Graduate
LIS 743-01
Reference Sources in Business & Economics
Summer II 2008
July 2 through August 14, 2008
Diane L. Velasquez
Assistant Professor
Office: Crown 332
Email: dvelasquez@dom.edu
Office Hours: Monday through Thursday 4:00 – 5:00 PM
Office Phone: 1-708-524-6594
Course Description (from Bulletin): A study of management information resources. This course analyzes the production and access of externally generated business and economics information in both online and print formats. (GSLIS Bulletin, 2006-2008)
Prerequisite or co-requisite: 701 and 704
Course Objectives
This course provides an introduction to reference sources in business and economics. Class activities and assignments are designed to acquaint students with a broad array of resources in these subject areas.
Student Learning Outcomes
Required Texts:
There are no required texts. There will be required readings that will be available either through the Dominican University Crown Library.
Recommended:
American
Psychological Association. (2002). Publication
manual of the American Psychological Association.
Reitz, J. M.
(2006). ODLIS – Online dictionary for library and information science.
Optional:
Moss, R. W.
(2003). Strauss’s handbook of business information: A guide for librarians, students, and
researchers (2nd ed.).
Additional required readings will be assigned as appropriate in the course schedule and will be available on Blackboard or through the library.
|
Grading Criteria |
Percentage |
Points |
|
|
|
|
|
Read & Reacts of Business & Economic News Sources (4 @ 5 points each) |
20% |
20 |
|
|
|
|
|
Web Pathfinder Project |
15% |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
Industry Term Paper & Presentation |
50% |
50 |
|
|
|
|
|
Class Participation |
15% |
15 |
|
Total Points |
100% |
100 |
Grading Scale
|
100-95.0 |
A |
|
94.9-90.0 |
A- |
|
89.9-87.0 |
B+ |
|
86.9-83.0 |
B |
|
82.9-80.0 |
B- |
|
79.9-77.0 |
C+ |
|
76.9-73.0 |
C |
|
72.9-70.0 |
C- |
|
69.9 and below |
F |
Course Information
Teaching strategies will include assigned readings, lectures, small group discussions, group work, papers, and presentations. Theoretical concepts and practical applications will be typically presented through class lecture and assigned readings. Students will then demonstrate their understanding through class and Blackboard discussions and by presenting their findings from papers orally in class and in writing.
The class will be taught in a hybrid style. This means that Blackboard will be used as a method to deal with many of the varied administrative details that go along in running a class. All grades, assignments, syllabus, course schedule, etc. will be put up on Blackboard for the student’s convenience. Lecture notes, while they will not be word for word, will also be put up on Blackboard. This does not mean that students can miss class. It is basically for the convenience of the student to check what was covered and/or said. The groups for the group projects and in-class groups will have space on Blackboard if they choose to use it. It is optional. All written assignments will be submitted through Blackboard and I will return them through email.
Writing Assistance
Students who need assistance with writing should seek out
help.
Computer Accounts
If you do not have a
Blackboard Accounts
An online Blackboard course site (http://Blackboard.dom.edu) has been sets up to facilitate the sharing of information, either administratively or questions about the class content. The Blackboard site is required for the course. This is a private Blackboard site accessible only to students currently enrolled in the course. I will provide instruction on setting up your Blackboard account during the first class session. I will also set up Discussion Forums so we can share questions and ideas. Please feel free to post Blackboard messages to communicate and share ideas with one another. Also feel free to contact me directly if you feel your questions or comments are not appropriate for Blackboard. You will be responsible for checking Blackboard routinely for announcements, clarification of assignments, turning in assignments, and general discussions.
Description of
Assignments
Written assignments are due by 11:59 PM on the date assigned. Assignments are to be turned in via Blackboard digital drop box unless previous arrangements have been made with the instructor. Late assignments will be marked down one point per day late.
Class Participation
10 Points
Participation in class discussion will be one of the factors in the final grade. It is therefore expected that students will not only read the assignments but think about them and thoughtfully evaluate them. Questions will be posed during the class that will provoke thought, analysis, and evaluation. If a student does not participate in class through discussion it is noticed and there will be appropriate deductions in class participation points. Please be aware the class participation is one method that can make a difference between an A or a B or a B and a C.
Attendance: Students are expected to attend all classes and a grade will be affected if the student misses more than two sessions. However additional illness due to “acts of God” – e.g., prolonged illness, similar illness of spouse or spousal-equivalent, child, etc. – can be addressed through an incomplete grade and make up work.
Lateness: All members of the class are expected to
arrive to class on time and stay for the entire session. As graduate students and adults each of us
are responsible for our actions. Chronic
lateness negatively affects grades i.e. the instructor does notice. Note: It is important to stress that students whose
job responsibilities will result in chronic lateness or absence (2 or more
times) might find it works better to enroll in a more convenient section or take
the class at another time.
