587002.

Other Materials: Required readings are found online, as noted in the course calendar. Learning to use information organization databases to locate assigned readings is an integral part of the course, so direct URLs and other location information are often not provided, and you should not ask for this information (but you should definitely ask for help in finding something you cannot locate; just do not ask for a direct link).

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

LIS 5703 Information Organization (3 credit hours). Establishes the conceptual and theoretical framework for organizing and retrieving information, including the study of systems, their objectives and structures, formats, standards, and vocabularies; and the information object and its relationship to organizing systems and to other information objects.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Having completed this course, a student will be able to:

• Explain the conceptual and theoretical frameworks for organizing and retrieving information
• Demonstrate an understanding of information organizing systems and their objectives
• Define and explain the nature, attributes, structures, and varieties of information objects and the various tools used to create descriptions and representations
• Apply structures, formats and standards
• Explain the implications of technological changes for organizing information
• Apply methods, techniques, tools, and standards for organizing information in any given context

COURSE POLICIES:

The main policy to remember, if you forget all else, is: Don't Panic! This is my only hard-and-fast rule, but if you break it by accident, whatever you do: Don't Panic! (This phrase is a literary allusion, and is meant to be funny, not to induce fear; if you don't recognize this catchphrase, ask a classmate about its provenance :-).)

The remaining (less important, but still required and binding) course policies are:

1. Inform me, early and often! Let me know what is going on, if you have questions, if you need help, if you will be handing in an assignment late, or anything else you think will help me to make your learning experience more successful and more pleasant! Handling issues before things get out of hand is always our best bet.

2. Most people find this course to be hard and time-consuming. It IS a lot of work, and it requires thinking about information in a way many of us have not done before. The readings are difficult, long, and dense; they are replete with terminology that is unusual and is specific to the field of info org -- and THAT is absolutely appropriate for this subject area. BUT ... info org is *tremendously* fun, and more so if you relax, don't panic, and let yourself get immersed in the assignments. It is normal to feel at sea for quite some time, and I do not expect you to know what is going on right away. Just keep working at it a LOT, and keep asking: ASK, ASK, ASK! ASK me, ASK your colleagues! (And when you feel comfortable, ANSWER, ANSWER, ANSWER! -- I expect you to ask and answer questions with great frequency and intense interest!)

3. The three main learning tools in this course are readings, assignments, and participation in class. Lecturing/presentation is NOT a primary learning tool in this class, which is based on constructionist learning. I will occasionally "tell" you things, but not very often. I have put a ton of work into creating this constructionist environment, and lectures are not where my pedagogical energy is most useful to you. I have guided many hundreds of students through this course over many years, and I promise -- for *this* material, this is how learning happens. Trust me :-). (I know, famous last words, but really!).

4. You are required to check your FSU email and the course discussion boards regularly. Classwide emails from the instructor are considered official communication and you will be responsible and held accountable for responding if requested, following instructions contained therein, etc. Many of the discussion boards for the class will have the "subscribe" option activated, so you can have the posts sent to your email (it's easy to unsubscribe if you decide you'd rather log in to Blackboard to check the discussion boards).

5. All emails to the instructor must include a subject line that begins with the course number; emails without a course number will not be read or answered. Set up your email account so your full name accompanies each email (e.g. I should receive email from John Q. Smith, not from jqs4432). If you are emailing from Blackboard, include your full name in the body of your email, just in case. Emails that do not include your full name somewhere in the email AND the course number in the subject line will not receive a response.

6. Lurking IS permitted in synchronous sessions in this class. If you like to come to synchronous sessions (which are all optional but the first one) but like to watch rather than talk, that's fine with me. In general, I'm fine with the concept of lurking! Questions about the course and/or the assignments are often answered during synchronous sessions; plus, some weeks we have field trips during the synchronous session that you should go through even if you don't attend the session.

7. You don't *have* to have the assigned readings done before the weekly synchronous sessions, although it is a good idea to do so. I encourage you to keep up with the readings -- you need them for the assignments! Don't fret if you cannot complete them before the scheduled synchronous session -- you're still welcome in the session -- but it will help you keep on top of the material and be able to direct your questions to the right place (synchronous session or discussion board) if you complete them before our weekly meeting.

8. (I didn't write this part: http://facsenate.fsu.edu/attendance.html): Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.

