Spring 2026 Courses
- Intro to Information Studies
- Intro Data Lifecycle Mgmt
- Prepare for Undergrad Research
- Research Immersion in Information Studies
- Data Science & Society: ELSI
- Understand Undergrad Research I
- Information, Culture and Society
- Data Foundations, Tools, and Applications
- SPIRaL Pt. 2: Conducting Information Literacy Research
- Understanding Your Resrch Data
- Understand Undergrad Research II
- Information Strategies for the Use of AI
- Research Methods for Rare Books
- Beyond Undergrad Research
- Info Strategies for Health Professionals
- Research Peer Mentorship
- Intro to Systematic Review for Health Sciences Disciplines
- Visual Media Smart
- Medieval Mis/Disinformation
- Geo Data Sci with ArcGIS&Python
- Computational Text Analysis
- Introduction to Natural Language Processing
Intro to Information Studies | ILS 10000
Bethany McGowan | Victoria Dawkins
Introduction to Information Studies will provide a foundation for navigating and engaging with the information-rich world. Students will define and assess information in order to address real-world situations; map their information landscape and effectively engage with information systems as well as human sources of information; develop a practice of critical and ethical information use; and conceptualize, apply, and examine the strategies for information and knowledge management, production, and dissemination. Students will examine the societal impact and implications of information and information privilege to explore the applications and consequences of information, in addition to examining data practices and methods. This will provide students with an opportunity to strengthen their research and information literacy skills, reflect in an informed and critical manner, and give them the tools to successfully make ethical, evidence-based decisions in the academic and professional context.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | 29478-001 | ASYNC ONLINE | 3.0 | Full Term |
Intro Data Lifecycle Mgmt | ILS 10300
Chao Cai | Wei Zakharov | Michael Witt
Introduces concepts of the management of data throughout its lifecycle. Understanding different types of data and their functions. Managing data in the context of a particular discipline or profession. Finding and evaluating data purposefully. Using data ethically and responsibly. Creating and sharing data for reuse, accountability, and enhancement. Making decisions and communicating using data, including data analysis and visualization. Protecting and archiving data. This course is currently required for the Engineering in the World of Data LC. Additional sections are offered for students not in the LC.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | 17377-002 | ASYNC ONLINE | 1.0 | Full Term | |
| DIS | 29458-003 | ASYNC ONLINE | 1.0 | Full Term |
Prepare for Undergrad Research | ILS 18000
JJ Sadler | Amy Childress
This course is for prospective Purdue undergraduate researchers who are interested in conducting undergraduate research or creative endeavors. Purdue students who have not already started an independent research project with a research mentor will learn valuable skills to market themselves to individuals and research programs. Throughout the course, students will develop components for a final application packet to submit to a research team or program they choose.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | 16928-001 | ASYNC ONLINE | 1.0 | Full Term |
Research Immersion in Information Studies | ILS 19500
Samantha LeGrand
This course is required for students in the Information Studies Research Accelerator LC (Learning Community). It provides an overview of information studies research topics, values, and methodologies. This includes topics such as AI ethics, misinformation in politics and healthcare, and social media culture. Students will be introduced to a variety of research approaches and methods used in the field of information studies, such as digital humanities (DH), geographic information systems (GIS), interviewing, and focus groups. In this course, students will develop the skills to ask research questions, select and apply appropriate methods, design research projects, and share with a community of fellow researchers. This class equips students with research thinking skills and prepares students for an optional research project in the spring semester, in which they will conduct original research and share their findings to make a lasting scholarly and societal impact.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEC | 39221-LC1 | TTh 12:00-01:15 PM | STEW 142 | 3.0 | Full Term |
Data Science & Society: ELSI | ILS 23000
Melissa Chomintra | Michael Fosmire | Victoria Dawkins | Jerilyn Tinio
This course provides an introduction to Ethical, Legal Social Issues (ELSI) in Data Science. Students will be introduced to interdisciplinary theoretical and practical frameworks that can aid in exploring the impact and role of Data Science in society. This is a writing intensive course. Students will work individually and on collaborative assignments.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | 23991-001 | ASYNC ONLINE | 3.0 | Full Term | |
| DIS | 24369-003 | ASYNC ONLINE | 3.0 | Full Term | |
| DIS | 29457-005 | ASYNC ONLINE | 3.0 | Full Term | |
| LEC | 39191-007 | TTh 01:30-2:45 PM | SCHM 302 | 3.0 | Full Term |
Understand Undergrad Research I | ILS 28000
JJ Sadler | Amy Childress
This course is for current Purdue undergraduate researchers to hone skills necessary for successfully reflecting on and completing the experience. During this course, students will utilize their research experience to apply skills such as managing time with a research project, communicating your research, utilizing Purdue Libraries’ resources, and providing feedback to peer researchers. Students will deliver research pitches about their own project and provide critiques to others’ pitches.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | 16932-001 | ASYNC ONLINE | 1.0 | Full Term |
