An Information Design curriculum for Information Science

• Grant number: 19/16125-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: October 30, 2019
• End date: March 19, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Information Science - Library and Information Science
• Principal Investigator: Maria José Vicentini Jorente
• Grantee: João Augusto Dias Barreira e Oliveira
• Supervisor: Jeanne-Louise Moys
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências (FFC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Marília. Marília , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Reading, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 16/23677-4 - DEVELOPING AN INFORMATION DESIGN DISCIPLINE MODEL FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE, BP.DR

Abstract

The technological transformations of the last decades have made it possible to glimpse new horizons in relation to information and its communication. Archives, libraries and museums are providing their products and services on digital environments. From a curriculum perspective, disciplines like Library and Information Science are increasingly challenged to keep up with technological innovations that change rapidly and may become inadequate or obsolete within a short time. In this respect, there is a social and disciplinary need to update and evolve theory and professional practice to develop sustainable approaches that foreground the needs of information users within changing technological contexts. The discipline and professional practices of Information Design offer precedents for theoretical and practical foundations that focus on the efficient and effective presentation of information for users and systems. The main purpose of the proposed research is to create an Information Design curriculum for Information Science. A cross-disciplinary model for archival and library science students that draws on Information Design thinking and skills to support how to present information in meaningful and accessible ways. The chosen methodology is a combination of bibliographic and exploratory research applied similarly as in the PhD thesis. Since our research theme handles two different disciplines, Design and Information Science, the exploratory nature must be contextual and dialogical. The research project will involve a deep analysis of the archival, bibliographic and pedagogic sources available at the University of Reading and engagement with the Information Design professional community in the United Kingdom. The publication of a model resulting from this analysis will demonstrate ways in which Information Science professionals can embed more effective ways of presenting information into everyday practice and highlight the implications for curriculum development.