| Three credit hours |
| Spring semester 2011, 1–4 PM. |
| January 18, 25; |
| February 1, 8, 15, 22; |
| March 1, 15, 22, 29; |
| April 5, 12, 19; 26; |
| May 3, 1–4 PM, Crown 330. |
| Instructor: Edward J. Valauskas, Crown 313 |
| Office hours: 4–5 PM, Tuesdays, other times by arrangement. |
| E–mail: ejv [at] dom [dot] edu. |
Course description Scientific information is increasing in both diversity and quantity. There is a strong need to access the most accurate and up–to–date descriptions of scientific and technical research. This course examines the diverse ways in which scientific scholars communicate in order to realistically acquaint students with their options to secure scientific and technical information. An emphasis in this course will be placed on digital resources used by scholars in a variety of disciplines. |
Required texts There are no required texts in this course. Handouts will be provided in class. |
Objectives Students in this class will be asked to understand how scholars communicate and in turn how their different communication styles affects their needs for scholarly information. Specifically, students will:
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Assignments All students are expected to participate in discussions during class meetings, and complete a variety of assignments over the course of the semester. I. Understanding scientific communication by following the weekly journal Nature. Each week students will be provided with articles from a recent issue of Nature. These articles are discussed in turn by Nature’s podcast editors in a weekly broadcast. We will discuss these articles and specifically examine the utility of these podcasts in making the articles more understandable and accessible. To that end, we will evaluate each weekly podcast with criteria to be discussed in class starting on January 19. For example, for the second class (January 25), we will examine the contents of selected articles from the issue of Nature for January 13, 2011. You can find the audio (mp3) file at http://www.nature.com/nature/podcast/archive.html and the transcript at http://www.nature.com/nature/podcast/v469/n7328/nature-2011-01-13.html. The following articles from the January 13 (volume 469, number 7329) issue of Nature were discussed in the podcast, along with some additional materials (these papers will be distributed in class on January 18):
How is your ability to understand these technical articles helped by the podcast? Provide a one–page summary of your comprehension of each article based on listening to the podcast and reading each paper. Each week’s evaluation and commentary is worth 10 points. The first assignment will be due on January 25, based on the aforementioned papers from the January 13 issue as well as the podcast. We will continue this exercise each week, for a total of 12 evaluations. Total points for Nature evaluations = 120 points. II. Understanding the scientific Web. A recent report in Science (James A. Evans, 2008. “Electronic publication and the narrowing of science and scholarship,” Science, volume 321, number 5887 (July 18), pp. 395–399) indicates an increasing dependency by scientists on Web resources. Throughout this class, we will examine a variety of Web resources dedicated to specific scientific disciplines. In turn we will attempt to understand these Web–based resources by trying to answer a variety of queries as a form of tests of their utility and efficiency. Every two weeks, you will be provided with a list of Web–based resources and queries to test these resources (you may elect to use alternative online resources or print reference works). Here is the calendar of resources to be tested with queries for the semester: Distributed January 18 Distributed February 1 Distributed February 15 Distributed March 1 Distributed March 15 Distributed March 29 Distributed April 12 Your answers to these queries will be evaluated based on your ability to find a variety of answers. Reaching a consensus of “answers” from different sources will provide you with clues on the reliability of one resource over another. Your answers to each assignment are worth 20 points. Total points for answers to queries = (7 assignments) x (20 points) = 140 points. III. Wikipedia vs. Encyclopaedia Britannica: The sciences. In class, we will examine the online resource Wikipedia for specific answers to scientific queries. We will then compare those answers to those found in Encyclopaedia Britannica. These queries will parallel our examination of subject-specific online resources. January 25: Wikipedia vs. EB: General science queries. Total points for answers to queries = (7 assignments) x (10 points) = 70 points. IV. Google vs. printed science sources. Given the pace of scientific discoveries, it is vital to correlate statements in both and online sources. In this series of in–class tasks, we will take specific statements found in printed sources and attempt to verify those statements online. Excerpts will be culled from a variety of general science printed monographs, such as volumes in the series Scientific American Library. January 18: General science print sources (LC classification Q). Total points available for each analysis in class = 10 points. Hence, total points = (7 assignments) x (10 points) = 70 points. V. Final. On April 19, a variety of reference queries, representing difference scientific disciplines examined over the course of the semester, will be distributed. The answers to these queries will be due at the last class session on May 3. Total points available for final = 100 points. VI. General class discussion. During formal class sessions, there will be ample opportunity for you to ask and answer questions and to participate in discussions. All members of the class are highly encouraged to participate and will be rewarded accordingly. Total points available for general class discussion = 100 points. Review of assessment A grand total of 600 points for all assignments and contributions are available to each student in this class; (120 [podcast analysis] + 140 [reference queries] + 70 [Wikipedia, EB analysis] + 70 [analysis of print sources] + 100 [final] + 100 [general class discussion] = 600. Each student should make every effort to reach class for every session. Please notify the instructor by e–mail (ejv [at] dom [dot] edu) if attendance is not possible. No optional assignments are available. All assignments must be completed on time; inadequate preparation for each class session and of specific assignments will lead to a reduction in points awarded in all of the aforementioned categories. |
Academic Integrity Policy Students of the University must conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to maintain academic integrity will not be tolerated. For further details, please see the Dominican Student Handbook and Planner. |
