Written by Greetings all – I think it would be useful for the next assignments for all of you to work on refining your description of your information community. You wrote a blog post a few weeks ago:
Blog Post #2: Describe the Information Community you are choosing to explore for the course and the research paper. Utilize Durrance and Bishop’s definition and characteristics of Information Communities to describe your choice to the class, as well as other readings and resources described in the lectures.
However, you might want to revisit the description a bit as you go forward. Note the major assignments call for this in their Introductions:
Information Sources Survey: Introduction. Based on your reading in the secondary literature and exploration of your community, describe your chosen information community and the types of information sought and valued by its members.
Literature Review Matrix: Define the Information Community and explain the significance of studying the information behaviors of this group (e.g. why is this research important).
Research Paper: Introduction. Identify the information community being studied and why an examination of this group is significant. This opening section should conclude with an overview of what topics related to the information needs and information-seeking behaviors of the community the paper will address.
As I have posted previously, we find tomb this for the literature review matrix assignment:
Completing the Matrix
- In the first section, in approximately two to four paragraphs, define/describe your chosen Information Community and explain the significance of studying the information behaviors of this group (e.g. why is this research important). This can be an updated and revised version of your Blog Report #2. You are encouraged to use course materials to support your definition.
- For the Statement of Research box, craft a statement regarding your information community and what you want to learn about their information behaviors and needs and how libraries or information centers might provide services to them. For example: The paper based on these articles will demonstrate my understanding of the information behaviors and needs of (your chosen community) and how libraries and information centers might provide or update services to meet their needs. Customize the statement to reflect your information community.
A successful description for the assignments addresses who the community is, what information needs and behaviors they have, and should cite some of our foundational literature as well as your own pertinent, peer-reviewed resources. You might even include some stats pulled from research-based sources as well.
Would some of you brave 200 folks like to share the descriptions you have crafted? I think it might inspire others. Did anyone use a good citation for an article that defines community beyond Block and F&F Please share.
