IRLS 506 Outline.

Last altered 3/7/02 Under revision. I will be adding further electronic sources as the course in is progress. Also I tend not to be overly detailed until we get within the confines of password protection (ie enrolled students will get a more comprehensive version of this).

An on campus lecture course in the University of Arizona amounts to 37 1/2 hours of instruction spread through a semester. Our 'topics' will be the virtual counterpart of about 30 one and a quarter hour lectures, delivered at a rate of two a week. There will be notes, readings, discussion groups, and conferencing (or online chat).

The course will consist of lectures and discussion of common readings. Emphasis will be placed on the student's ability to analyze and critique published research in the field.

Readings

Set text

Patten Mildred L.[2000], Understanding Research Methods; An Overview of the Essentials, Pyrczak Publishing, ISBN 1-884585-22-1

There is a required readings package, which will be available from the bookstore.

We will put up this readings packet online-- it will be accessible from within the password protection of the course. The files are Acrobat pdf files and can be downloaded and printed (for my taste, you're better off buying the coursepack than downloading and printing the files, but over to you...)

There are good online sources, such as

Hyperstat Online

Research Methods Knowledge Base Trochim, William M. The Research Methods Knowledge Base, 2nd Edition. Internet WWW page, at URL: <http://trochim.human.cornell.edu/kb/index.htm> (version current as of April 09, 1999).

VassarStats

The Topics

1: Introduction

Aims and objectives of course. What is research? Why do we teach research methods to students of information?

Readings

None .

2: History of Enquiry

The history of enquiry: philosophy, the institutional organization of enquiry, and the rise of statistical thinking.

Readings

None.

3: Research in Information and Library Science

Library education in the USA. Funding of research, and why it is important. Publishing research. Information and Library Science research today.

Readings

Shera, Jesse "Darwin, Bacon, and Research in Librarianship" Library Trends 13:141-149 (1964). pp. 141-141. In coursepack.

Lynch, Mary Jo "Research and Librarianship: An Uneasy Connection" Library Trends 32/4(1984) pp 367-383. In coursepack.

Johnson, Richard D. "Current Trends in Library Journal Editing" Library Trends 36 (Spring, 1988) 659-672. In coursepack.

Grover, Robert and Greer, Roger C. [1991], 'The Cross-Disciplinary Imperative of LIS Research', Library and Information Science Research, 101-113. In coursepack.

Brooks, Terrence A. [1989], 'The Model of Science and Scientific Models in Librarianship', Library Trends, 38(2), 1989, 237-249. In coursepack.

4: Introduction to the Philosophy of Science

Induction and deduction.Inductivism and Hypothetico-deductivism. Falsification and objectivity (via replicability). Social sciences. Operationalism.

Readings

There are no readings for these notes, although if you have access and are interested you could try

Hempel, C.G., Philosophy of science, Chapter 2

Chalmers, A.F., What is this thing called science ?, opening chapters.

5: Sociology of Research: Paradigms

Kuhn distinguished normal science from revolutionary science. Most research is normal science in that it takes place within a certain framework or world view or paradigm which defines the problems and lays out the techniques for solving those problems. We need to be aware that there are such things as paradigms that often they lay behind specific research.

Chalmers, A. F. [1978]. What Is This Thing Called Science? Milton Keynes, England: The Open University Press., Chapter 8. In coursepack.

A glance at Kuhn, T.S. [1962], The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, would not go astray

6: Scientific Method: Theories, Hypotheses, Evidence and Variables

Steps in the scientific approach. Theory and hypothesis development. Elements of a theory. Variables. Introducing construct validity, internal validity, and external validity. Bayesianism.

Readings

Busha, Charles H. and Stephen P. Harter. [1980], 'Research and Scientific Method', Research methods in librarianship : techniques and interpretation New York : Academic Press, 1980. 3-29. In coursepack.

7: Introduction to Types of Research and Ethics

Research continuum. Archival research. Field research. Lab experiments. Ethics*

Readings

The Qualitative Report (scan only)

Roy, Donald [1952], 'Quota Restriction and Goldbricking in a Machine Shop', American Journal of Sociology, 57, 427-442. First two pages in coursepack

8: Measurement, Scales of Measurement, and Validity and Reliability of Instruments

Scales of measurement. Instruments and their Validity and Reliability.

Readings

Maier, Mark H. "Demography" chapter 2 of his The Data Game: Controversy in Social Science Statistics M.E. Sharpe, 1991, pages 9-28. In coursepack.

And, if you can get hold of a copy somewhere, chapter 2 of Susan Faludi's Backlash: the Undeclared War Against American Women (Crown, 1991) which covers many of the same studies that Maier talks about. It would be in the package, but we couldn't get copyright permission.