Expectations: All members of the class (including the instructor) are expected to turn off all cell phones, pagers, and any other electronic equipment (e.g., iPods, MP3s, etc.) during class so that full attention can be given to the work at hand. Anyone (this includes the instructor) whose cell phone, pager, or any other electronic piece of equipment goes off or makes noise that disturbs us during class (does not include breaks) will bring treats of your choice in for the class the next week.
No Disparate Treatment: Everyone in the class plays by the same “rules.” There are no “side deals.”
Read & Reacts of Business
and Economic News Sources
Due: July 9, 16, 23,
and August 6, 2008
20 Points or 4 @ 5 points each
At the beginning of each class we will discuss current
business news. Each student should come
to class each day prepared to discuss something they saw in the news. These R&Rs are
to be posted openly on the discussion areas of Blackboard so your fellow
students can read them as well. There
will be four discussion forums for each R&R postings. These can be posted any time prior to the due
dates. The due dates are there for a guide and as the drop dead date for those
who prefer to turn assignments in at the last minute. Read and reacts whose word count goes over
the limits listed significantly will have a slight deduction in points. The R&Rs will not be graded for all to
see but will be sent back to the student with comments via email.
Select one source from each of the following (the following are just examples):
¨
Business and/or economic section of a daily
paper (weekday) – e.g.
¨ Business and/or economic section of a daily paper (Sunday)
¨ Business oriented daily paper – e.g. Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily, Financial Times (can focus on just one section, e.g., Front, Money and Investing, Marketplace, or Personal Journal from the WSJ)
¨ Business oriented weekly – e.g. Barrons, Business Week, Economist
¨ Monthly or bimonthly business periodical – e.g. Fortune, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Money
The 1-2 page summaries should include:
¨ The name of the source, where you located it, other places to find it
¨
A full, correctly
formatted APA style citation of the work to which you are reacting (include URL
if appropriate i.e. electronic sources)
¨
An original
(approximately 100 words) abstract of the reading. This abstract should provide
a brief summary of the work under review, highlighting the main points of
interest.
¨ A concise (approximately 200-300 word) discussion of how this work contributes to discussion of management within the context of this course and LIS in general (e.g., feel free to talk about how this work relates to other readings from this course, discussions from the discussion boards, lectures, national or international business or economic issues, etc.).
¨ Whether it is print or electronic (if both, which you used and any differences)
¨ What it is good for generally – e.g. types of coverage, audience, etc.
¨ Something you found surprising
¨ Something you found useful for this class or for your project
¨ If the word count is substantially over the word count listed above, be prepared for a slight deduction in points.
Web Pathfinder
Project
Due: July 28, 2008 via email to dvelasquez@dom.edu
Pathfinder: 15 Points
Students will develop a web pathfinder for a selected business or economics area for resources citing 15 sources. The pathfinder can be created using Wordpress, PB Wiki, Dreamweaver, Netscape Composer, hand coding HTML/XML, or however the student chooses to put it together. It must be READABLE – in other words do not choose a background and colored font that is difficult to read. Consider that one of your patrons could potentially be sight disabled. There should be a bibliography in a separate word document using the APA style manual and put in the digital drop box by 11:59 PM on July 28, 2008. This is in addition to the pathfinder.
The pathfinder should have an introduction explaining why the topic was chosen. What is the significance of the sources for either business or economic reference users? Who the audience is? What type of library the pathfinder would be in? This introduction should be at least a paragraph long (meaning four to five sentences).
Each source should have an annotation of at least three sentences. It can be longer if necessary. It should explain what kind of source it is. How it serves your topic and why it is important. There will be a rubric put up on Blackboard and passed out in class prior to this assignment being turned in. The manner in which the sources are put together should make sense. Remember everyone here is learning to work in an information resources position be it a librarian or some other position. There should be a logical reason why sources are put together on the pathfinder.
All grammar and spelling counts as does how the pathfinder is laid out. It should be in a logical, systematic, and in a pleasing manner. It should be easy for the user to navigate. The bibliography should be in correct APA formatting and should be in a word document format (either .doc or .rtf) separate from the pathfinder.
The students will sign up for topics in class by July 10, 2008. There will be one student per topic. The students should email the URL to me at dvelasquez@dom.edu by 11:59 PM on July 28, 2008. The bibliography should be put in the digital drop box on July 28, 2008 by 11:59 PM.
Term paper and
presentation
Due: August 18, 2008
at 11:59 PM to the digital drop box
Presentations: August
13 & 18, 2008 during class
Paper: 40 Points
Presentation: 10
Points
Total: 50 Points
Each student will prepare a paper (no longer than 25 pages, double spaced) incorporating information about an industry, its companies, products and/or services, and the various other aspects that pertain to that industry.
