Information retrieval curricula; contexts and perspectives

This paper reports work on curriculum development for information retrieval, in the wider context of information seeking and human information behaviour. It forms part of a larger EU-supported project, aimed at joint post-Bologna curriculum development for library and information science (LIS) in Europe. No attempt is made to specify a single curriculum for information retrieval, and its associated topics. Instead an analysis of the wider area is made, in terms of its three aspects (human information behaviour, information seeking and information retrieval) and three perspectives or paradigms, by which it may be presented (human- or user-centred, culture-centred and system-centred). These led to a set of 28 topics, covering the whole theme, from which courses at a variety of levels (Batchelor, Master, or professional development), depth, and subject focus may be constructed.