Course Calendar for COM541: Information Structure and Retrieval

UNIT A: XML and Structured Information

8/21 Welcome and Introductions; Beginning from What You (May) Already Know

Synopsis: Welcome to the course and meeting everyone. We go over the course website and policies, and get right down to work looking at the structure of information in XHTML and XML, and play around with microformats.

• Technical Topics: XHTML refresher, microformats, XML
• In-Class Activities:
  • Welcome, Introductions
  • Course Website and Policies
  • Register on Wiki
  • Work with XHTML and XML
• Readings for Next Week:
  • IAWWW Ch. 1-3, 13, 14, 16
  • Beginning XML Introduction, Ch. 1-3
• Activities for Next Week:
  • Familiarize yourself with the wiki and its markup and functionality
  • Add yourself to the CourseMembers page with a link to your personal page (e.g., KarlS)
  • Write a biography of yourself at your personal page
  • Register for a Delicious account; post URL of your account (e.g., http://del.icio.us/kstolley ) on your personal page

8/28 Structuring Information for Multiple Purposes

Synopsis: We dive into working with XML, the use of tags for different types of structure, and the metadata that tags alone convey. We also consider internationalization and data formats.

• Technical Topics: XML Tags and Structure (well-formed XML)
• In-Class Activities:
  • Reading Discussion
  • Writing XML to model information structure
    • XML with a root element
    • XML with the XML declaration
    • XML with the XHTML namespace
  • Project 1 Planning
• Readings for Next Week:
  • IAWWW Ch. 4-6, 9
  • Beginning XML Ch. 4-6
  • Applen, J.D. (2001). Extensible markup languages and traditional abstracting and indexing strategies. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 44(3), 202-206. (Hint: Get all articles on this calendar through the library's website)
  • Sapienza, F. (2002). Does being technical matter? XML, single source, and technical communication. Journal of Writing and Technical Communication, 32(2), 155-170.
• Activities for Next Week:
  • Find, learn about, and post an XML application (e.g, RSS, DocBook, DITA) to the course wiki
  • Project 1 Work: Settle on your data set, mark up some of it in XML (hint: see if there are extant XML applications that cross over with your structural needs)
  • Post your project XML to the wiki (hint: use your wiki name followed clever page names to keep yourself organized), and be prepared to workshop it next week

9/4 Expressing and Sharing Understandings of Structure

Synopsis: We consider XML applications people have found. We also look at ways that XML allows applications to be extended, and look at writing DTDs and schemas to share customized structures/XML applications--and the importance of XML application documentation for humans.

• Technical Topics: XML Applications & Schema (valid XML)
• In-Class Activities:
  • Discuss pressing issues of journal access
  • Reading Discussion
  • Pick up Namespace example from last week
  • Writing within the rules of an XML Application
  • Writing XML Schema
  • Project 1 Workshopping of your XML document
• Readings for Next Week:
  • IAWWW Ch. 10-12
  • w3schools tutorial on XPath
  • w3schools tutorial on XSLT
  • For enrichment: Beginning XML Ch. 7-8
  • Battalio, J. T. (2002). Extensible Markup Language: How might it alter the software documentation process and the role of the technical communicator? Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 32(3), 209-244.
• Activities for Next Week:
  • Project 1 Work: Refining your XML; incorporating an extant XML application/namespace?

9/11 Human and Machine Manipulations of Structure

Synopsis: We look at how XML is more than just a language for adding structure, but a language that has additional forms for manipulating and transforming structured information.

• Technical Topics: Transforming XML to XHTML
• In-Class Activities:
  • Reading Discussion (30 mins)
  • XML plus XSLT to XHTML Demonstration (30mins)
  • Workshop-o-Rama
• Activities for Next Week:
  • Finish Project 1 and Prepare Presentation
  • BRING DEDICATED USB DRIVE (min. 2 gigabytes)

UNIT B: Databases and Dynamically-Generated Structured Information

9/18 The Move Toward Dynamic Data Generation

Project 1 Due; Presentations

Synopsis: XML as has been covered so far has dealt exclusively with "flat files"; in this next unit, we examine the shortcomings of flat-file systems for organizations, and how server-driven dynamic languages and databases address those shortcomings--while introducing new problems and challenges to technical communicators and information architects.

• Technical Topics: Introducing XAMPP and PHP; using PHP to Generate XML
• In-Class Activities:
  • Project Presentations
• Readings for Next Week:
  • IAWWW Ch. 17-19
  • Beginning PHP and MySQL Ch. 1, 3, 25, 30.
  • Applen, J.D. (2002). Technical communication, knowledge management, and XML. Technical Communication 49(3), 301-313.
  • Clark, D. & Andersen, R. (2005). Renegotiating with technology: Training towards more sustainable technical communication. Technical Communication, 52(3), 289-301.

