Instructor: Anita Sundaram Coleman Office:
SIRLS 21 | Telephone: (520) 621-4026 GAT: Youfen Su |
Email: yfs@u.arizona.edu D2L Technical Support:
d2l@u.arizona.edu | Use D2L
Problem Reporting forms | See also Course Access section
below Mode of Instruction: Virtual Seminar (D2L) + synchronous two-way
audio/video conferencing (Macromedia Breeze) (IMPORTANT NOTE: You
MUST have DSL/cable model access to the net + a/v capability on your computer
and see other technical details under Course
Access) Class meeting dates (via Breeze
webconferencing): Thursdays, 11 am - 12 noon (generally bi-weekly and
for one-hour - see schedule below for details and
exceptions) Participation in Synchronous Seminar Meetings is Required;
Dates for student presentations are clearly marked by a SP in square
brackets First Synchronous Class Meeting (online):
January 27, Thursday, 11 am - 12 noon Schedule of
Synchronous Class Seminar Meetings: Access URL: http://breeze.ltc.arizona.edu/r55484574/ (use
your Breeze account login from Jan. 28) February 10, Thursday, 11 am - 12
noon (Lecture title: Classificatory concepts: An Introduction to
Bibliographic and Non-Bibliographic Classification] February 24, Thursday, 11
am - 12 noon (Lecture title: Theories of Classification:
Interdisciplinary Perspectives] March 10, Thursday, 11 am - 12 noon
[SP] March 24, Thursday, 11 am - 12 noon [SP] April 7, Thursday, 11 am -
12 noon [Lecture title: Theories and Uses of Classification] April 21,
Thursday, 11 am - 12 noon [Lecture title: Limitations of
Classification] May 5, Thursday, 10 am - 12 noon [SP - Final presentations -
Note the early start time] Schedule of Optional Breeze Practice
Meetings: Access URL: http://breeze.ltc.arizona.edu/r45534045/ (use
your Breeze account login) Scheduled on as needed basis on the alternate
Thursdays when there are no seminar meetings; First Practice session is a
training session by Wayne Brent on Feb. 3, 11:00 am - 12 noon. Course
Pre-requisite: IRLS 401/501 - Organization of Information (no waives)
or status as UA doctoral student
REQUIRED TEXTS
Required: Hunter, Eric. 2nd edition. Classification made
simple. Aldershot, England, Ashgate, 2002. Reference: Kipfer, Barbara.
Revised edition. The Order of things: How everything in the world is organized
into hierarchies, structures, and pecking orders. New York, Random House, 2001.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
IRLS 601 -- Theory of Classification (3 units)
Description:Study of the theory and principles of classification from
the perspectives of many disciplines including, Philosophy, Linguistics,
Psychology, Library and Information Science. An international, interdisciplinary
perspective to classification is used. Usually offered: Spring
semester
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will survey the principles and practices
of disciplinary classifications (such as taxonomies and categorizations) and
strive to understand the contexts of knowledge classification and library
bibliographic classifications. This is a seminar with discussion, review, and
hands-on exercise, as appropriate, about central classificatory structures and
concepts such as categories, classes, facets, prototypes, and universals.
COURSE ACCESS
To access your course on D2L please go to / and then click on the NetID icon in the top
left side of the screen. Use your NetID info to sign in, this is the same
stuff you use to get into your UA Webmail. You must have a UA NetID and be
officially enrolled in the course for at least 24 hours before you can get
in. Once you are inside click on the plus sign on the side of the Semester
Name, Department Name and then click on your Course Name. You will now be
at the Course Home page. There is a Navigational Tool bar along the top of
your screen, it has blue and red lines in it. The Links inside of this
Navigational Tool bar are how you move around between the various tools your
Instructor has chosen to use. Click Content to get to the Syllabus and
Power Points or the Grades link to see your scores! If you have any
problems please feel free to walk into any Office of Student Computing Resources
(OSCR) computer labs or their Replay service in the Main Student Union or email
d2l@email.arizona.edu.
