- Theory Question (Choose 1)
Some analysts and policymakers advocate the use of quantitative methods (e.g., the calculation and comparison of bibliometric indicators such as publication and citation counts, journal impact factors, etc.) in the evaluation of scholarship and research in the arts and humanities. Others have doubted the applicability of the quantitative approach to evaluation of academic work in humanistic disciplines. What are the benefits and risks associated with the quantitative approach? In what respects are alternative approaches to evaluation more or less useful? To what extent does the usefulness of any given evaluative approach depend on the medium, format, and/or content of the work being evaluated?
OR
Governments across the world are currently putting massive amounts of funding into research and development for a “cyberinfrastructure” for e-Science, with the aim of increasing collaboration among scientists, projects, and disciplines. A crucial element of this collaboration is the curation, exchange, and re-use of data sets collected in the course of experiments, collection campaigns, or simulations. Meanwhile, researchers in information studies have historically focused on certain core activities (e.g., appraisal and selection, collections development, description and arrangement, cataloging and classification, storage and retrieval, preservation and access) and certain core values (e.g., intellectual freedom, privacy, diversity). What kinds of role should researchers in information studies play in the design and analysis of cyberinfrastructure for e-Science? What changes (if any) should be made to curricula in professional programs in information studies to better prepare students for work with large scientific data sets?
OR
“Authentic copy. n. -- A reproduction that has been officially certified, especially so that it may be admitted as evidence.” (Pearce-Moses, 2005, A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology, available at http://www.archives.org/glossary/).
In what kinds of circumstance is it useful to be able to rely on certifications of the authenticity of reproductions? What are the most important factors to be taken into account when designing and implementing mechanisms for certifying the authenticity of reproductions of (a) physical (e.g., paper) documents, and (b) digital documents? What are the reasons for the differences and/or similarities between the two sets of factors?