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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Information Science 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
114873  Bachelor of Arts Honours in Information Science 
ORIGINATOR
University of Zululand 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Honours Degree  Field 04 - Communication Studies and Language  Communication Studies 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  120  Not Applicable  NQF Level 08  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2031-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The purpose of the Bachelor of Arts Honours in Information Science is to enable learners to embark on innovative reflection and development in theory, practice and research methods in the discipline of Library and Information Science. The qualification aims to equip learners with theoretical and practical skills to plan, conduct and write the research report. This qualification further provides learners with appropriate knowledge and skills in general knowledge and inforprenueral management. It equips learners with skills to appropriate knowledge and to identify, organise and retrieve information from modern information and knowledge systems and services. The curriculum is designed to provide learners with appropriate knowledge of information behaviour and ethics, appropriate understanding and practical experience in the development of services, functions and the role of technologies used in information services, digital literacy skills in Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) as well as information management systems.

Rationale:
The qualification intends to give learners information, communications and research knowledge, tools and skills that would enable them to work as data or information officers, brokers or managers, knowledge and records officers or managers, desktop and multimedia publishers, research analysts, market researchers, documentation specialists or digital content managers in the private sector.

With the large increase in a wide variety of technologies in the last decade, the qualification also strives to provide a learner with many exciting career paths in digital content management. Growth in this discipline is being driven by organisations that are improving their information technology, and they need strong managers of data and information to lead these projects. The benefits to society and economy include the study of information systems in applied, social contexts to identify critical problems and rigorously research their solutions. This includes how to organise, analyse, categorise, manipulate, store, retrieve and protect data and information, and also how to use systems that serve the social, cognitive and emotional needs of the people who need to access and use information. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
Prior learning is recognised in the form of properly certified university qualifications that are acceptable to the Senate. Consideration may also be given to appropriate professional qualifications, as well as a body of practical experience, substantiated through a portfolio providing documentary evidence in support of the specific RPL application. A learner who has graduated from another tertiary institution or who has in any other manner attained a level of competence which, in the opinion of the Senate, is adequate for the purpose of postgraduate studies or research, may be admitted as a learner of the institution. Learners will have to use the university's procedure, which are approved at various university levels. Assessment of all learners must be endorsed by the relevant body for approval prior to learner registration. Performance of learners admitted by RPL will be closely monitored and implemented.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
" Bachelor of Arts Information Science, NQF Level 7, or their equivalent qualification. 

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
Y 

QUALIFICATION RULES 
The qualification consists of 5 modules, 3 compulsory modules and 2 electives, totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 8, 88 Credits:
" User Studies and Research Methods, 32 Credits.
" Information Storage and Retrieval, 16 Credits.
" Research report, 40 Credits.

Elective Modules at Level 8, 32 Credits (Choose or select two modules):
" Management and Administration, 16 Credits.
" School and Children's Libraries: Children's Literature, 16 Credits.
" Document Studies, 16 Credits.
" Multimedia, 16 Credits. 

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
1. Theoretical and practical research skills to plan, conduct and report research.
2. Appropriate knowledge and skills in general, knowledge and inforprenueral management.
3. Appropriate knowledge and skills to identify, organise and retrieve information from modern information and knowledge systems and services.
4. Appropriate knowledge of information behaviour and ethics.
5. Appropriate understanding and practical experience in the development, services, functions and the role of technologies used in information services.
6. Digital literacy skills in Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and information management systems. 

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
" Identify and compare research paradigms, approaches and theoretical frameworks.
" Compile literature review and problem statement.
" Compare and analyse data analysis methods for social sciences.
" Show evidence of ability to differentiate between validity and reliability in social science research.
" Produce a research proposal, present and defend in a topical LIS area.
" Report research outcome in the form of research report/mini- dissertation and conference/seminar paper.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
" Identify the value of information and knowledge for an organisation, and use it specifically in the decision-making process.
" Conduct research on any two areas of information and knowledge management (e.g. Strategic Information Management, Information Audit and Mapping, Information Policy and Ethics, Knowledge Management, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, MIS, Infoprenuership, LIS Education and Training, Records Management, Project Management, Content Management, E-government and e-governance, Management of School Libraries, etc.)
" Produce and present a term paper/literature in any two areas of information and knowledge management cited above.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
" Conceptualise information retrieval, history of information retrieval, information retrieval systems, information retrieval on the web, issues and problems in information retrieval.
" Evaluate relevance feedback and query expansion.
" Identify user/human interface: how people search on various search interfaces.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
" Distinguish between different world views of knowledge and information.
" Explain the knowledge process and the dissemination and diffusion of information.
" Ensure that people are assessed in different contexts as role players in the dissemination of information and the communication of research to different communities.
" Explain how information is exchanged through social networks and collaboration between individuals and organisations.
" Illustrate how user groups from different cultural environments exchange information.
" Explain user studies and information-seeking theories and models.
" Identify and examine an information environment of a community of choice for effective information services by using both SWOT and PEST analysis and evaluate the salient issues and gaps emerging from the analysis
" Conduct any user study of choice in terms of conceptualisation and contextualisation, the purpose of the study, methodology, results, conclusions, and recommendations
" Ethically compose essays on topical areas.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
" Identify new trends, challenges and issues emerging within the electronic information provision context.
" Discuss Metadata, different Metadata schemes and their applications.
" Master Metadata application in describing/identifying electronic information sources for easy retrieval in a networked information environment.
" Discuss the evolvement of digital libraries, the management thereof and the issues and challenges associated with these libraries.
" Critically discuss the information brokerage industry and demonstrate its role in an information environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:
" Evaluate and critique sources of research information on information and communication theories and models.
" Discussed the characteristics of electronic publications and content management systems.
" Describe the role of the Internet as an information infrastructure.
" Illustrate the ability to design and publish content management systems on the World Wide Web.

Integrated Assessment:
The qualification is assessed using the following formative and summative assessments.
Formative Assessment:
" Assignments.
" Impromptu quizzes.
" Practical assignments.

Summative Assessment:
" Impromptu quizzes.
" Research report. 

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
Country: United States of America.
Name of Institution:
Qualification Title: Bachelor of Arts in Information Science.

Comparison: The qualification accredited by the American Library Association (ALA) is usually a Master's level (they have four-year Bachelor Degrees instead of the three-year Bachelors and one-year Honours Degree), which makes honours qualifications rather uncommon.

Country: United Kingdom:
Comparison: In the 1960s in the United Kingdom Honours Degree in LIS were initially joint Honours Degrees which means one-half librarianship and one-half a more conventional academic discipline. In the 1970s, single Honours Degrees, which is entirely in librarianship, became acceptable to the profession.

Country: Zimbabwe:
Name of Institution: University of Zimbabwe.
Qualification Title: Bachelor of Science Honours in Library and Information Science. 

ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
This qualification allows possibilities for both vertical and horizontal articulation.

Horizontal Articulation:
  • Bachelor of Social Science Honours, Level 8.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Master of Arts in related field, Level 9. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. University of Zululand 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.