Syllabus

LS 574:W1 Database Searching

Location: Web-based Class

Fall, 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
AOL IM: physmathlibr
Yahoo! Messenger: physmathlibr

Office Hours:  Tuesdays, 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM

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.

(Optional) 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/

VI. Grading

A. Class Participation: 10%

B. Midterm Quiz: 5%

C. Final Exam: 10%

D. Preliminary assignments (Tenopir article and First Contact Tutorial): 5%

E. Free Range Database Searching: 20%

The student will choose five databases throughout the semester and explore them for features similar to what are found on Dialog or LexisNexis.  As the student's knowledge of the concepts of database searching theory and knowledge of typical searching features mature, these assignments should reflect the progress that is being made.  The student will strive to comment on 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.   The choice of the database is entirely up to the student, but it is hoped that it will include databases that would be expected to be available to the student in a library setting that matches their career goals. The end product should be in the form of a presentation file or word processing file that could function as a introduction to or tutorial for the database.  The end product should be posted to a designated Discussion Board AND it should be turned into the instructor via the "View/Complete Assignment..." mechanism that will set up within BlackBoard. Assignment due dates are as follows:

Free Range Database Searching  Assignment One, Due on September 25, 2005.
Free Range Database Searching  Assignment Two, Due on October 16, 2005.
Free Range Database Searching  Assignment Three, Due on October 30, 2005.
Free Range Database Searching  Assignment Four, Due on November 20, 2005.
Free Range Database Searching  Assignment Five, Due on December 11, 2005.

F. (Dialog/LexisNexis) Database Searching Assignments: 35%

These assignments will utilize the Dialog databases (with the exception of Assignment Five).  All Dialog database searching assignments should be turned into the instructor via the "View/Complete Assignment..." mechanism that will set up within BlackBoard. Assignment due dates are as follows:

(Dialog) Searching Assignment One, Due on September 18, 2005.
(Dialog) Searching Assignment Two, Due on
October 9, 2005.
(Dialog) Searching Assignment Three, Due on
October 23, 2005.
(Dialog) Searching Assignment Four, Due on
November 13, 2005.
(LexisNexis) Searching Assignment Five, Due on December 42005.

G. Brief Research Paper: 15%

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 Searcher or Online may help the student generate a research topic.  Skimming a recent monograph on the general topic of information seeking may be a good method of determining the topic of your paper.  Inform the instructor of your topic no later than Sunday, November 6, 2005. The paper itself is due: Sunday, December 4, 2005.

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

IV. Course Calendar - Completion dates are given to keep the student on track to finish the course without falling behind.

Week One: Begins August 29, 2005
Readings: Walker and Janes, Chapters 1, 2, and 4; GEP Lab Workbook, Introduction

A. Introductions and Review of the Syllabus

B. Special Required Reading:   Tenopir, C.  "Why I still teach Dialog."  Library Journal,  v. 126 no. 8 (May 1 2001) p. 35-6.  The student will write a brief summary of the article in which the author's main points are highlighted.  The student should also include their response to the issues raised by the author. By this I mean a concise statement of the author's thesis, whether or not you agree with the thesis, and why you agree or disagree with the thesis.  We'll revisit this in the course evaluation at the end of the class.  At that point, I'm hoping that those of you that originally disagreed with Professor Tenopir will appreciate the design of the course.

C. Lecture - Getting Oriented

C1. Database Types.  
C2. Pre- versus Post-coordinate Indexing.

Week Two:  Begins September 6, 2005 (after Labor Day)
Readings: Walker and Janes, Chapters 5 and 6; GEP Lab Workbook, Chapters 1 and 3 (3-1 through 3-11).

D. Lecture - Basics of Searching (part one) 

D1. Database Structure
D2. Basic DIALOG Commands
D3. Boolean Operators
D4. Nesting
D5. Truncation and Wildcards

E. Tutorial - First Contact.  Related preliminary assignment - students will logon to Dialog and simply recreate the search shown in the tutorial.

Week Three:  Begins September 12, 2005
Readings:  Walker and Janes, Chapter 7 and 12; GEP Lab Workbook, Chapter 2 (2-1 through 2-4), Chapter 3 (3-12 through the end of 3), Chapter7.