9: Experimental, or Research, Design Issues I

Detecting causal factors. Experimental design. Problems and Limitations on Research Design R.A.Fisher's work. Lesser goals. Quasi-experimental design. Designs for Library and Information Science

Readings

Campbell, Donald T. and Julian C. Stanley [1963], 'Experimental and Quasi Experimental Designs for Research', Chapter 5 of N.L. Gage (ed.) Handbook of Research on Teaching Rand McNally, 1963. 1-76 In coursepack.

(advanced and distinctly optional) Howson, Colin and Peter Urbach [1993], Scientific Reasoning: The Bayesian Approach, Chicago: Open Court Chapter 10 Section d and Chapter 11

10: Experimental, or Research, Design Issues 2

Threats to validity. Reliability. Internal validity. External validity. The typical process for Library and Information Science Research

Readings

Campbell, Donald T. and Julian C. Stanley [1963], 'Experimental and Quasi Experimental Designs for Research', Chapter 5 of N.L. Gage (ed.) Handbook of Research on Teaching Rand McNally, 1963. 1-76 In coursepack.

11: Sampling

Non-probability sampling and probability sampling.

Readings

12: Introduction to Statistics: Descriptive Statistics I

Graphs. Normal curves. Measures of Central Tendency. Skew.

Readings

Statiscope http://www.df.lth.se/~mikaelb/statiscope/statiscope.shtml

Hyperstat Online Chapter 1 and 2

Wainer, H. (1984). How to Display Data Badly. American Statistician, 38, 2. 137-147. In coursepack.

Glossary of statistical terms

Displaying data

Chance

13: Descriptive Statistics II: Measures of Variability

Standard deviations. Graphic measures. Interpreting Descriptive Statistics, and Various Rules of Thumb

Readings

Hyperstat Online Chapter 1 and 2

14: Descriptive Statistics III: Normal curve, z, and area under the curve

Area under the curve. z- curve.

Readings

Hyperstat Online Chapter 5

15: Descriptive Statistics IV: Correlation I

Correlation and causation: what it is all about. Scatterplots

Readings

Hyperstat Online Chapter 3

16: Descriptive Statistics V: Correlation II

Lambda and an introduction to Chi squared.

Readings

Hyperstat Online Chapter 3

17: Descriptive Statistics VI: Correlation III

Linear correlation. r-squared, Pearson, and Spearman.

Readings

Hyperstat Online Chapter 3

18: Probability

An introduction to the philosophy, mathematics, and statistics of probability theory.

Readings

Hyperstat Online Chapter 4 Do not bother with binomial distribution.

19: Inferential Statistics I : Estimation

The general idea. Point and interval estimation. Confidence intervals. Central Limit Theorem.

Readings

Hyperstat Online Scan through (read Overviews, then nibble) Chapters 7, 8 and then 6.

20: Inferential Statistics II: Hypothesis Testing

Fisher's theory on Hypothesis testing. The Neyman-Pearson Theory of Significant Tests. Bayesianism

Readings

Hyperstat Online

21: Inferential Statistics III: Tests that you might meet

Chi- squared.

Readings

Hyperstat Online

22: The Research Proposal and the Research Report

Readings

23: What might go on in Information Science Research I: Statistics

An example of Chi-square

Readings

Enger, K.B., Quirk, G & Stewart, J. (1989). Statistical Methods Used by Authors of Library and Information Science Journal Articles. Library and Information Science Research. 11, 37-46. In coursepack.

24: What might go on in Information Science Research II: Evaluation Research.

Readings

25: What might go on in Information Science Research III: Qualitative Research

Readings

Cooper, M. (1990). Perspectives on Qualitative Research with Quantitative Implications.: Studies in Information Management. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science. 31, 2. 105-112. In coursepack.

Davis, C.H. (1990). On Qualitative Research. Library and Information Science Research. 12, 327-328. In coursepack.

26: What might go on in Information Science Research IV: Surveys and Questionnaires

Readings

Moran, B. (1985). Survey Research for Librarians. Southeastern Librarian. 35, 78-81. In coursepack.

Bookstein, A. (1985). Questionnaire Research in a Library Setting. Journal of Academic Librarianship. 11. Mar , 24-28. In coursepack.

27: What might go on in Information Science Research V: Bibliometrics and Scientometrics

Using statistics or scientific methods on documents and means of communication.

Readings

Simpson, I. (1988). Bibliometrics, in Basic Statistics for Librarians, 3rd ed. 177-192. London: Lib Assn. In coursepack.

