University of Technology SydneyHandbook 2008

50491 Organising Information for Access

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: Information and Knowledge Management
Credit points: 8 cp
Result Type: Grade, no marks

Requisite(s): 50487 Exploring Information Resources OR 50489 Exploring Information Resources
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.

Handbook description

Building on the expertise developed in Exploring Information Resources, students learn to apply client-centred approaches to information organisation through the design and evaluation of a database. This subject explores the interrelationship between processes and principles of information/knowledge organisation, retrieval practices and information seeking behaviours in networked information environments. The subject covers topics such as: content analysis, indexing, classifying, thesauri tools, content management, metadata, mediating relationships and usability. Information organisation is explored within a framework of information retrieval interactions. Searching and evaluating retrieval effectiveness is examined as part of the usability testing that puts principles into practice in a specific client context.

Subject objectives/outcomes

At the completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  1. Identify, analyse and evaluate conceptual frameworks and applications for the organisation and retrieval of knowledge, document representations and other information resources to suit client requirements.
  2. Demonstrate awareness of the issues of information organisation and retrieval, with particular knowledge of key areas of contemporary debate and contention and implications for practice.
  3. Apply processes of analysing knowledge and information resources in the production of components of information systems meeting a professional standard.
  4. Demonstrate some of the key skills and capabilities required for effective organisation, representation and retrieval of networked information resources in the production of components of an information system meeting professional standards.
  5. Further develop individual professional portfolio through developing, testing and evaluating a database.

Contribution to graduate profile

Students will understand how ideas, knowledge and information are created, represented, communicated and used by individuals and groups in culturally diverse societies by putting the principles of organisation and representation into practice. They will develop professional understanding of issues and processes associated with locating, representing and organising information. They will develop the analytical and technical skills required to work capably as an early-career information professional by exploring these issues and processes in client-specific contexts. They will also develop the capabilities that underpin career-long learning by critically reflecting on these processes and the theoretical underpinnings for their practice.

Teaching and learning strategies

Teaching strategies will strive to promote interactive learning and to foster exploration extending beyond the classroom. The weekly program will involve lectures, group discussions, and workshops expanding upon selected themes. Sessions in the computer lab aim to help you develop the information skills necessary for completion of assignments. You will develop computing skills that enable you to work with advanced searching and indexing tools. You will also receive training in database and text retrieval software used to build networked and standalone textbases to manage diverse types of information such as text, images, and other media.

The course program uses UTSOnline, a web-based learning tool that can be accessed from inside and outside UTS via most web-browsers. Through UTSOnline, you can participate in discussion forums, interact with your course colleagues, keep informed about class announcements, and access some learning resources.

Content

  • Concepts of information and knowledge representation, information organisation, information retrieval interactions and user-centred design. (Objective a)
  • Factors influencing the organisation of information for access: exploring role & power of organisation structures, ontological and epistemological views (Objectives a & b)
  • Developing skills for organising and indexing content: content analysis, indexing, classifying, abstracting, synthesising and evaluating. (Objective d)
  • Utilising indexing tools and techniques to address client requirements (e.g.: indexing to appropriate level of granularity). (Objectives b & d)
  • Constructing and implementing search strategies for specific purposes and client contexts: advanced search skills; relevance and evaluation; identifying and evaluating components of information retrieval interactions. (Objective d)
  • Application of Standards & Guidelines for organising and representing content in information systems (e.g.: industry standards, metadata). (Objective d)
  • Database structure and development: structures, content representation in text-based systems; designing and evaluating a database addressing clients' information requirements; usability testing and contextual inquiry methods. (Objectives d & e)
  • Skills development for the critical, self-managed professional: writing proposals and technical reports; reflecting on and documenting processes in a practice situation, utilising advanced search tools, participating in online collaborations, building and maintaining a professional portfolio. (Objectives c & d)

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Activity and decision support portfolio - part 1

ObjectivesAll
Value30%
DueWeek 5 (due at start of class)
TaskThis assignment involves the completion of 3 activities introduced and begun during tutorials. Decisions made during the process of completing each activity will be informed by an analysis of appropriate theoretical literature. This will be presented in a decision support document for each activity.

Deliverables:

  • 3 completed activities, introduced during tutorials
  • 3 accompanying decision support analysis documents (500 words each)
Assessment criteria
  • Completion of the 3 assigned activities accompanied by 3 decision support documents
  • Demonstrated understanding of the theoretical underpinnings for 3 assigned activities.
  • Presentation of a clear and well-argued decision support analysis for each activity.
  • Ability to relate information requirements to the use and development of appropriate information tools.
  • Evidence of effective use of theoretical literature to support claims.
  • Quality of written expression and presentation of content.