The first synchronous meeting for IRLS 601
is mandatory and will be held on Thursday, January 27 from 11 am - 12 noon.
It will be held virtually using Macromedia Breeze web
teleconferencing system. To verify your system requirements, visit, http://breeze.ltc.arizona.edu/common/help/en/support/startmain.htm
and also read the Documentation - Breeze Live User Guide for Meeting
Participants. Information about the first virtual meeting is available in
your course home in D2L.
COURSE RESOURCES
1) Knowledge
Structures Toolbox - Browse through the section sub-titled Classification
(including Library Classification Schemes) and some of the items are in the
schedule of readings below 2) UA Library's Library
and Information Science Guide- At a minimum, learn to use the bibliographic
databases (Library Literature, LISA, and ACM Digital Library) and how to cite
(you'll have to do both for this course) 3) Classification Web [restricted access url] -
Online access details will be provided in D2L and this provides access to the
Library of Congress Classification Scheme 4) WebDewey [restricted access url] - Online
access details will be provided in D2L and this provides access to the Dewey
Decimal Classification Scheme
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course, students will be able to
discuss the modes of formation of disciplines
identitify the major disciplinary contributions to classification
theory
explain the norms relating to categorizations and conceptual structuring
of knowledge
compare and contrast faceted and non-faceted approaches to classification
understand the difference between library classification and information
handling tools including other disciplinary classifications such as taxonomies
and ontologies
demonstrate understanding of UDC, DDC and LC Classification
METHOD OF INSTRUCTION
The classroom environment for this course is D2L but this course will be taught in online
seminar style using Macromedia
Breeze. I would have liked us to meet weekly but I also do not want
to put up barriers to this course; we will be meeting synchronously bi-weekly
via Macromedia Breeze
web teleconferencing system. To verify your system requirements, visit, http://breeze.ltc.arizona.edu/common/help/en/support/startmain.htm.
Discussions based on readings will form the most important part of this
course and each student is required to take the lead role in managing a topical
discussion in D2L. Collaborative work (exercises and other work) is not
required in this course; but, you can arrange a study group of your own or ask
me to arrange one. Keep in mind that you will need to be collaborative
(by responding to each other) for the Discussions part of the course
requirements. Student Managed/Led Discussions will generally open on a
Thursday and posting periods will vary depending on individual students.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Attendance: Class will meet
synchronously online, bi-weekly, using web teleconferencing and participation in
this meeting is required. See above for dates. With the exception of the final
meeting date when the meeting is for two hours to accommodate all student
presentations, our online seminar meetings will not extend beyond 1 hour.
Attendance is compulsory (with the exception of an
emergency).
Readings: See Schedule of Readings below;
You must also complete a Reading List on a topic of your choice (this is the
same one that you will prepare for your major project - see
below).
Major Project: There are five major course deliverables 1)
Reading List, 2) Discussion, 3) First Presentation, 4) Second/Final Presentation
and 5) Seminar Paper; but, I have structured all of this work to be in support
of the seminar paper. Thus, you will lead a class discussion, and make two
presentations on the same topic of your major project. How will you do
this major project? Don't worry. You will be hand-held (or not, if you
don't need it) pretty much every step of the way. First, identify a
classification problem or an area of study from the list below. Second,
conduct a literature review on this topic. Third, construct a reading list
and share it with me and peers. Fourth, start on your reading list and
prepare an outline. Fifth, lead an online discussion in D2L on the seminar
paper topic of your choice. Sixth, present your topic/problem of choice to
the class first, as an informal proposal. Seventh, towards the end, and
after you have completed your reading list, make a more formal presentation.
Eighth, write your paper as a formal seminar/research paper.
Remember, that you'll be working on your major project simultaneously - while
you do your text readings and attend bi-weekly sessions. If you want to do your
discussion on a different topic that's your choice; just let me know.