Sengupta, I. (1992). Bibliometrics, Informetrics, Scientometrics and Librametrics: an Overview. Libri, 42, 2. 75-98. In coursepack.

Read the Simpson first.

	An on campus lecture course in the University of Arizona amounts to 37 1/2 hours of instruction spread through a semester. Our 'topics' will be the virtual counterpart of about 30 one and a quarter hour lectures, delivered at a rate of two a week. There will be notes, readings, discussion groups, and conferencing (or online chat). The course will consist of lectures and discussion of common readings. Emphasis will be placed on the student's ability to analyze and critique published research in the field.
Readings	Set text Patten Mildred L.[2000], Understanding Research Methods; An Overview of the Essentials, Pyrczak Publishing, ISBN 1-884585-22-1 There is a required readings package, which will be available from the bookstore. We will put up this readings packet online-- it will be accessible from within the password protection of the course. The files are Acrobat pdf files and can be downloaded and printed (for my taste, you're better off buying the coursepack than downloading and printing the files, but over to you...) There are good online sources, such as Hyperstat Online Research Methods Knowledge Base Trochim, William M. The Research Methods Knowledge Base, 2nd Edition. Internet WWW page, at URL: <http://trochim.human.cornell.edu/kb/index.htm> (version current as of April 09, 1999). VassarStats
The Topics
1: Introduction	Aims and objectives of course. What is research? Why do we teach research methods to students of information?
Readings	None .
2: History of Enquiry	The history of enquiry: philosophy, the institutional organization of enquiry, and the rise of statistical thinking.
Readings	None.
3: Research in Information and Library Science	Library education in the USA. Funding of research, and why it is important. Publishing research. Information and Library Science research today.
Readings	Shera, Jesse "Darwin, Bacon, and Research in Librarianship" Library Trends 13:141-149 (1964). pp. 141-141. In coursepack. Lynch, Mary Jo "Research and Librarianship: An Uneasy Connection" Library Trends 32/4(1984) pp 367-383. In coursepack. Johnson, Richard D. "Current Trends in Library Journal Editing" Library Trends 36 (Spring, 1988) 659-672. In coursepack. Grover, Robert and Greer, Roger C. [1991], 'The Cross-Disciplinary Imperative of LIS Research', Library and Information Science Research, 101-113. In coursepack. Brooks, Terrence A. [1989], 'The Model of Science and Scientific Models in Librarianship', Library Trends, 38(2), 1989, 237-249. In coursepack.
4: Introduction to the Philosophy of Science	Induction and deduction.Inductivism and Hypothetico-deductivism. Falsification and objectivity (via replicability). Social sciences. Operationalism.
Readings	There are no readings for these notes, although if you have access and are interested you could try Hempel, C.G., Philosophy of science, Chapter 2 Chalmers, A.F., What is this thing called science ?, opening chapters.
5: Sociology of Research: Paradigms	Kuhn distinguished normal science from revolutionary science. Most research is normal science in that it takes place within a certain framework or world view or paradigm which defines the problems and lays out the techniques for solving those problems. We need to be aware that there are such things as paradigms that often they lay behind specific research.
	Chalmers, A. F. [1978]. What Is This Thing Called Science? Milton Keynes, England: The Open University Press., Chapter 8. In coursepack. A glance at Kuhn, T.S. [1962], The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, would not go astray
6: Scientific Method: Theories, Hypotheses, Evidence and Variables	Steps in the scientific approach. Theory and hypothesis development. Elements of a theory. Variables. Introducing construct validity, internal validity, and external validity. Bayesianism.
Readings	Busha, Charles H. and Stephen P. Harter. [1980], 'Research and Scientific Method', Research methods in librarianship : techniques and interpretation New York : Academic Press, 1980. 3-29. In coursepack.
7: Introduction to Types of Research and Ethics	Research continuum. Archival research. Field research. Lab experiments. Ethics*
Readings	The Qualitative Report (scan only) Roy, Donald [1952], 'Quota Restriction and Goldbricking in a Machine Shop', American Journal of Sociology, 57, 427-442. First two pages in coursepack
8: Measurement, Scales of Measurement, and Validity and Reliability of Instruments	Scales of measurement. Instruments and their Validity and Reliability.
