LIS 342 Online Course Conducting Liberal Studies Research Spring Week Course January 21 March 14, COURSE DESCRIPTION and OBJECTIVES

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1 LIS 342 Syllabus- Page 1 of 7 LIS 342 Online Course Conducting Liberal Studies Research Spring Week Course January 21 March 14, 2014 Instructor: Dr. Jim Grubbs address: grubbs.jim@uis.edu Best Contact Method Office Phone: Office Location: UHB 3020 Dr. Grubbs Web Site: Blackboard Classroom: COURSE DESCRIPTION and OBJECTIVES This is a course in which you will learn how to gather information for an academic research paper. An academic research paper is usually a formal written analytical paper with a thesis in which you do background research using published and unpublished materials. It is not a scientific research paper that uses experimentation and observation. You do not actually write your research paper in this course, but you do: 1. Choose a topic and construct an appropriate thesis 2. Create a research plan 3. Create an annotated bibliography including at least ten sources 4. Create and maintain a research journal 5. Learn about research through online interaction with your classmates and the instructor. Weekly discussion questions are provided. The process of completing these assignments, reading course materials, and participating in online discussions will prepare you for serious academic writing and work. In addition to the work products for the class listed above, you will be introduced to: How to create good research questions Formulating a research topic Identifying a wide variety of information types Searching databases and other sources of information in an effective and efficient manner Evaluating sources/information on a variety of factors Using information found in an ethical and legal manner

2 LIS 342 Syllabus- Page 2 of 7 Formatting a research paper APA formatting SUGGESTED TEXT This course is designed using online resources in lieu of purchasing a text book. The following text has been used in earlier versions of this course and you may find it helpful. Dawn Rodrigues, Raymond J. Rodrigues (2003) The Research Paper a Guide to Library and Internet Research, third edition. London: Longman. A style manual is suggested as well, though not required. Most LIS students will be interested in the APA Style Manual. IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT EIGHT WEEK COURSES Short term courses, by their nature, present scheduling challenges for students. The format used in this course requires careful planning on the part of the student in order to ensure that all assignments are completed on time. The schedule requires you to hit the ground running. You are advised to read this syllabus thoroughly and pay attention to the week by week tasks to ensure that you will be able to complete all of the assignments by their due dates. You are expected to complete all assignments on time, including discussion questions and interactive discussion. Late work is not accepted and incompletes will not be given. Plan your schedule now in order to make sure you are able to keep up with the demands of this course. Course Materials COURSE REQUIREMENTS You are responsible for all material presented in the Blackboard classroom. This may include materials accessed via external link. Participation An effective online experience requires the ongoing presence and participation by all members of the class. Participation is defined as ongoing interaction with others in the class in the discussion area not just posting answers to discussion questions individually. In order to earn participation credit, you need to actively participate in class discussions, offer thought-provoking questions or comments, and provide constructive, critical feedback to others.

3 LIS 342 Syllabus- Page 3 of 7 Discussion Questions Interaction among students and the instructor using the class Blackboard is critical to your understanding of the subject matter in this course. You are expected to participate on a regular basis at least twice each week. You are expected to respond to all discussion questions, read all the postings in the online classroom, and interact by posting responses with your classmates. Written Assignments Your written work is expected to conform to college level writing at the junior or better level. Students are encouraged to seek help at the Center for Teaching and Learning in order to ensure the quality of their writing meets the standards for the university and this class. Failure to meet this standard will affect the grades you receive in this class. The scope, nature, and relative value of assignments may be changed at the discretion of the instructor. GRADING This course is offered on a Credit/No Credit Basis only. In order to receive credit for this course, all your work must be at the equivalent of a C level or better. All students will be evaluated on the following criteria (all dates are 2014). Discussion Board Postings 8 percent Due each week* Discussion Board Responses 7 percent Due one week later Draft Research Plan 5 percent Draft due January 31 Final Research Plan 10 percent Due February 7 Draft Thesis Statement 5 percent Draft due February 14 Draft Annotated Bibliography 10 percent Draft due February 21 Final Thesis Statement 10 percent Due February 28 Final Annotated Bibliography (ten sources) 25 percent Due March 7 Research Journal 20 percent Due March 14 *Your direct responses to the discussion questions are due no later than 5:00 p.m. local time in the Central time zone each week on Friday. In addition, no later than the following week, you should also post substantive comments, feedback, or other relevant material in response to your classmates postings. Have a discussion! In general all assignments in the course are designed so students of average ability and motivation applying ordinary amounts of time and diligence to the coursework will receive credit indicating average achievement.

