ERIC Number: EJ1343474
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0748-5786
EISSN: EISSN-2328-2967
Available Date: N/A
Information Organization and Information Retrieval in the LIS Curriculum: An Analysis of Course Syllabi
Brian Dobreski; Xiaohua Zhu; Laura Ridenour; Tao Yang
Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, v63 n3 p335-350 2022
Within LIS education, information organization (IO) and information retrieval (IR) are two well-established, foundational, and conceptually interlinked areas of study. They have long maintained a strong presence in the core curriculum, through either dedicated or combined courses. Recent trends in LIS education have seen a greater reliance on a smaller, more condensed core, raising questions about the presence, role, and format of these foundational topics. This study aims to provide a clearer picture of how IO and IR currently manifest in the LIS core, along with which particular IO and IR topics are most prevalent. Through content analysis, course syllabi for 58 IO and/or IR related courses from 38 different, ALA-accredited LIS programs were examined. Course descriptions and schedules of topics were assessed using the ISO 5127 controlled vocabulary as an analytical framework. Findings revealed three main course types: IO dedicated courses, IR-related courses typically in the context of reference services, and combined courses that often presented IO and IR alongside other fundamental topics. Though dedicated courses showed little leveraging of topics from the other areas, combined courses leveraged topics from both IO and IR. Among all courses, the prevalence of the topics of access, classification, databases, and metadata suggests a common area of crossover among IO and IR. Overall, findings point toward greater diffusion of IO and IR content throughout the core curriculum while demonstrating the continuing relevance of these areas.
Descriptors: Information Retrieval, Library Education, Course Descriptions, Content Analysis, Curriculum Evaluation, Graduate Study
Association for Library and Information Science Education. Available from: University of Toronto Press. 5201 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M3H 5T8 Canada. Tel: 416-667–7929; Fax: 416-667–7832; e-mail: journals@utpress.utoronto.ca; e-mail: office@alise.org; Web site: https://www.utpjournals.press/loi/jelis
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A