Research Methods in the Humanities (HUM 710)
Instructor: Maner
Term: Winter 1999
Time: 7:00-10:00, Wednesday
Room: 182 Millett
Office hours: Mon. and Wed. 2-4
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Required texts:
Joseph Gibaldi, The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers, 4th ed. (New York: MLA, 1995).
Martin Maner, The Spiral Guide to Research Writing
(Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 1996).
Recommended text:
Michael L. Keene and Katherine H. Adams, The Easy Access
Handbook: A Writer's Guide and Reference (Mountain
View, CA: Mayfield, 1996).
Required materials:
Packet of 3x5 or 4x6 note cards.
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All page numbers below refer to The Spiral Guide unless otherwise
indicated. Complete the assigned readings and exercises before
coming to class.
Date Topics and Assignments Readings, etc.
Wed Introduction; diagnostic quiz Personal schedule
1/6 Class policies handout
Qualities of a good thesis Collect personal
Do Exercise #1 during class (ungraded schedule handout
exercise, p. 15, not to be handed in)
Library orientation
(Second half of class will be in
Library 241-242)
Wed Finding sources 57-99; 289-94
1/13 Overview of research writing
Choosing a subject xx-35
Study sample papers 336-66, 381-412
Discuss Exercise #6--Finding Scan 303-324,
Sources (pp. 96-97, due in three noting items
weeks) marked with
Finding and narrowing the topic asterisks,
Discuss Exercise #3--Statement of especially the
Topic (pp. 34-35, due next week) indexes in the
Do Exercise #2; bring it to class section headed
(ungraded exercise, pp. 15-16) "General."
Library orientation Distribute
(Class will meet in "Exercise in
Library 241-242) Paraphrasing and
Documenting"
Wed Generating an argument 36-56
1/20 Do Exercises #4 and #5 before class
Do pp. 1-3 of "Exercise in Paraphrasing
and Documenting," distributed in class
Hand in Exercise #3--Statement
of Topic (graded exercise) 34-35
Discuss Exercise #8--Summarizing,
Paraphrasing, and Quoting (pp. 139-
40, due in two weeks)
Circulate sign-up sheet for
individual conferences.
Writing a short plan 100-10
Gathering information 111-41
Discuss Exercise #7--Prospectus
(p. 110, due in three weeks)
Fri Last day to drop without a "W"
1/22
Wed Individually guided research
1/27 (Scheduled appointments by the
Information Desk in the library)
At your individual conference, do the
following:
Hand in Exercise #8--Summarizing, 139-40
Paraphrasing, and Quoting
(graded exercise)
Wed MLA format--I 142-57; 325-33;
2/3 General appearance of MLA format MLA 41-99 and
Parenthetical documentation 183-205; bring
Discuss Exercise #10--Citing and MLA Handbook to
Listing Sources (pp. 189-94)--due class.
in two weeks
MLA mechanics
Hand in Exercise #7--Prospectus
(graded exercise) 110
MLA format--II 157-67; 189-94; 296-
List of works cited 302; MLA 101-82;
Endnotes bring MLA Handbook
Hand back and discuss Exercise #8 to class.
Ungraded in-class exercise in citing
and listing sources (not to be
handed in) Handout
Fri Last day to drop with a "W"
2/5
Wed Writing and organizing the rough 195-227; MLA 29-
2/10 draft 37
Hand in Exercise #10--Citing and
Listing Sources (graded
exercise) 189-94
Revising the rough draft 228-56
Do Exercise #12--Drafting Skills--
before class (pp. 223-27, ungraded
exercise, not to be handed in)
Discuss topic outline--ungraded
exercise, due in two weeks
Discuss sentence outline--graded
exercise, due in four weeks
Wed No class
2/17 Hand in Exercise #6--Finding
Sources (graded exercise) 97-99
(Leave in my mailbox in 441
Millett; if after 5 pm, when mailroom
is locked, slip paper under my door.)
Wed Peer evaluations
2/24 Do Exercise #13--Revision--in class
with a classmate (p. 256, ungraded
exercise, to be handed in)
Research paper preliminary draft due
(15 typed pages minimum, including
bibliography) plus photocopies of
at least a page from each of three
sources paraphrased in the paper.
Mark the photocopies clearly to show
which pages of your paper contain the
quoted or paraphrased portions.
I will not be able to give preliminary
draft credit without the accompanying
marked photocopies, so please do not
forget this material!)
Remember: This draft must be handed
in ON TIME at the beginning of the
class, with marked photocopies and
bibliography, and it must meet the
minimum length requirement. Other-
wise, no preliminary draft credit
will be given.
Topic outline due
The topic outline, consisting entirely
of sentence fragments, will not be
graded but will be used as a tool in
discussing organizational problems.
Wed Editing 257-88
3/4 Discuss sample sentences in class Handout
Do Exercise #14--Editing--before
class (p. 288, ungraded exercise,
not to be handed in)
Course evaluation
Question-answer review for final exam
Preliminary drafts handed back with
instructor's comments
Wed Research paper final draft due
3/10 (15 typed pages minimum, plus
bibliography)
Sentence outline due--counts as
one exercise
Wed Final examination, 7:45-9:45 PM
3/17 At least a portion of this exam will be
open-book, so bring your Spiral Guide,
your MLA Handbook, and your notes.
