UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION SCIENCE POSTGRADUATE STUDIES Course brochure for Honours, Master s and Doctor s Students 2011

UNISA S NEW APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION PHASES APPLICATION PHASE First-time students at UNISA must apply for admission on the prescribed form which is to be submitted together with the correct application fees, as well as the documents required for registration. Apply on-line: http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp? Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=16832 or contact the UNISA Contact Centre at 0861670411 / 0116709000. Once the data has been recorded the system will allocate a student number which will be confirmed via e-mail, sms or mail depending on the contact details indicated on your application form. A registration package containing the relevant information brochure(s) and registration form will be mailed to you. Students who already have a UNISA student number proceed directly to the registration phase. REGISTRATION PHASE Once a student number has been allocated to an individual, this student number will remain his/her student number at UNISA for all formal qualifications Honours students may apply on-line for registration after the registration period for the particular academic year has opened. However, master s and doctoral students cannot apply on-line and are advised to submit their applications directly to UNISA Muckleneuk Campus, P O Box 392, UNISA, 0003. Regional offices can only forward master s and doctoral applications to the Muckleneuk Campus. ii

The registration form together with the minimum instalment required for registration must be submitted before the relevant closing date. Students must please take note that certain degrees are by selection and have earlier closing dates than the normal registration closing dates. Any documents required for registration submitted must be included here, if not previously submitted. Kindly note that only certified copies of academic records issued by the Registrar of the University/Institution concerned are accepted for registration purposes. Degree certificates should not be submitted. All applications for master s and doctoral degrees will be referred to the Section: Postgraduate Qualifications where they will be assessed before being referred to the relevant academic department where the Executive Committee will rule on admission. If approved, students who have submitted their complete application (i.e. all required documents and minimum fees) will automatically be registered after admission has been approved. Other students will be informed of any remaining conditions to be complied with in order to finalise their registration. All other students will be informed of the outcome of their applications and, where applicable, the minimum study fees paid will be refunded. The process outlined above may be time consuming in some cases, especially when we approach the various closing dates when most applications are invariably submitted. It is, therefore, essential that prospective students apply well in advance, especially where deadlines set by employers and sponsors have to be met. iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 Introduction 1 2 Honours degrees 1 2.1 Admission requirements 2 2.2 Career opportunities 3 2.3 Curriculum 3 2.4 Syllabus 5 2.5 Method of study 8 2.6 Concurrent registration for non-degree purposes 11 3 Master s degrees 12 4 Doctor s Degree 15 5 M&D Procedures 16 6 Postgraduate short learning programme: Programme in Archival Studies 7 Teaching staff 20 19 Consult the myrules@unisa and myregistration@unisa Postgraduate Brochures regarding the general rules for admission to postgraduate studies, documents which must accompany an application for admission, re-registration, duration of study, applications for cancellation, closing dates for registration, fees etc. For all other information regarding postgraduate studies, consult the brochure: General Information: Master s and Doctor s degrees. iv

1. INTRODUCTION The Department of Information Science offers postgraduate studies at Honours, Masters and Doctoral levels. At Honours level the programme is oriented towards improving your ability to do professional work and to carry out research. Masters and Doctoral studies require independent research in the field of Information Science. The Department offers the following postgraduate programmes: Honours Bachelor of Information science (degree code 05827). Honours Bachelor of Information science (with specialization in Archival Science) (degree code 0555X). Honours Bachelor of Arts (Information Science) (degree code 05258). Master of Information science (MInf) (degree code 98410). Master of Arts (Information Science) (degree code 98408). DLitt et Phil (Information Science) (degree code 98411). 2. HONOURS DEGREES The Honours curricular serve to increase a student s ability to approach work related and theoretical problems in a scientific way and to conduct research. Students are given the opportunity to acquire essential skills for scientific problem solving and preparation for further study. Students also get an opportunity to specialise in selected areas of LIS. 1

