Dear student,
We are very pleased to welcome you to this master’s programme!
Here, you will learn to work strategically with various forms of data and information. You will also develop the ability to critically reflect on the role of data in society, within organisations, and from a user perspective. Throughout the programme, you will prepare for a dynamic job market where you can pursue expert roles or continue toward an academic career.
We will meet for a programme introduction on Zoom on Tuesday, 1 September at 09:30 AM (CET).
Please join via this link: https://hb-se.zoom.us/j/5579737315
Your first course is Introduction to Information science, and a course introduction will be given live in Zoom at 13.00 CET on September 1. You can already find the literature list for this course at the end of this letter if you would like to start preparing for your studies.
Many of course literature is available digitally and free of charge from the university library, where you will also be able access databases and other resources with your student account. As students on this programme, you will read and write longer academic texts in English. If your previous studies have not included much reading and writing in English, it can be a good idea to start practicing a little over the summer.
You should have access to a newer computer and a good enough internet connection. A headset is strongly recommended and a web camera a must for participation in zoom sessions. You may have to buy some teaching materials for your studies.
Studying for this master’s degree requires about 40 hours of study per week. Teaching is conducted during working hours Swedish time, CET. This means that you need to be prepared to participate in some live workshops and seminars and attend lectures and meetings on zoom during the day. Some lectures will be recorded. You need also to allocate time for reading course literature and working on assignments. In some courses, there will be group assignments where you team up with other students to complete an examination task together. We have a few voluntary sessions on campus in Borås during these two years, which you will receive information about them in due course.
Due to the full-time demands of this programme, we do not recommend that you work more than part time while studying. Although studying online for two years offers you some flexibility it also means that you need to take responsibility for structuring your own days in order to pass your courses. If you have studied humanities or social sciences, the challenging part may be our technological courses. If you have a computer science or IT background, there will be subjects dealing with critical perspectives and societal issues relating to information in digital environments that may make new demands of you, especially in written assignments.
We are very happy that you have chosen to study with us at The Swedish School of Library and Information Science (SSLIS), University of Borås. We are the largest information studies department in Sweden and a member of the iSchools network. Research conducted here is making an impact worldwide, and the department has strong contacts with the professional and research community in Sweden, Europe and around the world. As a student on this programme you develop your own skills and critical thinking about information while building your own international community and network of information professionals.
We once again welcome you and look forward to seeing you in September.
Kayvan Yousefi Mojir, Program Coordinator
Important information
Registration
Don’t forget to register to keep your place in the programme. By registering, you confirm that you intend to study and wish to keep your place. If you are a Swedish citizen, your registration will be reported to the Swedish Board of Student Finance (CSN), making you eligible for grants and loans. Registration is also required in order to participate in the education and to ensure that your results from examinations can be recorded.
At the same time as registering, you will create your student account. With the student account, you gain access to the systems you need for your studies, such as Zoom and the virtual learning platform Canvas. You also get access to your email account.
On the page “New Student” on the university website, you will find useful information for new students and links to different systems.
New student
Schedule in KronoX
The schedule is found in the digital scheduling tool KronoX, where live lectures, seminars and workshops will be found.
Your schedule in KronoX
The virtual learning platform Canvas is used to organise different course modules, and is where you will find recorded lectures, study materials, submission portals for examinations and information about live sessions in zoom. There are different Canvas areas for you to keep track of:
The programme area MAIDI26h in Canvas will show information regarding the whole programme, prerequisites, upcoming registrations to courses in later periods, urgent messages, etc.
Course areas in Canvas will show all details regarding the content and examinations for the specific course modules. There will be a dedicated Canvas area for each course you take during your studies.
Literature list for the first course: Introduction to Information Science
Bawden, D., & Robinson, L. (2022). Introduction to Information Science (2 uppl.). London: Facet Publishing. (384 s.) [Available electronically through the HB Library]
Buckland, M. (2012). What kind of science can information science be? Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 63(1), 1–7. [Available electronically through the HB Library]
Nolin, J. (2024). Information sciences and sustainability. I P. Heisig (red.), Handbook on Information Sciences (s. 342–358). Elgar. (15 s.) [Available electronically through the HB Library]
