Information Organization and Information Retrieval in the LIS Curriculum: An Analysis of Course Syllabi

Abstract

Within LIS education, information organization (IO) and information retrieval (IR) are two well-established, foundational, and conceptually interlinked areas of study. They have long maintained a strong presence in the core curriculum, through either dedicated or combined courses. Recent trends in LIS education have seen a greater reliance on a smaller, more condensed core, raising questions about the presence, role, and format of these foundational topics. This study aims to provide a clearer picture of how IO and IR currently manifest in the LIS core, along with which particular IO and IR topics are most prevalent. Through content analysis, course syllabi for 58 IO and/or IR related courses from 38 different, ALA-accredited LIS programs were examined. Course descriptions and schedules of topics were assessed using the ISO 5127 controlled vocabulary as an analytical framework. Findings revealed three main course types: IO dedicated courses, IR-related courses typically in the context of reference services, and combined courses that often presented IO and IR alongside other fundamental topics. Though dedicated courses showed little leveraging of topics from the other areas, combined courses leveraged topics from both IO and IR. Among all courses, the prevalence of the topics of access, classification, databases, and metadata suggests a common area of crossover among IO and IR. Overall, findings point toward greater diffusion of IO and IR content throughout the core curriculum while demonstrating the continuing relevance of these areas.