Master of Information Studies

Purpose

This qualification is offered in two forms: by coursework and mini-dissertation and by full dissertation.

The qualification is aimed at preparing information practitioners for academic and vocational jobs in diverse information environments who are able to keep abreast with current trends and practices in the discipline. Such workers will be analytical, critical and adaptive to global and African information requirements and contexts. The graduates will appreciate the necessity of continuing professional development and demonstrate responsible ethical conduct at work.

Many practitioners need to build on their first professional level education learning, knowledge and skills (obtained at either the Postgraduate Diploma or Honours level) but lack the theoretical and methodological expertise to do so. The qualification must be seen in the context of library and information science education, having a crucial role to play in sustainable development initiatives, general education, access to information on citizenship and health, adult literacy programmes, indigenous knowledge initiatives and social inclusion in both a networked and non-networked environment.

Rationale

The qualification is to educate, train and produce library and information practitioners who will assume middle level management positions in the labour market and have the competencies to address key social, political and economic issues related to Library and Information Science. Such learners will be critical, perceptive, productive and adaptive regarding the information requirements of different contexts and have the capacity and ability to exercise professional judgement concerning tasks and responsibilities associated with middle level management in library and information work. In addition, this qualification educates, trains and produces learners with more advanced knowledge and skills in planning, conducting, reporting and sharing research.

Learners will have the requisite knowledge and competencies to pursue further education and research initiatives typically at the Doctoral level.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution accepts the principle underlying outcomes-based, source-based and life-long learning, in which considerations of articulation and mobility play a significant role, and subscribes to the view that Recognition of Prior Learning, whether acquired by formal education curricula at this or another institution or informally (by experience) is an indispensable element in deciding on admission to and awarding credits in an explicitly selected teaching-learning qualification of the institution.

An applicant who falls outside of the formal qualifications system, but who can demonstrate (through the production of substantial and satisfactory evidence) experiential or work-based learning or a non-formal qualification (or a combination), may be considered for admission and/or for the Recognition of Prior Learning for the achievement of the qualification in part or in full. An applicant who after such assessment, is deemed to have sufficient potential, but is in need of further academic development, must be directed to other suitable learning qualifications prior to admission or to parallel qualifications after admission.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is a

• An appropriate Bachelor Honours Degree, Level 8.

This qualification at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 9, consisting of 192 credits, may be obtained in one of two ways through:

1. A research project with a full dissertation.

Or

1. Course work consisting of compulsory modules at NQF Level 9 and a mini-dissertation.

Compulsory Module for full dissertation Level 9, 192 Credits.

• Dissertation: Library and Information Science, Level 9.

Compulsory Modules for course work, Level 9 and dissertation, 192 Credits

• Short Dissertation: Library and Information Science, 96 Credits.
• Information Ethics, 16 Credits.
• Social Research Design and Practice, 16 Credits.
• Advanced Literature Searching and Evaluation, 16 Credits.
• Issues in Library and Information Science 32 Credits.
• Data Analysis and Presentation, 16 Credits.

Exit Level Outcomes: Course Work and Short-Dissertation

1. Demonstrate knowledge of current issues, trends and practices in Library Information Studies (LIS) education and training.
2. Manage library and information centres.
3. Design interventions for challenges facing library and information centres in Africa.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of new technologies.
5. Understand various theoretical and methodological underpinnings of the LIS field.
6. Demonstrate critical thinking, problem solving, communication, entrepreneurial, team work and analytical skills.
7. Exercise sound professional judgment.
8. Exhibit intellectual honesty.
9. Collect, analyse, organise, interpret and evaluate a range of scientific and other information.
10. Know the epistemological and ontological perspectives of information science.
11. Carry out research in a selected area of LIS and report findings.

Exit Level Outcomes: Full-Dissertation

1. Apply a critical and evaluative approach to analysing complex issues in the LIS field of research and identify and conceptualise a research area.
2. Demonstrate a comprehensive and systematic grasp of the specialist body of theoretical knowledge underpinning the area of study chosen in the LIS field.
3. Utilise a wide range of specialised skills in designing and implementing a research project that addresses complex issues in the LIS field.
4. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the most advanced research methodologies, techniques and technologies applicable to the selected area of study.
5. Undertake independent research under the guidance of a supervisor, and report on these in ways that reflect independent thinking, originality, critical analysis, ability to defend findings and advanced insight into the chosen area of study.
6. Present research findings to a range of audiences using appropriate media or means to disseminate findings.
7. Identify and manage the ethical issues associated with research and knowledge production in the discipline of LIS.
8. Choose an appropriate research methodology to investigate the research problem.
9. Define and describe the population and units of analysis for the study.
10. Apply an appropriate sampling framework for the study.
11. Design data gathering tools to collect both quantitative and qualitative data.
12. Use the SPSS programme to reduce and analyse quantitative data.
13. Use the NVivo programme to reduce and analyse qualitative data.
14. Present own analysed data in various formats.
15. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a variety of ethical issue relating to the information and knowledge society in both the global and African context.
16. Use Analytical, critical thinking and presentation skills.

Associated Assessment Criteria: Course Work and Short Dissertation

• Apply advanced literature searching techniques to retrieve information from various online bibliographic databases and sources.
• Compile a bibliography using a referencing style guide accurately and consistently.
• Use a reference management programme such as Endnote to export bibliographic records into a reference list.
• Use various evaluation criteria to evaluate the suitability of a resource or the information found using both print resources and online bibliographic databases.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of current issues affecting Library Information Studies (LIS) in the African context in particular.
• Use analytical, critical thinking and presentation skills.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of research, including research design, methods, research processes and methods of data analysis.
• Apply this knowledge and skills by conceptualising a research problem and developing a cogent research proposal.
• Design and where applicable conduct and applied quantitative or qualitative research proposal and study.
• Acquire basic skills to analyse, summarise, present and interpret qualitative and/quantitative data.
• Critically and reflexively engage with own and other students' research ideas and problems.

Associated Assessment Criteria: Full Dissertation

• Apply a critical and evaluative approach to analysing complex issues in the LIS field of research and identify and conceptualise a research area.
• Demonstrate a comprehensive and systematic grasp of the specialist body of theoretical knowledge underpinning the area of study chosen in the LIS field.
• Utilise a wide range of specialised skills in designing and implementing a research project that address complex issues in the LIS field.
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the most advanced research methodologies, techniques and technologies applicable to the selected area of study.
• Undertake independent research under the guidance of a supervisor, and report on these in ways that reflect independent thinking, originality, critical analysis, ability to defend findings and advanced insight into the chosen area of study.
• Present research findings to a range of audiences using appropriate media or means to disseminate findings.
• Identify and manage the ethical issues associated with research and knowledge production in the discipline of LIS.

Integrated Assessment

Course Work and Short-Dissertation

The formative and summative assessments are at a generic level based on the purpose of the qualification while at a module level this is informed by the objectives. The overall approach and methods of assessment are continuous formative assessments which are designed to build the skills, knowledge and competencies of the learners. The Formative Assessment includes, but is not restricted to, oral presentations, written submissions and an individual research proposal submission. For two of the modules (Issues in LIS and Information Ethics) both formative and summative assessments are applied and the latter taking the form of a 3-hour examination paper (summative exam). The learners are required to submit written assignments, oral seminar presentations of research report evaluation (project) and a short dissertation.

Full-Dissertation

The achievement of learning outcomes will be assessed through evaluation of a dissertation in the traditional format that will be submitted for examination on completion of the research project.