Readings	Maier, Mark H. "Demography" chapter 2 of his The Data Game: Controversy in Social Science Statistics M.E. Sharpe, 1991, pages 9-28. In coursepack. And, if you can get hold of a copy somewhere, chapter 2 of Susan Faludi's Backlash: the Undeclared War Against American Women (Crown, 1991) which covers many of the same studies that Maier talks about. It would be in the package, but we couldn't get copyright permission.
9: Experimental, or Research, Design Issues I	Detecting causal factors. Experimental design. Problems and Limitations on Research Design R.A.Fisher's work. Lesser goals. Quasi-experimental design. Designs for Library and Information Science
Readings	Campbell, Donald T. and Julian C. Stanley [1963], 'Experimental and Quasi Experimental Designs for Research', Chapter 5 of N.L. Gage (ed.) Handbook of Research on Teaching Rand McNally, 1963. 1-76 In coursepack. (advanced and distinctly optional) Howson, Colin and Peter Urbach [1993], Scientific Reasoning: The Bayesian Approach, Chicago: Open Court Chapter 10 Section d and Chapter 11
10: Experimental, or Research, Design Issues 2	Threats to validity. Reliability. Internal validity. External validity. The typical process for Library and Information Science Research
Readings	Campbell, Donald T. and Julian C. Stanley [1963], 'Experimental and Quasi Experimental Designs for Research', Chapter 5 of N.L. Gage (ed.) Handbook of Research on Teaching Rand McNally, 1963. 1-76 In coursepack.
11: Sampling	Non-probability sampling and probability sampling.
Readings
12: Introduction to Statistics: Descriptive Statistics I	Graphs. Normal curves. Measures of Central Tendency. Skew.
Readings	Statiscope http://www.df.lth.se/~mikaelb/statiscope/statiscope.shtml Hyperstat Online Chapter 1 and 2 Wainer, H. (1984). How to Display Data Badly. American Statistician, 38, 2. 137-147. In coursepack. Glossary of statistical terms Displaying data Chance
13: Descriptive Statistics II: Measures of Variability	Standard deviations. Graphic measures. Interpreting Descriptive Statistics, and Various Rules of Thumb
Readings	Hyperstat Online Chapter 1 and 2
14: Descriptive Statistics III: Normal curve, z, and area under the curve	Area under the curve. z- curve.
Readings	Hyperstat Online Chapter 5
15: Descriptive Statistics IV: Correlation I	Correlation and causation: what it is all about. Scatterplots
Readings	Hyperstat Online Chapter 3
16: Descriptive Statistics V: Correlation II	Lambda and an introduction to Chi squared.
Readings	Hyperstat Online Chapter 3
17: Descriptive Statistics VI: Correlation III	Linear correlation. r-squared, Pearson, and Spearman.
Readings	Hyperstat Online Chapter 3
18: Probability	An introduction to the philosophy, mathematics, and statistics of probability theory.
Readings	Hyperstat Online Chapter 4 Do not bother with binomial distribution.
19: Inferential Statistics I : Estimation	The general idea. Point and interval estimation. Confidence intervals. Central Limit Theorem.
Readings	Hyperstat Online Scan through (read Overviews, then nibble) Chapters 7, 8 and then 6.
20: Inferential Statistics II: Hypothesis Testing	Fisher's theory on Hypothesis testing. The Neyman-Pearson Theory of Significant Tests. Bayesianism
Readings	Hyperstat Online
21: Inferential Statistics III: Tests that you might meet	Chi- squared.
Readings	Hyperstat Online
22: The Research Proposal and the Research Report
Readings
23: What might go on in Information Science Research I: Statistics	An example of Chi-square
Readings	Enger, K.B., Quirk, G & Stewart, J. (1989). Statistical Methods Used by Authors of Library and Information Science Journal Articles. Library and Information Science Research. 11, 37-46. In coursepack.
24: What might go on in Information Science Research II: Evaluation Research.
Readings
25: What might go on in Information Science Research III: Qualitative Research
Readings	Cooper, M. (1990). Perspectives on Qualitative Research with Quantitative Implications.: Studies in Information Management. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science. 31, 2. 105-112. In coursepack. Davis, C.H. (1990). On Qualitative Research. Library and Information Science Research. 12, 327-328. In coursepack.
26: What might go on in Information Science Research IV: Surveys and Questionnaires
Readings	Moran, B. (1985). Survey Research for Librarians. Southeastern Librarian. 35, 78-81. In coursepack. Bookstein, A. (1985). Questionnaire Research in a Library Setting. Journal of Academic Librarianship. 11. Mar , 24-28. In coursepack.
27: What might go on in Information Science Research V: Bibliometrics and Scientometrics	Using statistics or scientific methods on documents and means of communication.
Readings	Simpson, I. (1988). Bibliometrics, in Basic Statistics for Librarians, 3rd ed. 177-192. London: Lib Assn. In coursepack. Sengupta, I. (1992). Bibliometrics, Informetrics, Scientometrics and Librametrics: an Overview. Libri, 42, 2. 75-98. In coursepack. Read the Simpson first.