Information, Culture, and Society | ILS 30000
Annette Bochenek | Andrea Hayes
Information and information systems shape our beliefs, influence decision-making, define our collective knowledge, and are integral to being an informed, responsible, and engaged citizen in our modern world. This course will examine the intricate relationship between information and society to better understand how information ecosystems, constituted by various technologies and practices, shape and are shaped by individual identities, structures of power, and ethical considerations/human values. Using an interdisciplinary and team-based approach, students will gain essential skills to navigate their information-rich world.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | 28243-001 | ASYNC ONLINE | 3.0 | Full Term |
Data Foundations, Tools, and Applications | ILS 30100
Thomas Gerrish | Neal Baker
Data are everywhere. Data permeates every aspect of our lives, from journalistic reporting to workplace projects to artificial intelligence applications. This course covers the basics of the data research lifecycle, including locating and managing datasets, along with applying different methods and tools a to craft compelling stories about data. Students will learn the difference between data and information and how to transform raw data into information to be communicated to a wider audience. This course offers unique skills for students from any discipline who want to discover the world of data.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | 29980-001 | ASYNC ONLINE | 3.0 | Full Term |
SPIRaL, Part 2: Conducting Information Literacy Research | ILS 33600
Clarence Maybee | Rachel Fundator
Over the course of a year-long research experience, SPIRaL undergraduate researchers engage in original research to investigate how information literacy–in its many forms–can inform real-world solutions to contemporary information challenges, such as mis/disinformation. The second semester of SPIRaL builds upon the work completed in the previous semester. We will spend the first half of the semester analyzing the data collected last semester. We will then present our research approach, findings, and implications in various scholarly venues.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEC | 28237-001 | T 01:30-02:20 PM | STEW 142 | 1.0 | Full Term |
Understanding Your Research Data | ILS 35000
Wei Zakharov
This course applies research data life cycle ethical management principles to students’ current undergraduate research experience. It entails proper research data planning, collection, description, organization, management, visualization, preservation, communication, and ethical use. Students will be able to produce research data that can be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (Data FAIR principles). This course has been offered twice as a variable title course ILS395, in Spring 2024 and Spring 2025. The course meets the requirements for the upcoming undergraduate research certificate, which will be launched in Fall 2025, as well as the Libraries minor.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | 40252-002 | ASYNC ONLINE | 1.0 | Full Term |
Understand Undergrad Research II | ILS 38000
JJ Sadler | Amy Childress
This course is for current Purdue undergraduate researchers to build upon the previous course and focus on research data collection, presentation, and communication for current Purdue undergraduate researchers. During this course, students will learn and discuss various forms of data and collection practices. Students will develop their own academic poster to present their research project’s data and implications. Students are encouraged to present their poster at one of Purdue’s undergraduate research conferences near the end of the semester.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | 19635-001 | ASYNC ONLINE | 1.0 | Full Term |
Information Strategies for the Use of AI | ILS 39500
Jing Lu | Zoeanna Mayhook
This course introduces students to the practical evaluation and application of AI tools. Students will learn the basic functions of algorithms, their potential for bias, and critically investigate the application of AI in various disciplines, gaining valuable skills in evaluating the strengths, limitations, and ethical considerations of AI tools. Through hands-on activities, students will develop the ability to apply AI strategically in their respective fields. The skills gained in evaluating the application of AI tools will empower students to confidently learn and apply new AI tools in the future. The course is designed for students from diverse academic backgrounds who seek to explore the evolving role of AI in navigating today’s complex information landscape.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEC | 39213-002 | ASYNC ONLINE | 1.0 | Weeks 1-8 |
Research Methods for Rare Books | ILS 44500
Kristin Leaman | Adriana Harmeyer
This seminar will introduce students to the exciting world of rare books and the endless research possibilities they provide. We will cover the many methods necessary in understanding and successfully researching rare books primarily published between the 15th and 19th centuries. Students will engage with multiple rare books from the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections as part of in-class activities and assignments. Applying what they learn from reading and discussion to real-life examples will create hands-on, active-learning experiences that will enhance their own critical thinking skills when researching a rare book. Each week will include components of discussion, learning activities, and lectures.
