Applied Research Methods - Youth Services
INFO 285

Anthony Bernier, MLIS, MA, Ph.D.
E-mail
School of Information
San Jose State University
Phone: 707.721.1551 (home office)
Office hours: by arrangement

Mandatory Zoom Sessions: 2/20, 3/21, 4/11 (All from 6:00-9:00pm PT)

285 Waiver Option: If a student has taken and passed a graduate-level research methods course within the last 5 years (as documented by an official transcript), the student can petition the Coordinator of Admissions and Academic Advising to waive the INFO 285 requirement.

Please send an electronic copy of the transcript (scanned as a pdf file) to the Coordinator of Admissions and Academic Advising.

A waiver, if granted, does not reduce the total units required for the MLIS degree. It simply means that you are not required to take INFO 285 as one of your MLIS classes.

This course prepares students to become analytical consumers of research through introducing the fundamental principles of identifying, assessing, and applying current scholarship to youth services and program evaluation. 

Expectations

Students are expected to participate fully in all class activities. It is expected that students will be open-minded and participate fully in discussions in class and debate in a mature and respectful manner. Use of derogatory, condescending, or offensive language including profanity is prohibited. Disagreement is healthy and perfectly acceptable. Expressing disagreement should always include an explanation of your reasoning and, whenever possible, evidence to support your position. In accordance with San José State University's Policies, the Student Code of Conduct, and applicable state and federal laws, discrimination based on gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or disability is prohibited in any form.

Course Workload

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.

Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group; contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes) Supported

INFO 285 supports the following core competencies:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Understand the difference between primary and secondary research.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of fundamental principles and processes of conducting research.
3. Articulate the research method(s) covered in the course, appropriately apply them, and understand their strengths and liabilities.
4. Understand appropriate data collection/analysis tools, and ethical concerns related to research.

Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

• American Psychological Association (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). American Psychological Association. Available through Amazon: 1433832178.

• Dresang, E. T., Gross, M., & Holt, L. E. (2006). Dynamic Youth Services Through Outcome-based Planning And Evaluation. ALA. Available through Amazon: 0838909183.

• Zoom Class Sessions (3 live synchronous sessions):
  Mandatory synchronous participation for all three, three-hour, sessions (dates and times listed below). If you cannot commit to these meetings, consider another section of INFO 285;
• Institutional Review Board (IRB) Certification: Ethics Training Workshop Requirement
  Complete the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) online workshop: (see details in Course Outline).
  
  You may complete this short online workshop at any point during the semester. It requires about two hours. When you have finished the course, you will be given a "certificate," that you should submit as proof of completion via the appropriate Canvas Drop Box;
• Discussion Board Topics (6 throughout the term):
  Based on relevant readings and other course experiences, these interactive posts demonstrate, articulate, and share your experience and learning (details in separate Course Outline found in our course Modules area)
• Briefs (4 throughout the term):
  Content-based and skill-enhanced writing assignments (1-2 pages); (details in Course Outline)
• Short Papers (2 throughout the term):
  Brief critical engagements on selected topics (3-5 pages); (details in Course Outline)
• Research Study Evaluation:
  Discover and evaluate a recent scholarly youth studies monograph (3-5 pages); (details in Course Outline)
• Term Project:
  A comprehensive evaluation of an actual library youth service (15-20 pages); (details in Course Outline)

All assignments must be turned in by 11:59 PM (Pacific) on the day they are due. Late submissions will be reduced by 20% of the total points possible for that assignment.

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:

• C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
• B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work or undergraduate (for BS-ISDA);
  For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA, Informatics, BS-ISDA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation. You must repeat the class if you wish to stay in the program. If - on the second attempt - you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  
• A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.

Graduate Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

Per University Policy S16-9 (PDF), relevant university policy concerning all courses, such as student responsibilities, academic integrity, accommodations, dropping and adding, consent for recording of class, etc. and available student services (e.g. learning assistance, counseling, and other resources) are listed on the Syllabus Information web page. Make sure to visit this page to review and be aware of these university policies and resources.

Course Calendar and Grading