The third part of the course will be taken up with presentations of work that students will be preparing throughout the semester. This research project is a critical element of the course and should be taken very seriously.
First, students will submit a two-page statement describing their research question and explaining why it was selected. Next, students will submit a list of at least 10 articles or three books on the topic and a brief abstract for each that presents the basic argument, findings, and relevance for the student's question. Next, students will submit a critical literature review (15 pages). This will serve as the basis for a 15-minute in-class presentation, which will be followed by a 15-minute group discussion of research strategies. Finally, building on this discussion, students will submit a 20-page research proposal that includes a revised version of the literature review and a new five-page section that proposes an original research.
Research Design Project: Statement of Research (PDF)
Research Design Project: More Guidelines (PDF)