MLS 598. Research Methods Master of Liberal Studies Arizona State University CLASS MEETING SCHEDULE. Spring 2017 Sesson B Academic Calendar

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1 **Disclaimer** This syllabus is to be used as a guideline only. The information provided is a summary of topics to be covered in the class. Information contained in this document such as assignments, grading scales, due dates, office hours, required books and materials may be from a previous semester and are subject to change. Please refer to your instructor for the most recent version of the syllabus. 1 MLS 598 Research Methods Master of Liberal Studies Arizona State University INSTRUCTOR: Rob Wilson, Faculty Associate OFFICE HOURS: Virtual office hours will be held by appointment, typically using Google Hangouts. Syllabus subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. Students will be notified by the instructor of any changes in course requirements or policies. CLASS MEETING SCHEDULE This is a virtual course and will meet online through Blackboard and will begin in Spring This course is conducted through an online classroom. You will need to go to this classroom to obtain your lessons, work through tutorials, take quizzes, complete assignments, participate in discussions with your fellow students, and ask questions of your instructor. Students are expected to log in 3-4 times each week during the 7-week session to stay current with content and discussions. All materials will be available through Blackboard, and all discussions will take place there as well. Spring 2017 Sesson B Academic Calendar Classes Begin Last Day to Register or Drop/Add without college approval March 13 th March 14 th 1 of 10

2 2 Tuition & Fees 100% Refund Deadline University 21 st Day Academic Status Report #1 Tuition Fee Payment Deadline Course Withdrawl Deadline Complete Session Withdrawl Deadline Classes End/Last Day to Process Transactions Final Grades Due Commencement/Degree Conferral Date March 19 th April 3 rd March th March 25 th March 31 st April 28th May 2 nd May 8 th May 8 th COURSE DESCRIPTION This 7-week online course teaches the best methods for mounting a Liberal Studies search. Learn to efficiently and effectively conduct research for term papers and dissertations. You'll take a virtual guided tour of the library, learning how to maximize its resources, and you'll discover how to access public records, conduct successful Internet searches, and explore other troves of information. Modern research techniques are innumerable. The trick is to know where to look and what to look for. Instructions are offered for getting organized before embarking on research and getting the most out of information once it's gathered. This course will give you the tools you'll need to successfully gather and incorporate all the information that rigorous academic writing projects require. COURSE OBJECTIVES: UPON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE, STUDENTS WILL: know where to find proprietary databases. use Modern Language Association style for formatting and citations. know how to access peer reviewed, scholarly journals. know the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary sources. demonstrate critical thinking about information and its sources. 2 of 10

3 3 incorporate your research results into your writing. TEXTBOOKS AND RECOMMENDED READINGS The textbooks for this class are: Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Eighth Edition; University of Chicago Press, ISBN-13: Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook. New York: Modern Language Association of America, Print. Note that although Turabian follows Chicago Style formatting, the College of Liberal Studies follows Modern Language Association (MLA) style. This is why we ll cover just part one of Turabian and leave it there. Recommended, but not required: McAdoo, Monty L. Student s Survival Guide to Research, American Library Association, ISBN-13: Quaratiello, Arlene R. and Devine, Jane. The College Student s Research Companion. Fifth Edition; Neal Schuman Publishers, Inc., ISBN-13: There will be other readings assigned as the course progresses. They will be noted on the class schedule. Many of these will be available through the Blackboard course site. Some assignments require students to have Adobe Reader; others to locate appropriate readings on their own and report on them. In addition, students will be expected to find, monitor and comment on blogs about research. Course Requirements: There will be lectures, notes, readings, discussion groups, assignments, quizzes, and (of course) a research paper. Study Examination and Literature Review A study examination and literature review will be required for this class. These studies must come from peer-reviewed journals. The purpose of these assignments is to develop your ability to be a researcher. In order to complete the literature review, it is expected that you will cull through about 20 research papers and review articles ; and perhaps 30 throughout the span of this course. Given the bibliography in a typical literature review, this is quite reasonable. What a literature review is: 3 of 10

