However, one gotta wonder how much we should read into these rankings... especially given the way the rankings were reached, US News describe their method as: "The rankings are based solely on the results of a fall 2008 survey sent to the dean of each program, the program director, and a senior faculty member in each program. The questionnaires asked individuals to rate the academic quality of programs at each institution as outstanding (5), strong (4), good (3), adequate (2), or marginal (1). Individuals who were unfamiliar with a particular school's programs were asked to select "don't know." Scores for each school were totaled and divided by the number of respondents who rated that school. The response rate was 56 percent" -- so three people from each school is contacted, and a bit more than half the people responded? And, does US News really expect deans, program directors and senior faculty members to have informed opinions about all 45+ programs? I am not even sure how one would rate the academic quality of a program... maybe you just rate your alma mater and the places your friends teaching highly?
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Rankings
US News and World Report has published their updated ranking of US LIS programs - not much news to report there... there are no revelations -- and not surprisingly (at least not to me), the iSchools are well represented at the top of the list. That's all very nice...
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The world in general is based on over inflated egos. Since information is controlled by what whatever institution wants the public to hear....can anyone really trust mainstream media? One never knows how information is manipulated to "fit" what it thinks society should know. In the information age...how can one really trust what one reads and not feel maniputlated to some extent?
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