How people access, use, and communicate information has become critical to professional success, life-long learning, and even government policies. Information retrieval now is heavily dependent on computer systems, the Internet, and mobile devices.  The impact that diverse cultures, emotional affect, and the ever-growing digitization of information have is  now considered important to understand. Given this diverse and complex landscape, students with wide-ranging interests or interdisciplinary experience will be well served by this Ph.D. program.  Below is a short summary of the program requirements followed by a short description for each of the new courses, and finally two example programs of study.

Ph.D. Program Milestones

Students will be admitted with a broad range of degrees.  However, it will be required that students who do not have a related Masters degree in Information Studies, complete a Masters in the College of Information Studies during their doctoral studies.

Students must complete a minimum of 25 graduate credit hours while matriculated at the University of Maryland (or 28 hours if basic statistics is taken as a graduate course).  Course work will be taken in three areas of study which include: Information Studies (6 credit hours), Research Methods and Design (10 credit hours), and specialized area(s) (9 credit hours).

The student will have a First Year Review the first full academic year that a student takes his/her first doctoral seminar. The student will prepare a portfolio which is a self-evaluation of their progress. This may include papers written for coursework or research, a presentation on a research topic, and/or reviews by previous course instructors.  A committee comprised of at least three faculty members, a majority of whom must be members of the College faculty, will review the work and inform the student in writing of the results.

Students will not take comprehensive exams, but instead write an Integrative Paper that synthesizes and applies knowledge from broad areas of the information field.  A committee comprised of at least three faculty members, a majority of whom must be members of the College faculty, approves the topic and abstract of the paper, and certifies its successful completion.  The paper will typically be written after completion of coursework or equivalent experience (e.g., extensive work in a research environment) and must be completed and approved before advancement to candidacy. 

The student will successfully defend a dissertation. 

Option: the college will assist a Ph.D. student who is interested in attaining teaching experience through teaching internships at the university, in appropriate Information Studies venues, or at other institutions.

New Courses for the Ph.D. Program

Introduction to Research (1 credit hour)
This course offers an overview of the basics of research design and methods.  This course will provide students the opportunity to discover, structure, and formulate research questions.  Through this process students will come to understand the many ways in which researchers can acquire knowledge and insights using a wide variety of research methods.  Example papers will be selected by the instructor for presentation and discussion by students.  Grades will be based on paper presentations and class participation.

Qualitative Research Methods for Information Studies (3 credit hours)
This course focuses on the nature and uses of qualitative inquiry.  Students design and conduct qualitative inquiry in library and information settings.  Specific topics and readings to be covered will be determined by individual instructors.  Grades will be determined by class participation and performance on a midterm paper and final paper.

Individual Research Experience (3 credit hours)
This is an independent study course for a student to develop and implement a research project with a Information Studies faculty mentor.  A student reports research results in a paper and an oral presentation at the end of the semester.  Grades will be based on the final paper and presentation.

Doctoral Seminar (6 credit hours)
These two seminars cover the main areas of the field: information, people, environments, and systems. These doctoral gateway seminars provide an integrative exploration of the field emphasizing connections among ideas and research across elements of the field.  Specific topics and readings to be covered will be determined by individual instructors.  Grades will be based on class participation, small group assignments, and seminar papers.

Sample Programs

Two sample programs for Ph.D. students are presented below.  The first shows a student’s course of study who has earned a master’s degree and taken a basic statistics course prior to matriculation in the doctoral program.  The second shows a student’s courses that has not earned a master’s degree or taken a basic statistics course prior to matriculation, but will need to earn an MLS or MIM along the path to a Ph.D.

Sample schedule for a student who has a research focus on Multi-lingual Information Access and Use and who has earned a master’s degree prior to matriculation.

Fall Semester I:   (LBSC 888) Doctoral Seminar I 3 credit hours (LBSC 801) Introduction to Research 1 credit hour (LBSC 774) Seminar in Linguistic Topics 3 credit hours     Spring Semester I:   (LBSC 888) Doctoral Seminar II 3 credit hours (PSYC 601) Quantitative Methods I 4 credit hours (LBSC 750) Information Access in Electronic Environments YEAR 1 REVIEW 3 credit hours     Fall Semester II:   (LBSC 802) Qualitative Research Methods for Information Studies 3 credit hours (LBSC 733) Seminar in Library and Information Networks 3 credit hours (LBSC 808) Individual Research Experience 3 credit hours     Spring Semester II:   (LBSC 793) Database Design 3 credit hours (LBSC 899) Doctoral Dissertation Research INTEGRATIVE PAPER 2 credit hours     ADVANCE TO CANDIDACY   Summer II:   (LBSC 899) Doctoral Dissertation Research 6 credit hours     Fall Semester III:   (LBSC 899) Doctoral Dissertation Research 6 credit hours     Spring Semester III:   (LBSC 899) Doctoral Dissertation Research 6 credit hours     DISSERTATION DEFENSE

Sample schedule for a student with a research focus on Children’s Use of Digital Libraries and has not earned a master’s degree or taken a basic statistics course before matriculation.

Courses marked by * count toward a Masters of Library Science in this example Fall Semester I:   *(LBSC 601) Information Use 3 credit hours *(LBSC 650) Information Access 3 credit hours *(LBSC 690) Information Technology 3 credit hours (LBSC 801) Introduction to Research 1 credit hour     Spring Semester I:   *(LBSC 670) Information Structure 3 credit hours *(LBSC 698) Children’s Information Technology and Policy 3 credit hours *(EDMS 645) Quantitative Research Methods I YEAR 1 REVIEW 3 credit hours     Summer Semester I:   *(LBSC 645) Management & Admin for the Information Professional 3 credit hours     Fall Semester II:   *(LBSC 888) Doctoral Seminar I 3 credit hours *(LBSC 647) Children's Services in the Public Library 3 credit hours *(EDMS 646) Quantitative Research Methods II 3 credit hours     Spring Semester II:   *(LBSC 888) Doctoral Seminar II 3 credit hours *(LBSC 802) Qualitative Research Methods for Information Studies 3 credit hours *(LBSC 723) Libraries and Information Services in the Social Process EARN MASTERS DEGREE 3 credit hours     Summer Semester II:   (LBSC 808) Individual Research Experience 3 credit hours     Fall Semester III:   (LBSC 748) Seminar in Children’s Literature 3 credit hours (LBSC 790) Building the Human-Computer Interface 3 credit hours     Spring Semester III:   (LBSC 899) Doctoral Dissertation Research INTEGRATIVE PAPER 2 credit hours     ADVANCE TO CANDIDACY   Summer III:   (LBSC 899) Doctoral Dissertation Research 6 credit hours     Fall Semester IV:   (LBSC 899) Doctoral Dissertation Research 6 credit hours     Spring Semester IV:   (LBSC 899) Doctoral Dissertation Research 6 credit hours     DISSERTATION DEFENSE