4 4 A gathering of published literature on a topic for the purpose of analysis. Prepare readers by analyzing the prior research that your research will extend, modify or correct (Turabian, 105). What a literature review is not: A book review. A bibliography. A summary. A random collection of articles or research studies. Group Discussions Open discussions of research method theories and skills are encouraged and required as part of this course, and that will help cultivate everyone's understanding of the subject matter. However, personal problems or information not relevant to the course is strongly discouraged. Respect for the ideas and opinions of others is a very important aspect of interpersonal communication. Therefore, all are expected to be respectful of each other at all times. Each student is required to respond to the discussion prompt. As a general guideline, initial replies to discussion board activity prompts should be in the word count range. Depth of thought and insight must be shown as well as respect for fellow classmates. Discussions require three posts: An initial post due on Thursday; and two responses to other students due Sunday. Please keep in mind that you are not sending s or text messages to friends; therefore, you must respond using proper grammar as well as complete sentences. The expectation is that individuals will utilize the discussions as an opportunity to ensure that their understanding of an issue is accurate, but also to reinforce the understanding of others through constructive discussions. If it helps, think of fellow students as your teammates. Main Project: Argumentative Research Paper Each student will be asked to complete a research project (7-10 pages) and provide ample support for it from a range of scholarly articles and books. A project grade will be determined by content and the ability to demonstrate effective understanding and application of the research skills taught in this course. Relevant information from the course must be incorporated and documented into each writing assignment as well as the final project. ASSIGNMENT POLICIES 4 of 10

5 5 Completed assignments will be submitted via Blackboard, unless otherwise specified. Assignments will be commented on and graded via Blackboard. Assignments are expected to be professional in appearance; that is, they are neat, grammatically correct, with minimal spelling and typographical errors. All assignments are expected to reflect a knowledge of the course materials covered up to the due date of the assignment including textbook and other readings, lectures, and discussions. Citations and written assignments must be formatted and according to MLA documentation when applicable. MLA documentation includes double spacing, 12 point Times New Roman font, and regulation margins, as well as correct in-text citations and a Works Cited page (for projects only or when using text other than the required text book). Unless stated otherwise, all assignments must be completed and posted as Microsoft Word documents. Assignments must apply principles and information from the textbook. Please be sure your name is displayed on the document or you risk losing credit for the assignment. Written assignments must be written in essay format. College level paragraphs are approximately 10 sentences in length, and mechanical errors should not disrupt the fluidity of the prose. Proof Read. Spelling, grammar, sentence structure, capitalization, et cetera will count towards your overall grade for each assignment, including online discussions. Most writing assignments are graded according to the requirements of the individual assignment prompts. A generic formula for my rubric (in regards to writing assignments) is as follows, based on 100 points: MLA format: 10 points off for formatting issues. Structure of response: every writing assignment must be structured as an essay with an introduction, body, and a conclusion. Submissions that are not structured as an essay: 50 points are deducted. Grammar/Mechanical error: 2 points off for each error Following the prompt: 10 points off for anything not addressed in your essay in relation to the prompt. Rubrics subject to change according to the specifications of individual assignments. Points will always be deducted for not following directions. All course work is due by 11:59pm Arizona time on its due date, unless otherwise noted. 5 of 10

6 6 Quizzes Please pay close attention to when the quizzes will be closed. Once a quiz or any assignment is closed it will not be reopened. GRADING An A will signify that all work has been completed well and a substantial amount of the work has been completed excellently. In order to receive a grade of B for the class, students will have to have completed all assignments for the class reflecting a good grasp of the topic. In addition, to receive an A or B, students must be engaged actively in discussions throughout the semester and demonstrate familiarity with the lecture material and readings. C or lower will be given if some assignments are not completed, if a significant number of assignments are not completed acceptably or if students fail to participate in class discussions and engage with course materials. The turnaround time for grading assignments is one week from due dates. Each assignment will be graded, and each assignment will be given a percentage weight for the semester grade. Assignments will be given the following grades: *Since this is a graduate-level course, the expectation is that no one should earn grades at this level, although it is quite possible. Grade Determinations Quizzes 10% Video Presentations 10% Discussion Question Assignments 20% Writing Assignments 20% Research Paper 40% General grading criteria Clear articulation of your views and arguments Soundness of your argument; ability to respond appropriately to the assignment 6 of 10

