WMS 410.A
Electronic Resources in Women’s Studies:
An Introduction for Scholars,
Activists, and Educators

Jenny Presnell	office hours
279 King Library	8-12, 6:30-10M, 8-5 T-F
email: presnejl@muohio.edu	phone: 529-3937

Course Objectives:

Students will:

• gain a conceptual understanding of the electronic information environment (including CD ROM and full text databases)
• employ practical, hands-on experience in searching for information in women’s studies and women’s issues
• evaluate electronic resources
• develop search strategies to be used in electronic resources
• use HTML and create a basic web page

Texts and Readings:

All readings will be placed on reserve.

• Bolner, Myrtle S. and Gayle A. Poirier. The Research Process. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, 1996.
• Broadhurst, Judith A. The Woman’s Guide to Online Services. New York: McGraw Hill, 1995.
• Fink, Deborah. Process and Politics in Library Research: A Model for Course Design. Chicago: American Library Association, 1989.
• Gralla, Preston. How the Internet Works. Emeryville, CA: Ziff-Davis Press, 1996.

Also recommended:

• Krol, Ed. The Whole Internet: User’s Guide and Catalog. second edition. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly and Associates Inc., 1994.
• Musciano, Chuck and Bill Kennedy. HTML: the Definitive Guide. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly and Associates Inc., 1996.

Requirements:

Exercises/Activities/Readings	10%
Position paper on women’s issues and the Internet	20%
Comparison paper on two web sites	20%
Women’s Studies Web page (HTML)	30%
Bibliography	20%

Syllabus:

1/12	Introduction and Course requirements. Women, language and the challenge of subject classification. Explore the structure of MiamiLink.
1/14 (science classroom)	Finding women in books: using electronic catalogs (SHERLOCK and OhioLink and Worldcat) and women as subjects readings: Fink, chapter 8: Controlled Vocabulary on reserve
1/19 (science classroom)	Finding women in journals: planning a search and using controlled vocabulary and Boolean Logic readings: Bolner, chapter 4: Electronic Tools: Basic Searching Techniques on reserve exercise on books due
1/21 (science classroom)	Navigation of Electronic Indexes: Women’s issues in the major electronic journal indexes and in special women’s indexes. readings: Bolner, chapter 9 Periodical Literature on reserve
1/26 (King Library Poetry Reading Room)	Reference Resources and Evaluation of Sources exercise on electronic indexes due/ in class exercise with reference materials
1/28 (science classroom)	World Wide Web and the Internet: the basics readings: Gralla, chapters 1-5, 13-15 on reserve
2/2 (science classroom)	World Wide Web and the Internet: the basics con’t.
2/4 (science classroom)	World Wide Web: women’s voices; women’s participation readings: Broadhurst, introduction and chapter 1 on reserve women’s issues on the Internet paper due
2/9 (science classroom)	World Wide Web: newsgroups, chat rooms and e-zines readings: Rinaldi, The Net: user guidelines and Netiquette (http://www.fau.edu/rinaldi/net/index.htm) or through Miamilink Internet . . ./Internet and WWW Guides emoticons handout in class
2/11 (science classroom)	World Wide Web: search engines World Wide Web: evaluation
2/18 (Center for Information Management, King Library)	HTML web site comparison paper due
2/23 (Center for Information Management, King Library)	HTML
2/25 (Center for Information Management, King Library)	HTML
3/3 (Center for Information Management, King Library)	Discussion of course and Bibliography due.

Requirements:

Assignments are must be turned in at the beginning of the class period in which they are due, unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor. Late assignments or papers will receive half credit or a dedction of a grade level.

1. Series of exercises using SHERLOCK, OhioLink, Worldcat, planning searches and using indexes
2. 3-4 page paper discussing the Internet or some aspect of the Internet in terms of women’s issues. Topics include using the Internet for community, sexual harassment, women’s voice, women’s participation, or women’s use of the Internet in general. You will be provided with a more complete definition of the above issues and a reading list from which to begin formulating your opinions. You will be required to find one source not on the reading list to supplement your discussion
3. 2-3 page paper comparing two women’s websites (not individual/personal pages) Describe each site and evaluate its quality. Discuss the images of women it presents in the context of class discussions and readings. Results may be discussed in class.
4. Make own HTML page on a women's issue. Must include at least 2 “live” links to other sites. You may also create imaginary links to information not yet compiled, i.e. a list of Miami Senior thesis on women, or a calendar of events for women’s studies, etc.
5. A Bibliography of 10 sources concerning a women's issue of your choice. Materials included must consist of at least 1 book, 1 journal article, 1 web site (but no more than two web sites). Summarize and evaluate each source, indicating its usefulness as well as its content. Guidelines on writing critical annotations will be discussed in class.

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