General Studies 590:

Honours Thesis: Directed Research

Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Monday 14:00 - 16:50

Social Sciences 315

 

 

Instructor:	Dr. Doug Brent
Office Location:	SS 110
Office Phone:	220-5458
E-Mail:	dabrent@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:	www.ucalgary.ca/~dabrent
Office Hours:	By appointment

Additional Information

This course will not meet every week.  See the schedule below.

Course Description

This course is designed to enrich students' Honours experience by providing a common forum for discussing the research process. We will look at some previous years' Honours thesis in depth, focussing on the research methods used and the various ways in which information can be presented. Students will also present progress reports on their work and discuss the strategies they are using.

This course is designed to facilitate, not to interfere with, the research process as guided by your supervisor. As an interdisciplinary faculty, Communication and Culture permits a great deal of flexibility in academic approach. We will examine a range of research methods and presentation styles. The one that is best for you is the one that you agree on with your supervisor. In case of any conflict with the advice you receive in this course and the advice your supervisor gives you, your supervisor is the boss.

Objectives of the Course

This course is designed to help students acquire deep research skills and to foster a sense of cohort among Honours students in Communication and Culture.

Textbooks and Readings:

There is no textbook. Selected readings will be made available on Blackboard.

Assignments

There are no formal graded assignments for this course.  Your thesis itself, graded by your supervisor, is the only formal assignment.  However, you are expected to be prepared for the activities listed on the schedule of activities (below).

 Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre.  Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines.  Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research.  For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see the U of C Research Ethics "Information for Applicants," sections 3.0 to 9.0, inclusive: http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/research/html/ethics/info_undergrad.html

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES AND READINGS FOR THE GNST 590 CLASS

Monday September 8: Meet and greet, discuss research topics, receive information on the first research analysis assignment, look at sample proposals

September 15:  Strategic moves in sample theses: Introductions.  Discussion of the Ethics process.

September 22:  Strategic moves in sample theses: Theoretical Orientation and Methodology.  Advanced library orientation (may be rescheduled).

Sept. 29:  Strategic moves in sample theses:  Articulating Conclusions

Oct. 6 - end of Fall term: No formal class meetings. Get on with your work.

Monday Jan. 12:  No class.  Get to work on your progress reports.

Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Feb. 2: Progress Reports.  Short (2 pp.) but formal written progress reports posted on Blackboard will provide the basis for an informal presentation in class.  Please attend all sessions, not just the one in which you are presenting.  Your supervisor will be invited.

Note: This formal assignment is different from the informal progress report that you will e-mail directly to me as Honours Co-ordinator.

February 9 - March 6: No formal meetings.

Monday, March 16:  Discussion of oral exam. Last formal classroom meeting.

April 30 (or thereabouts): Celebration. Details TBA.

 

FYI: 2007-08  HONOURS THESIS DEADLINES

These are general deadlines that apply to the production of your thesis, not the 590 class.

Wednesday, October 1: Final proposal and working bibliography submitted to Honours Co-ordinator. Ethics form, if required, must be submitted at least by this date.

Wednesday October 15:   Form 2:  Names of committee members submitted to the Administrative Assistant.

Friday December 5. Your supervisor should have at least a provisional draft of the entire thesis.  (The exact date is negotiable with your supervisor.)  Be prepared for significant rewriting after this point.

Monday Jan. 19: Interim Progress Report. This is an informal e-mail to the Honours Co-ordinator from both you and your supervisor summarizing progress made and alerting me to any possible problems. It is not the same as the written Progress Report that you will write up for the GNST590 class (see Schedule section below).

Monday March 16: A provisional "final" draft of the entire thesis must be in your supervisor's hands at least by this date for final editorial oversight.

April 6-April 15: The truly final copy of the thesis must be submitted two weeks before the scheduled oral.  Form 3: Notice of Oral Exam due at least by this date.  (Earlier is better.)

April 20-30: Exam period. The oral exam will normally be scheduled during this time.

May 7: Final corrected copy of thesis submitted to Administrative Assistant in both hard copy and electronic format.