IS 530: Information Access & RetrievalClass Activity Examples

Fall 2012Dr. Andrea Baer

Week 1: Introduction

(see next slide)

Freewrite – You & Information Work

Consider the information work you do or plan to do in the future. • What role will reference or information retrieval

play in this work? • How has/might changes in reference and

information retrieval affect your work?

(3 minutes for freewrite, followed by discussion)

Week 3: The Reference Interview

(See next 5 slides)

Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process (ISP)

• Uncertainty increases and decreases during information seeking (increases early on, decreases later)

• Six stages: – task initiation– selection– exploration– focus formulation– collection – presentation

• “A Principle of Uncertainty for Information Seeking” (1993)• See Kuhlthau, “Information Search Process” http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~

kuhlthau/information_search_process.htm for more info

ISP and Info Services

• Information searching as uncertain process rather than as rational and orderly

• Uncertainty as necessary part of constructing personal knowledge – goal of information services is not to decrease

uncertainty but rather to support user’s constructive processes)

Kuhlthau, “Information Search Process” http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~kuhlthau/information_search_process.htm

Discussion: ISP in Practice

• Remember the personal example of information seeking you considered earlier in class.

• Does Kuhlthau’s model apply to your experience? How (not)?

• What implications might Kuhlthau’s ISP model have for reference services?

• What strengths and weaknesses do you see in Kuhlthau’s ISP model?

Discussion: Info Seeking as Dynamic Process

• How might the dynamic nature of info seeking affect the reference interview?– Challenges this presents to reference work? – Different approaches to addressing the

“messiness” of info seeking?– Advantages and disadvantages of these varying

approaches

Discussion: Derwin & Dewdney Reading on Neutral Questioning

• What is neutral questioning?

• What are the differences among closed, open, and neutral questions?

(See page 5 of article for specific examples.)

• Why use neutral questioning?

• What advantages/disadvantages does neutral questioning have?

Dervin. Brenda and Dewdney, Patricia. (1986) Neutral Questioning: A New Approach to the Reference. Interview. https://faculty.washington.edu/jwj/lis521/zennezdervindewd86nq-1.pdf

Week 8: Database Searching

(see next 2 slides)

Activity: Academic Search Premier vs. Project MUSE

Choose a research topic of interest. (e.g., Internet AND cognition, web 2.0 AND libraries )

Use your search topic to explore the databases ASP and Project MUSE.

Note similarities and differences between the search interfaces, as well as the results pages.

Take notes that will help guide our discussion.(7 minutes to explore)

Activity: Database Interfaces - LexisNexis

• LexisNexis: news, company information

Activity:• Explore LexisNexis. Formulate answers to the

following:– How does this interface compare to ASP and Project

MUSE?

– What kinds of information are available in it?

– Compare features in the basic and advanced search interfaces.

Week 9: Internet Searching

(See next 4 slides)

Review: Operators and More Search Help:http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=136861

Search Tips & Tricks: http://www.google.com/insidesearch/tipstricks/

Google: Advanced Searching

Activity: Advanced Google SearchingUse advanced Google searches to find information on these questions.

1. I need sources about Julius Caesar, but am not interested in the Shakespearean play Julius Caesar.

2. I need information about the concept of metadata. How can I find relevant sources which don’t use the word “metadata” in the page title?

3. What government websites address food safety?4. What time is it now in New Zealand?5. What is a good recipe that uses cardamom?6. How many Euros can I get for a US dollar?

Activity: Proxy Searching

1. Go to Live Proxy: http://www.live-proxy.com/. Search on a topic of interest.

2. Do the same search, this time in Google.

3. What are the differences in your results?

Proxy Searching

• What are proxy servers and proxy searching?

• Why use proxy searching?

• What larger issues does proxy searching raise about Internet research? About reference work?

Week 11: Library 2.0 & Virtual Reference

(See 3 next slides)

Discussion: Virtual Reference

• What forms can virtual reference take? (i.e., technologies/tools)

• Your experiences as users or reference staff?

• Advantages?• Disadvantages?• Challenges?

Discussion: Virtual Reference (con’d)

• What should be considered when implementing virtual reference service?

• When providing virtual reference?

Consider the ALA RUSA Guidelines for Virtual Reference:http://www.ala.org/rusa/sites/ala.org.rusa/files/content/resources/guidelines/virtual-reference-se.pdf (required reading)

A Librarian's 2.0 Manifesto (Video & Discussion)

• Watch this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZblrRs3fkSU.

• Consider what concepts, actions, and philosophies are ascribes to Library 2.0. (Be prepared to discuss.)