Rare book research lends itself very well to interdisciplinary study in the humanities, especially in the fields of History, History of Science, English Literature, Education, Philosophy, Sociology, Theatre, Art & Design, Anthropology, Languages and Cultures, Communication, and Comparative Literature. Rare books and scholarly reading materials used in this course will cover a broad variety of subject areas, including humanities and science. This course will take a critical lens to the history of rare books, the history of book collecting and book dealing, cataloguing practices, provenance and ownership, and how all of this informs one’s research in the field. What is collected and why? Who decides what is rare and what is important? What is missing? We will explore these important questions and more in this course.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEC | 39212-001 | TTh 01:30-02:45 PM | STEW 462 | 3.0 | Full Term |
Beyond Undergrad Research | ILS 48000
JJ Sadler | Amy Childress
This course is for current Purdue undergraduate researchers to build on previous courses and focus on continuing their education in graduate or professional school. During this course, students will learn and discuss the various phases of identifying, selecting, applying to and funding graduate or professional school programs. Students will also gain a deeper comprehension of the qualities and skills that make research mentors effective while developing skills they will need to be successful mentees and peer mentors. Students will conduct research to identify potential programs of interest and develop a statement of purpose.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | 16934-001 | ASYNC ONLINE | 1.0 | Full Term |
Info Strategies for Health Professionals | ILS 49500
Andrea Hayes
So you want to go to medical school or veterinary school, or become a chiropractor, dentist, public health specialist, osteopath, occupational therapist, physical therapist, physician’s assistant, or get a PhD and do clinical research. Take this course to develop critical information skills to support your professional goals and prepare you for graduate or professional school. Show up on day one of professional or graduate school knowing how to navigate PubMed and other databases, differentiate between various types of research articles, and save and organize articles so you can easily locate them, “cite while you write,” and share articles with your classmates or research group.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | 17632-004 | ASYNC ONLINE | 1.0 | Weeks 1-8 |
Research Peer Mentorship | ILS 49500
Amy Childress | JJ Sadler
This course is for current Purdue undergraduate researchers who want to learn how to serve as peer mentors to undergraduate researchers early in their careers. This course will train students on how to create mutually beneficial and productive mentorships. This course will provide research-based best practices for mentoring newer student researchers while developing as a cohort of new research mentors. This course is especially useful for those students who enjoy supporting peer researchers or plan to continue into more formal mentorship roles as a senior undergraduate researcher, graduate student, or research supervisor in academia or industry. Must be a current undergraduate researcher.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEC | 25764-003 | ASYNC ONLINE | 1.0 | Full Term |
Introduction To Systematic Review For The Health Sciences | ILS 52000
Jason Reed | Paige Bradshaw
This course will introduce systematic review methodology of published health sciences literature. Students will learn to form research questions, develop inclusion and exclusion criteria, search for evidence, manage data, and assess the risk of bias.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEC | 39225-001 | MW 10:30-11:45 AM | HIKS G959 | 3.0 | Full Term |
Visual Media Smart | ILS 59500
Sarah Huber
Visual media is an ever-increasing medium that includes PowerPoints, poster projects, data visualizations, infographics, design drawings, and videos, among other forms of media. In this course, students will actively engage with visual literacy practices to make informed decisions when choosing visual media to communicate their message. Students will utilize design principles for impactful visuals, including accessibility practices, and apply ethical use of visual information, among other topics. Being able to read and create visual images, as well as work effectively in a team environment, is a professional skill highly demanded by the workforce. This course will not only prepare students to communicate effectively through visuals for their program-specific coursework, but also enhance their competency to enter the workforce.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEC | 39210-005 | TTh 03:00-04:15 PM | WALC 3045 | 3.0 | Full Term |