List of topics for your major project:
Notes:
1) If you have another idea you'd like to pursue, let me know via D2L
email but otherwise choose a topic that interests you from the choices below; 2)
Please also review Kipfer, Hunter and references as noted.
1) The
history, development, use, and limitations of any classification scheme
discussed in Hunter (for example, DDC, LC, NLM, Colon, etc.) 2) A comparison
of any two major classification schemes discussed in Hunter (for example, DDC
vs. LC) 3) An in-depth review of the features and changes in the latest
version of any classification scheme discussed in Hunter (for example, 22nd
edition of DDC) 4) How do disciplinary classifications differ from library
classifications? 5) Taxonomic classifications (this topic can also be
further narrowed; for example, you can select a Life Sciences discipline of your
choice such as Biology and limit your review to the scientific taxonomies in
that discipline) - refer to Kipfer for ideas) 6) An analysis of professional
or occupational classifications such as the International Classification of
Diseases (ICD) or the US Standard Industrial Classification Code. 7)
Categories in Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations 8) Rosch's
Cognitive Reference Points 9) Lakoff's Women, Fire, and Other
Dangerous Things: What Categories Reveal About the Mind. 10) Bias in
classification systems (The SIRLS Colloquium video presentation titled Classification: The West
and The Rest by Prof. Olson presents several ideas related to Bias in
bibliographic classification schemes.)
SCHEDULE OF READINGS
Readings are due on the dates they are noted.
All chapter references are to Hunter.
Feb 3 - Chapters 1, 2, 3
& 4 Feb. 10 - Chapters 5, 6 Feb. 17 - Chapters 7, 8, 9 Feb. 24 -
Chapters 10, 11, 12 Mar. 3 - Chapters 13, 14, 15 & Conclusion Mar. 10
- Enjoy spring break! Mar. 17 - From your reading list; Revisit Hunter as
needed; KS Toolbox; WebDewey (DDC) & ClassWeb (LCC) Mar. 24 - From your
reading list; Revisit Hunter as needed; KS Toolbox; WebDewey (DDC) &
ClassWeb (LCC) Mar. 31 - From your reading list; Revisit Hunter as needed; KS
Toolbox; WebDewey (DDC) & ClassWeb (LCC) Apr. 7 - Log into WebDewey
(DDC) & ClassWeb (LCC); make sure you've read the Introductions and know the
outlines at the very least Apr. 14 - KS Toolbox (Complete readings in
Classification section including Categories by Aristotle) Apr. 21 - TBD
[You will probably read one or two papers based on my research] Apr. 28 - TBD
[You will probably be asked to read one or two classic papers]
EVALUATION
All work must be turned in on the dates due by 5:00 pm
Arizona time. No exceptions will be made. All work must be turned in using
the Dropbox within D2L (I will set them up by Feb. 10). This means that you
DON'T email me the work using my asc@u.arizona.edu address. HTML format must
be used for all work turned in for grading (except discussions and
presentations).
Milestones and Assignment Due Dates:
Note: With the
exception of the Reading List (which you add to until final submission of paper)
all dates are firm dates. You MUST submit complete work by date due to
receive passing grade. Work that you will submit for grade is noted in
parentheses.
Reading List: (graded ONLY as part of proposal (first)
presentation): March 3, 2005 (think of this date as a milestone
because you should have completed reading your text and doing a few literature
searches on your topic) Start and/or complete Discussion (in D2L): (graded as
Discussion): April 15, 2005 First Presentation (graded): March
17 and/or March 24 Final Presentation: (graded as Final ): May
5 Seminar Paper: (graded as Final): May 9
Grade Breakdown:
Discussions: 25 points Major Project: 75
(submitted twice; rough proposal presentation at March web teleconferences (30
points) and final project presentation and written paper in May (45 points)
Total: 100 points
Grade Assignment:
All work must be done and turned in on time to get a
passing grade in this course; Course grades will be assigned as follows:
A=90+; B=80-89; C=70-79; F=0-69