Syllabus Tuesday, January 18: Introduction; assessment of general scientific printed resources. In–class activity: Review of Web-based reference sources in the sciences to develop evaluative techniques of different resources; evaluation techniques of Nature podcasts; evaluation of general monographs in the sciences for reference utility. Readings: University of California at Berkeley, “Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask,” at http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html. Distribution in class: Evaluation of general science printed sources (in–class exercise); selected articles from the January 13 issue of Nature for podcast evaluation (evaluation due January 25); general science reference queries (due February 1). Tuesday, January 25: Wikipedia vs. Encyclopaedia Britannica: General science queries. In–class activity: Examination of general scientific entries in Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica based on specific queries. What are the differences and similarities in the answers? Due in class: Evaluation of January 13 Nature podcast. Distribution in class: Selected articles from the January 20 issue of Nature for podcast evaluation (evaluation due February 1). Tuesday, February 1: Assessment of mathematical printed resources. In–class activity: Evaluation of monographs in mathematics for reference utility. Due in class: Evaluation of January 20 Nature podcast; answers to general science reference queries. Distribution in class: Selected articles from the January 27 issue of Nature for podcast evaluation (evaluation due February 8); mathematical reference queries (due February 15). Tuesday, February 8: Mathematics in Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica. In–class activity: Examine articles in Wikipedia and EB on parallel mathematical topics. Which articles are more comprehensive? Up–todate? Due in class: Evaluation of January 27 Nature podcast; answers to general science queries. Distribution in class: Selected articles from the February 3 issue of Nature for podcast evaluation (evaluation due February 15). Tuesday, February 15: Assessment of printed resources in physics and astronomy. In–class activity: Evaluation of monographs in physics and astronomy for reference utility. Due in class: Evaluation of February 3 Nature podcast; answers to mathematical reference queries. Distribution in class: Selected articles from the February 10 issue of Nature for podcast evaluation (evaluation due February 22); reference queries in physics and astronomy (due March 1). Tuesday, February 22: Physics and astronomy in Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica. In–class activity: Specific content in Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica will be compared to content from selected monographs on astronomy and physics published by Cambridge University Press. Due in class: Evaluation of February 10 Nature podcast. Distribution in class: Selected articles from the February 17 issue of Nature for podcast evaluation (evaluation due March 1). Tuesday, March 1: Assessment of printed resources in chemistry; chemistry in Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica. In–class activity: Evaluation of monographs in chemistry for reference utility; specific content in Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica will be compared to content from selected monographs in chemistry. Due in class: Evaluation of the February 17 Nature podcast; answers to reference queries in physics and astronomy. Distribution in class: Selected articles from the February 24 issue of Nature for podcast evaluation (evaluation due March 15); chemical reference queries (due March 15). Tuesday, March 8: Spring break. Tuesday, March 15: Assessment of printed resources in the geophysical sciences. In–class activity: Evaluation of monographs in the geophysical sciences for reference utility. Due in class: Evaluation of February 24 Nature podcast; answers to chemical queries. Distribution in class: Selected articles from the March 3 issue of Nature for podcast evaluation (evaluation due March 22); reference queries in the geophysical sciences (due March 29). Tuesday, March 22: Geophysics (and related disciplines) in Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica, compared to GeoRef and GeoScience World (GSW). In–class activity: Specific content in Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica will be compared to digital, fee–based resources GeoRef and GeoScience World as well as openly accessible Internet resources. Due in class: Evaluation of March 3 Nature podcast. Distribution in class: Selected articles from the March 10 issue of Nature for podcast evaluation (evaluation due March 29). Tuesday, March 29: Assessment of printed resources in zoology and botany. In–class activity: Evaluation of zoological and botanical monographs for reference utility. Due in class: Evaluation of March 10 Nature podcast; answers to geophysical queries. Distribution in class: Selected articles from the March 17 issue of Nature for podcast evaluation (evaluation due April 5); reference queries in zoology and botany (due April 12). Tuesday, April 5: Botany and zoology in Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica. In–class activity: Specific terms used in botany and zoology will be examined in Wikipedia and EB as well as specific organisms by their scientific names. Which resource provides more accurate details? Due in class: Evaluation of March 17 Nature podcast. Distribution in class: Selected articles from the March 24 issue of Nature for podcast evaluation (evaluation due April 12). Tuesday, April 12: The special case of taxonomic literature: Linnaean reference work. In–class activity: Examine citations in descriptive taxonomic papers (botany, zoology, paleontology). What are the unique characteristics of taxonomic literature? Due in class: Evaluation of March 24 Nature podcast; answers to zoological and botanical queries. Distribution in class: Selected articles from the March 31 issue of Nature for podcast evaluation (evaluation due April 19); medical reference queries (due April 26). Tuesday, April 19: Assessment of medical printed resources. In–class activity: Evaluation of medical monographs for reference utility. Due in class: Evaluation of March 31 Nature podcast. Distribution in class: Final (due May 3). Tuesday, April 26: Medicine in Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica. In–class activity: Specific content in Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica will be compared to content from selected monographs in mediicne. Tuesday, May 3: Future of scientific reference services. In–class activity: Can we identify commonalities in scientific research? How can libraries and librarians best serve researchers? Due in class: Answers to final set of scientific queries. |