7 7 Clear and concise exposition of the points you are making; don't beat a dead horse to fill up the space requirement Consideration of intellectual context and relevant literature; citing the readings is useful here. Expectations: To be successful in this course, all students are expected to check the Course Schedule document, read any posted announcements, be mindful of assignments and their due dates, and complete all work on time. Create your study schedule and make sure to communicate regularly with instructors and peers. Deadlines are deadlines. Extensions will not be awarded. Please do not offer excuses as to why you cannot or did not meet a deadline for an assignment. Check the course daily, read all announcements and s, and respond to s as needed. To optimize what you take away from this course, you should expect to devote about 18 hours per week to it. Office Hours and This is an online course and office hours will be conducted by video conference using Google Hangouts, by appointment. The turnaround to receive an response is 48 hours, unless it arrives after 5pm on a Friday, in which case you should receive a response the following Monday. Hallway Conversations In a face-to-face course, students chat in hallways, between classes, and after class. They also raise their hands to ask questions in class. This forum is meant to replicate that environment. In Hallway Conversations you can ask general questions about the workshop, due dates, assignments, technology issues, and so on. Before posting, double check to see if someone else has already asked or answered your question. You're highly encouraged to answer questions or otherwise contribute. Also, it's a good idea to add a descriptive title to your new threads, so that other participants can easily navigate the forum. The function of the Hallway Conversations module is for general questions about the course that will be answered by the instructor and might also be addressed by other students. Course Schedule 7 of 10

8 8 Week One: Sign on, read all course information documents, post introduction video, and take syllabus quiz. What is research and how researchers think about it. o How researchers think about their aims o Three kinds of questions that researchers ask Moving from a topic to a question to a working hypothesis o Find a question in your topic o Propose some working answers o Build a storyboard to plan and guide your work o Organize a writing support group Week Two: Finding useful sources o Understand the kinds of sources readers expect you to use o Record your sources fully, accurately and appropriately o Search for sources systematically o Evaluate sources for relevance and reliability o Look beyond the usual kinds of references Engaging sources o Read generously to understand, then critically to engage and evaluate o Take notes systematically o Take useful notes o Write as you read o Review your progress o Manage moments of normal panic Week Three: Planning your argument o What a research argument is and is not o Build your argument around answers to readers questions o Turn your working hypothesis into a claim o Assemble the elements of your argument o Distinguish arguments based on evidence from arguments based on warrants o Assemble an argument Planning a first draft o Avoid unhelpful plans o Create a plan that meets your readers needs o File away leftovers Week Four: 8 of 10

9 9 Drafting your report o Draft in the way that feels most comfortable o Develop productive drafting habits o Use your key terms to keep yourself on track o Quote, paraphrase, and summarize appropriately o Integrate quotations into your text o Use footnotes and endnotes judiciously o Interpret complex or detailed evidence before you offer it o Be open to surprises o Guard against inadvertent plagiarism o Guard against inappropriate assistance o Work through chronic procrastination and writer s block Presenting evidence in tables and figures o Choose verbal or visual representations o Choose the most effective graphic o Design tables and figures o Communicate data ethically Week Five: MLA Quiz Revising your draft o Check your introduction, conclusion, and claim o Make sure the body of your report is coherent o Check your paragraphs o Let your draft cool, then paraphrase it Writing your final introduction and conclusion o Draft your final introduction o Draft your final conclusion o Write your title last Week Six: Revising sentences o Focus on the first seven or eight words of a sentence o Diagnose what you read o Choose the right word o Polish it up o Give it up and print it out Learning from your returned paper o Find general principles in specific comments o Talk to your instructor Week Seven: Final Research Project and Video Presentation Due Presenting research in alternative forums 9 of 10

10 10 o Plan your oral presentation o Design your presentation to be listened to o Plan your poster presentation o Plan your conference proposal On the spirit of research 10 of 10