Programme Specifications
Information and Library Studies
Information provided by Department of Information Studies:
Current or recent work experience in a library or other information environment (minimum equivalent 4 weeks full time).
Information provided by Department of Information Studies:
Librarianship, Information, Knowledge, Records and Archives Management
Information provided by Department of Information Studies:
September 2023
Information provided by Department of Information Studies:
To equip students with a range of knowledge, understanding and skills to a level that will enable them to take advantage of career opportunities in a variety of jobs concerned with the management of information.
To develop skills relating to identifying, creating, acquiring, organising, retrieving, preserving and disseminating information.
To provide a fundamental education to equip students for professional posts in library management and cognate fields.
To enhance academic abilities developed at undergraduate level or equivalent and apply these to library and information management research
Information provided by Department of Information Studies:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Information provided by Department of Information Studies:
· An understanding of the core elements of the discipline and how it interacts with its technological, social, political, professional and economic environments
· An understanding of the flow of information both within and across communities, and of methods of managing organisational knowledge
· The ability to identify, analyse and evaluate the information needs of different groups and make informed decisions to satisfy them, including methods of user education
· An understanding of the professions embraced by the discipline
· Familiarity with the information sources, in an appropriate range of media and formats, and the ability to identify and use relevant ones effectively
· The ability to evaluate information, to identify that which most closely meets the needs of the user and present it in a form that facilitates its use
· An awareness of different ways of providing access to materials via such activities as resource-sharing, shared acquisition programmes, document delivery and Web access, and the ability to evaluate and make balanced decisions from the range of alternatives available
· A clear understanding of the principles of Information and Communications Technologies and their application within an appropriate professional context
· A grounding in the basic principles of the planning and management of services, including inter-personal skills, performance indicators, budgeting, purchasing, marketing of services, quality and liability issues and staff management and training, so as to enable the management of library and information services or archive organisations
· The application of generic research methods to a significant piece of independent research and the application of specific methods to empirical data collection and analysis for completion of an academic dissertation
· An understanding of the historical context and development of the discipline
Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated
1 Documentation provided to each student for each course, including course requirements, copies of relevant articles (subject to copyright clearance), and pointers to useful learning resources
2 Formal and time-tabled contact with course tutors, module tutors, lecturers and personal tutors as necessary
3 Lectures, seminars, practicals and tutorials
4 Independent time for searching, reading, thinking and writing, as well as for group project work
5 Wide range of types of assignment
6 Practical experiments with documents of all kinds in a variety of media to exercise skills
7 Consistent and constructive feedback throughout the course
8 Appropriate open learning techniques
9 Use of computers for, for example, information retrieval experiments, Web searching, Web page design, access to online hosts, CD ROMs, OPACs, digitised archives, electronic journals or for other information-related projects
10 Intensive use of libraries and/or archives, intensive use of a range of information and communications technologies.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods, including the following:
1 Planning, carrying out and reporting of project work
2 Essay assignments of various lengths
3 Collaborative project work
4 Reports of laboratory-based work, including, for example, the creation of small databases
5 Dissertation (15,000 words)
Information provided by Department of Information Studies:
10.2.1 Intellectual skills
The Programme prepares students to:
B1 Identify and classify principles and ideas and analyse facts and theories systematically, critically and effectively
B2 Relate and marshal facts, ideas and theories in support of a well-structured argument and advance solutions or concepts
B3 Apply his or her knowledge to case studies and scenarios and make a critical judgment of the merits of particular arguments
B4 Present a reasoned choice between alternative solutions to problems, and cite correctly supporting evidence for all decisions
B5 Manage data and present appropriate results in a suitable manner
B6 Evaluate the quality of information retrieved
B7 Produce a research report in a coherent and well argued way
B8 Identify, evaluate and implement research ideas within the structure of an extended period of research
B9 Apply high level research principles and methods within case or sample frameworks
B10 Reach verifiable and independent conclusions capable of offering a reasoned basis for future research in the study area
Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated
1 Documentation provided to each student for each course, including course requirements, copies of relevant articles (subject to copyright clearance), and pointers to useful learning resources
2 Formal and time-tabled contact with module tutors, lecturers and personal tutors as necessary
3 Lectures, seminars, practicals and tutorials
4 Independent time for searching, reading, thinking and writing, as well as for group project work
5 Wide range of types of assignment
6 Practical experiments with documents of all kinds in a variety of media to exercise skills
7 Consistent and constructive feedback throughout the course
8 Appropriate open learning techniques
9 Use of computers for, for example, information retrieval experiments, Web searching, Web page design, access to online hosts, CD ROMs, OPACs, digitised archives, electronic journals or for other information-related projects
10 Intensive use of libraries and/or archives, intensive use of a range of information and communications technologies.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods, including the following:
1 Planning, carrying out and reporting of project work
2 Essay assignments of various lengths
3 Collaborative project work
4 Reports of laboratory-based work
5 Dissertation (15,000 words)
10.2.2 Professional practical skills
C1 Information skills: sufficient to be information literate and have the ability to educate users as appropriate
C2 Familiarity with the information sources, in an appropriate range of media and formats, and the ability to identify and use relevant ones effectively. This will include a knowledge of the of the techniques necessary to access them, whether these be linguistic or technical skills
C3 Information retrieval skills in the use of primary and secondary sources irrespective of medium
C4 The ability to create and use finding aids or retrieval tools
C5 The ability to evaluate information, to identify that which most closely meets the needs of the user and present it in a form that facilitates its use
C6 A grounding in research methods, both to undertake independent projects and to evaluate the work carried out by others
C7 Effective interaction with the information and communications technologies applicable to a wide range of professional tasks, and the ability to evaluate systems, and to explain to technical experts requirements inrelation to perceived needs
C8 An understanding of research in the work place, predominantly as a tool in professional practice. Drawing on relevant experience of work in an information and library context.
Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated
1 Drawing on pre-course experience for full time students
2 Practical experiments with documents of all kinds in a variety of media to exercise skills
3 Consistent and constructive feedback throughout the course
4 Appropriate open learning techniques
5 Use of computers for, for example, information retrieval experiments, Web searching, Web page design, access to online hosts, CD ROMs, OPACs, digitised archives, electronic journals or for other information-related projects
6 Use in a laboratory mode, of libraries, information services, information systems, and of a range of information and communications technologies.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods, including the following:
1 Planning, carrying out and reporting of project work
2 Essay assignments of various lengths
3 Collaborative project work
4 Reports of laboratory-based work
5 Dissertation (15,000 words)
6 Project plans and assessment
7 application of operations management methods and techniques
8 Development of research proposals through a knowledge of professional skills and the value of investigating them
Information provided by Department of Information Studies:
Autonomy and Ability to Learn
A student should demonstrate an ability to:
D1 Study in a systematic, effective and purposeful way using a wide range of appropriate resources
D2 Link and integrate theory, practice and work experience
D3 Undertake independent research
D4 Reflect critically on his or her own learning
D5 Seek and make effective use of all manner of feedback
D6 Work to deadlines
D7 Interact effectively with tutors and peers
Management SkillsA student should demonstrate an ability to:
D8 Recognise the importance of good management practice, including human and financial resource management, in a variety of contexts
D9 Comprehend the relationship between information and organisational structures, functions and goals
D10 Make an appropriate selection and application of principles and procedures for the solution of a range of issues
D11 Recognise and define problems, and identify suitable resources that can assist in their management or solution
D12 Act independently in time management and planning a programme of work or study
D13 Recognise the significance of proactive marketing and promotion and demonstrate their impact on the achievement of organisational goals
Communication Skills
A student should demonstrate an ability to:
D14 Communicate in a clear, systematic and concise way for a range of different purposes and audiences in the language of study
D15 Write fluently and effectively
D16 Give effective oral presentations in a range of contexts
D17 Engage in discussions in a professional and cogent manner
D18 Work in groups or teams as a leader or participant in a way that contributes effectively to the group's tasks
D19 Negotiation and collaboration with others
D20 Interact effectively and impartially with individuals and groups in particular communities
Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
A student should demonstrate an ability to:
D21 Create, manipulate and format documents using appropriate software
D22 Evaluate and present information in numerical or statistical form using appropriate software
D23 Manipulate a database of information using appropriate software
D24 Design a multimedia presentation using appropriate software
D25 Use a range of electronic information systems such as Web browsers, Internet search engines, OPACs and online hosts
D26 Communicate electronically
Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated
A variety of assessment methods, including the following:
1 Word-process essay assignments of various lengths and formats
2 Generate reports of laboratory-based work,
3 Use electronic resources to research a subject area and present the findings in the form of a Dissertation (15,000 words). This might include both word-processed, database/spreadsheet and graphical components
4 Practical exercises in the application of computer software as research tools. This takes place through module content, class based practical sessions
MA Information and Library Studies [P194]
Academic Year: 2024/2025 scheme - available from 2013/2014
Duration (studying Full-Time): 1 yearsDissertation