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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "EN 470"
COURSE NAME: "Literary Research Methods"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2016
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Lewis Samuel Klausner
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
W 6:00PM 8:45PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: Junior Standing
OFFICE HOURS:
By appointment
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a course in research methodology and practices for the development of a thesis in English Literature. The course is intended for English literature majors in their penultimate term. Students will be introduced to the practicalities of thesis writing. Starting with the identification of a viable research topic, students will learn to articulate their research question/s, will identify and assess scholarly material to formulate a literature review, will engage with appropriate theoretical frameworks, and produce an annotated bibliography. Students will present and critique each other’s thesis proposal, research methodology and choice of material. By the end of course students will possess the research foundations that will allow them to write their thesis.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
We will study the basic steps leading up to writing a first draft of an entire undergraduate thesis in English. Each week students will have to post (or email to the entire class) the weekly assignment by Monday (starting with Monday, September 5). This will give everyone enough time (over the weekend) to prepare the assignments, and give everyone enough time to read the assignments submitted by others, and to prepare questions and comments on the assignments submitted by others.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Ideally, by the end of the course each student will not only be prepared to write his or her undergraduate thesis, but will already have accomplished the preliminary steps necessary for the completion of the thesis.
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TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| Modern Language Association, MLA Handbook. | MLA | MLA | ISBN-13: 978-1603290241 | | | | | |
| . How to Write Your Undergraduate Dissertation | Greetham, Bryan | Palgrave | ISBN-13: 978-1137389763 | | | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Short Assignments | Articulation of project | 20% |
| Library worksheet | to be filled out during source search sessions with reference librarians | 5 |
| Preliminary bibliography | MLA style required, 12 varied sources | 5 |
| Annotated bibliography | MLA style required, 5 sources, description of their scope, content, utility to the project | 10 |
| Literature Review | 5 pages, double-spaced, review of five sources that approach the topic student is researching from varying theoretical and practical perspectives | 25 |
| Extended Outline of Thesis | | 5 |
| 10-15 page essay | on a pre-agreed topic from their thesis outline (e.g. preliminary chapter, overview of argument, etc | 20 |
| Oral Presentation of Research | | 10 |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
This is a course in research methodology and practices for the development of a thesis in English Literature. The course is intended for English literature majors in their penultimate term. Students will be introduced to the practicalities of thesis writing. Starting with the identification of a viable research topic, students will learn to articulate their research question/s, will identify and assess scholarly material to formulate a literature review, will engage with appropriate theoretical frameworks, and produce an annotated bibliography. Students will present and critique each other’s thesis proposal, research methodology and choice of material. By the end of course students will possess the research foundations that will allow them to write their thesis.
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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.
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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.
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SCHEDULE
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Schedule
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Week
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Topic
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Major Assignment Due (shorter assignments TBA)
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Week 1
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Introduction - Choosing a topic, narrowing a focus
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Week 2
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Library Sessions - Conducting research, using library resources, reference librarians
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Week 3
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Source interrogation
Forming a research question
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Library Worksheet Due
Articulation of Research Question Due
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Week 4
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Methodology
Workshop and conferencing on research question
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Week 5
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Formatting and MLA
John Cabot’s Thesis Process
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Preliminary Bibliography Due
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Week 6
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Theoretical framework review
The Annotated Bibliography
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Week 7
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Definition of terms
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Annotated Bibliography Due
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Week 8
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Workshop and conference on sourcing
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Week 9
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The review of the literature
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Week 10
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Workshop and conference on literature review
The extended outline
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Week 11
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Workshop and conference on Extended Outline
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Literature Review Due
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Week 12
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The research essay
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Extended Outline Due
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Week 13
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Workshop and conference on Research Essay
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Week 14
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Lessons from past theses – avoiding common pitfalls
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Research Essay Draft Due
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Final Exam
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Oral presentation of
Research Essay
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Research Essay Due
Oral presentation Due
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