F.  Lecture - Basics of Searching (part two)

F6. Formulating a Search Strategy
F7. Evaluating Results - A Beginning
F8.
Controlled Vocabulary
F9. Additional Indexes
(prefix searching)

G. Tutorials - these tutorials will give the student examples that will clarify the reading and the lectures ... and perhaps calm some jittery nerves.

H. Searching Assignment One Due September 18, 2005.

Week Four:   Begins September 19, 2005
Readings: Walker and Janes, Chapters 8; GEP Lab Workbook Chapter 4.

I. Lecture - Basics of Searching (part three) 

I10. Combined Sets vs Command Stacking
I11. Free-text Searching
I12. Proximity Operators

J. Tutorials - Gentle Demonstrations of Skills Learned 

K. Free Range Database Searching  Assignment One, Due on September 25, 2005.

Week Five:  Begins September 26, 2005
Readings: Walker and Janes, Chapter 9; GEP
Lab Workbook Chapters 6 and 9.

L. Mid Term Quiz (take during the week of September 26 and before Friday,

M. Lecture - Basics of Searching (part four)

M13. Limits
M14. Sorting
M15. Reports

N. Lecture - The Information Landscape 

N1. Database Producers
N2. Database Vendors

Week Six:  Begins October 3, 2005 - Mid Semester Break - no lecture

O. Searching Assignment Two Due October 9, 2005

Week Seven:  Begins October 10, 2005
Readings:  Walker and Janes, Chapter 10; GEP Lab Workbook Chapters 5

P. Lecture - Database Choice 

P1. Listing of Databases by Subject
P2. Dialindex
P3. The Importance of Incorporating Human Judgment

Q. Free Range Database Searching  Assignment Two, Due on October 16, 2005.

Week Eight:  Begins October 17, 2005
Readings:  GEP Lab Workbook Chapter 8

R. Lecture - Multifile Searching 

R1. File Order
R2. Removing Duplicates
R3. Grouping Like Files
R4. Problems of Multifile Searching
R5. How Thorough is Thorough - When Do You Stop?

S. Searching Assignment Three Due October 23, 2005

Week Nine:  Begins October 24, 2005
Readings:  Walker and Janes, Related Topics in Chapter 6 and Review Chapter 12 Again; GEP Lab Workbook, Chapter
Chapter 2 (2-7 through the end of 2)

T. Lecture - Advanced Searching Topics (part one)

T1. More on Evaluation
T2. Pearl Growing
T3. Successive Fractions
T4. Layering Searches
T5. Presentation of Search Results

U. Free Range Database Searching  Assignment Three, Due on October 30, 2005.

Week Ten:  Begins October 31, 2005
Readings:  Walker and Janes, Chapter 11

V. Lecture - Advanced Searching Topics (part two)

V6. Citation Searching
V7. Patent Searching
V8. Non-bibliographic Databases

W. Lecture - Costs and Searching

X. Topic of Brief Research Paper is due to the Instructor by November 6, 2005.

Week Eleven:  Begins November 7, 2005
Readings: To Be Assigned

Y. Lecture - Internet Searching 

Z. Searching Assignment Four due on November 13, 2005.

Week Twelve:  Begins November 14, 2005
Readings: Minkel, W. " 'So Far I've Only Found His Head.' "  School Library Journal, v. 46, no. 4 (April 2000) p. 37.  Ishizuka, K. "Teens Are Tech Wizards?  Not!"  School Library Journal, v. 51, no. 4 (April 2005) p. 24-5.

AA. Lecture - Children/Teens and Database Searching (Information Seeking or Information Literacy)

BB. Lecture - LexisNexis (part one)

CC. Free Range Database Searching  Assignment Four, Due on November 20, 2005.

Week Thirteen:  Begins November 21, 2005 - Thanksgiving Holiday - no class.

Week Fourteen:   Begins November 28, 2005

DD. Lecture - LexisNexis (part two)

EE. Searching Assignment Five Due December 4, 2005

FF. Brief Research Paper Due December 4, 2005

Week Fifteen:  Begins December 5, 2005

GG. Review for Final Exam

HH. Free Range Database Searching  Assignment Five, Due on December 11, 2005.

Week Sixteen:  Begins December 12, 2005

II. Final Exam

JJ. Closing Thoughts Discussion Forum - Share your candid thoughts about the effectiveness of the course.  



Syllabus developed by Matthew R. Marsteller, August, 2005.