4 LIS 342 Syllabus- Page 4 of 7 No grade of Incomplete will be given, and no class work will be accepted after March 14, 2014 SCHEDULE This is a tentative schedule and is subject to modification at the discretion of the instructor. All dates are WEEK 1 Beginning January 21 Introduction to Research Introduction to Course What is a research paper? Begin your Research Journal/Log Explore online resources Topic exploration COMPLETE: Answer discussion questions for week #1 BEGIN YOUR RESEARCH JOURNAL WEEK 2 Beginning January 27 Evaluating Resources Narrow and develop your topic into one or more research questions How to Identify and use scholarly, valid, and current sources Continue with your Research Journal/Log COMPLETE: Answer discussion questions for week #2 Respond to classmate posting for week #1 SUBMIT INITIAL RESEARCH PLAN INCLUDING TOPIC no later than Friday, January 31, 2014 by 5:00 p.m. Submit your work as a Word or RTF attachment to an sent to your instructor: jgrub1@uis.edu with the subject line: Draft Research Plan Your Name

5 LIS 342 Syllabus- Page 5 of 7 WEEK 3 Beginning February 3 Annotated Bibliography Keeping track of your information APA style basics Preparing an annotated bibliography Library Research COMPLETE: Answer discussion questions for week #3 Respond to classmate posting for week #2 SUBMIT FINAL RESEARCH PLAN INCLUDING TOPIC no later than Friday, February 7, 2014 by 5:00 p.m.. Submit your work as a Word or RTF attachment to an sent to your instructor: jgrub1@uis.edu with the subject line: Research Plan Your Name WEEK 4 Beginning February 10 Thesis Statement Developing your thesis statement Write your initial thesis statement Validating sources COMPLETE: Answer discussion questions for week #4 Respond to classmate posting for week #3 SUBMIT DRAFT THESIS STATEMENT no later than Friday, February 14, 2014 by 5:00 p.m.. Submit your work as a Word or RTF attachment to an sent to your instructor: jgrub1@uis.edu with the subject line: Draft Thesis Your Name

6 LIS 342 Syllabus- Page 6 of 7 WEEK 5 Beginning February 17 Avoiding Plagiarism - Citations Using sources in a paper Using quotations effectively and properly Paraphrasing still requires a citation How to summarize Avoiding plagiarism APA format and style COMPLETE: Answer discussion questions for week #5 Respond to classmate posting for week #4 SUBMIT DRAFT ANOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY no later than Friday, February 21, 2014 by 5:00 p.m. Submit your work as a Word or RTF attachment to an sent to your instructor: jgrub1@uis.edu with the subject line: Annotated Bibliography Your Name WEEK 6 Beginning February 24 Types of Research Papers Will you Analyze or argue? Write, revise, write, revise COMPLETE: Answer discussion questions for week #6 Respond to classmate posting for week #5 SUBMIT FINAL THESIS STATEMENT no later than Friday, February 28, 2014 by 5:00 p.m. Submit your work as a Word or RTF attachment to an sent to your instructor: jgrub1@uis.edu with the subject line: Thesis Statement Your Name

7 LIS 342 Syllabus- Page 7 of 7 WEEK 7 Beginning March 3 - Feedback Giving and receiving feedback Criterion-based feedback Reader-based feedback COMPLETE: SUBMIT FINAL ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY no later than Friday, March 7, 2014 by 5:00 p.m. Submit your work as a Word or RTF attachment to an sent to your instructor: jgrub1@uis.edu with the subject line: Final Annotated Bibliography Your Name SUBMIT RESEARCH JOURNAL no later than Friday, March 14, 2014 by 5:00 p.m. Submit your work as a Word or RTF attachment to an sent to your instructor: jgrub1@uis.edu with the subject line: Research Journal Your Name This course was originally created by Dr. Jim Grubbs in 1999 under contract with UIS. Original copyright preserved with license granted to UIS. We gratefully acknowledge the additions and modifications incorporated over the years by Mary Addison Lamb and Eric Hadley-Ives. Last Revised January 16, 2014