University of South Carolina
  SCHOOL OF LIBRARY & INFORMATION SCIENCE

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CLIS 775 - SYLLABUS - FALL 2003

DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT OF MICROCOMPUTER TEXTUAL DATABASES (3)

Instructor - Billinsky

Davis College - Room 111 - Mondays 1:00 - 3:45 PM

Examines microcomputer textual databases relevant to libraries and other information agencies from the viewpoint of operational and functional design. Students will participate in extensive hands-on evaluation of selected database software packages. (Prereq: CLIS 706)


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CONTACT INFORMATION

Christyn Billinsky, Davis College - Room 108
College of Library and Information Science
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208

Telephone: 803-777-3185
CLIS Phone: 803-777-3858 or 800-277-2035
CLIS Fax: 803-777-7938
775 E-mail: cbillin775@yahoo.com
URL: http://www.libsci.sc.edu/chrisb/
Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 2:30 - 4:30 PM, or by appointment

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
  1. Apply design concepts and structures employed in database software.
  2. Conduct needs assessments and feasibility studies for text database design.
  3. Create specifications for text database design requirements.
  4. Evaluate software packages for specific text database requirements.
  5. Independently learn to use software packages for text database applications.
  6. Describe programming concepts and practices relevant to text databases.
Topics that will be addressed:
  1. Overview of text database software
  2. Hardware / software considerations
  3. File structures
  4. Search features
  5. Needs analysis & feasibility studies
  6. Software evaluation
  7. Database design considerations
  8. File, record and field specifications
  9. Database output
  10. Database maintenance
  11. New directions and trends
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READINGS

  1. Articles pertinent to database design and management.

  2. Software manuals and third party documentation for software examined in the course.

  3. It is highly recommended that you obtain a Microsoft Access book - intermediate level.

  4. Tenopir and Lundeen. MANAGING YOUR INFORMATION. New York: Neal- Schuman, 1988. Selected Chapters. (Available in Room 110.)
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COURSE POLICIES AND REGULATIONS

  1. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT - Accommodations will be made for students with disabilities defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act. During the first week of class, contact the Office of Disability Services (777-6142) if you will require assistance or accomodation.

  2. INTERNET/WEB AND E-MAIL ACCESS - Students must have daily access to a computer with graphical web access and e-mail. Course information will be made available through the web and the class mail list.

  3. ATTENDANCE - Students are expected to attend all class sessions. University and College policies require that students attend at least 75% of all classes. Students missing more than 25% of classes may receive a grade of F for the course.

    The instructor will not re-teach course content missed due to absence. If a student misses a class it is the responsibility of the student to find out what was missed, and obtain things such as class notes, handouts, assignments, work due for the next class, etc. from another student.

    If an assignment was due at the missed class, it is the responsibility of the student to submit it in a timely manner.

    Unexcused absence from class and failure to be on time and ready to work are considered to be indicators that a student does not care enough about class to merit any "benefit of the doubt" regarding the course grade.

  4. GRADING - All graded assignments and tests will be assigned one of the following letter grades:

     
    A = 4
    A- = 3.75
    B+ = 3.5
    B = 3
    B- = 2.75
    C+ = 2.5
    C = 2
    C- = 1.75
    D+ = 1.5
    D = 1
    D- =   .75
     
    F =  0
     

    At the end of the semester these grades are weighted and averaged to come up with the appropriate final course grade. The University allows the following final grades to be posted:
    A,    B+,    B,    C+,    C,    D,    F

  5. WRITING - Writing quality is included in the grading criteria for all assignments.  Elements such as sentence structure, syntax, grammar and spelling are all considered in assessing writing quality.  Assignments with writing problems will be marked down.

  6. ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY - Assignments are expected to be your own work.  The Code of Student Academic Responsibility and all other University of Sough Carolina honor codes and rules governing plagiarism are in effect.

  7. ASSIGNMENTS

    Assignments are due on the date stated. Late assignments will be reduced one letter grade. An assignment that is more than one week late will not be accepted for grading, and a failing grade will be recorded for that assignment. The instructor may grant extensions in extenuating circumstances.

    It is the responsibility of the student to maintain a copy of all graded and returned materials, until the final course grade has been received and accepted. If you wish to appeal your grade, you must have copies of your assignments.

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COURSE SCHEDULE - SUBJECT TO CHANGE

DATE
CLASS
TOPIC
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Aug 25
(1)
Course Introduction
Text Database Features
*Pro-Cite
 
Sep 1
   Labor Day - No Class  
Sep 8
(2)
File Structures
Search Features
*Pro-Cite
Tenopir 3
Sep 15
(3)
Feasibility Studies
*Pro-Cite
Tenopir 4
Pro-Cite: Part 1
Sep 22
(4)
Record Definition
Field Specifications
Data Dictionaries
*DB/Textworks
Tenopir 5, 6
Pro-Cite: Part 2
Sep 29
(5)
Software Evaluation
*DB/Textworks
Tenopir 8, App. A
Presentations - Citation Managers
Oct 6
(6)
Database Maintenance
*DB/Textworks
Tenopir 9, 10
Oct 13
  Fall Break - No Class  
Oct 20
(7)
*DB/Textworks Presentations - File & Text Managers  
Oct 27
(8)
*DB/Textworks DB/Textworks Project
Nov 3
(9)
*Microsoft Access   
Nov 10
(10)
*Microsoft Access  
Nov 17
(11)
*Microsoft Access Database Planning Paper
Nov 24
(12)
*Microsoft Access  
Dec 1
(13)
*Microsoft Access  Presentations - DBMS
Dec 8
(14)
*Microsoft Access  Microsoft Access Project


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ASSIGNMENTS

 
Date
Class
Assignment
1.
Sep 15
Sep 22
(3)
(4)
Pro-Cite Project - Part 1:  2%
Pro-Cite Project - Part 1:  8%
2.
Oct 27
(8)
DB/Textworks Project - 25%
3.
Nov 17
(11)
Database Planning Paper - 20%
4.
Dec 8
(14)
Microsoft Access Project - 25%
This may be done in stages



5.



Sep 29

Oct 20
Dec 1



(5)

(7)
(13)
Software Assessment/Evaluation
Paper and Presentation - 20%


Citation Management Software
File & Text Management Software
Relational Database Management Software

Instructions for each of the assignments will be distributed separately.


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Chris  |  SLIS  |  USC  |
Course Syllabi:  CLIS529  |  CLIS706  |  CLIS775  CLIS787  |
Course Link Pages:  |  529  |  706  |
Chris Billinsky - USC/SLIS