Part 3: Final Pitches

Due May 8, 2026 - This is the date that your final project is due. At this point, you will need to have submitted all materials (slide deck, video recording, and (if you are submitting as a group) a document explaining how work was divided amongst group members).

Do I have to work in a group?

No, you may choose to work alone.

How many people can be in a group?

Your group can have up to 4 members maximum.

Do all group members have to be in the same discussion section?

No. As long as you’re all in the same lecture class (i.e., Miranda & Diana are your instructors), you’re free to work with whomever you’d like.

Is the project different if I work alone vs in a group?

Yes, the project requirements scale based on the number of people in your group. This is intended to keep the amount of work per person at a fair level across the board. Please refer to the tables on the assignment page for specifics.

Do I still have to complete the group signup form if I’m planning to work alone?

Yes! This helps us keep track of who’s working with whom and who’s working alone.

What if my group members flake on me/don’t do their share of the work?

First, try speaking with your group members. If that doesn’t work, send an email to your instructors or UCAs/TAs. For sections 0101-0103, you can fill out the Google Form linked here letting us know what the problem is.

What if I decide after the group finalization date that I would like to work alone instead?

Send an email to your UCA/TA and/or instructors. They’ll make a note of it and ensure you’re removed from the group.

How do we record our presentation?

Zoom is probably the easiest way. Get everyone in a Zoom meeting, someone shares the slides, then press the record button and end the recording when you’re through. You can also use WebEx, Google Meet, or any other recording software or program. UMD students get Adobe Creative Cloud for free, so if you would like to edit your video, you can use Adobe Premiere (or whatever software you prefer).

What formats are okay to use for the presentation?

We would very much prefer you upload the video to YouTube (due to its auto-subtitle feature) and submit a link. The video can be public or unlisted, but must be viewable by the instructional team.

What happens if we submit the project early?

Once the assignment has been submitted, it will be considered complete and ready for grading.

What if I/we need to make changes after submitting?

Please email your UCA/TA or instructors as quickly as possible to let us know. You don’t have to wait until you’re ready to resubmit – please send an email as soon as you know you’re going to be resubmitting. That way, your project doesn’t have to be graded more than once.

Course Participation (20%)

This grade is based on your ACTIVE participation in in-class activities (lecture and discussion). Sections 020X - 030X will also have required bi-weekly online discussion boards. Each student is expected to make substantive contributions to the learning experience, and full attendance (i.e., joining class on time and staying for the entire duration) is expected for every session.

There are two quizzes, each worth 10% of your overall grade: Quiz 1 will be administered in Week 7. It will cover weeks 1 through 5. Quiz 2 will be administered in Week 12. It will cover weeks 6 through 11. Quizzes will be administered online via ELMS.

The final exam is worth 15% of your overall grade. It will be administered online via ELMS and will be available from 12:01am on Monday, May 15 until 11:59am on Thursday, May 18.

Information Behavior Analysis (10%)

This assignment consists of two parts: creating an infographic and responding to a classmate’s infographic. Your infographic will describe one of your own recent information-seeking experiences from the last month or so. It should explore what this experience reveals about your information needs, how and where you search for and use information, and the challenges you encounter in the process. It must also demonstrate a clear understanding of key course concepts, including information, information needs, information seeking, and information behavior. The second part involves responding thoughtfully to a classmate’s infographic, engaging with their experience and connecting it to course ideas.

Research Article Analysis (20%)

This assignment includes two parts: a Pre-Survey (5%) and a Paper (15%). You will begin by selecting a peer-reviewed scholarly journal article that focuses on the information behavior of a population of your choice. You will submit this article via the Pre-Survey for approval, which is intended to help you prepare for the paper and to give us an opportunity to provide feedback before you begin writing. You will then write a short paper (1,000–1,500 words) that summarizes and critiques the article, discusses how the findings can be applied to meet the information needs of the selected population, and offers ideas for future research.

Campus Community Connection Research Pitch (20%)

Working alone or in a small group (2-4 students) of your choosing, you will explore a real-world issue facing a local community by planning a research study to better understand users and the problem. Each group will select a topic from a provided list and develop a pitch for a study designed to collect relevant data. You will create and present a brief research pitch outlining the problem, your proposed approach, and the reasoning behind your decisions.

Dr. Marsh is an Assistant Professor in Archives & Digital Curation in the College of Information. Her research focuses on community access to archives, particularly for Native and Indigenous collections. She holds doctoral and masters degrees in anthropology and museum studies, and an undergraduate BfA in visual art and photography.

Miranda is a PhD candidate in the College of Information. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from UMD and a BS in Art History from Towson University. Her research examines the information behaviors and lived experiences of people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, with a focus on women with autoimmune diseases. In addition to the long COVID project, her recent work includes a study of the information seeking practices of LGBTQ+ people with disabilities and another examining the information behaviors of women with lupus. When she’s not working, Miranda can usually be found with her very spoiled flock of 16 pet chickens.

Dr. Beth St. Jean is an Associate Professor in the College of Information. She teaches courses about people's information needs and seeking and about the many different methods that information scholars and professionals use to conduct research. Beth's research focuses on people's health-related information seeking and health justice. She is currently conducting a study with doctoral candidates J. Nicole Miller, Miranda Downey, and Jane Behre, investigating the information needs, information seeking, and information-related experiences of people who have long COVID.

