Mlim319 Information Behaviour – course outline

MLIM6319 Information Behaviour – Syllabus (Summer 2007)
Lecturer: Dr. Sam Chu (2241-5894, e-mail: [e-mail], Runme Shaw Building 111B)
Meeting Time: Monday 6:30-9:00pm

28 May, 2007 - 13 August, 2007

Venue: Room 104, Runme Shaw Building, HKU
Course description:

This module examines the theory associated with information-seeking behaviour. The information seeking process is analysed and models are explored to explain information behaviour. The concept of information literacy will be examined with particular attention given to cognitive and affective issues.

Aims and objectives

This module will enable students to:

• 
  Demonstrate familiarity with information seeking, theories underlying it and the research related to it,
  
• 
  Identify and examine current trends and issues in the information cycle using professional and research literature,
  
• 
  Understand the characteristics of information seekers in the context of information agencies and systems that are user-centered,
  
• 
  Be able to identify the main concepts related to information needs, uses, and seeking,
  
• 
  Understand the nature of information and knowledge,
  
• 
  Discuss information seeking and learning theories, including cognitive and affective issues,
  
• 
  Observe and analyze information seeking behaviours in information agencies and in one’s workplace.
  

Suggested Textbook: Case, D. O. (2002). Looking for information: a survey of research on information seeking, needs, and behavior. Amsterdam: Academic Press. (Available in NetLibrary http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/ER/keyDB.jsp?lang=i and also available in Main Library’s Reserve)
Topics to cover in each lesson:

Week 1 (May 28): Introduction and course overview; Defining information, information behaviour, information seeking behaviour, information searching behaviour, and information use behaviour.

• 
  Readings:
  
  • 
    Chapter 1 “Information Behavior” and Chapter 3 “Concept of Information”
    
  • 
    Wilson, T. D. (2000). Human Information behavior. Informing Science, 3(2), 49-56. (http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol3/v3n2p49-56.pdf)
    

Week 2 (June 4): Information search process

• 
  Readings:
  
  • 
    Kuhlthau, C. C. (2004). Seeking meaning: A process approach to Library and information services. 2^nd ed. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Chapter 3, 8, & 9. (Available in Main Library’s Reserve soon)
    

Week 3 (June 11): Information needs

• 
  Introducing the group projects and cover key things that students need to know to start planning the project.
  
• 
  Readings:
  
  • 
    Chapter 4 “Information Needs and Information Seeking” and Chapter 5 “Related Concepts”
    
  • 
    Dervin, B., & Nilan, M. (1986). Information needs and uses. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, 21, 3-33.
    

Week 4 (June 18): Models in the Study of Information Behavior

• 
  Readings:
  
  • 
    Chapter 6 “Models of Information Behavior”
    

Week 5 (June 25): Perspectives, Paradigms, and Theories in the Study of Information Behavior

• 
  Readings:
  
  • 
    Chapter 7 “Perspectives, Paradigms, and Theories”
    
• 
  Submit Phase 1 for the project: the plan and literature review (Due on June 24 at 12 midnight)
  

Week 6 (July 9): Methods for Studying Information Behavior 1

• 
  Readings:
  
  • 
    Chapter 8 “The Research”
    

Week 7 (July 16): Methods for Studying Information Behavior 2

• 
  Readings:
  
  • 
    Chapter 9 “Methods: Examples by Type”
    
• 
  Submit Phase 2: Study design (Due on July 15 at 12 midnight)
  

Week 8 (July 23): Research Results and Reflections 1

• 
  Readings:
  
  • 
    Chapter 10 “Reviewing the Research” and Chapter 11 “Research by Occupation”
    

Week 9 (July 30): Research Results and Reflections 2

• 
  Readings:
  
  • 
    Chapter 12 “Research by Social Role and Demographic Group” and Chapter 13 “Reviewing, Critiquing, Concluding”
    

Week 10 (Aug. 13): Information literacy

• 
  Readings:
  
  • 
    Li, S., Lee, F. L., Kong, S. C., & Henri, J. (2005). Information Literacy Framework for Hong Kong: Building the capacity of learning to learn in the information age. (Available in ILN – the course’s week 10 folder)
    
  • 
    Chu, S. (2007). Case Study 11: The Development and Management of the Online Information Literacy Tutorial at the HKUST Library. In The Role of the Library in the First College Year. Association of College & Research Libraries, A Division of the American Library Association, U.S.A. (Available in Main Library’s Reserve soon)
    
  • 
    Wong, G., Chan, D., & Chu, S. (2006). Assessing the Enduring Impact of Library Instruction Programs. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 32(4): 384-395.
    
• 
  Submit Phase 3: Your pilot and actual studies, and your analysis of the findings. (Due on Aug. 12 at 12 midnight)
  

Course Assessment:

Students will be assessed by class participation, an individual assignment, and a group project.