2.1 Admission requirements 2.1.1 For the BInf (Hons) in Information Science degree students must hold: (a) a three- four-year Bachelor's degree in Information Science and/or Library and Information Studies; (including BTech in Information Studies) or (b) another Bachelor's degree or a postgraduate degree or a postgraduate diploma in Information Science and/or Library and Information Science, or Archival Science, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the Senate. or (c) a three-year Bachelor's degree with Information Science or Archival Science as a major subject and have passed Applied Information Science modules on all undergraduate levels. or (d) For the BInf (Hons) with specialisation in Archival Science students must hold: BTech: Archival Studies or a three year Bachelor s degree and the postgraduate Programme in Archival Science, or a Post Diploma Certificate: Archival Studies, or a three year degree and another tertiary qualification in Archival Science; or Record Studies; or a three year degree and at least ten years full-time experience as an archivist; or records manager, with the proviso that the Chair of the Department may prescribe an assignment, or an oral or a written examination as an additional requirement for admission. 2

2.1.2 For the BA (Hons) Information Science students must hold at least a B-degree with Information Science or Archival Science as a major subject. 2.2 Career opportunities In addition to preparing students for work in conventional information services such as libraries, archives and museums the Department prepares students for an exciting career in the Information Industry, which is rapidly growing and changing. There are many new professions opening up for students with qualifications in Information Science such as: 2.3 Curriculum Intranet/website content managers Knowledge managers Online trainers Information intermediaries Freelance information workers Archivist or records managers Honours BInf (Degree code: 05827) The curriculum of the Honours Bachelor of Information Science has been revised and reorganized in alignment with the new HEQF. The curriculum comprises of the following five papers: HIN4801: Research methodology in information science (12 credits) HRINS81: Research report in Information Science (36 credits) HAI4801: Advanced information and knowledge management (24credits) 3

HAI4802: HAI4803: Information technology in organisation and retrieval of information (24credits) Advanced aspects of user studies and collection development (24 credits) *Duration: One year Honours BInf (with specialisation in Archival Science) (Degree code: 0555X) Curriculum is as above. *Duration: One year Honours BA in Information Science (Degree code: 08258) The curriculum of the Honours Bachelor of Arts in Information Science has been revised and reorganized in alignment with the new HEQF. The curriculum comprises of the following five papers: HIN4801: Research Methodology in information science (12 credits) HIN4802: Social impact of information and communication technologies (24credits) HIN4803: Theory of information science (24 credits) HAI4801: Advanced information and knowledge management (24 credits) HRINS81: Research report in Information Science (36 credits) *Duration: One year NB The codes, comprising seven characters, which appear in brackets after the names of the papers, must be entered on the registration form. 4

2.4 Syllabus HIN4801: Research Methodology in information science The purpose of this module is to equip students with: (a) a sound understanding of the key issues regarding the conduct of research and professional presentation of research findings in a variety of contexts; (b) the capacity to interpret, evaluate, judge and apply the concepts, principles and techniques of the scientific methods of inquiry, interpretation, analysis and presentation of data; (c) the ability to engage independently in the research process and present the findings in an academic research report; (d) the ability to think critically and holistically when dealing real-life challenges when conducting research and presenting research reports HIN4802: Social Impact of Information and communication technologies The purpose of this module is to equip students with: (a) a sound understanding of the concepts related to the application of the information and communication technologies (ICTs) in a variety of environments (e.g. workplace, home, school, etc) and sectors (e.g. education, health, government, trade, banking, delivery of social services, research, etc); (b) the ability to appropriately apply different types of ICTs within the environments and sectors 5

mentioned in (a) above; and (c) the capacity to adapt to the technological changes brought about by the ever changing ICT environment. HAI4801: Advanced information and knowledge management The purpose of this module is to equip students with: (a) a sound understanding of the key issues in information and knowledge management in a variety of contexts; (b) the capacity to interpret, evaluate, judge and apply the concepts, principles and techniques of knowledge and information management; (c) the ability to create an environment for safely discovering and using information and knowledge for competitive advantage; (d) the ability to think critically and epistemologically when dealing real-life challenges in the information society and the new knowledge economy HRINS81: Research Report A research report on a topic selected by the student in cooperation with the lecturer.the purpose of this module is to equip students with: (a) a sound understanding of the key issues regarding the conduct of research and professional presentation of research findings in a variety of contexts; (b) the capacity to interpret, evaluate, judge and apply principles and techniques of the scientific methods of inquiry and presentation of data; 6