Medieval Mis/Disinformation | ILS 59500
Kristin Leaman
The four modules in this course will focus on: 1.) Foundations of Mis- and Disinformation Studies; 2.) Fakes and Forgeries, 3.) Propaganda and Conspiracy Theories, and 4.) Prophecies, Prognostications, and Magic within the larger context of how mis-and disinformation was created and disseminated in and about the Middle Ages. We will discuss what it means to examine medieval primary and secondary source materials on these topics within a mis- and disinformation framework. This approach will allow us to further analyze the cultural and political impacts of information creation and dissemination on race, class, and gender in the Middle Ages and beyond through the lens of Information Studies.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEC | 32235-004 | TTh 12:00-01:15 PM | WTHR 420 | 3.0 | Full Term |
Geo Data Sci with ArcGIS&Python | ILS 59500
Gang Shao
This course is designed to help you learn fundamental Python programming concepts, get introduced to the Python scripting environment within ArcGIS Pro, perform data visualization and advanced analytical skills using Python libraries for GIS and spatial data science, automate GIS tasks, learn to use version control with Git and practice basics of sharing code using GitHub. These topics will be taught in the context of solving geoscientific problems. The course consists of readings, quizzes, and laboratory exercises about programming concepts and techniques and a final term project. You will be encouraged to research concepts, examples, and content from online resources such as Esri, stack overflow, GIS StackExc
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEC | 13729-001 | TTh 01:30-02:45 PM | WALC 3045 | 3.0 | Full Term |
Computational Text Analysis | ILS 65000
Spencer Stewart
Computational analysis of textual data has become increasingly important in the world of digital humanities, digital history, data science, and computational social science. This course provides an introduction to the methods, debates, controversies, and tools of computational text analysis (CTA) specifically crafted for the humanities and social science graduate student. Students will explore the central theoretical debates in CTA while also learning practical hands-on skills in corpus creation, OCR, text mining, topic modeling, sentiment analysis, and other methods. They will learn how CTA relates to established interpretative practices in the larger histories of the humanities and social sciences and the broader context of their own disciplines, and will consider both the possibilities and the limitations of CTA in their own work. While the course is designed for a beginner with little technical training, students will become familiar with the basic elements of coding/ scripting using the programming language R and other tools. Upon completion of this course, students will understand the challenges of CTA, be conversant with major theoretical discussions around CTA, and have a foundational understanding of the steps required to incorporate CTA into their regular research practices and particular projects.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEC | 29988-002 | W 10:30-11:20 AM | WALC 3045 | 3.0 | Full Term |
| LAB | 29987-001 | W 11:30 AM-01:20 PM | WALC 3045 | 3.0 | Full Term |
Introduction to Natural Language Processing | ILS 65100
Gang Shao
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental concepts, techniques, and applications in the field of natural language processing. Using Python programming, students will learn to implement NLP tasks from basic text processing to advanced techniques, including sentiment analysis to discern emotions from text and topic modeling to uncover latent themes within large datasets. Additionally, students will explore emerging technologies such as generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) and their implications for NLP. By the end of this course, students will emerge with a solid understanding of NLP principles, proficiency in Python programming for NLP tasks, and the ability to apply these skills to address diverse NLP challenges.
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| TYPE | CRN-SECTION | WHEN | WHERE | CREDITS | WEEKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | 39205-002 | ASYNC ONLINE | 3.0 | Full Term | |
| DIS | 40814-003 | ASYNC ONLINE | Purdue Online | 3.0 | Full Term |