Requirements for the
paper:
Select an industry that interests you and locate sources that provide:
¨ Description of the industry
¨ History and evolution
¨ NAICS codes/multiple codes if appropriate
¨ Alternate names
¨ Geographic concentration/dispersion
¨ Industry concentration
¨ Related industries and how they differ
¨ Industry leaders
¨ Current and emerging issues (environmental, regulatory, marketing, technology, etc.)
Select 3-5 companies within your industry
¨ At least one public company
¨ At least one private company
¨ If possible, one large company and one smaller one
¨ If possible, include a non-profit company
For the companies, locate information provided by the company (website, annual reports, SEC filings for public companies, etc.) and information provided by others (investment service reviews, articles, books, etc.). Identify key individuals in the company. Prepare a modified SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) for one company.
Check stock prices of the public companies when you first identify them and check again before you complete your paper. Note whether companies pay dividends and, if so, when. Check the buy/sell/hold recommendations of a least one service (e.g., Value Line, S&P, etc.). If you can find a mutual fund for your industry, identify it and monitor its movement.
Identify one or more products or services of the company/industry.
¨ Are they new, emerging products/services, or old line?
¨ How are they marketed?
¨ What is the target user (age, gender, geography, etc.)?
¨ If applicable, find a patent, trademark, or copyright
¨ If appropriate, look at market share
Appendix
List all sources that you consulted and evaluate their usefulness. It will be easiest if you keep a log of all sources consulted and consider an appropriate way to organize the sources. Note that using a variety of sources (print, web, free, subscription based, etc.,) is the key to this project.
Reference List/Bibliography
The reference list is to be in APA format and at the end of the document after the appendix or appendices. Anything cited in the paper should be listed in the reference list. If it is not cited, do not list it in the reference list or bibliography.
The page limit is 25 pages before the appendix and bibliography. If the paper is over 25 pages for the body of the paper, I will stop reading and start deducting points. Each page over 25 will be one point deducted from the total you earned. If you use a title page it does not count toward the 25 pages. Title pages are not necessary.
Presentation
Each student will present an executive summary of the information about their term paper assignment. The presentation should be concise and well practiced. Each student will have 15 minutes exactly for the presentation. It will be timed. There will be an additional five minutes for questions and answers from the class. Be aware that if the presentation continues into the question and answer time there will be deductions for going over time in the grade for the presentation. The intention is to get the student in the practice of 15 to 20 minute presentations which is very similar to professional presentations that are done at local, state, national, and international conferences.
Grades and Grade
Point Equivalents:
The following grades and their grade point equivalents for the Dominican University Graduate Schools are:
|
Alpha Grade |
Numerical Equivalent |
|
A |
4.0 |
|
A- |
3.67 |
|
B+ |
3.33 |
|
B |
3.0 |
|
B- |
2.67 |
|
C+ |
2.33 |
|
C |
2.0 |
|
C- |
1.67 |
Academic Honesty and Integrity:
Student plagiarism is the
deliberate presentation of the writing or thinking of another as the student’s
own. In written or oral work a student may make fair use of quotations, ideas,
images, etc., that appear in others’ work only if the student gives appropriate
credit to the original authors, thinkers, owners or creators of that work. This
includes material found on the Internet and in electronic databases.
Cheating entails the use of
unauthorized or prohibited aids in accomplishing assigned academic tasks.
Obtaining unauthorized help on examinations, using prohibited notes on
closed-note examinations, and depending on others for the writing of essays or
the creation of other assigned work are all forms of cheating.
Academic dishonesty may also
include other acts intended to misrepresent the authorship of academic work or
to undermine the integrity of the classroom or of grades assigned for academic
work. Deliberate acts threatening the integrity of library materials or the
smooth operation of laboratories are among possible acts of academic
dishonesty.
Source:
Please NOTE: If an assignment is
found to have been plagiarized the student or student(s) who have committed
said act, will be given an F or zero points for the assignment. This is not
negotiable. All suspected plagiarized assignments will be run through Turnitin.com’s
software. Please be aware that it is the student(s) responsibility to
accurately cite all quotations or paraphrased material. When in doubt, citing the source material is
always the safest course of action.
Blackboard Information
Learning in the Web-based course environment
How to get most from your e-learning experience in this course?
1. Read the objectives for each learning unit.
2. Read (and/or print out) the descriptive content of each unit provided in Course Material section of the course Web site.
3. Participate weekly in the class discussions as described in the "Discussion Board" section below.
4. Complete the assignments and group projects within in the time provided.
Organization of the course Web site on Blackboard:
SYLLABUS: "One in all" document with instructor's contact information, course description and objectives, required readings, assignment descriptions, grading procedures, course schedule, course logistics for e-learning and other course policies.
