BU JO807 F00 ClsSch.htm

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00 Preliminary Class Schedule
Week # 0
Monday Date: 4 Sept 2000 — No class Monday. Welcoming B-B-Q on lawn in front of COM Tuesday Date: 5 Sept 2000 — 2-5 p.m. Classes begin
Topic:	Greet and meet colleagues in both sections of the course
Readings:
Pre-Class Assgns:	Be sure to have some sort of accessible e-mail address. Avoid AOL. Complete unofficial JO807 background survey at https://forms.flashbase.com/forms/JO807Signupform
In-Class Assgns:	§ Register at eGroups site http://www.egroups.com Once registered with eGroups, look for http://www.egroups.com/group/BUJO807-F00 § Register for CourseInfo/Blackboard class site http://online.sfsu.edu/~jjohnson/Courses&Syllabi/BU-JO807/CourseInfoSignUp.htm
Notes:	§ Even if you’re in the Monday night session, please make an effort to come Tuesday afternoon. Among other things, we will be trouble shooting some potential computer challenges. § Learn how to set up “mail forwarding” from BU account. http://www.bu.edu/directory/change_entry.html § Email for Life? See http://www.bu.edu/alumni/email/forwarding/questions.html

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week # 1
Monday Date: 11 Sept 2000 Tuesday Date: 12 Sept 2000
Topic:	Online Research § Introduction to the course § The 1st Amendment: Why we do journalism
Readings:	Nora Paul: Introduction to the Fourth Edition, p. ix Nora Paul: Chapter 1 (EX Johnson:Some, but far from all, of the Paul book is online, but not enough that you can avoid buying it. Paul's chapters are short, but her writing is quite tight. Read carefully because every sentence has important data for you to analyze.) Nora Paul's "Computer-Assisted Research" ToC NP's Computer-Assisted Research Chpt 1D "Before you start" Paul, Nora and Margo Williams. "GREAT SCOUTS! CyberGuides to Subject Searching on the Web (EX Johnson: No, you don't have to buy/read this book. But go to the site and scroll down to see how Paul and Williams have organized their suggested resources. Any sites here that might have value for a journalist? If so, how are you going to file them so you can use that tool?))
Pre-Class Assgns:	§ Be sure to have some sort of e-mail address. Avoid AOL. § Complete unofficial enrollment background survey at https://forms.flashbase.com/forms/JO807Signupform § Register at class website: http://egroups.com/ Once registered with eGroups, look for class BUJO807-F00 at http://www.egroups.com/group/BUJO807-F00 § Register at secondary class website: http://courseinfo.bu.edu/courses/00fallcomjo807_a1/
In-Class Assgns:	§ How to “flush your cache” Setting home page in browser. Perhaps a metasearch engine or Journalist Express
Notes:	§ Always bring a floppy ZIP disk or two to class

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #2
Monday Date: 18 Sept 2000 Tuesday Date: 19 Sept 2000
Topic:	Online Research in a Changing Information Environment § The Infosphere § General Systems Theory § MetaSearch engines
Readings:	Paul, Chapter 2 (EX Johnson: There's a fair amount of relatively technical material in this chapter, but study it closely and be prepared to discuss the definitions of and uses for the major topics/tools in this chapter.
Pre-Class Assgns:	Go here to learn how you can access the BU Library from off campus. If you're not familiar with things like changing the IP address in your personal computer, get the necessary CD-ROM from the Computer Support folks and install it. (NB: This set-up is necessary to get into the library's licensed databases like Lexis-Nexis, but you can only do so with a traditional telephone dialup. That is, if you're using DSL or a cable modem, you have to use a normal telephone modem to get to these databases. It's possible to do both, and we can discuss this in class. That said, make sure you use the CD-ROM to install the appropriate settings.) § Find a WWW site with a free- or share-ware program for managing your bookmarks § Download and install that program on your PC § Study the program to determine the name of the file where the bookmarks are stores. (It’s probably something like BOOKMARK.HTM) § Create a personal bookmark file and save it to your floppy disk § Complete Task #3-Boolean Logic
In-Class Assgns:	§ Task #1: A Simple Question § Task #2: Question #2 § Task#4: Evaluating a Search Engine
Notes:	§ If you can set up your computer at home to get into the library’s licensed databases, take a good look at Lexis-Nexis.

