Further information:
Head of the information services Eila Rämö,
tel. +358 9 470 30243, +358 50 502 7716
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Information Retrieval and Information Literacy 3 ECTS

Objectives: Students can acquire and efficiently apply the information they require. The teaching develops competence in academic information literacy so that the students can:
•    define the extent of information needed
•    acquire the necessary information efficiently
•    evaluate information and its sources critically, and add it to prior knowledge
•    use information effectively in studying and research
•    understand the economic, legal and social dimensions of information usage, and apply information ethically and lawfully.

The courses consist of face-to-face instruction as well as independent assignments. They are integrated into each degree programme to support tuition in the subject. The studies are organised by the Library, and consist of the following courses:

Bachelor of Arts Programme
- Introduction to Information Retrieval 0.5 ECTS
- Advanced Information Retrieval I 1 ECTS
- Image Searching 0.5 ECTS
Master of Arts Programme
- Advanced Information Retrieval II 1 ECTS -----------

Bachelor of Arts Programme

Introduction to Information Retrieval 0.5 ECTS
Content: The Library’s collections, premises and services are introduced. Students learn the fundamentals of information retrieval; receive an overview of information sources, how to evaluate validity of the sources, and the ethical principles using information. The course provides an introduction to the ARSCA, LINDA and ARTO databases, among other organisations’ collection databases, the Nelli portal and remote use of the databases.

Advanced Information Retrieval 1 ECTS
Implementation: The course is integrated into the BA diploma work seminar or another equivalent course.
Prerequisite studies: Introduction to Information Retrieval
Content: The content emphasis is set individually for each group but the following are covered:
•    systematic information retrieval and application of these skills to one’s work
•    retrieval methods, the systematic search process and search strategies
•    the main information sources for the discipline in question
      (databases, online journals)
•    remote use of sources, rights of use, copyright
•    source criticism; evaluating search results and information sources
•    referencing practices, tools for reference management.

Image Searching 0.5 ECTS
Implementation: The course can be taken at any point during a student’s program of study when visual materials are needed.
Content: Familiarises students with different kinds of image sources. The course also covers source criticism and copyright issues related to image use. The objective is to learn the efficient use of a variety of image databases and the ethical and lawful utilisation of visual materials. The course covers the following:
•    introduction to different types of visual materials, from slides to
      digitised images
•    information searching from image databases licensed by the TaiK Library
•    Finnish image databases
•    international museum image databases
•    image service consortia and other extensive image services
•    evaluating image searches: source criticism
•    using images lawfully: copyright.

Master of Arts Programme

Component of studies in research skills

Advanced Information Retrieval II 1 ECTS
Implementation: The course should be taken when starting one’s diploma work when it may be integrated with theoretical or research skills studies.
Content:
•    develop in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of information sources for the
      discipline in question (databases, online journals)
•    systematic information retrieval and application of these skills to one’s work
•    focus on the student’s own research subject and consequent information need,
      and it’s conceptual structuring
•    the systematic information search process and strategies – revision and update
•    source criticism; evaluating search results and information sources –
      revision and update
•    referencing practices, reference management tools – revision and update.