No textbook is required.  Readings are on e-reserve through the library, on reserve in hard copy in the SILS Library, are in the stacks, or are located online as an electronic publication. This semester, we will make use of the Blackboard courseware for some of the course activities. The course materials there can be accessed at http://blackboard.unc.edu/ - login using your onyen.

Assignments and Evaluation

Activities include readings and discussion, and assignments.  One of the assignments will be a course project. For the project, you are encouraged to work in small groups, and presentations/summaries of this assignment will be presented the final week of class.  Additionally, students may be asked to lead and/or summarize a discussion on one or more of the readings.  Assignments are described in more detail in the assignment section of this site.

Scholarly Policies and Honor Code

Students are encouraged to become familiar with the UNC Honor Code to understand the rights and responsibilities defined there.  The UNC Honor Code prohibits giving or receiving unauthorized aid on examinations or in the completion of assignments.  While collaboration is encouraged, you must acknowledge the contributions of individual members of your group as well as the support you receive from others.  Whenever you use the words or ideas of others, this should be properly quoted and cited.  You should adopt a style guide (American Psychological Association,* Chicago Manual of Style, MLA, or Turabian) and use it consistently.  Students who are discovered attempting to take credit for work performed by others will be referred to the Honor Court for resolution.

Please be considerate of others in using reserve and other materials, returning them promptly and in good condition. Please be considerate of others when sharing lab facilities and meeting space as well. Please be considerate of your classmates by arriving in class on time, with cell phones turned off for the duration of the class period.

Spirited discussion is encouraged.

Goals for the Course

• To introduce students to the literature related to information seeking, including the recognition of information needs, actions toward resolving needs, the roles of intermediaries, and the retrieval and use of information.
• To explore the ways in which information is created, structured, disseminated and used in a variety of contexts and how the use of information is affected by those contexts.
• To refine student critical thinking and problem-solving skills related to information seeking and communication.
• To explore the role of technology in communication.
• To provide students with a theoretical foundation for practical applications.