Birmingham Theological Seminary 2200 Briarwood Way Birmingham, AL DM9121 Understanding the DMin Dissertation/Project

Transcription

1 Birmingham Theological Seminary 2200 Briarwood Way Birmingham, AL DM9121 Understanding the DMin Dissertation/Project Summer 2012 Class Hours: 3 Professor: Rev. Jim Maples pgpres@att.net Cell: Course Purpose The dissertation project is the cumulative capstone of the Doctor of Ministry. This course will explore methods, models and process of writing a DMin project. The final product will be the production of a project proposal. Course Objectives 1. The student should be able to understand the methods, models, and process of the DMin dissertation/project. 2. The student should be able to identify a suitable topic that will utilize the student s ministry experience and engage both the student and those within his ministry. 3. The student should be equipped to understand the components of the project proposal, the research requirements, the proposal review and approval process, and the steps in the completion of the final project. 4. The student will develop a strategy for the implementation of the proposal activities to produce an acceptable final dissertation/project. Required Texts: Course Texts Ammerman, Nancy T., Jackson W. Carroll, Carl S. Dudley, and William McKinney. Studying Congregations: A New Handbook. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, Bell, Judith. Doing Your Research Project. 5 th ed. Buckingham, Great Britain: Open University Press, *Leedy, Paul D. and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod. Practical Research: Planning and Design. 8 th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005.

2 Madsen, David. Successful Dissertations and Theses: A Guide to Graduate Student Research from Proposal to Completion. 2 nd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, Myers, William. Research in Ministry: A Primer for the Doctor of Ministry Program. Chicago, IL: Exploration Press, Note: This book is very expensive but it is available at the Samford University Library 2 nd floor, BV4165.M *Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 7 th ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, *Vyhmeister, Nancy J. Quality Research Papers for Students of Religion and Theology. 2 nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, *Yaghjian, Lucretia B. Writing Theology Well, A Rhetoric for Theological and Biblical Writers. New York, NY: The Continuum International Publishing Group, Inc, *These texts were used in previous courses. Please review as noted in requirements. Collateral Texts: Creswell, John W. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Marshall, Catherine and Gretchen B. Rossman. Designing Qualitative Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., Peters, Robert L. Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student s Guide to Earning a Master s or a Ph. D. New York, NY: Noonday Press, Course Meeting Dates First meeting: June 15 th Second Meeting: July 20 th Third Meeting: August 24 th Course Requirements Attendance: Presence, preparation and participation in all class sessions is expected to complete the course satisfactorily with a passing grade. All assignments must be completed in their entirety and on time, especially any computer postings. No more than 2

3 three (3) hours of class for all three days may be missed other than personal illness or extreme emergency call professor in advance to obtain excused absence. Absences in excess of seven (7) hours will result in receiving no credit for the course. Multiple instances of tardiness may result in a grade reduction. Class Participation: All students are fully expected to participate in class. All assignments and responses must be posted to the website on the dates specified to allow fellow students completely to be prepared. Class will consist of lectures and student interaction from postings at Students are advised to log in prior to the first posting. Contact professor with any log-in issues or concerns. Papers: BTS has made the decision to adopt the Turabian style of writing format for all papers, clinicals, dissertations (DMin) and reports. Also, all papers are to be double spaced, 12-point font and Times New Roman script. This will bring consistency and less confusion for both students and professors. In this technological age, information is readily available; make sure that you understand about giving reference sources the proper recognition. Grading: There is no grade as such in this course. The successful completion of this course will be in the production of a Doctor of Ministry Project Proposal that is coherent and appropriate in its definition, delimitations, and proposed study and actions. This proposal is in effect your exam. A student whose proposal is not accepted will be given the opportunity to submit up to two more proposals after revision. If such revisions are necessary the final proposal must be submitted before October 31, In the event the student fails to submit an acceptable proposal no credit will be given for the class and the committee will decide whether or not the student may proceed in the program and/or what remedial actions are required. Assignments: All assignments are due on the specified date. Respect your fellow classmates. Post assignments in a timely fashion to give them time to respond or prepare for class. Time management is of the utmost importance. Please read assignments carefully and call or if you have questions. Assignments Prior to June 15 th meeting: Before the first meeting date read Myers, Research in Ministry in order to get an overview of the kinds of research being done in D Min programs. Per my you should check out this book from the Samford University Library right away and begin reading in order for all of you to have access to it before class meets. Review Yaghjian paying particular attention to chapter five. Review chapters one through six in Leedy, Practical Research: Planning and Design and read Bell, Doing Your Research Project. Ammerman, Studying Congregations: A New Handbook and chapters six through eleven in Leedy will give you insight into the kinds of research and the observations and measurements you may be likely to use. 3