9/25 Servers on Sticks; Structuring Database Tables

Synopsis: While XML allows for easy, on-the-fly and even ad-hoc structure, databases require far more advanced planning. What can be learned from XML modeling and applied to database design.

• Technical Topics: MySQL databases, tables and columns (PHPMyAdmin)
• In-Class Activities:
  • Reading Discussion
  • Setting up Servers-on-a-Stick (USB + XAMPP)
  • Beginning PHP; generating XML from PHP
• Readings for Next Week:
  • IAWWW Ch. 15
  • Sapienza, F. (2004). Usability, structured content, and single sourcing with XML. Technical Communication 51(3), 399-408.
  • Carter, L. (2003). The implications of single sourcing for writers and writing. Technical Communication 50(3), 317-320.
  • Williams, J. D. (2003). The implications of single sourcing for technical communicators. Technical Communication 50(3), 321-327.
• Activities for Next Week:
  • Work with your Server-on-a-Stick (USB + XAMPP)
  • Project 2 Planning

10/2 NO CLASS: CPTSC

10/9 Structuring Databases, Building Forms

Synopsis: We look at building database tables and corresponding XHTML forms for entering data.

• In-Class Activities:
  • Working with PHPMyAdmin
  • Building databases and XHTML forms for a simple email address book
  • Understanding how PHP handles form data (the $_POST variable)
• Readings for Next Week:
  • IAWWW Ch. 7, 8
  • ...
• Activities for Next Week:
  • Build draft databases and XHTML form for Project 2

10/16 NO CLASS: FALL BREAK

10/23 Putting Things In, Getting Things Out

Synopsis: Writing basic SQL queries in PHPMyAdmin and PHP. We also look at the role of URLs/URIs in information architecture, and their role in browsing and other findability matters.

• Technical Topics: (My)SQL queries (PHPMyAdmin); Query strings, Apache mod_rewrite URLs & URIs + PHP Queries
• In-Class Activities:
  • Sample project
  • SQL Query-writing
  • URL Rewriting
• In-Class Activities:
  • Query strings to PHP for database queries
  • Query strings and mod_rewrite; regexp and security issues
• Readings for Next Week:
  • IAWWW Ch. 20, 21
  • ...
• Activities for Next Week:
  • Build scripts for entering and updating database records via your XHTML form

10/30 In-Class Work(shopping)

Synopsis: Time for intensive work to finish Project 2

• In-Class Activities
  • Working on Project 2
• Activities for Next Week:
  • Finish Project 2 and Prepare Presentation

UNIT C: Single-Sourcing

11/6 Database-Generated XML

Project 2 Due; Presentations
Synopsis: Project presentations; database-generated XML (if time).

• Technical Topics: MySQL Databases to XML via PHP; Indexing and Search
• In-Class Activities
  • Project presentations
  • PHP, MySQL, and XML-o-rama
• Activities for Next Week:
  • ...

11/13 Single-Sourcing and Views

Synopsis: We begin a brief unit on single-sourcing, perhaps the hottest (though widely misunderstood) topic in technical communication and information architecture.

• Technical Topics: Single-sourcing schemes
• In-Class Activities:
  • Project Presentations
  • Looking at single-sourcing models
  • Example of Project 3, Part 1
• Readings for Next Week (choose 3 or so from the following):
  • Albers, M. J. (2003). Single sourcing and the technical communication career path. Technical Communication 50(3), 335-343.
  • Eble, M. F. (2003). The effects of single sourcing on the teaching of technical communication. Technical Communication 50(3), 344-349.
  • Rockley, A. (2003). Single sourcing: It's about people, not just technology. Technical Communication 50(3), 350-354.
  • Bist, G. (1994). Single-source manuals. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 37(2), 81-87.
  • Sapienza, F. (2007). A rhetorical approach to single-sourcing via intertextuality. Technical Communication Quarterly, 16(1), 83-101.
  • Broberg, M. (2004). A successful documentation management system using XML. Technical Communication 51(4), 537-546.
• Activities for Next Week:
  • Project 3

11/20 Work Week

• In-Class Activities: Finishing up Project 3
• Activities for Next Week:
  • Finish Project 3 and Prepare Presentation

11/27 NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING

12/4 Final Project Presentations

Project 3 Due; Presentations
Synopsis: We present final projects, say goodbye, and perhaps go out together in celebration afterward.