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This course is
the second semester in the sequence of required courses for first-year graduate
students in our department. The overall goal is for you to define specific
research questions and develop a research strategy for your master's thesis or
doctoral dissertation. The principal
written product of this semester will be a research proposal produced in the
format of a proposal for a funding agency such as the US National Science
Foundation. This proposal is important because it may help fund your research. It is also important because, by the end of
this semester, you will need to schedule a "planning meeting" with
your advisor and thesis or dissertation committee. Your proposal will help demonstrate to your
advisors that you are prepared to begin your research in the coming year.
In addition to
the goal of prepare a fundable research proposal, by the end of the course you
will be able to:
1) Understand the
strengths and weaknesses of some of the major qualitative and quantitative
methodologies employed in contemporary geography and demonstrate this
understanding in your proposal.
Some research
methods are, of course, highly specific to particular sub-disciplines and are
treated in other courses here in the geography department as well as in other
CU departments (e.g. survey research; geostatistics; remote sensing;
qualitative methods; ethnographic methods; GIS). As a consequence, we will
discuss research methodologies in a general level, focusing more on general
aspects of research approaches in geography and their relationships to broad
issues in scientific methodology.
This also
involves understanding the outlines of recent methodological debates in
geography. Tremendous innovation and
change is underway across many fields of geography, including both the greater
use of qualitative and mix-method techniques as well as refinements in
geostatistical analysis and modeling.
Keeping abreast of these debates is a very important part of
professional life.
2) Articulate the
professional and ethical standards which guide your research and publishing.
Professional
ethics should be at the foundation of all of our work. But, although, we cannot anticipate all of
the ethical issues which may arise from our research and publishing, it is important
to be aware of standards and principles which can help us clarify and resolve
ethical dilemmas.
3) Develop skills
in academic writing and publishing.
From the very
start of a research project it is important to have a clear idea of its
audience and how to communicate with that audience in writing, maps, and
graphics. We will focus on the issue of
choosing appropriate journals in which to publish; how to prepare manuscripts
for publication, including the use of style sheets and guides; how to design
effective tables, figures, and maps; and how the peer-review process operates.
4) Get the most
out of preparing for and attending professional conferences and meeting
including writing abstracts, practicing oral communication and presentational
styles; and networking with colleagues.
Attending and
participating in conferences is one of the best ways of sharing ideas, gaining
feedback, and learning about recent developments in our subfields. Conferences are also an excellent way to make
contacts and build networks which can be help us at every stage of our careers.
5) Engage in
research and publishing as a social activity--we all gain from the help of and
by helping others.
Despite the
stereotypes of academic life as a solitary pursuit, almost all research
indicates the value of making our research work a social activity--sharing
ideas, drafts, and help as readily as possible.
The amount of
reading assigned in this course is relatively modest to allow you time to
concentrate on developing your own research proposal. Early in the semester you
need to agree on a research topic with your advisor and on a reading list
appropriate for that topic.
We will begin the
semester with a consideration of the theories and methods which are most closely
related to your thesis or dissertation topics.
There will be presentations by you and perhaps visiting faculty on
current methodological debates in various branches of human geography and
GIScience. These presentations will focus on important current research and
methodological trends and give you a chance to become familiar with research
conducted by peers and faculty working in areas outside of your specialty.
Also included in
the seminar will be workshops on the writing of grant proposals, strategies for
publishing research results, and practice in the oral communication of research
results.
The final section
of the course will consist of the presentation and discussion of your research
proposal. You receive peer reviews of
your research proposal to aid you in preparing the final version of your
proposal.
The success of
the course obviously depends on the identification of your area of research and
of specific research questions early in the semester. It is essential that you
seek an appropriate level of advice from your faculty advisor, especially
during the early part of the semester, to help you define your thesis topic,
background literature, and methodology.
We will be using a variety of paper and digital sources in class. You will be using the following textbooks extensively, so you should purchase them from the bookstore, the publishers, or an online book dealer.
Creswell, John
W. 2009. Research design: Qualitative,
quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage Publications. (Paperback ISBN-10:
1412965578; ISBN-13: 978-1412965576)
Turabian , Kate
L. 2007.
A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations:
Chicago style for students and researchers. 7th ed. Revised by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb,
Joseph M. Williams and the University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press. (Paperback
ISBN-10: 0226823377; ISBN-13: 978-0226823379)
Other books and articles will be made available through e-Reserves and Norlin Reserve.
Disability
Services' letters for students with disabilities indicate legally mandated
reasonable accommodations. The syllabus statements and answers to Frequently
Asked Questions can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices
All students of
the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering
to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy
may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication,
lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic
misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu;
303-735-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic
integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty
member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university
probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can
be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/