(c) the ability to engage independently in the research process and present the findings in an academic research report; (d) the ability to think critically and holistically when dealing real-life challenges when conducting research and presenting research reports HIN4803: Theory of Information Science The purpose of this module is to equip students with: (a) a sound understanding of the various concepts and theoretical assumptions and paradigms in the discipline of information science that will enable them to analyse, interpret, and evaluate it critically; (b) the ability to substantiate their viewpoints regarding the theory of information science; and (c) the capacity to apply their theoretical knowledge critically within the context of the information profession. HAI4802: Information Technology Organisation and Retrieval of Information The purpose of this module is to equip students with: (a) a sound understanding of the key issues of information organisation and retrieval, including information application practices in professional, as well as everyday life contexts; (b) the capacity to develop solutions to challenges posed to the effective implementation of information organisation and retrieval as a useful tool; (c) the ability to think critically and holistically when applying information organisation and retrieval systems when developing information products and services. 7

HAI4803: Advanced Aspects of User Studies The purpose of this module is to equip students with: (a) The theoretical knowledge and different viewpoints regarding user needs and behaviour in service rendering, amongst others in collection building and other user services; (b) the competence to apply this theoretical knowledge on particular user groups or a particular user by means of their own empirical research. 2.5 Method of Study Students are expected to work with a fair amount of independence and to have proficiency in interpretative and writing skills to assist them in their studies. Guidance regarding assignment writing according to the scientific method is included in the study package for Honours. 2.5.1 Tutorial matter and subject literature research The use of journal articles is of primary importance in Honours study in order to be aware of the latest developments. We advise you to gain access to and use abstract journals such as Information Science Abstracts, Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA) and Library Literature. The UNISA Library receives approximately 140 different information science journals. Many of these titles are also available in full text from the following vendors: Business Source Premier (Ebsco), Academic Search Premier (Ebsco), MasterFILE Premier (Ebsco), Library Literature & Information Science (WilsonWeb) and 8

Emerald. Most titles available online are linked to the journal title in the catalogue. This means that the library can provide you with most of the journal articles you will need. You can access the UNISA Library through the Internet and download the articles. You can also follow the advice given in the brochure: Your service guide @ Unisa regarding subject databases and other resources. 2.5.2 Assignments (i) General The required number of satisfactory assignments per paper must be submitted to the Registrar, marked for the attention of the lecturer(s) concerned. The assignments should preferably be in double-spaced type written form with a right hand margin of at least 5 cm. Your assignments must give evidence of the fact that they are the culmination of extensive reading. The topic generally determines the length of the assignment. However, try to keep the assignments as concise as possible, and avoid unnecessary detail that does not contribute to the development of the central theme. Also avoid copying long passages from the work of other authors. We expect logical and systematic development of your own opinions, not simply a description of what others have said on a specific topic. As a guideline we recommend a length of approximately 5 000 words. 9

(ii) Minimum number of assignments to be completed Students must submit the required number of assignments of a satisfactory standard per paper. If a student s work does not comply with the required standard, additional assignments on the same or another topic can be negotiated. (iii) Due dates The due dates for assignments appear in the 101 tutorial letters of the various papers and on myunisa. (iv) Nature of assignments Each assignment answer should be presented in accordance to the scientific method. For example: state the problem, interpret and discuss the collected data, analyse and evaluate findings critically; give a well argued conclusion. The tutorial letter INSHONH/301 should be consulted in this regard. Where appropriate, recommendations should be offered. (v) Bibliographical method Answers to assignments must be properly documented, as regards both footnotes and bibliography. The bibliographic method preferred is the Harvard Reference Technique. 10