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Evaluation
Class participation/completion
of preliminary draft* 05%
Graded exercises (Statement of
Topic; Finding Sources; Prospectus; (drop lowest
Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and exercise
Quoting; Citing and Listing Sources; grade)
Formal Sentence Outline 30%
Research paper--final draft 45%
Final examination 20%
Course grades are computed by multiplying weighted percentages
times the numerical value of letter grades, thus: A=4.0,
A-=3.8, B+=3.2, and so on.
Preliminary Draft Credit:
To earn the "A" credit for turning in a preliminary draft,
your paper must be handed in on time at the beginning of
the hour on the due date; it must meet the minimum length
requirement; and it must contain a complete bibliography
of works cited. If it fails to meet any of these
requirements (by being, for example, only a few minutes
late or only a few words short of the minimum length), I
will have to give you an "F" for this 5% portion of the
course grade. This deadline policy is intended to reward
and encourage advance completion of your work, thereby
making it possible for me to schedule prompt evaluations.
Once deadlines and minimum length criteria have been
established, they must be enforced consistently. If you
prefer to waive this 5% of free "A" credit, you may do so
in the first week of class, and these points will be
distributed across other assignments at that time.
Mandatory Exercises
You may choose to "drop" an exercise by not turning it in.
However, Exercises #3 (Topic Statement), #7 (Prospectus), and the
formal sentence outline are all mandatory course requirements.
The must be handed in, even if you must complete them late and
receive no credit for them. (See Class Policy #1, below.)
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Fourth Hour
This is a four-credit-hour course which meets for only three hours
per week. The fourth hour will be devoted to guided research and
writing. I am happy to meet regularly with you individually for
assistance, but remember that administrative work may force me to
miss some office hours occasionally. Therefore, appointments are
advisable.
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Class Policies
1. Papers, prospectuses, at-home exercises, etc. are due at the
beginning of the class period on the due dates indicated above. I
will evaluate preliminary drafts submitted after the deadline, but
no "preliminary draft credit" will be given for them. Late
exercises will receive no credit, so if you must miss a class on a
due date, be sure to fax me a copy of your exercise (at 873-2707)
by the deadline, or have a friend deliver it on time.
2. Late research paper final drafts will be subject to the
following reductions: Papers turned in after the beginning of
class but before 9:50 PM on the due date indicated above will be
penalized 5 points. Papers turned in after 9:50 PM but by 5 PM
the next day will be penalized 10 points, and another 10 points
for each day or portion of a day the paper is late.
3. Papers shorter than the assigned minimum length will receive
grade reductions. "Page" is defined as a normal typed page with
1" margins and 10 cpi type; "15 typed pages minimum" means at
least 15 full pages. Use standard MLA format, please; don't play
with extra-large type and margins.
4. I will not give a make-up exam unless arrangements have been
made before the exam is given. If you cannot reach me, leave a
message with the English Department secretary before the exam is
given.
5. Assistance on written work should be limited to the
instructor, library reference personnel, and the tutors at the
Writing Center (025 Library). Automatic penalty for any form of
plagiarism (defined as passing off the work of someone else as if
it were your own): F for the course, written notification of the
Dean of Liberal Arts and the English Department Chairer.
(Re-using work submitted for credit in another course is another
form of academic dishonesty, since it puts other students at a
disadvantage. If you wish to write a single paper to meet two
course requirements, you should secure written permission from
both instructors, and the paper should meet the combined length
requirements of both assignments.)
6. I normally do not grant "I" grades for the course. If you
miss an assignment, your grade will be computed on the basis of
the work you completed, with the missing assignment counted as a
zero.
7. Since I do not grant excused absences, I prefer not to be
given excuses for absences unless they are especially bizarre or
amusing.
8. I take attendance at the beginning of the hour. If you arrive
late, please see me after class to have me mark you present. I
will not make retroactive corrections of the attendance record.
Repeated absences or late arrivals may lower your participation
grade.
9. Please do not ask me what you missed. You are responsible for
making arrangements with a classmate to supply you with
information about classes you could not attend.
10. Since the early weeks of this course are focused mainly on
getting an early start on the research paper, you will have
accumulated only a few percentage points of graded credit by the
time the first and second drop dates arrive. Probably the best
way to estimate your likely performance in this course is to ask
yourself the following questions: a) Have I spent at least eight
hours a week on library work for this course during the opening
weeks of the course? b) Have I mastered the research tools
(bibliographies, periodical indexes, study guides, etc.) relevant
to my topic? c) By the time my prospectus is handed in, will I
have listed virtually all the available English-language sources
relevant to my topic?
11. My office is 446 Millett, telephone 775-2639. You may leave
messages with the English Department secretary at 775-3136. You
may FAX assignments to meet deadlines at 775-2707. A convenient
way to confer is via e-mail at martin.maner@wright.edu. I check
my e-mail daily.
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