Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 460"
COURSE NAME: "Research Practicum"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall Semester 2012

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Yawn Lila
HOURS: TTH 13:30-14:45
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: Junior Standing
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
See "Summary of Course Content"

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This seminar/practicum leads students through the process of self-review, practical skills acquisition, and bibliography building needed for a successful research and writing of their Senior Theses and other advanced projects in the history of art. The course unfolds in four discrete units: an individual portfolio review; a seminar in research tools and methods; intensive, directed bibliographic research; and the formulation of a presentation to the class on the thesis topic, together with a new 'foundation' portfolio demonstrating mastery of the research skills, competencies, and bibliography necessary for writing the thesis or another high-level research paper. A highlight of the course will be visits to important research libraries in Rome, with hands-on exercises using. While the course is aimed at degree-seeking art history majors, all students with the appropriate pre-requisites and an interest in refining their professional research and publication skills are welcome.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will:

· formulate and refine a senior thesis topic through the evaluation of their own prior research and, above all, through the identification and assessment of pertinent, peer-reviewed bibliography;

· assemble an exhaustive bibliography pertinent to the thesis topic, together with a personal, professional research portfolio, or “tool box,” consisting of style sheets, library cards, and the like.

· master the practical skills, especially bibliographic development, research-library use, and style-specific citation, required for writing the senior thesis and other professional-level publications in art history.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis	Joan Bolker	Owl Books	ISBN-10: 080504891X; ISBN-13: 978-0805048919

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Presentation & foundation portfolio	<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: times new roman; color: black;">The culminating event of the course will be state-of-the-question presentations by students on the topics of their theses and the compiling of individual foundation portfolios, with full, annotated bibliographies; bibliographic style sheets and exercises demonstrating mastery of them; and information on databases, libraries, and other resources.  This portfolio will serve as a handbook and ready reference during the actual writing of the thesis the following semester.</span></p>	40%
Research diary	S<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: times new roman; color: black;">tarting on the first day of the course, students will develop a research diary in which they narrate progress on the choice and development of research topics.  The diaries  are to include at least two substantial entries per week (28 total) summarizing initial ideas, the discovery of key sources and resources, questions and break-through discoveries that emerge through the analysis of those resources, and—through this process—the gradual formulation and refinement of one major topic and its components.</span>	30%
Weekly exercises / professionalism, participation, collegiality	As above	30%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
A = 94-100 B = 83-86 C = 73-76 D = 63-66 A- = 90-93 B- = 80-82 C-= 70-72 D-= 60-62 B+ = 87-89 C+ = 77-79 D+=67-69 F= 0-59 A/A- = Excellent command of the language consistent with the level of proficiency. Appropriate command of sentence structure, lexis, register and idiom. B+ =Very good command of the language consistent with the level of proficiency, showing facility and very few errors. Ability to handle sentence structure naturally, and to demonstrate some awareness of stylistic variation. B =Good command of the language, consistent with the level of proficiency. Competent manipulation of sentence structure, with some evidence of development and complexity; small occurrence of grammatical errors. Work will be broadly coherent and comprehensible, good manipulation of sentence structure; grammatical and other errors will not impede comprehension. B- =Satisfactory command of the language, consistent with the level of proficiency. Work will not be coherent but comprehensible; sentence structure will be simple; medium frequency of grammatical and other errors C+ = Evidence of the ability to control the language for the purpose of effective communication, consistent with the level of proficiency. Work will be comprehensible; sentence structure will be very simple and grammatical and other errors will be frequent but not as serious to impede comprehension. C , C- =Some evidence of the ability to control the language for the purpose of effective communication, consistent with the level of proficiency. Some awareness of sentence structure and high frequency of grammatical and other errors. D = Little evidence of the ability to control the language for the purpose of making oneself understood. Little awareness of sentence structure and numerous grammatical and other errors. GRADING BASIS: 25% Quizzes 25% Mid-Term Exam 25% Final Exam 25% Class participation, homework and oral test F = No evidence of the ability to control the language; failure to make oneself understood.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Attendance and punctuality at all class meetings are mandatory. Course grades and progress will depend heavily upon active participation.

Some class meetings will necessarily take place outside of the normal course schedule and will be decided in consultation with the students once the semester is underway. Flexibility is of the essence.

If you have a mobile phone, please turn it off at the start of each class meeting and do not turn it on again until class has ended. If you use a mobile phone during class, including for sms messaging, you will be asked to leave the class, with a resulting unexcused absence. The same holds for computers, except on those occasions when the instructor authorizes their use for class exercises.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

The week-by-week schedule will be refined in consultation with the students enrolled in the course at the beginning of the term. Some meetings, in particular those for library visits, will take place outside of the regular course hours.

Week 1

a: Introduction to the course; logistics (library visits, speakers)

b: Bolker Ch. 1 - discussion; first report on research diaries

Week 2

a: Student presentations: (a) Past theses at JCU – taxonomy; (b) Reflections on past term papers

b: Bolker Ch. 2 - discussion; report on research diaries (re: one new item of bibliography)

Week 3

a: Library lession with Eleonora Moccia: databases; on-line bibliographies & library catalogs

b: Bolker Ch. 3 - discussion; report on research diaries (re: one new item of bibliography)

Week 4

a: Discussion: Jonah Lehrer, Annals of Science, “The Eureka Hunt,” The New Yorker, July 28, 2008.

b: Library visit 1 (Friday, double class period): Biblioteca Angelica + BIASA, Palazzo di Venezia

Week 5

a: Veteran researchers tell you their secrets 1 (Lila Yawn)

b: Bolker Ch. 4 - discussion; individual reports on research diaries & bibliography summaries (2 sources)

Week 6

a: Library lession with Eleonora Moccia: tools for managing information; bibliographic formats & stylesheets

b: Bolker Ch. 5 - discussion; individual reports on research diaries & bibliography summaries (2 sources); identify criteria/contents for final portfolios

Week 7

a: Veteran researchers tell you their secrets 2 (guest speaker from JCU Art Department TBA)

b: Discussion: guest speaker’s talk from previous class meeting; Bolker, Ch. 6

Week 8

a: Dicussion: Jonah Lehrer, Annals of Science, “The Truth Wears Off. Is there something wrong with the scientific method?,” The New Yorker, December 13, 2010; report on research diaries; bibliography summaries (2 sources) due

b: Library visit 2 (Friday, double class period): Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Roma

Week 9

a: Bolker, Ch. 7 – discussion; individual reports on research diaries & bibliography summaries (2 sources)

b: No class meeting (comp time for double class meeting - library visit 1). Assignment: conquer a Roman research library on your own.

Week 10

a: Veteran researchers tell you their secrets 3 (guest speaker from JCU Art Department TBA)

b: Discussion: guest speaker’s talk from previous class meeting; brief reports on individual library visits; Bolker, Ch. 8

Week 11

a: Individual reports on research diaries & bibliography summaries (2 sources); progress reports on topic definition & final portfolios; Bolker, Ch. 9

b: Library visit 3, Norwegian Institute

Week 12:

a: Individual reports on research diaries & bibliography summaries (2 sources); progress reports on topic definition & final portfolios

b: No class meeting (comp time for double class meeting - library visit 2).

Week 13

a: Veteran researchers tell you their secrets 4 (guest speaker from JCU Art Department TBA)

a: Library visit 4 (Friday, double class period), GNAM

Week 14

a: No class meeting (comp time for double class meeting - library visit 2). Compile portfolios.

b: No class meeting (comp time for double class meeting - library visit 3). Compile portfolios.

FINAL EXAM PERIOD: final presentations; submit final portfolios