LIB 4900 - Francoeur - Spring 2017

Course Description

Social informatics can be defined as the study of the production, distribution, and consumption of information from social and organizational perspectives. In this course, students will analyze systems of information in context to gain insight into the basic principles of social informatics, as well as relevant social and moral issues.

This course satisfies the capstone requirement of the Information Studies Minor.

Learning Goals

  • Identify the core concepts associated with social informatics
  • Apply principles of social informatics analysis to current issues
  • Use oral communication techniques effectively to present an analysis of a topic pertaining to social informatics
  • Apply knowledge gained from coursework to analyze an emerging issue from a social informatics perspective using a social science research process
  • Be able to identify an information need, find and evaluate information, and use information for a specific purpose

Course Schedule (subject to change)

This schedule is subject to change at the instructor's discretion.

See the Classroom Activities page for details on what we did in class.

Jan. 31

  • Course introduction
  • Using Google Docs for in-class activities and homework
  • Review of basic library terminology
  • Using the course blog
  • Course readings required for next week

Feb. 7

  • Defining social informatics
  • Reading for today
    • Kling, Rob. "What Is Social Informatics and Why Does It Matter?" Information Society 23.4 (2007): 205-220. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Sept. 2015.
    • Rosenbaum, Howard. "Social Informatics." Berkshire Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction. Ed. William Sims Bainbridge. Vol. 2. Great Barrington, MA: Berkshire Publishing, 2004. 633-637. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 21 Aug. 2015.

Feb. 14

  • Introduction to social science research and your group projects
  • Reading for today
    • Sawyer, Steve. "Social Informatics: Overview, Principles and Opportunities." Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 31.5 (2005): 9-12. ABI/Inform Global. Web. 3 Sep. 2015.
    • Mackenzie, Donald and Judy Wajcman. “Introductory Essay: The Social Shaping of Technology.” The Social Shaping of Technology, edited by Donald Mackenzie and Judy Wajcman, McGraw-Hill Education/Open University, 1999, pp. 3-27.
    • As you read, make sure you are thinking about these questions I posted on the class blog and are ready to answer them in class

Feb. 21

Feb. 28

  • Social science research
    • Research questions
    • Literature reviews
  • Elements of social informatics research: information and communications technologies (ICTs)
  • Reading
    • Card, Noel A. "Literature Review." Encyclopedia of Research Design. Ed. Neil J. Salkind. Vol. 2. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Reference, 2010. 725-728. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
    • Race, Richard. "Research Question." Encyclopedia of Research Design. Ed. Neil J. Salkind. Vol. 3. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Reference, 2010. 1261-1262. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Mar. 7

  • Reading
    • Arora, Payal. "Digital Gods: The Making Of A Medical Fact For Rural Diagnostic Software." Information Society 26.1 (2010): 70-79. Library & Information Science Source. Web. 1 Oct. 2015.
  • Strategies for narrowing a topic and developing a manageable research question
  • Social science research methods
    • Qualitative vs quantitative research
    • Types of qualitative research

Mar. 14 - class cancelled due to weather

Mar. 21

  • Assignment due today
    • 3rd and 4th blog posts
  • Research methods (interviews, focus groups, usability tests)
  • Background information on ICTs and their uses
  • All midterm consultations must be completed by March 24

Mar. 28

Apr. 4

  • First group presentations

Apr. 25

May 2

  • Review of three key aspects of the SI perspective
  • Problem solving using a SI perspective

May 9

  • Literature review due
  • Ungraded quiz (preview of what the final exam will be like)

May 16

  • Final group presentations

May 23

  • Final exam from 1 pm - 3 pm in room 135

 

Subject Guide

Profile Photo
Stephen Francoeur
he / him / his
Contact:
Newman Library
Room 421
Baruch College
151 E. 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

(646) 312-1620