Syllabus

LS 574:71 Database Searching

Location: Room 121 Duncan Hall,  Dixon University Center

Summer II, 2005

Course Meets:  6:00 PM to 9:45 PM on Friday, July  15, July 29, August 12, 2005.
                         8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturday, July 16, July 30, August 13, 2005.

Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Department of Library Science

Instructor:

Mr. Matthew R. Marsteller
Physics and Math Librarian
University Libraries
Room 4400, Wean Hall
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Office phone: 412-268-7212
E-mail: matthewm@andrew.cmu.edu

Office Hours:  To Be Determined

Special Services Statement: Any student requiring accommodations for taking notes or tests should make arrangements, as early in the semester as is possible, to discuss his or her needs with me.

Academic Honesty Policy:  All students must conduct themselves in accordance with the university's Academic Honesty Policy.  It is provided at the following URL:                                                                           http://www.clarion.edu/admin/academicaffairs/honesty.htm

I. Rationale

The purpose of this course is to give the students a general background in online searching; to introduce them to the multitude of pathways to obtain computer searchable information; and to provide them with opportunities to become proficient database searchers.

II. Catalog Description

General introduction to interactive database searching, including database producers, search system vendors, management of search services, search strategy, Boolean searching, structure and indexing of computer stored files. The course includes historical and background information. Greatest emphasis is on becoming a proficient searcher.

III. Behavioral Objectives

The students will be able to:

A. Write a brief summary of the state of the art of online information systems.
B. Describe the relationships between database companies and vendors of search services (online, local hosting, and CD-ROM) and their users.
C. Conduct a successful pre-search interview.
D. Conduct successful searches using an online system.
E. Clearly describe the requirements for management of online searching in libraries.
F. Make an evaluation of performance using commonly accepted methods of evaluation.
G. Quickly adjust to a new database or database searching interface and exhibit a level of insight that goes beyond novice searching.

IV. Texts

Walker, Geraldine and Joseph Janes.  Online Retrieval: A Dialogue of Theory and Practice.  Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1999.

Sherman, Chris and Gary Price.  The Invisible Web: Uncovering Information Sources Search Engines Can't See.  Medford, NJ: Information Today, 2001.

GEP DIALOG Lab Workbook.  Cary, NC: The DIALOG Corporation, 2002.  Available at: http://gep.dialog.com/instruction/workbook/

The DIALOG Search Summary Quick Reference Guide and the Dialog Database Catalog (2005) as well as other training materials are available at:  http://gep.dialog.com/  [Note: I have paper copies of the Database Catalog that I'll distribute in Harrisburg]

V. Grading

A. Attendance and Participation: 10%

B. Final (August 13, 2005): 15%

C. Bibliographic Instruction: 15%

The student will choose a CD-ROM or online database with the approval of the instructor. They will prepare a 10 to 15 minute presentation including (but not limited to) a discussion of the search interface, search syntax, searchable fields (database structure), intriguing features, novice versus expert level searching, use of search history (ability to combine sets) and output options.  Note that 5 to 7 of the 15 minutes can be reserved for taking questions from the class.

D. Database Searching Assignments: 40%

     Searching Assignment One Due on Saturday, July 16, 2005.
     Searching Assignment Two Due on Saturday, July 30, 2005.
     Searching Assignment Three Due on Friday, August 12, 2005.

E. Brief Research Paper: 20%

This assignment calls for the student to research and write a three to five page paper on a topic related to database searching. The student will need to search the database searching literature and choose an intriguing topic. Browsing recent journals such as Database, Online or Searcher may help the student generate a research topic. Inform the instructor of your topic no later than Saturday, July 30, 2005. Due: August 13, 2005.

Grading Scale:
90% to 100% = A
80% to 89% = B
70% to 79% = C
60% to 69% = D
50% to 59% = E

VI. Course Calendar

Friday, July 15, 2005
Readings: Walker and Janes, Chapters 1, 2, 5, and 6; GEP DIALOG Lab Workbook Chapters 1-3

A. Introductions and Review of the Syllabus 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM

B. Basics of Searching (part one) 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM and 8:45 PM to 9:45 PM

     1. Database Structure
     2. Database Types
     3. Basic DIALOG Commands
     4. Boolean Operators
     5. Formulating a Search Strategy
     6. Evaluating Results - A Beginning

Saturday, July 16, 2005
Readings: Walker and Janes, Chapters 7, 8; GEP DIALOG Lab Workbook Chapters 4, 7

C. In class searching experience - getting our feet wet with Searching Assignment One 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM

D. Basics of Searching (part two) 9:45 AM to 10:45 AM and 11:00 AM to Noon

     7. Nesting
     8. Truncation and Wildcards
     9. Prefix Searching (basic index vs additional indexes)
     10. Combined Sets vs Command Stacking
     11. Controlled Vocabulary
     12. Proximity Operators

E. Gentle Demonstrations of Skills Learned 1:30 PM to 2:45 PM

F. In Class Practice Time 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Friday July 29, 2005
Readings:  Walker and Janes, Chapters 10-12; GEP DIALOG Lab Workbook Chapters 5, 6, 8

G. The Information Landscape 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

     1. Database Producers
     2. Database Vendors

H. Database Choice 7:15 PM to 8:30 PM

     1. Listing of Databases by Subject
     2. Dialindex
     3. Guided Search

I. Multifile Searching 8:45 PM to 9:45 PM

     1. File Order
     2. Removing Duplicates
     3. Grouping Like Files

Saturday, July 30, 2005

J. More on Multifile Searching 8:00 AM to 9:15 AM

     4. Problems of Multifile Searching
     5. How Thorough is Thorough - When Do You Stop?

K. Additional Advanced Searching Topics 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM and 11:00 AM to Noon

     1. More on Evaluation
     2. Pearl Growing
     3. Successive Fractions
     4. Layering Searches
     5. Presentation of Search Results
     6. Citation Searching
     7. Patent Searching
     8. Non-bibliographic Databases

I. Review of Searching Assignment Two 1:30 PM to 2:45 PM

J. Costs and Searching 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

K. In Class Practice Time 4:15 PM to 6:00 PM

Friday, August 12, 2005
Readings: Sherman and Price, Chapters 1-8

L. Internet Searching 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM and 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM

     1. A Brief History
     2. Browsing the Visible Web
     3. Searching the Visible Web
     4. Additional Browse and Search Tools
     5. The Invisible Web
     6. Staying Current
     7. What the Future Holds
     8. What's in Your Lesson Plan?

M. Review of Searching Exercise Three 8:45 PM to 9:45 PM

Saturday, August 13, 2005

N.  Final Exam 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM

O. An Introduction to Lexis Nexis 10:15 AM to 11:45 AM

P. Bibliographic Instruction Presentations 1:15 PM to 3:00 PM; 3:15 PM to 4:45 PM; and 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Q. Closing Thoughts (if time allows)


Revised June-July, 2005 by Matthew R. Marsteller.