ISU 691 Information Science Field Study	(1 SH)

 

 
Employs the student's cooperative education experience to observe and analyze 
the real-world interaction between information technology and its context. 
Students identify an aspect of their work environment to study, and 
collect data that will be the basis of an original Senior Research Paper
(See ISU 692). Course requirements include communicating regularly with 
the instructor to discuss the research project's definition and the 
methodology for collecting the data. Additional course requirements may 
include maintaining a journal of observations and experiences and/or 
participating in electronic conferences with fellow students;

 

 
ISU 580. Restricted to majors in the Information Science Program.

 

 
None.
Assigned reading(s):  to be provided

 

 
The following topics will be covered briefly, with a view towards helping
students formulate their research issues:
    Review of research methods
    Review of data collection methodologies

 

 
Students develop the following skills:
	ability to identify an issue inspired by a real-world organizational 
    or social context
	ability to identify theoretical questions related to the issue and
    relate it to relevant information science literature
	ability to apply a data collection method in a real-world environment

 

 
Statement of a research problem
A brief preliminary literature review
A written plan for collecting data
Files containing the collected data (filled-out interview forms, field notes.
statistical data tables, etc.)