(vi) Contact with the Department We encourage students to maintain contact with the Department regarding problems that may be encountered during the course of their studies. These include the discussion of assignments as deemed necessary. Each paper is the responsibility of a specific lecturer. The names of the responsible lecturer(s) will appear in the first tutorial letter of each paper. However, changes may occur. Therefore students are advised to consult Tutorial Letter INFALL/P/301 regarding information on lecturers responsible for respective modules. 2.6 CONCURRENT REGISTRATION FOR UNDERGRADUATE MODULE(S) FOR NON-DEGREE PURPOSES With the special permission of Senate students may register for two undergraduate modules on the same level for non-degree purposes (NDP) concurrently with an Honours course, provided that the NDP module(s) has a bearing on their Honours studies, or they may submit a written justification that is acceptable to the University. Please note that students must apply before the closing date for registration for the undergraduate module(s) for permission for concurrent registration. Please refer to the myregistration@unisa with regards to the registration dates. 11

NB: Any further information you may require regarding postgraduate studies will be provided on request and is obtainable from: The Registrar P O Box 392 UNISA 0003 South Africa HONOURS ENQUIRIES: Telephone: 0861 670 411 International: +27 11 670 9000 Fax: 012 429 4150 E-mail: artes@unisa.ac.za 3. MASTERS DEGREES MInf (Master of Information Science) (Degree code: 98410 DFINS97) The masters degrees comprise a dissertation on an approved topic. From January 2010 all master's and doctoral students are required to register for and complete the research module (MPCHS91) before registration for the dissertation/thesis can be finalised. A supervisor will be provided to assist with the writing of the proposal. The proposal should be completed within one year. 12

Please direct any enquiries to: Prof TB van der Walt vdwaltb@unisa.ac.za Telephone number: +27 12 4296520 Fax number: +27 12 4293792. a) All students registered for a Masters degree will receive a copy of Tutorial Letter INFMDAY/301. b) Students who did not obtain the Honours degree at this university must take the paper: Research Methodology in Information Science (Honours), HIN4801 for non-degree purposes. Alternatively, they should provide proof of having studied Research Methods at postgraduate level. c) This degree can be obtained with specialisation in Archival Science. Code 98526 DFACH98. *Admission requirements: An Honours degree in Information Science and/or Library and Information Science. On the recommendation of the Chairperson of the Department, an oral or a written examination may be prescribed as an additional requirement for admission. It is recommended that the student have obtained an average of at least 60% for the Honours degree. A research proposal should be submitted with the application form. *Duration: The minimum duration is one year. For the duration of the studies students shall register each year by the stipulated date, to be found in the UNISA brochure myregistration@unisa or on the UNISA website. Reregistration is annually subject to the recommendation of the department and may be refused in any year on the grounds of unsatisfactory progress. 13

MA (Information Science) (Degree code: 98408 DFINS95/DFACH96) The Master s degrees comprise a dissertation on an approved topic. Please direct any enquiries to: Prof TB van der Walt vdwaltb@unisa.ac.za Telephone number: +27 12 4296520 Fax number: +27 12 4293792. Students who did not obtain the Honours degree at this university must take the paper: Research Methodology in Information Science (Honours), HIN4801 for nondegree purposes. From January 2010 all master's and doctoral students are required to register for and complete a research module before registration for the dissertation/thesis can be finalised. *Admission requirements: To be considered for admission, a student must hold an Honours degree and have passed the Honours papers with an average of at least 60%. Applicants must hold either (a) An Honours degree in Information Science, or Library Science, or its equivalent Or (b) Any other Honours degree or four-year bachelor s degree in a subject field related to the broad multidisciplinary field of Library and Information 14

Science and relevant to the topic in which the student wants to specialise. Applicants in this category first have to consult the Chair of the Department. *Duration: The minimum duration is one year. For the duration of the studies students shall register each year by the stipulated date. Reregistration is annually subject to the recommendation of the department and may be refused in any year on the grounds of unsatisfactory progress. 4. DOCTOR S DEGREE DLitt et Phil (Degree code: 98411-TFINS05/TFACH05) The Doctor s degree by thesis is based on original research in any field of specialisation related to Information Science. *Admission requirements: A student must hold either (a) a MA (Information Science) or MInf degree or its equivalent Or (b) a Masters degree in a subject field related to the broad multidisciplinary field of Library and Information Science and relevant to the topic in which the student wants to specialise. Applicants in this category first have to consult the Chair of the Department 15