Assessment item 2: Activity and decision support portfolio - part 2r

ObjectivesAll
Value30%
DueWeek 10 (due at start of class)
TaskThis assignment involves the completion of 3 activities introduced and begun during tutorials. Decisions made during the process of completing each activity will be informed by an analysis of appropriate theoretical literature. This will be presented in a decision support document for each activity.

Deliverables:

  • 3 completed activities, introduced during tutorials
  • 3 accompanying decision support analysis documents (500 words each)
Assessment criteria
  • Completion of the 3 assigned activities accompanied by 3 decision support documents
  • Demonstrated understanding of the theoretical underpinnings for 3 assigned activities.
  • Presentation of a clear and well-argued decision support analysis for each activity.
  • Ability to relate information requirements to the use and development of appropriate information tools.
  • Evidence of effective use of theoretical literature to support claims.
  • Quality of written expression and presentation of content.

Assessment item 3: Prototype of a text-based retrieval system (DBTextworks) for a select client community

ObjectivesAll
Value40%
DueWeek 14 (due at start of class)
TaskThis assignment involves preparing a prototype for the development of a database of structured information that meets the projected requirements of a specific client. You will choose from a range of hypothetical scenarios (provided by the instructor) and design a text-based retrieval system that takes the specific context of the client into account.

These requirements include:

  • An ability to store unstructured data, such as full-text reports and journal articles
  • An ability to search the full-text using sophisticated searching techniques, including Boolean and proximity operators
  • The use of a range of authority files to provide data consistency
  • A need to be able to exchange data and records with other organizations
  • An ability to introduce customizations that address the information needs of the database users.
Assessment criteria
  • Appropriateness of the structure of the database and metadata decisions.
  • Ability to identify appropriate indexing techniques and subject representation standards to achieve the required outcomes.
  • Development of a clear and well-argued set of specifications that indicate the aims and principles for organising and providing access to the collection.
  • Ability to identify and succinctly describe the characteristics of the client and how their behaviour relates to use of an information retrieval system.
  • Appropriate reference to the theoretical underpinnings of system design.

    Minimum requirements

    Students are expected to read the subject outline to ensure they are familiar with the subject requirements. Since class discussion and participation in activities form an integral part of this subject, you are expected to attend, arrive punctually and actively participate in classes. If you experience difficulties meeting this requirement, please contact your lecturer. Students who have a reason for extended absence (e.g., illness) may be required to complete additional work to ensure they achieve the subject objectives.

    Attendance is particularly important in this subject because it is based on a collaborative approach which involves essential workshopping and interchange of ideas. Students who attend fewer than ten classes are advised that their final work will not be assessed and that they are likely to fail the subject.

    Indicative references

    Specific reading will be assigned on a week-by-week basis in class. The reference list below is indicative of the texts we will be using in the course.

    Agnew, G. 2003, Developing a metadata strategy. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 36(3/4), 31-46. Available on eReadings.

    Anderson, J. D., & Peres-Carballo, J. 2005, Information retrieval design : principles and options for information description, organization, display, and access in information retrieval databases, digital libraries, and indexes. Ometeca Institute.

    Arms, W.Y. 2000, 'Information retrieval and descriptive metadata [Chapter 10]', in, Digital Libraries, Online edition edn, MIT Press.

    Baca, M. 2003, 'Practical issues in applying metadata schemas and controlled vocabulary to cultural heritage information', Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, vol. 36, no. 3/4, pp. 47-55

    Bates, M. (1998). Indexing and access for digital libraries and the internet: human, database, and domain factors, Journal of the American Society for Information Science, vol. 49, no.13, pp.1185-1205.

    Beghtol, C. (2001). The concept of genre and its characteristics. Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 27(2), 17-19.

    Benoit, G. 2002, 'Data mining', Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, vol. 36, pp. 265-309

    Blanchi, C. & Petrone, J. 2001, 'Distributed Interoperable Metadata Registry', D-Lib Magazine, vol. 7, no. 12,

    Bostrup, T. 2005, Introduction to Relational Databases - Part 1: Theoretical Foundation, viewed 23 April, 2007 http://www.15seconds.com/issue/020522.htm

    Bowker, G.C. & Star, S.L. 1999, Sorting things out: classification and its consequences, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.

    Brown, J.S. & Duguid, P. 1998, 'Organizing Knowledge', California Management Review, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 90-111.

    Chan, L.M. 1994, Cataloging and classification : an introduction, McGraw-Hill, New York.

    Chowdhury, G.G. 2004, Introduction to modern information retrieval, 2nd edn Facet Publishing, London.

    Cleveland, D. B., & Cleveland, A. D. 2001, Introduction to indexing and abstracting 3rd edn Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.

