Course Information

Required Textbook

Please purchase the third edition of Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research (University of Chicago Press, 2008).  It is available in paperback. Your citations should be in accordance with the conventions of your field of research.

Course Requirements

Attendance and punctuality are required for all class meetings.  In the event of an illness or unavoidable reason for missing or coming late to class, please notify us in advance if possible or provide an official excuse to avoid a grade penalty.

Class participation is vital to the collaborative emphasis of this course.  Your ideas and respectful critiques provide valuable support for your colleagues. Your class participation will be judged on the basis of the quality of the ideas expressed and the force of your arguments, your respect for other class members’ and my points of view (as shown in the way you respond to others’ ideas), and your attentiveness to the discussions.  Participation also includes peer evaluation (oral and written).

Writing Assignments

Over the course of the first semester, you will submit the following assignments. On occasion, you may need to revise or rewrite.

  • Autobiographical Statement:  2-3 pages
  • Research Question Paper: 2-3 pages
  • Proposal of Topic: 2-3 pages
  • Three Citation Examples
  • Annotated Bibliography:  8-10 varied citations with commentary
  • Diagram of Warranted Claims
  • Abstract for NCUR
  • Position Papers:  5-7 pages
  • Working Introduction
  • First Semester Draft

Course Evaluation

First semester grades are based on your class participation and your writing. Your grade will be determined in consultation with your advisor.  This includes your advisor’s written evaluation.

Course Objectives

Knowledge Bases

Students should:

  • develop ability to evaluate texts that provide material for their research projects
  • develop understanding of a variety of types of discourse and print and visual media in their interdisciplinary contexts (e.g., cultural, social, historical, scientific, psychological, and political)
  • develop an understanding of rhetorical strategies
  • develop the ability to discern ideological inclinations of texts
  • develop ability to understand and apply theoretical formulations to their issues

Academic Skills

Students should:

  • be able to reason, think critically, evaluate, use evidence, and make judgments
  • be able to write clearly and imaginatively in a form appropriate to their field of interest
  • use appropriate conventions of language, including correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
  • be able to revise and reorganize for clarity
  • be able to use the library to find appropriate print and electronic sources
  • develop a sense of fairness, objectivity, and accuracy in reporting
  • understand the ethics of research and writing, including the proper citation, and integration, of source materials into their work and the meaning and consequences of plagiarism
  • develop listening skills
  • develop ability to speak effectively

Social and Personal Skills

Students should:

  • learn to be self-reflecting
  • develop ability to work independently and collectively
  • learn how to brainstorm about ideas
  • develop respect for both intellectual and cultural diversity

Disabilities Policy

If you qualify as a student with a disability, you will be provided reasonable academic accommodations if determined eligible by the Office of Accessibility Services on your home campus. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, we must receive written verification of your eligibility.   It is your responsibility to initiate contact with the office and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to us.

CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity

Academic Dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion, as provided herein.  This includes but is not limited to the following:

  • Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to more than one course without consulting with each instructor.
  • Allowing others to research and write assigned papers or do assigned projects, including use of commercial term paper services.
  • Submitting someone else’s work as your own.

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your own. The following are some examples of plagiarism, but by no means is it an exhaustive list:

  • Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes attributing the words to their source.
  • Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source.
  • Using information that is not common knowledge without acknowledging the source.
  • Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.

Internet plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, and “cutting & pasting” from various sources without proper attribution.