5. M&D PROCEDURES FROM JANUARY 2010 Applicants must refer to the Application and Registration phases in the front of this brochure with regard to the processes to be followed to apply to study at UNISA. Students who did not obtain their previous qualifications at the University of South Africa must submit certified copies of their academic records from their university that they have completed the degree prescribed for registration, indicating the marks or symbols obtained or the standard reached. On receipt of a student s application and academic records, if the previous qualification was not obtained at UNISA, it will be decided whether the application meets certain minimum requirements. If it does, the student will be informed by the Registrar that the application can be accepted and that a title and research proposal must be approved by the Higher Degrees Committee of the Department of Information Science within the first year of registration in order to be eligible for re-registration. Please note that first-time masters or doctoral students are granted a special concession in that they are allowed to register from 1 July for the following year. This effectively gives them a period of eighteen months for one year s study fees. Students are advised to contact the Directorate Student Funding should they wish to apply for funding [dsf@unisa.ac.za or Tel. (012) 441 5463]. As a prospective candidate, from January 2010, your first step will be to register for the Research Proposal in Human Sciences (Master s Degree or Doctor s Degree) module. (Module Code: MPCHS91).The purpose of this module is for you to gain knowledge about your chosen topic and to practice your critical writing skills in order to produce an acceptable research proposal for your Masters dissertation or Doctoral thesis. You pass the module, not by writing an examination, but by having your proposal accepted by the Higher Degrees Committee in 16

the Department of Information Science, which counts 24 credits towards your MA or DLitt. Begin your studies by discussing your provisional topic with the Department of Information Science. The department will help you to firm up your ideas, but it won t prescribe a topic. You will be assigned to a research mentor in your field of research, who will guide you through the process of drafting, refining and submitting your research proposal. This is what you ll need in order to be accepted and to pass the module: an acceptable title; a well written validation of at least two typed pages for Masters students, and at least four pages for Doctoral students. Here you set out the scope and range of your projected study, showing that it is feasible within approximately 120 pages (the ideal length for an M dissertation), or 200-250 pages (DLitt et Phil). The validation should take the form of an essay which clearly justifies your choice of topic by relating it to the existing critical debate. a preliminary select bibliography of primary and secondary sources. This bibliography will reflect your preliminary research and reading. All students must conduct a thorough scholarly investigation into their proposed areas of study before drawing up a validation. Consult Section 8 (The UNISA Library) for information about assistance in compiling preliminary bibliographies. a scheme of work for your projected dissertation. The scheme consists of a summary which, under suitable headings, should indicate the scope and purpose of individual chapters. Some indication should be given of the nature and contents of the Introduction and Conclusion. 17

Once you have passed the Research Proposal module, a supervisor will be appointed (this may or may not be the same person as your initial research mentor) and you will be able to proceed to writing your Masters dissertation or DLitt et Phil thesis. Prospective students should note that the minimum requirement for admission is a pass of at least 60% at Honours level. Candidates for the DLitt et Phil degree should also have achieved a pass of 60% or more for their Masters degrees. However, preference is given to students who have a pass mark of over 75%, and individual cases will be dealt with on merit. All decisions regarding students registered for the Research Proposal module (Masters or DLitt et Phil) are discussed and made by a panel of staff members called the Higher Degrees Committee (HDC) of Information Science. The committee upholds stringent scholarly standards, ensuring that only work of high quality is conducted under the auspices of this department. The convener of the HDC at present is Professor TB van der Walt. The HDC will also monitor your progress during your years of postgraduate study in the department. Any further information you may is obtainable from: The Registrar P O Box 392 UNISA 0003 South Africa MASTER S AND DOCTORAL ENQUIRIES: Telephone: 08/61 670 411 International: +27 11 670-9000 Fax: 012 429 4150 E-mail: mandd@unisa.ac.za 18