4 Vyhmeister and Madsden will be good resources to reference as you develop your proposal and produce the actual document. June 15 th meeting: Bring to class a rough draft of the problem which you intend to address, a definition of the terms, the delimitations, and assumptions which establish the scope of the problem. Outline the setting of the project and the importance of the project to you, your ministry, and how it will benefit the church at large. Delineate the nature of your research, what data you need, how that will be gathered, and how you will make use of the data. These items will be presented to the committee for analysis, critique, and recommendations. The remainder of the class time will be devoted to a presentation of the guidelines relative to the form, content, and general expectations of the project proposal. Prior to July 20 th meeting: You are to develop a preliminary project proposal (12-15 pages in length, exclusive of bibliography) in which you address all the elements discussed in the expectations outlined on June 15 th. July 20 th meeting: Please bring an electronic copy as well as five paper copies of your draft to class. The majority of class time will be spent revising and rewriting your proposal. We will discuss an integrative paper that will describe how the coursework which has been completed relate to the project and the student s ministerial goals. Prior to August 24 th meeting: The student will complete the final proposal and integrative paper according to requirements of style and form. Any proposals submitted with grammatical, spelling, citation, or mistakes as to form will be rejected. August 24 th meeting: At least one week prior to meeting date you must submit an electronic copy of your final proposal to each member of the committee. Bring both an electronic and a paper copy of your final proposal to class. The final proposal will be presented to the committee. The committee will discuss with you the ministry project you propose. You should be prepared to explain why you have chosen the strategies and approach you intend to pursue. They may ask you to expand on and/or clarify what you have submitted. The committee recommendations will be a key component of the final approval which will be given by the Director, Doctor of Ministry Program, Pastoral Leadership. Once the proposal has been accepted the student should schedule the Candidacy Exam. After the exam the student will meet with the Vice-President Academic Affairs and the Director, Doctor of Ministry, Pastoral Leadership. After discussion of the project proposal, the Vice-President and Director will give the student permission to register for the D Min dissertation/project. Selected Bibliography Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research. 2 nd ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press,

5 Carroll, W. Jackson, Carl S. Dudley, and William McKinney, eds. Handbook for Congregational Studies. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, Press, Clark, G. Kitson. The Critical Historian Guide for Research Students Working on Historical Subjects. New York, NY: Garland Publishing, Inc., Crosswhite, James. The Rhetoric of Reason: Writing and the Attractions of Argument. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, Davies, Richard E. Handbook for Doctor of Ministry Projects. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Gardner, D. C., and G. J. Beatty. Dissertation Proposal Guidebook. Springfield, IL: Thomas, Gubu, Egon and Yvonna S. Lincoln. Effective Evaluation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass Publishers Harrison, Michael I. Diagnosing Organizations: Methods, Models, and Process. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., Mauch, J. E. and J. W. Birch. Guide to the Successful Thesis and Dissertation. 2 nd ed. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, Patton, Michael Quinn. Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods. 2 nd ed. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., Spradley, James P. Participant Observation. Chicago, IL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Stock, M. A. A Practical Guide to Graduate Research. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, Strunk, William, and E. B. White. The Elements of Style. 4 th and Bacon, ed. New York, NY: Allyn Swales, John M. and Christine B. Feak. Academic Writing for Graduate Students. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, Williams, Joseph M. Style: Toward Clarity and Grace. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.,