Research & Writing
Faculty: Emily Decker Lardner and Randolph Stilson

(4 credits assigned as 1 credit library science, 1 credit research methodology & 2 credits academic writing)

Syllabus

Winter Quarter 2010

   

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TEXTS: Readings for a specific week’s class are shown as assignments the week we will be discussing them. Be sure to read the materials before the class session for which they are assigned so that you will be prepared for the class.

Jan. 5/Week 1 : Defining Research and Meeting Your Potential Research Partners.

Class Activity :

Writing Assignment for next week : 2 one to two page papers and a paragraph :

Suggested Activity : Watch the movie Erin Brockovitch (on closed reserve or rent it for yourself and watch at home)

Jan12/Week 2 : Determining a Research Topic.

For this class read : Read: Part I Chapters 1 & 2 in The Craft of Research (Including the Preface), Part II Chapters 3 & 4 in The Craft of Research and the Introduction and Chapters 1 and 2 of Sack's Tearing Down The Gates.

Class Activity :

(NOTE: Your projects can be done either individually or in group work. Projects may be on two separate or a single topic).

Writing Assignment for next week : Answer (to the best of your ability) the three questions posed in the section on how to develop a working research problem (page 48 in Craft of Research) .  (There is no page limit on this assignment.  It is to your advantage to think these questions through thoroughly and write extensively so that you have an understanding of what you are interested in and how you perceive your interest can be made to be interesting to others).

Jan 19/Week 3 : What does it look like to use research in practice? Where are the Research Resources?

For this class read :: Part II Chapters 5 and 6 in The Craft of Research and Part Two and Part Three in Tearing Down the Gates .

Class Activity :

Writing assignment for next week: Write a series of “I used to think/now I think” statements that connect with your reading of Sacks. Create at least five points of comparison. These will become the basis for your researched essay.

Jan 26/Week 4 : Developing a research question of your own that builds on someone else’s work (Lardner) 

For this class read : Finish Tearing Down the Gates and read chapters 7 & 8 in Part III of Craft of Research

Class activity:  

Writing assignment:

·         For week 6, write a draft of your Sacks essay. Bring 3 copies to class.

·         For next week: 2-3 page paper on your understanding of the relationship between research elements as presented in Craft of Research.

Feb 2/Week 5 : Evidence + Reasons + Claims = Arguments.  Creating meaning from data. (Stilson)

For this class read : Chapter 6 and Part III Chapters 7-9 in The Craft of Research and Bazerman Chapters on Writing and Disciplines (see links below)

Part One: Writing Matters
Chapter 1: The Problem of Writing Knowledge (79K)
Chapter 2: What Written Knowledge Does: Three Examples of Academic Discourse (522K)

Class Activity :

Writing Assignment: see week 4

Feb 9/Week 6 : Qualifying your Arguments (Practicing with Your Drafts).

For this class read : Part III Chapters 9-11 in The Craft of Research

Class Activity :

Writing assignment: revise your essays in light of peer reviews; include a cover sheet about the revisions you have made and why you made them when you turn this in next week

Feb 16/Week7 : Drafting and related exercises

For this class read :

·        Part IV Chapters 12, and 15 in The Craft of Research

·        Elbow, Peter: Articles on getting started writing, Lawyer as Writer

Class Activity :

Writting Assignment: Rough Drafts of  your project/s

Feb 23/Week 8 : Revising

For this class read :

Class Activity:

Writing Assignment: revise your essay based on comments from teachers and workshop in class

March 2/Week 9 : Research and Writing Ethics

For this class read : Part V of  The Craft of Research and Posner's Little Book of Plagiarism

Class Activity :

Writing Assignment : Finalizing your presentations

March 9/Week 10 : Project/Proposed Paper Presentations (length depending on the number of students and available time)