Assignment policies

See "Assignments" section of the course site for additional policies associated with specific assignments.

1. Assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (EDT or EST as appropriate) on the dates indicated.

2. Late assignments will generally not receive full credit. If you have extenuating circumstances, contact me immediately. The more advance notice, the more likely we are to arrive at a mutually satisfactory alternative plan.

3. Submitted assignments must include this information on the first page: the name and number of the course, the name of the instructor, YOUR NAME, the name of the assignment, and the date you are handing it in. Papers without this heading will be returned to you so you can add it before a grade is assigned, and grading of your paper will be delayed.

4. You must use headings/subheading/section titles/etc. to make the organization of your paper clear to the reader. Remember -- this is required. Not doing so WILL result in a lower grade. When in doubt, add another subheading.

5. Papers must be demonstrably spell-checked, grammar-checked, and proofread; if they are not, they will be returned to you for corrections before a grade is assigned, and grading of your paper will be delayed. Please let me know if you need help with this aspect of the assignments.

6. When marking assignments, points are assigned based on the assumption that you have carefully followed, read, and understood the QA board on Blackboard for that assignment. You are responsible and accountable for this material.

7. If you have a complete draft at least four days before the assignment is due, I am happy to proofread it for you.

8. Each student must complete and, if relevant, submit every assignment in order to earn a passing grade in the course.

Discussion boards

We use the following discussion board types in this class:

• Faculty Office (FO): If you have questions for me (the professor) about the general operation of the course, post them here and I will respond. Please use this rather than emailing me unless your question is really personal.
• SHARE: As you find interesting books, articles, web sites, conferences, or any other bits of information that are relevant to info org, post them here so we can all benefit!
• QUESTIONS ABOUT (QA): Each assignment will have a QA board. You can post questions about the assignment here, and I will answer them (you are strongly encouraged to answer questions for each other!).
• SYSTEM: For five weeks, your weekly asynchronous discussion is required, about a specific information retrieval system, and worth 11 points each week. See "Assignments" for details.
• CONTRIBUTE: One week, there will be an additional board to which you are required to contribute a specific resource associated with one of the papers you will be writing. See "Assignments" for details.
• DISCUSS: Each week there will be a DISCUSS board to give you a place to talk about the readings.
• CAFE: Any discussion that doesn't belong in the other boards goes here! I'll be in and out on this board but won't monitor it closely.

GRADING/EVALUATION:

Final point tallies and their associated letter grades:

• 93-100 A
• 89-92 A-
• 86-88 B+
• 81-85 B
• 77-80 B-
• 74-76 C+
• 68-73 C
• 65-67 C-
• 62-64 D+
• 57-61 D
• 55-57 D-
• 0-54 F

ASSIGNMENTS/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Please see the "Assignments" page for more detail about each assignment. The 100 points available in this course can be earned as follows:

• Asynchronous discussion of FSU catalog SYSTEM exercise: 11 points
• Asynchronous discussion of WorldCat (subscription version) SYSTEM exercise: 11 points
• Asynchronous discussion of worldcat.org (free version) SYSTEM exercise: 11 points
• Asynchronous discussion of LibLit SYSTEM exercise: 11 points
• Asynchronous discussion of Web of Science SYSTEM exercise: 11 points
• Asynchronous contribution of resources for papers: 15 points
• Representation and Description: 15 points
• Subjects: 15 points

COURSE TOPICS:

• Introduction to information organization
• Information retrieval
• Information structures
• Metadata I: Introduction
• Metadata IIa & IIb: Schemes
• Metadata III: Creating and sharing
• Description
• Access and authority
• Subject analysis
• Vocabulary control
• Categorization

ACADEMIC HONOR POLICY:

The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University's expectations for the integrity of students' academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge to ". . . be honest and truthful and . . . [to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University." (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at http://www.fsu.edu/~dof/honorpolicy.htm.)

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT:

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should:

1. register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center; and
2. bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done during the first week of class.

This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request.

For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the

Student Disability Resource Center
97 Woodward Avenue, South
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167
(850) 644-9566 (voice)
(850) 644-8504 (TDD)
sdrc@admin.fsu.edu
http://www.fsu.edu/~staffair/dean/StudentDisability/

SYLLABUS CHANGE POLICY:

This syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.

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