Class Profile ENGL406
Research in Writing & Writing Studies: Qualitative Research
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LEE TORDA 310 Tillinghast Hall Bridgewater State University 508.531.2436 [email protected] www.leetorda.com Fall 2020 Open Hours for students (office hours): M 12:30-2:00 W 10:00-11:00, 3:00-4:00 Th 10:00-11:00 and by appointment. |
NOTE: All classes, student meetings, and open hours (office hours) this Fall 2020 will be held virtually.
Links to Open Hour for Students Zoom sessions: For Monday Open Hours, click here. For Wednesday Open Hours @ 10:00, click here. For Wednesday Open Hours @3:00, click here. For Thursday Open Hours, click here. Need to make an during a time that is not an office hour? appointment? Let me know you want to meet by adding yourself to my google.doc appointment calendar here: https://goo.gl/3CqLf and I will send you a zoom link for the time you sign up for. |
Overview: Whether we are trying to determine if students improve as writers writing in an online setting or if we are trying to understand why individuals who have used Obamacare would still vote against it, the stories of others is at the center of the work needed to be done to answer those questions. This gets at the central premise of our class together: how to ethically and usefully tell the stories of others in order to answer questions, possibly solve problems, to move the discussion around a certain topic (writing instruction, public health care) forward.
Details: For this project, you will select a collection of “others” from the title of this assignment, decide what it is you want to find out about them. Secondly, you want to formulate what it is you want to find out about them in a research question--a good research question will essentially write the paper for you. Finally, you will need to determine the best way to collect qualitative data to answer that question.
KEEP IN MIND: This is a short project. The end product is only 1500-2000 words, which is, roughly 5 to 7 pages (see below for alternate format ideas). Thus, you want as tight focus on a group of individuals, A narrow and focused research question, and a methodology (or methodologies) that is manageable given your access to the group you are studying, the limitations of doing this work during Covid, and the timeframe for this assignment (see the syllabus for complete details on timelines).
Research Notebook Components and Final Product
In order to complete this project, you will need to maintain a research notebook. This is a collection of all of the preliminary research and writing work you need to do in order to get you to a final product of 1500-2000 words. Different parts of this research are due in class so keep up to the date with the syllabus for due dates.
This assignment is worth 20% of your final grade for our class and makes up the bulk of your midterm portfolio.
To earn a “B” grade for that 20%, you must
Meet with me for a project proposal conference
Complete all 7 of the required elements of the Project Notebook to be included in your midterm portfolio.
Attend a draft conference with me.
Participate in the class workshop for your draft and participate in any writing reflection required for the workshop (in-class).
In order to earn some form of an “A” grade for this assignment you must
Do all of the things required for the “B” grade
Demonstrate what you are learning about conducting ethical, rigorous qualitative research in the project and in all the accompanying reflections on that work.
Demonstrate a real commitment to your fellow researcher’s work by being a good and useful workshop participant as a reader.
In order to earn some form of a “C” grade for this assignment you must
Attend the project proposal conference with me.
Complete 5 of the 7 tasks associated with the Research Notebook, including producing a final version of the project.
Participate as a reader in the workshop of the project draft.
If you do not complete the requirements of a “C” grade for this assignment you will earn a grade of “F” for that 20% of your final grade.
Details: For this project, you will select a collection of “others” from the title of this assignment, decide what it is you want to find out about them. Secondly, you want to formulate what it is you want to find out about them in a research question--a good research question will essentially write the paper for you. Finally, you will need to determine the best way to collect qualitative data to answer that question.
KEEP IN MIND: This is a short project. The end product is only 1500-2000 words, which is, roughly 5 to 7 pages (see below for alternate format ideas). Thus, you want as tight focus on a group of individuals, A narrow and focused research question, and a methodology (or methodologies) that is manageable given your access to the group you are studying, the limitations of doing this work during Covid, and the timeframe for this assignment (see the syllabus for complete details on timelines).
Research Notebook Components and Final Product
In order to complete this project, you will need to maintain a research notebook. This is a collection of all of the preliminary research and writing work you need to do in order to get you to a final product of 1500-2000 words. Different parts of this research are due in class so keep up to the date with the syllabus for due dates.
- Project Proposal. Your project proposal is 250-500 words. It includes the following Information: Your Research Question; Your methodology--or how you intend to collect data in order to answer your research question using qualitative methods; Preliminary/possible conclusions; what concerns you have about conducting this research.
- Bibliography and literature review notes. While your research question might be unique to you, most likely, some aspect of your project has been studied by others. Please identify between 5 and 7 sources that contribute to your research topic and question. You may have a mix of scholarly sources and more mainstream articles. You must have at least two scholarly articles. We will spend time in class if folks need help locating this information.
WHAT YOU’LL TURN IN: Include a bibliography that you would include per usual with any research paper. In 250-500 words, please answer this question for each of your articles: in what ways does this article influence how you think about your research question and/or your methodology? - Data Collection. Whatever your methodology, you should produce a considerable collection of material that could include interview notes, emails arranging conversations, interview questions, notes from observation of spaces or procedures you witnessed, drafts of preliminary analysis, video or audio recordings, screenshots, photos, etc. It might also include any other articles, websites, research studies that you look at--even if you don’t put them in your bibliography.
NOTE: It’s going to be tough to make this material available to me, I know, given the limitations of our online environment. My suggestions would be to take pictures of things like handwritten notes and/or scan them to make them available to me (plenty of good phone apps for that--I use ). It is easy enough to take pictures of other stuff. Keep a file folder with all of the images/notes/.docs and submit it all together as a separate file along with your final product google.doc. - Preliminary Findings Report. Due in class for discussion (check syllabus for due dates), this is just a rough 250-500 words about what your initial analysis of your qualitative study yields.
- A workshop draft of your 1500-2000 piece. You will make writerly decisions as you get closer to the deadline/due date about how you want your piece to read--more scholarly? More accessible to a wider reading audience? Will you have headings? Images? Sections? How will you transition from a bunch of raw data and a few preliminary analyses to a full-blown essay/text/final product.
NOTE: You have the option to put your final product into an alternate format than an essay. You can use powerpoint to do something called a Pecha Kucha or some other video format. If you have other ideas about how you might present your findings, I am willing to listen. It needs to represent the equivalent work of a 1500-2000 word essay/article, but you should know you have options. - Your 1500-2000 word (or equivalent) final product. Due in your midterm portfolio, along with the rest of the materials in your research notebook.
- A final reflection on the success of the work. Good researchers look back at where they started and where they ended up and how they got there. They consider what has been successful about the work and what they would have done differently. In 250-500 words, reflect on your answers to the bolded bits above.
This assignment is worth 20% of your final grade for our class and makes up the bulk of your midterm portfolio.
To earn a “B” grade for that 20%, you must
Meet with me for a project proposal conference
Complete all 7 of the required elements of the Project Notebook to be included in your midterm portfolio.
Attend a draft conference with me.
Participate in the class workshop for your draft and participate in any writing reflection required for the workshop (in-class).
In order to earn some form of an “A” grade for this assignment you must
Do all of the things required for the “B” grade
Demonstrate what you are learning about conducting ethical, rigorous qualitative research in the project and in all the accompanying reflections on that work.
Demonstrate a real commitment to your fellow researcher’s work by being a good and useful workshop participant as a reader.
In order to earn some form of a “C” grade for this assignment you must
Attend the project proposal conference with me.
Complete 5 of the 7 tasks associated with the Research Notebook, including producing a final version of the project.
Participate as a reader in the workshop of the project draft.
If you do not complete the requirements of a “C” grade for this assignment you will earn a grade of “F” for that 20% of your final grade.