FACULTY INFORMATION: Contact information, and short biographical profile of your instructor. Posted: Once at the beginning of the semester.
COURSE MATERIAL: Descriptions of individual instructional units with instructional goals, required readings, description of unit content, study questions and other materials relevant to successful mastering of the course. Posted: See the schedule.
ASSIGNMENTS: Links to read and react specifics, pathfinder, and term paper that count toward the final course grade. Posted: See the schedule.
COMMUNICATION: Area where students can
communicate with other students in the course and the instructors. Features
include: Send E-mail: For sending email to all fellow students, individual
students, groups, and instructor. Important note: all course related e-mails
that are not private in nature should be posted to the appropriate discussion
list and NOT sent to the instructor personally.
Roster: List of students enrolled in the course and their e-mails.
DISCUSSION BOARD: Place to participate in electronic discussions by posting questions and comments.
Faculty Office: This discussion board is reserved for general discussion about course logistics (e.g., deadlines, technical problems).
Share
Resources: This
is one board that we will use all semester. As you find interesting
books, articles, web sites, conferences, or any other bits of information
relevant to business and economic reference please post them here so that we
can all benefit.
Community Café: Any discussion that
doesn't belong on any of the other boards goes here. I don't plan on
keeping up with this board. It is for you.
Read & React Discussion Boards: This is where all read and react assignments will be turned
in by the day they are due.
STUDENT TOOLS: Various electronic tools that help students make the best use of the Blackboard course Website.
Digital Drop Box:
A place to electronically submit assignments.
Check Grade: A place where students' grades will be posted.
Manual: Online manual about using Blackboard courseware.
To submit documents in the digital drop box, below are some instructions to guide the student through them. For word processed documents, you need to save the file as a Word document or Rich Text File only so that it can be viewed by your instructor.
1. Save your document in
a location on your computer that you can easily find.
2. Login to BLACKBOARD
as usual and access the course.
3. Inside the course,
select STUDENT TOOLS on the left hand menu.
4. Inside the STUDENT
TOOLS area, select the DIGITAL DROPBOX button.
5. You will see the
DIGITAL DROPBOX with two buttons.
6. ALWAYS CLICK the ADD
FILE button.
7. Click ADD to attach
the file you want to submit.
8. Use COMMENTS to send
a message (optional).
9. Scroll to the bottom
of the screen and click SUBMIT on the right side of the screen.
Course Schedule & Readings
Session 1 – July 2,
2008
|
Lecture |
Introduction to LIS 743; Business & economics reference; business periodicals & newspapers |
|
In-class work |
|
|
Assignment |
|
|
|
None |
Session 2 – July 7,
2008
|
Lecture |
Where does business information come from? Crown Library Resources |
|
In-class work |
|
|
Assignment |
Begin to narrow down choices for industry for term paper |
|
|
Haberman, J. (2005, September/October). Weblogs as a source of business news and information. Online, 35-37. Nelson, P. (2003, Fall). Libraries are players in economic development. PNLA Quarterly, 68(1), 19-20. Welch, J. M. (2005, September/October). Silent partners: Public libraries and their services to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Public Libraries, 44(5), 282-286 |
Session 3 – July 9,
2008
|
Lecture |
Industry/market information: What they are and why they are important |
|
In-class work |
Read & React #1 due to Blackboard discussion forum and be prepared to discuss it in class as well |
|
Assignment |
Select industry for your term paper; Choose pathfinder topic in class |
|
|
Boisot, M.,
Malone, M. S. (2004, March). Surviving IPO fever. What it’s like inside the white-hot quiet period. Wired. Retrieved May 1, 2008, from http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.03/google_pr.html Ojala, M. (2006, January/February). The new life cycle of business information. Online, 48-50. |
Session 4 – July 14,
2008
|
Lecture |
Economic situation: The business environment |
|
In-class work |
|
|
Assignment |
Select two related economic indicators and be prepared to compare their strengths and weaknesses. Indicate who issues the indicators, the frequency of issuance, the extent of revisions, where they can be found, what they are best used for, what characteristics affect their use |
|
|
Boettcher,
J. C. (2005, March/April). Company research using Hernon, P.,
Dugan, R. E., & Shuler, J. A. (2003). Statistics. In Hernon, P.,
Relyea, H. C., Dugan, R. E., & Cheverie, J. F. (2002). Statistical
sources. In Lee, D. (2004). Collecting the dismal science: A selective guide to economics information sources. The Acquisitions Librarians, (31/32), 1391-147. |
Session 5 – July 16,
2008
|
Lecture |
Company information: public companies, business biography, private companies – What is a business? |