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LBSC 878 - Information Storage and Retrieval
Spring 2005
Course Description


Official Catalog Description

Repeatable with different topics. Seminar topics offered as faculty and student interests warrant. Topic varies.

Goals

Approach

In addition to completing readings and active class participartion, students will complete three types of activities which are essential for research. In weeks 3-7, students will lead the class in the critique of a research paper. In weeks 8-10 students will lead the class in an in-depth survey of an active research area. Finally, in weeks 12-14 students will present their own research papers. Reading assignments should be completed prior to the week for which they are assigned. The principal purpose of the readings is to establish a shared basis for our discussion. We have selected storage and retrieval of Web pages that are written in English as the basis for most of the readings, and each student should be prepared to discuss the assigned materials from that perspective.

Students will be asked to choose from a list of survey topics on the class web page by the second class session. An introductory reading is specified for each survey topic, and that reading should be completed prior to the class session. Students will be expected to develop an annotated bibliography for their chosen area during the semester. and to maintain a current version of that bibliography on the web for use by other participants.

Class sessions are designed to provide students with an opportunity to refine their understanding of a specific topic and to apply research methods to a specific context. Thorough preparation and active participation will be crucial. In other weeks, they may choose to select a more informal interaction style such as leading a brief class discussion or presenting a few remarks at the chalkboard.

During one of the last three class sessions, students will be expected lead the class for 60 minutes, addressing a topic of their choice. The topic should be developed in consultation with the instructors. Students may choose to present a lecture on the topic of their paper, to describe an experiment design or the results of an experiment, or to use the opportunity to practice for the oral defense of their thesis proposal. Students are expected to select a topic for their presentation prior to the 4th class, and to assign one or two readings at least two weeks prior to the session in which they will make their presentation.

A reseach paper will be due at the last class meeting of the semester, with earlier drafts due on the dates indicated in the syllabus. With the approval of the instructors, students are free to choose any topic that is related to information storage and retrieval. For students that have not yet completed their qualifying exam, the paper from LBSC 878 is normally also submitted as a part of that examination. In such cases, the student should also discuss their choice of topics with their advisor.

There will also be a take-home final examination during the final examination period. The structure of the final examination will be similar to that of the ISAR portion of the College's Ph.D. comprehensive examination.

Students should plan to meet with at least one of the instructors outside of class at least every forth week in order to discuss their progress with their focus area, their paper, and their oral presentation.

Instructional Staff

Instructor Co-instructor
Name Doug Oard Ryen White
Email oard@glue.umd.edu ryen@umiacs.umd.edu
Office HBK 4121G/AVW 3145 AVW 3219
Office Phone (301)405-7590 (301)405-2748

Schedule

Day Time Activity Room Instructor
Monday 1:00-3:45 Class HBK 2119 Both

We will meet once a week for class. A syllabus that summarizes what we will cover each week and includes homework and reading assignments can be found on the class Web page. We will also be happy to meet by appointment to discuss material covered in class, in the readings, or in preparation for the paper or the oral presentation. Email is the best way to reach either of us to set up an appointment, and it is also a good way to get a quick answer to a simple question.

Course Materials

The class web site at http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/~oard/teaching/878/spring05/ contains the most recent copies of all material produced for this course. This course description, the syllabus, and the reading list can be found there. Most lecture notes will be posted after class. An email reflector is also available for use by all members of the class. To send email to members of the class, address it to lbsc878-0101-spr05@coursemail.umd.edu

There is no textbook for the course. Readings will be assigned from the research literature. Some of the readings are available on the web, although the formats vary and some require special software to be viewed in that way. One copy of each reading will be placed on reserve in the Paul Wasserman (CLIS) Library for use by students that do not have access to the original source.

Grading

Grading

Course grades will be assigned based on:

A letter grade will be assigned to each of these components, but there is no "formula" (e.g., weighted average) for computing the overall course grade from individual letter grades - success in this course can take many forms. So, while some degree of accomplishment is expected in every one of the areas listed above, to do well it is not required that you be exceptional in all five!

For example, a student who excels when writing their research paper while making a passable oral presentation could distinguish themselves to the same degree as a gifted presenter and classroom discussant who does not answer written questions particularly well under time pressure. This grading scheme has been designed to allow for the diversity of strengths that we expect among our doctoral students.

Students are expected to plan for reasonable contingencies, and grades will be assigned based on work completed during the period scheduled for the course. A course grade of incomplete would be assigned only as a result of dire and unpredictable personal circumstances.

Students are encouraged to work together when preparing for class sessions and may work together when preparing oral presentations, but all written assignments and examinations are expected to reflect only their own work. In unusual circulstances it is possible for students to conduct research jointly with others and submit the results for credit in the course, but students wishing to do so should request permission to do so in advance from the instructors, and they will be expected to identify the nature of their personal contribution to any joint work.

Other Issues

Students wishing to discuss accommodations for unusual circumstances should come see one of the instructors at the earliest possible time.