Post date: Sep 16, 2022

We will be holding a meeting to outline these changes and answer any questions you may have about them.

Thursday, September 29^th

6pm – 7pm

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqc-GrqT0vEtC0I7FrVRwspQT8kEBY7ziL

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

GSLIS has been informed that proposed changes to the capstone requirement (LBSCI 709: Research in Library and Information Studies) have been approved by the Queens College Graduate Curriculum Committee.

The changes were proposed after a review of the LBSCI 709 workload and the limitations around ethics clearance and restrictions on publishing student work.

Beginning in Spring 2023, LBSCI 709 students will produce a fully formed research proposal, rather than an abridged research paper. Students will still receive training in research methods and design a research project. The research proposal will still demonstrate their ability to form research questions or hypotheses, conduct literature reviews, appraise and select research methods that are appropriate to their object of study, plan the project and identify any ethical implications. Students will still be taught how to gather and analyze data, but they will no longer be expected to complete and write up the full research project. The New York State Education Department is satisfied that this meets the requirements for Masters level capstone projects.

LBSCI 709 remains a required class. As before, students who have previously completed a thesis following a social science research methods class at Masters level may seek a 709 waiver from the GSLIS Director of Admissions.

Previously, students who received a 709 waiver were expected to complete LBSCI 791: Independent Study. LBSCI 791 will be replaced by LBSCI 710: Applied Research in Information Studies.

LBSCI 710 can be taken, with the approval of the professor teaching 710, if:

• The student has completed 709 and wishes to conduct the study as set out in their 709 proposal, or;

• The student has received a waiver for 709 from the Director of Admissions, or;

• The student wishes to conduct an independent study (710 may therefore be taken twice, as was the case with 791). Independent study is not an alternative to 709.

This arrangement deals with the following problems:

• It removes the pressure on students to design and conduct their research in one semester.

• It allows time for the submission of ethics review documentation if the student wishes to conduct the project in 710. With ethics approval, students will be allowed to publish their research papers if they want to. 710 includes an academic writing workshop to support this.

• It provides an opportunity for students to work on an independent project under faculty advisement. It also allows faculty’s labor to be recognized in the college’s workload model.

Many thanks to the QCLISSA and QCSAA executives, who gathered data and provided valuable insights on the student experience of 709, and to the faculty who contributed to the course re-design and shepherded it through the college, university and state government approval processes. We were surprised that the approvals were received so quickly, but we are pleased that we can roll out the new classes sooner than expected.