Group project: Students in groups of 3-4 will conduct a study on the information behavior of a specific user group. Details of this assignment will be given in week 2 or 3. (Due on Sep. 3 at 12 midnight)
Individual assignment: You will record your information search tasks for a week and analyze them using Kuhlthau’s ISP model. (Due on Aug. 13 at 6:30pm)
Grading:

• 
  Class participation – worth 10% of the module (evaluated by the quality of students’ discussions during lectures and their contributions in online discussions).
  
• 
  Group project – 50% of the module (30% for group work and 20% for individual effort).
  
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  An individual assignment – 40% of the module.
  

Classroom rules of conduct:

Roll will be checked at each lecture meeting and students are expected to attend all lectures. Students will fail the course if they have missed more than 3 lectures.

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism involves the use of quotations without quotation marks, the use of quotations without indication of the source, the use of another’s idea without acknowledging the source, the submission of a paper, report, project, or class assignment (any portion of such) prepared by another person, or incorrect paraphrasing.

References:

Belkin, N. J., & Robertson, S. (1976). Information science and the phenomenon of information. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 27(4), 197-204.

Bouazza, A. (1989). Information user studies. In Encyclopedia of library and information science (Vol. 44, Suppl. 9, pp. 144-164). New York: Dekker.
Buckland, M. (1991). Information as thing. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 42, 351-360. (Main Library Serials S 020 A51 D6; also available at

http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:IkERr_pvjbsJ:www.sims.berkeley.edu/~buckland/thing.html+Buckland+%22Information+as+thing%22&hl=zh-TW&gl=hk&ct=clnk&cd=1)
Buckland, M. K. (1991b). Information and information systems. New York: Greenwood Press.
Buckland, M. K. (1998). What is a “document”? In T. Hahn & M. Buckland (Eds.), Historical studies in information science (pp. 215-220). Medford, NJ: Information Today.
Case, D. O. (2002). Looking for information: a survey of research on information seeking, needs, and behavior. Amsterdam: Academic Press.
Chu, S. (1999). Librarians as marketing managers: applying marketing principles to the management of library instruction programs. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of Special Libraries Association, Minneapolis, MN, U.S.A., p. 90-105.
Chu, S. & Law, N. (2005). Development of Information Search Expertise: Research Students’ Knowledge of Databases. Online information review, 29(6): 621-642.
Chu, S. & Law, N. (2007). Development of information search expertise: research students’ knowledge of source types. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 39(1): 27-40.

Chu, S., Tang, Q., Chow, K. & Tse, S.K. (2007). A study on inquiry-based learning in a primary school through librarian-teacher partnerships. The 2007 IASL Conference, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan, 16-20 July 2007.

Dervin, B. (1983). Information as a user construct: The relevance of perceived information needs to synthesis and interpretation. In S. A. Ward & L. J. Reed (Eds.), Knowledge structure and use: Implication for synthesis and interpretation (pp. 153-184). Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Dervin, B., & Nilan, M. (1986). Information needs and uses. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, 21, 3-33.
Dretske, F. I. (1981). Knowledge and the flow of information. Cambridge: MIT Press
Dretske, F. I. (1983). Precis of “Knowledge & the flow of information.” Behavioral and Brain Science, 6, 55-90.
Henri, J. & Bonanno, K. (1999). The Information literate school community: best practice. Wagga, N.S.W. : Centre for Information Studies, Charles Stuart University.
Klaus Krippendorff (1984). Paradox and information. In B. Dervin & M. Voigt (Eds.), Progress in communication sciences (Vol. 5, pp. 45-72). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Kuhlthau, C. C. (1997). Learning in Digital Libraries: An Information Search Process Approach, Library Trends, 45(4): 708-724. (http://library.hku.hk/search/t?SEARCH=library+trends)
Kuhlthau, C. C. (2004). Seeking meaning: A process approach to Library and information services. 2^nd ed. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Chapter 3, 8, & 9
Lehto X.Y., Kim D.Y. & Morrison, A.M. (2006). The effect of prior destination experience on online information search behaviour. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 6, 160-178.
Li, S., Lee, F. L., Kong, S. C., & Henri, J. (2005). Information Literacy Framework for Hong Kong: Building the capacity of learning to learn in the information age. Hong Kong: Education and Manpower Bureau.
Losee, R. (1997). A discipline independent definition of information. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 48, 254-269.
Mote, L. J. B. (1962). Reasons for the variations in the information needs of scientists. Journal of Documentation, 18, 169-175.
N0rretranders, T. (1998). The user illusion: Cutting consciousness down to size. (J. Sydenham, Trans.). New York: Viking (Originally published in 1991)
Rieh, S.Y. (2004). On the Web at Home: Information Seeking and Web Searching in the Home Environment. Journal of the American Society For Information Science and Technology, 55, 743-753.
Wilson, T. D. (2000). Human Information behavior. Informing Science, 3(2), 49-56. (http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol3/v3n2p49-56.pdf)
Yovit, M., & Foulk, C. (1985). Experiment and analysis of information and value in a decision making context. Journal of the American Society for information Science, 36, 63-81.
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MLIM6319-IB-Syllabus-07.doc 1/17/2019