6. POSTGRADUATE SHORT LEARNING PROGRAMME: Programme in Archival Studies (Code: 72419) The purpose of this programme is to offer postgraduate students the opportunity to specialise in certain archival aspects, e.g. records management, preservation and conservation and other archival principles and practices. This short learning programme also enables students to enter the BInf Hons (Archival Science). *Admission requirements: Any degree or national diploma *Duration: One year *Career Opportunities: Archivist or records manager For more information on this short learning programme please contact: Mr Tony Rodrigues Tel: (012) 429-6568 E-mail: trodriqu@unisa.ac.za 19

7. TEACHING STAFF Chair of Department Prof Mabel K Minishi-Majanja Professors : Prof Patrick Ngulube BA cum laude Honours (History) (University of Zimbabwe), Master of Science in Information Science (Addis Ababa University), PhD (University of Natal) Associate Professors : Prof Thomas B van der Walt BA, BBibl Hons (PU for CHE), BA Hons, Dip Museum Science (UP), BA Hons (UNISA), MBibl, DLitt et Phil (RAU), Dip Modern Archiefbeheer (Rijks Archiefschool, Den Haag) Prof Hester WJ Meyer BA(Bibl) (UP), MBibl (UNISA), DPhil Information Science (UP) Prof Mabel K Minishi-Majanja BALib. (North London), PGDEduc. (Kenyatta), MLS (Pittsburgh), DPhil-LIS (Zululand) 20

Senior Lecturers: Dr Luyanda Dube BA (UNITRA), Senior Teachers Diploma (UNITRA), PGD-LIS (Natal), Hons-LIS (Natal), MLIS (Zululand), PHD-LIS (Zululand) Dr Bosire Onyancha BSc in Information Science (Moi ), Masters Library and Information Science (Zululand), PhD-LIS (Zululand) Senior Lecturers (contract): Dr Marthie de Kock BA Inf Sci, BA Inf Sci (Hons) (UP), MA Inf Sci (RAU), DLitt et Phil (RAU) Lecturers Mrs Marlene Burger Mrs Madely du Preez Mrs Veli Jiyane BA(Bibl) (PU for CHE), MBibl (UNISA), Dipl Museum Science (UP), Nat Dipl: Archival Science (TSA) BA Mus (UP), HED (Pretoria Teacher's Training College), BBibl (UNISA), BInf Hons (UNISA), Minf (UNISA) Secondary Teachers Diploma (STD Eshowe College of Education), BLIS (Zululand), Hons.-BLIS cum laude (Zululand), MLIS (Zululand) 21

Mrs Karin McGuirk Mr Tony Rodrigues Mrs Nicoline Wessels Mr Sipho Ndwandwe BA (UP), Postgrad. Dipl. Museology (UP), BA Hons-Information Science (UNISA), MA Inf Sci (UNISA) BA Hons Archival Science, H Dip Lib, Post graduate Diploma in Education and Training, MTech: LIS (UNISA) BBibl Ed (RAU), BBibl Hons (RAU). BA InfSci (Zululand) [cum laude], Hons-InfoSci (Zululand), MLIS (Zululand) [cum laude] Lecturer (contract): Mrs Nampombe Mnkeni-Saurombe B.Bibl (UFH) [with distinction], B.Bibl Hons ( UFH) [cum laude], M.Bibl (UCT) 22

Junior lecturers Mrs J J (Hannalie) Knoetze BBibl Ed (RAU), BEd (RAU), BBibl Hons (UP) Ms Koketso Mokwatlo Mr Jan R Maluleka B-LIS (UFH), Hons-BLIS (UFH) BInf (UNISA), Hons-BInf (UNISA) Junior lecturer (contract): Mr Salmon S. Makubela BIS (UP), Hons-BInf (UNISA) RSVP: Department of Information Science Theo van Wijk Building, 10-186 P.O. Box 392 UNISA 0003 South Africa Tel.: +27 (0)12 429 6071 Fax: +27 (0)12 429 3792 Email.: infoscience@unisa.ac.za Web: www.unisa.ac.za/dept/infsc UNISA 23