Nicole is a PhD candidate in the College of Information. Her research interests are the information behaviors of teens and young adults in fandom spaces (fanfiction, fan conventions, fan communities, etc.) and in regards to leisure (or recreational) reading. She has a BA in literary studies from the University of Texas at Dallas and an MS in library and information science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. When she’s not working on her dissertation, Nicole enjoys reading, crochet, baking, video games, board games, and playing with her two cats (whom you will see quite a bit this semester in slides).

Jane Behre is a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Information. Her research focuses on the secret information needs and practices of LGBTQ+ young adults. Other research interests include everyday life information practices, information literacy, and health information behavior. She was a Research & Teaching Fellow at McKeldin Library and taught information literacy skills to first-year English 101 students during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years. She holds an MLIS from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a BA from Barnard College. When she isn't teaching she enjoys hanging out with her dog, reading science fiction books, and playing video games. She is always happy to chat if you have questions about class, grad school, or anything else related to information behavior.

Quiz 1 will open on Thursday, March 5th at 12:01am and will close PROMPTLY at 11:59PM on Tuesday, March 10th.

When is the Information Behavior Analysis due?

Infographics should be posted on the ELMS discussion board by 11:59pm on Friday, February 20th. Peer responses are due by 11:59PM on Sunday, February 22nd.

When is the Research Article Analysis Pre-Survey due?

The Pre-Survey is due by 11:59pm on Friday, February 27th. You should receive feedback one to two weeks after the deadline. If your article DOES NOT meet all of the criteria, you will be provided with suggestions for similar ones that fit your selected population and the assignment and asked to resubmit to gain back points.

Quiz 2 opens on Thursday, April 16th at 12:01am and closes PROMPTLY at 11:59PM on Tuesday, April 21st.

When is the Research Article Analysis Paper due?

The paper is due by 11:59PM on Friday, April 10th.

When is the CCC Research Pitch Group & Topic due?

Group and topic finalization are due by 11:59pm Friday, April 3rd. You will submit a response to a Google Form, telling us the names of your group members (or if you’ll be working alone) and which project you’ve selected.

When will the final exam be held?

The final exam will be administered via ELMS. It will be available from 12:01am on Monday, May 11th until 11:59 PM on Thursday, May 14th.

When is the CCC Research Pitch Census Data Analysis due?

The Census Data Analysis portion of this assignment is due by 11:59pm on Friday, April 24th.

When are the final CCC Research Pitches due?

Final Pitches are due by 11:59pm on Friday, May 8th. This submission should include all materials — slide deck, video recording, document explaining how work was divided (for groups).

What are office hours and why should I use them?

Office hours are dedicated times when your instructor or TA is available to help you. You can drop in to ask questions about assignments, clarify course material, get feedback, or discuss concerns. You don’t need an appointment unless you'd like to speak privately.

What if I don’t know what to ask during office hours?

That’s okay! You can just listen in, go over a recent assignment, or talk through what you’re struggling with — you don’t need to have a perfect question prepared. It's a casual and low-pressure way to get support.

Who do I contact for different types of questions?

This will depend on your instructor. They should address this in class and/or include this information on ELMS.

What’s the best way to contact the instructor or TAs?

This depends on the instructor, but for most of is, email is the best and most reliable method. Please check the syllabus for your instructor’s preferences. Always include your full name, course name, and a clear subject line (e.g., “INST352 – Question Quiz 2”). You can also visit during office hours for live help.

When are office hours held?

Please see each instructor’s contact info tab above and/or your syllabus.

What’s the participation policy?

Active participation is expected for all students. This includes attending class sessions, engaging in discussions and activities, and (for sections 020X and 030X) contributing to online discussion boards.

What’s the late work policy?

A 10% penalty will be deducted for each day or part of a day that an assignment is late. Assignments submitted more than five (5) days late will not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor.

What’s the AI policy?

Use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, automated writing assistants) is not allowed and is considered a violation of academic integrity. Any assignment found to contain AI-generated content will be subject to grade deductions. Continued use after a warning will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct.

Where do I find assignment instructions and due dates?

Assignment instructions, rubrics, and due dates are all posted on ELMS as well as on this Linktree. Make sure to check each week’s module for any updates or additional details.

Are there assignment rubrics?

Yes. Rubrics explaining how each assignment will be graded are attached to every assignment. You can also find them on this Linktree (assignment details PDFs) and on the Google Docs version of the Syllabus.

How do I submit assignments?

Unless otherwise instructed, all assignments should be submitted via ELMS before the deadline.

When will grades be posted?

Grades are typically posted within one to two weeks after the assignment deadline. You can view your grades under the 'Grades' tab on ELMS.

Will grades be curved or rounded up?

No. Individual assignment grades and final course grades are not curved or rounded up.

About the Instruction Team

Q: Part 1: Group & Topic Finalization

Due April 3, 2026 - By this date, you will need to submit a response to the Google Form (link on ELMS), telling us: (1) The names of all members of your group or if you will be working alone; and (2) which project you have selected.