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5161
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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 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
meetings,
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
important
that you work with your faculty advisor throughout 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.