Geography 4173: Research Seminar Spring 2008
Tue and Thur, 2-3:15 pm, Rm. 201E Gugg.
Prof: Bill
Travis, Rm. 102C Guggenheim/Geography
Off hrs: Tue. 9:30-11 and
Wed. 12-2 and by appointment.
Introduction: This class is a seminar meant to assist students developing as
researchers, and to work through a full process of research formulation,
conduct, and reporting. It will be especially helpful to students planning to
write an honors thesis and/or go on to graduate school, but will also provide
skills and incentives for students who expect to conduct research and writing
in any future career. The paradigm will be scientific research: the formulation
and testing of questions about the world that can be illuminated by collecting
and analyzing data. The focus will not be on the philosophy and conduct of
science, but on the mechanics of producing credible research on physical and
social questions and with quantitative and qualitative approaches. The emphasis
will be on the “doing”, from conception of a research idea and question, thru
the research and drafting, to final writing and oral presentation. [If you have had a similar
course, in research design, technical writing, etc., then this class may not
be for you. However, even with some previous coursework you might decide
that a structured seminar aimed at getting a piece of research completed is
just what you need to progress on, say, an honors thesis.]
This class will not provide
detailed instruction in specific research methods---you must learn the research
tools for, say, hydrology, demography, or political geography, in the
appropriate classes. But we will examine the more general approaches to
research formulation and conduct, including approaches to library resources,
secondary data sources, and primary data collection, analysis and assessment,
drawing conclusions, and the written, diagrammatic, and oral presentation of
work.
Class Structure: This is a seminar class structured around the main goal of having each
student formulate, conduct, present orally, and write-up a research project.
The first third of the semester will be based on reading the texts, and
assignments in reading and formulating research. Students must be prepared to
discuss the reading and assignments in class. Students will prepare and present
an oral and written research proposal which will be reviewed by the instructor
and their peers. This leads to a research period and individual consultation on
your progress with the instructor, yielding a draft research paper or article,
and one round of peer and instructor review/editing, followed by a second
draft, which will act as the final product for this class.
Texts:
Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb,
and Joseph M. Williams (2003) The Craft of Research. (2nd
ed.)
John C.
Gordon (2007) Planning Research.
Teaching/Learning Methods and Goals: The seminar
format requires each student to be ready to discuss the material and report
results from assignments each class. In some cases individual students will act
as lead discussants, and will be assigned so in advance. After the initial
round of assignments, your goals are to produce a well-written research
proposal that will be reviewed by your peers and the instructor. From there you
work toward a draft final research paper, including one round of review/edit
and revision, an oral presentation, and a second draft that acts as your final
product for the class. The second draft will act as 80% of your final grade.
Assignments (including the proposal) are 10% and class participation is 10%.
Class Schedule:
Jan. 15: Introduction to
academic research approaches: review, assessment, discovery, applied, pure,
etc.
Jan. 17: The Scientific
Approach / Gordon, chaps. 2 and 3:
Assignment
1: Finding and Evaluating an Example Paper
Jan. 22: The Scientific
Approach (cont) / Gordon, chaps. 2 and 3
First
presentations from assignment 1.
Jan. 24: no class
Jan. 29: Choosing a Topic /
Booth et al., Chap 3
More
presentations from assignment 1.
Jan 31: Stating Problems and
Objective Clearly / Gordon, chap. 4
Feb. 5: Proposing Research: problem definition,
statement, hypothesis, approaches and methods / Gordon Chap. 4 and 5; Booth 4.
Feb. 7: Continue
Assignment
2: Prepare a Formal Proposal
Feb. 12: Proposal
presentations, feedback
Feb. 14: Proposal
presentations, feedback
Feb. 19: Proposal
presentations, feedback
Feb. 21: Conducting research / Gordon chap. 6; Booth
et al., 5 and 6.
Feb. 26: Continue; visit to Norlin
for library research clinic
Feb. 28: Making a Claim /
Booth et al. 7 and 8
Mar. 4: Making a Claim / Booth et al. 9 and
10
Assignment
3: Choose a journal style/format.
Mar. 6: “Writing it Up,
Booth 12, 13 and 14
Mar
11: cont.
Mar.
13:
Writing it Up: Illustrations / Booth et al. 15
Assignment
4a: Find and evaluate sample illustration
Mar.
18: Writing it Up: Illustrations / Booth
et al. 15 (cont)
Assignment 4b: Create a key illustration(s) that
summarizes your research
Mar.
20: Writing and revising / Booth et al.,
16
Mar.
25 and 27: Spring Break, no class
Apr.
1: Research up-date presentations, discussion
Apr.
3: Revisions, revisions, revisions!
Apr. 8: Preparing and Presenting an Oral/Visual Presentation
Apr.
10: Research Presentations
Apr.
15: Research Presentations
Apr.
17: Research Presentations
Apr.
22: Research
Presentations
Apr.
24: Research Presentations
Apr.
29: Reflections on research
May 1: Last class
The Fine Print:
My responsibilities to you are to make the goals and
targets of this class clear, stick to the class schedule (recognizing that the
material may call for some drift, or that student requests for clarification
might alter the schedule slightly at times), to respond to all of your requests
for clarification and further explanation, and to evaluate and grade your work
conscientiously and fairly. Your responsibilities include attending class regularly,
contributing to the discussion, presenting your assignments and projects, and
behaving in a way that allows other students to pay attention and benefit from
the class. See polices on classroom behavior,
academic honesty, disabilities, and religious observances, at these web sites:
Classroom behavior: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html
Academic honesty: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html
and http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/index.htm
Accommodation for
disabilities: www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices
Campus policy
regarding religious observances: https://webmail.colorado.edu/horde/util/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.colorado.edu%2Fpolicies%2Ffac_relig.html&Horde=6624dd75dfb6b94445f496118ed461f0