    Desai, B.C. 1997, 'Supporting discovery in virtual libraries', Journal of the American Society for Information Science, vol. 48, no. 3,pp. 190-204

    Fidel, R. et al. (eds) 1994, Challenges in indexing electronic text and images, Learned Information for ASIS, Medford, NJ.

    Foskett, A.C. 1996, The subject approach to information, 5th edn, Library Association, London..

    Gill, T., Gilliland, A.J. & Woodley, M.S. n.d., Introduction to Metadata: Pathways to digital information [Online vers. 2.1], viewed 16 July 2006 http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/intrometadata/pdf.html

    Harrington, J.L. 2002, Relational database design clearly explained, Morgan Kaufmann, New York.

    Harvey, D.R. & Hider, P. 2003, Organising knowledge in a global society : principles and practice in libraries and information centres, Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, N.S.W.

    Haynes, D. 2003, Metadata for information management and retrieval, Facet, London.

    Jackson, P. & Moulinier, I. 2002, Natural Language Processing For Online Applications : Text Retrieval, Extraction, And Categorization, John Benjamins Pub, Philadelphia, PA.

    Jacso, P. & Lancaster, F.W. 1999, Build your own database, American Library Association, Chicago.

    Kwasnik, B. H. (1999). The role of classification in knowledge discovery. Library Trends, 48(1), 22-47.

    Kowalski, G. & Maybury, M.T. 2000, Information Storage and Retrieval Systems Theory and implementation [Electronic Resource], 2nd edn, Kluwer Academic, Boston, MA.

    Lancaster, F. W. 1998, Indexing and abstracting in theory and practice ( 2nd ed.). London: Library Association.

    Kowalski, G. & Maybury, M.T. 2000, Information Storage and Retrieval Systems Theory and implementation [Electronic Resource], 2nd edn, Kluwer Academic, Boston, MA.

    Kwasnik, B.H. 1999, 'The role of classification in knowledge representation and discovery', Library Trends, vol. 48, pp. 22-40.

    Lancaster, F. W. (1998). Indexing and abstracting in theory and practice, 2nd ed., London: Library Association.

    Lesk, M. 2005, 'Multimedia storage and retrieval', in, Understanding digital libraries, Elsevier, Boston, pp. 91-115.

    Liddy, E. 2003, 'Natural Language Processing', in, Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science, 2nd edn, Marcel Dekker, New York, pp. 2126-2136.

    Litwin, P. & Limeback, R. 2003, Fundamentals of Relational Database Design, viewed 23 April, 2008 http://r937.com/relational.html

    Marcella, R. & Maltby, A. (Eds.) 2000, The future of classification. Aldershot: Gower.

    Meadow, C.T., Boyce, B.R. & Kraft, D.H. 2007, Text information retrieval systems, 3rd edn, Academic Press, San Diego, CA.

    Moens, M.-F. 2000, Automatic indexing and abstracting of document texts [electronic resource], Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston.

    Morville, P. (2005). Ambient findability, O'Reilly Media Inc, Sebastopol, CA

    Payette, S. et al. 1999, 'Interoperability for Digital Objects and Repositories: The Cornell/CNRI Experiments', D-Lib Magazine, vol. 5, no. 5.

    Roe, S.K. & Thomas, A.R. (eds) 2004, The thesaurus : review, renaissance and revision, Haworth Information Press, Binghamton, NY.

    Ross, J. 2000, 'A new way of information retrieval: 3-D indexing and concept mapping', Learned Publishing, vol. 13, no. 2,pp. 119-123.

    Rowley, J. & Farrow, J. 2000, Organizing knowledge : an introduction to managing access to information, 3rd edn, Gower, Brookfield, VT.

    Salton, G. & McGill, M.J. 1983, Introduction to modern information retrieval, McGraw-Hill, New York.

    Salton, G. 1986, 'Another look at automatic text-retrieval systems', Communications of the ACM, vol. 29, no. 7,pp. 648 - 656.

    Soergel, D. 1985, Organizing information : principles of data base and retrieval systems, Academic Press, Orlando, Fla.

    Tenopir, C. & Ro, J.S. (1990). Full text databases, Greenwood Press, New York.

    Veal, D.C. 2001, 'Techniques of document management: a review of text retrieval and related technologies', Journal of Documentation, vol. 57, no. 2,pp. 192-217 .

    Wake, S. & Nicholson, D. 2001, 'HILT - High-Level thesaurus project: Building consensus for interoperable subject access across communities', D-Lib Magazine, vol. 7, no. 9.

    Useful Journals include:
    The Indexer
    International Classification
    ARIST: Annual Review of Information Science and Technology
    JASIS & JASIST: Journal of the American Society for Information Science (and Technology)
    Journal of Information Science
    Journal of Documentation