MC 2374—Information Gathering & Analysis, Spring, 2006
Section 2: M & W, 2:00-3:15 p.m., OM 201
Instructor: Ray Niekamp, Ph.D.
Office: OM 312       Phone: 245-3913        E-mail: rn10@txstate.edu
Office hours: 11 a.m.-noon, M & W; 10 a.m. –noon T & Th; and by appointment

About the course:  This course is one of the six required core courses for mass communication majors.  We will examine techniques for locating, retrieving, assessing and verifying information, including interviewing, fact verification, use of libraries and computerized databases, access to government proceedings and documents and interpreting statistics. Prerequisite: MC 1301, passing score on the GSP test.

You must earn at least a C in this course to continue as a Mass Comm major.

Text: Hansen, Kathleen, and Nora Paul, Behind the Message: Information Strategies for Communicators.  Boston: Pearson Allyn and Bacon, 2004.

Blackboard:  Our class Blackboard online site will contain announcements concerning any class developments or changes, detailed instructions and information for assignments, and a convenient way to turn in assignments electronically.  The site also includes links to web sites discussed in class, and other sites that may be helpful in your research for this class—and in your future work.  Any handouts for this class will be posted on Blackboard — not provided in class.

Course Objectives
General Objectives: At the completion of this course, the student should be able to…
    • Find information from many different types of sources
    • Evaluate the information for accuracy, usefulness
    • Select information that best contributes to construction of the message

Learning Objectives:  To achieve the general objectives, the student will be able to…
    • Locate articles and documents in a variety of database types
    • Locate information online using different searching techniques
    • Describe the kinds of information available from various levels of government
    • Conduct focused interviews
    • Describe ethical standards for gathering and using information

Assignments:  The main assignment will be a semester-long project involving research into a public policy issue.  You will compile an annotated bibliography detailing all the sources you used, and write a brief (6-7 page) informational paper about the issue.  During the course of the semester, five other short papers will help you get the different types of information you’ll need for the project. 

Grading:  Grading will be on a points system, with points for each test and assignment.

Proposal paper:
30
 A=
 540-600
Observation paper:
 40
 B=
 480-539
Web Search paper:
 50
 C=
 420-479
Web site evaluation paper:
 50
 D=
 360-419
Interview paper:
 50                  
F<
 360
Test 1:
 50

Test 2:
 50

Test 3 (Final):
 50

Attendance:
 30

Project:
 200

Total points possible:
 600


Attendance:  Departmental policy permits faculty members to lower a student’s final grade for absences or tardiness. An attendance sheet will be circulated during each class session.  You must sign the sheet to be counted present for the day. You are allowed five (5) absences during the semester, for any reason.  No excuses, written or otherwise, will be accepted.  The intent is to give you the ability to miss class due to illness, etc., so use your absences judiciously.  Each student starts the semester with 30 points for attendance.  If you miss more than five (5) classes, you receive zero (0) points for attendance.  It’s all or nothing.  If you will be absent the day of a test or an assignment, you must contact Dr. Niekamp before class.  Extensions will be granted in extraordinary cases.  Those involve illness, a death in the family, or an athletic conflict.  Evidence will be required.

Extra Credit: No extra credit is available in this course.

Academic honesty:  The Department of Mass Communication commits itself to the preparation of mass media professionals and scholars.  Such a mission demands the highest standard of academic honesty and integrity.  Violations of academic honesty, including but not limited to plagiarism, collusion, deception, conflict of interest and theft, are not tolerated and can lead to severe penalties.  Disciplinary actions are outlined in the Texas State Academic Honesty Statement, printed each year in the Student Handbook.  The policy is also available at http://www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-07-10-01.html.

Special needs:  If you are a student with a disability certified by the ODS and you require accommodation in my class, it is your responsibility to tell me at the beginning of the semester so that accommodation can be provided promptly.