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #3
Monday Date: 25 Sept 2000 Tuesday Date: 26 Sept 2000
Topic:	The Internet Toolbox
Readings:	Paul, Nora Chapter 2 (all)
Pre-Class Assgns:	Task #13: Using file archiving programs, i.e. WinZIP or Stuff-it Task #5: Demonstrate knowledge and use of Listservs and NewsGroups Task #5a: Create a signature block
In-Class Assgns:	Do Task #6a: Subscribe to selected listservs. See handout.
Notes:

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #4
Monday Date: 2 Oct. 2000 Tuesday Date: 3 Oct. 2000
Topic:	Online Research in Specialty Sites
Readings:	Nora Paul: Chapt. 3.
Pre-Class Assgns:
In-Class Assgns:	Due: Project proposal memo Filename/slug = JO807[MorT]#PP-??? Task #07 - Tables and your business card
Notes:	You can use this document ResearchTopicWorksheet.rtf to plan your semester research project.

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #5
Monday Date: 9 Oct. 2000 – No class on Monday. Class meets Tuesday night 6-9 Tuesday Date: 10 Oct. 2000
Topic:	Planning Reporting Projects
Readings:	Nora Paul: Chapt. 4 and 5 and 6
Pre-Class Assgns:
In-Class Assgns:
Notes:	Time to brush up on – or learn – how to use Excel.

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #6
Monday Date: 16 Oct. 2000 Tuesday Date: 17Oct. 2000
Topic:	Databases: On the Web and otherwise
Readings:	Houston: Chapters 7 & 8
Pre-Class Assgns:	Task #8: Making – and manipulating – a table of data from the Web.
In-Class Assgns:	Task #6: Migration to Mass. data
Notes:

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #7
Monday Date: 23 Oct. 2000 Tuesday Date: 24 Oct. 2000
Topic:	Databases: What does the agency have and how does it have it? Intro to statistics for journalists
Readings:	Houston: Chapt. 8 & 9
Pre-Class Assgns:	Task #9: What's in the agency?
In-Class Assgns:	Due: Annotated bibliography and source list. Filename/slug = JO807[MorT]#ABSL-???
Notes:

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #8
Monday Date: 30 Oct. 2000 Tuesday Date: 31 Oct. 2000
Topic:	Intro to Statistics for Journalist
Readings:	Houston: Chapters 2 & 3
Pre-Class Assgns:
In-Class Assgns:	Task #10: Freeport Traffic Stats
Notes:

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #9
Monday Date: 6 Nov. 2000 Tuesday Date: 7 Nov. 2000
Topic:	Producing quality inforgraphics
Readings:	Houston: Chapts. 2 & 3
Pre-Class Assgns:	Work on semester project Sign up for passes to the Amer. Public Health Assoc exhibits
In-Class Assgns:	Begin work on Task #11
Notes:

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #10
Monday Date: 13 Nov. 2000 Tuesday Date: 14 Nov. 2000
Topic:	Dealing with data: accounting for inflation
Readings:	Normalizing Census Data in ArcView GIS http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/1000/files/normalize.pdf Students Produce GIS Databases for Web Mapping http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/1000/cairo.html
Pre-Class Assgns:	Work on semester project
In-Class Assgns:	Task #12: Accounting for inflation
Notes:

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #11
Monday Date: 20 Nov. 2000 Tuesday Date: 21 Nov. 2000
Topic:	More on inflation
Readings:	Teacher Has Arithmetic to Do: What's Half of $130 Million? http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/18/nyregion/18MILL.html
Pre-Class Assgns:
In-Class Assgns:	Task #14: Projecting Value of Money
Notes:

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #12
Monday Date: 27 Nov. 2000 Tuesday Date: 28 Nov. 2000
Topic:	Examining the Public Record Freedom of Information Act
Readings:
Pre-Class Assgns:
In-Class Assgns:
Notes:

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #13
Monday Date: 4 Dec. 2000 Tuesday Date: 5 Dec. 2000
Topic:	Project presentations to class and discussion
Readings:
Pre-Class Assgns:
In-Class Assgns:
Notes:

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #14
Monday Date: 11 Dec. 2000 Tuesday Date: 12 Dec. 2000
Topic:	Project presentations to class and discussion
Readings:
Pre-Class Assgns:
In-Class Assgns:
Notes:

JO807: Advanced Journalism Research Fall ‘00
Week #15 — FINAL EXAM WEEK
Monday Date: 18 Dec. 2000 Tuesday Date: 19 Dec. 2000
Topic:	The Last Waltz
Readings:
Pre-Class Assgns:
In-Class Assgns:
Notes:	All projects must be submitted by the deadline: The BEGINNING of your respective class.