GEOG 5161: Research Design in Physical Geography

Instructor: Tom Veblen

Syllabus

Readings (PDFs):

• AIBS: Position Statements: Scientific Peer Review in Policy Making. http://www.aibs.org/position-statements/040715_scientific_peer_.html
• Anonymous. 2005a. In praise of soft science. Nature 435:1003.
• _______. 2005b. Not-so-deep impact. Nature 435:1003-1004.
• Barrett, L. 1999. Particulars in context: Maintaining a balance in soil geography. Annals AAG 89 707-712.
• Bauer, B.O. 1999. On methodology in physical geography: Current status, implications and future prospects. Annals AAG 89: 677-678.
• Bauer, B.O., T.T. Veblen and J.A. Winkler. 1999. Old methodological sneakers: Fashion and function in a cross-training era. Annals AAG 89: 679-686.
• Bauer, B.O., J.A. Winkler, and T.T. Veblen. 1999. Afterword: A shoe for all occasions or shoes for every occasion: Methodological diversity, normative fashions, and metaphysical unity in physical geography. Annals AAG 89: 771-778.
• Carleton, A.M. 1999. Methodology in climatology. Annals AAG 89:713-735.
• Clapham, P. 2005. Publish or perish. BioScience 55:390-391.
• Cleland, C.E. 2001. Historical science, experimental science, and the scientific method. Geology 29:987-990 (and read the Comments by Bailey and Kilty and Cleland’s replies.
• Costanza, R. 2001. Visions, values, valuation, and the need for an ecological economics. Bioscience 51:459-468.
• Haines-Young, R.H. and J.R. Petch. 1986. Physical Geography: Its Nature and Methods. Harper and Row, London.
• Hirschboeck, K.K. 1999. A room with a view: Some geographic perspectives on dilettantism, cross-training, and scale in hydrology. Annals AAG 89: 696-706.
• Hutchinson, V.H. 1993. Ethics and use of the byline address. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 74:180-181.
• Lackey, R.T. 2001. Values, policy and ecosystem health. Bioscience 51:437-443.
• Lele, S. and R.B. Norgaard. 2005. Practicing interdisciplinarity. BioScience 55:967-975.
• Lertzman, K. 1995. Notes on writing papers and theses. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 76:86-90.
• Leshner, A.I. 2005. Redefining science. Science 309:221.
• Lubchenko, J. 1998. Entering the century of the environment: a new social contract for science. Science 279: 491-497.
• Malanson, G. 1999. Considering complexity. Annals AAG 89: 746-753.
• McCook, A. 2005. Members of Congress probe climate researchers. The Scientist, July 22, 2005. http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/22737/
• Mills, T.J. and R.N. Clark. 2001. Roles of research scientists in natural resource decisionmaking. Forest Ecology and Management 153:189-198.
• Norgaard R.B. and P. Baer. 2005. Collectively seeing climate change: The limits of formal models. BioScience 55:961-966.
• Phillips, J.D. 1999. Methodology, scale and the field of dreams. Annals AAG 754-759.
• Pickett, S.T.A., B.E. Hall, and M.L. Pace. 1991. Strategy and checklist for effective scientific talks. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 72:8-12.
• Pielke, Jr., R.A. 2002. Policy, politics and perspective. Nature 416:367-368.
• Rhoads, B. 1999. Beyond pragmatism: The value of philosophical discourse for physical geography. Annals AAG 89: 760-770.
• Sherman, D.J. 1999. Methodology in geomorphology: Traditions and hypocrisy. Annals AAG 89: 687-695.
• Shrader-Frechette, K. and E.D. McCoy. 1994. Applied ecology and the logic of case studies. Philosophy of Science 61:228-249.
• Stern, P.C. 2005. Deliberative methods for understanding environmental systems. BioScience 55:976-982.
• Wagner, F.H. 2001. Freeing agency research from policy pressures: A need and an approach. Bioscience 51: 445-450.
• Weber, J.R. and C.S. Word. 2001. The communication process as evaluative context: what do nonscientists hear when scientists speak? Bioscience 51:487-495.
• Wilson, J.P. and P.A. Burrough. 1999. Dynamic modeling, geostatistics, and fuzzy classification: New sneakers for a new geography? Annals AAG 89:736-745.

Required Text:

• Chapin, Paul G. 2004. Research Projects and Research Proposals: A Guide for Scientists Seeking Funding. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge U.K., 154 pp.

Other Useful Sources:

• Booth, Vernon. 1993. Communicating in Science: Writing a Scientific Paper and Speaking at Scientific Meetings. 2nd edn. Cambridge Univ. Press, N.Y.
• Day, Robert 1994. How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. 3rd edn. Oryx Press, Phoenix.
• Hess, G.R. and L.H. Liegel. 2004. Creating effective poster presentations. http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/IndexStart.html
• Katz, Michael J. 1985. Elements of the Scientific Paper. Yale Univ. Press., New Haven.
• MacEachren, A.M. B.P. Buttenfield, J.B. Campbell, D W. DiBiase, and M. Monmonier. 1992. Visualization. Ch. 6 in Abler, R.F., M.G. Marcus, and J.M. Olson. 1992. Geography's Inner Worlds: Pervasive Themes in Contemporary American Geography. Rutgers Univ. Press, New Brunswick.
• Strunk, William, Jr. and E.B. White. 2000. The Elements of Style. 4th edn. Macmillan, New York.