Course description
About the course
The emphasis of this course is on the application of major and emerging metadata standards and the practical implementation of the principles of information organisation. All subjects are provided in our flexible distance education mode to accommodate students' other commitments.
Students select four subjects from a choice of five. The standard number of subjects is two per semester, but students may elect to take fewer or more according to their circumstances.
Upon successful completion of this course graduates will be able to:
* apply a range of information organisation standards employed in libraries and other information agencies
* demonstrate a sound understanding of the principles of information organisation
* analyse the contribution effective information organisation makes to successful information retrieval
* evaluate the effectiveness of online information systems in differing contexts of use and content
* comment critically on existing methods of information retrieval and organisation document and reflect on their professional development in the area of information organisation
Credit arrangements
Credit may be granted for up to two subjects (16 points), on the basis of prior learning or experience, or a combination of both. Information workers with significant recent experience in the information organisation field could be credited with two subjects.
Subject information
Application of Bibliographic Standards
This subject focuses on the application of key bibliographic standards used by libraries and other information agencies. In particular, it examines the standards used in library cataloguing, classification and indexing, such as the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, MARC 21, and Dewey Decimal Classification. Students are expected to demonstrate a basic, practical understanding of the use of these cataloguing tools across a range of information media and environments.
Describing and Analysing Information Resources
This subject introduces students to the principles and practices of describing and analysing information resources in library and related information contexts. It uses metadata standards to illustrate the basic principles which underlie effective information organisation practice. Examples are drawn from a range of information environments, including but not limited to libraries, and from a variety of information carriers. The organisation of electronic resources is particularly noted. Topics covered include effective information retrieval; metadata standards used in libraries and archives; providing subject access to information resources; sharing metadata; and future trends in organising information.
Introduction to Information Architecture
This subject introduces the activities which constitute Information Architecture (IA). It outlines the fundamental principles of IA, and demonstrates the value of successful IA through real-life examples. The components of effective IA projects are analysed, while key tools used by information architects are introduced. The subject also examines the role and status of Information Architecture as an information profession, and its relationship with the ICT industry. Topics covered include fundamentals of IA design; the IA process; IA technology; and the IA profession.
Advanced Information Retrieval
This subject builds on other information organisation subjects, providing students with a more in-depth study of information retrieval (IR), including techniques, developments and problems. The subject aims to provide students with a theoretical framework on which to build their practical understanding, and to alert students to the nature of changes and to research in the area, encourage them to evaluate and be critical of existing systems, and provide them with the base knowledge with which to analyse, evaluate or contribute to the development of systems for organising and retrieving information. Topics covered include information retrieval concepts; information retrieval systems; metadata; information retrieval and the Internet; user-oriented information retrieval; and the evaluation of IR systems.
Portfolios for Information Professionals
This subject will develop an understanding of the nature of professional learning and assist students to assemble and analyse evidence of their own professional development through a portfolio approach. Students compile a portfolio that showcases their professional development to date, and undertake a workplace-based project that adds to this development. Topics covered include the nature of professional learning; the purpose of professional portfolios; the preparation and development of a portfolio; and the appraisal of portfolios.
