HONORS 398.1 (1 credit) Fall 2017
Wednesdays 2:10-3, Honors Hall room 141
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar
Instructor: Kim Andersen
Honors Hall 130D, (509) 335-7694, kimander@wsu.edu, http://public.wsu.edu/~kimander/

 

 

Course Prerequisite: Sophomore standing; 45 unit hours preferred. Students majoring in the social
sciences, arts, or humanities are encouraged to enroll in this section.

This is a seminar-style course with the purpose of assisting and supporting each participant in completing his/her Honors thesis proposal. By the end of the course you will be ready to submit your Honors thesis proposal for approval and to initiate your thesis research. In the course, you will learn how to generate an Honors thesis topic, how to formulate a thesis question, how to identify a thesis advisor, and how to prepare the thesis proposal. In addition, we will discuss ways to structure your thesis, how to perform a literature search, and how to evaluate the information you obtain in relation to your chosen topic. During the course we will discuss and constructively support and critique projects as they develop in the proposals. Each student will submit a complete proposal including title, introduction, research question, methodology, preliminary annotated bibliography, as a final product. S/F grading.

Required text:
Writing A Successful Research Paper: A Simple Approach by Stanley Chodorow. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Co., ISBN: 978-1-60384-440-6


Syllabus
August
Week 1

Aug 23: Introductions. What is the Honors thesis proposal? The plan! Getting Started!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Week 2

Aug 30: Individual projects: outline and discussion. READ: Preface, Intro., Synopsis, Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 1-42) in Writing A Successful Research Paper: A Simple Approach by Stanley Chodorow.

September
Week 3

Sep 6: Chapters 4-10 (pgs. 43-97) in Writing A Successful Research Paper: A Simple Approach by Stanley Chodorow.

Week 4
Sep 13:
Present 1st overview of your proposal topic in class, 5 min. Submit one-page-outline Tuesday to kimander@wsu.edu for photo-copying.
Week 5
Sep 20: Zotero Install Firefox and zotero on your laptops and bring your laptops to class. Preparation: work on setting up a zotero-bibliography of minimum 10 scholarly works (books, journal articles etc.). Submit to Prof. Andersen by Wednesday, Sep 27. Indicate which reference system you have chosen to use!

Week 6
Sep 27:  Critiquing 3 proposals (on Angel):

  1. The Impact of Foreign Aid
  2. Menasseh ben Israel and the Readmittance of Jew
  3. Comparison of PR8 Influenza Virus Disease in Mice

October
Week 7
Oct 4: Critiquing 3 proposals (on Angel):

  1. The Wolf Princess
  2. The Effectiveness of UNMOGIP
  3. Outlaw American West

Week 8
Oct 11:  Peer review of proposal-drafts! [Upload to Blackboard no later than Monday prior]
Week 9
Oct 18: Peer review of proposal-drafts! [Upload to Blackboard no later than Monday prior]
Week 10
Oct 25: Peer review of proposal-drafts! [Upload to Blackboard no later than Monday prior]
November
Week 11
Nov 1: Peer review of proposal-drafts! [Upload to Blackboard no later than Monday prior]
Week 12
Nov 8: Class cancelled. Homework: complete proposal draft including a minimum 12 scholarly works (books, journal articles etc.) to be uploaded to Blackboard by Wednesday, Nov 29.
Week 13
Nov 15: Peer review of proposal-drafts! [Upload to Blackboard no later than Monday prior]

Thanksgiving break, November 20-24
Week 14
Nov 29:  Discussion of proposals. [Upload to Blackboard no later than Monday prior]

Week 15

Dec 6: Final discussion of proposals.
Final proposal for Honors 398 credit (S/F) is due Wednesday, December 13, 2017, by 5 p.m. Make sure a final, complete, satisfactory draft incorporating previous feedback is submitted formally by email to Prof. Andersen, no later than this date!


Learning goals

 

At the end of this course students will

This objective will be evaluated primarily by

Examples of course topics that advance these learning goals

LG1  Critical and Creative Thinking

be critically familiar with the proper construction of an Honors thesis proposal

proposal development, textbook discussion, discussion of successful proposals, peer review discussions of own proposals

proposal development, textbook discussion, discussion of successful proposals, peer review discussions of own proposals

LG2  Communication

have developed formal communication skills through presentations of own emerging proposals as well as in daily discussion of material

class room presentations

proposal presentation, textbook discussion, discussion of successful proposals, peer review discussions of own proposals

LG3  Information Literacy

have engaged in library and internet research  

proposal development, zotero development

proposal development, textbook discussion, discussion of successful proposals, peer review discussions of own proposals

LG4  Scientific Literacy

have developed an appreciation for the academic study

proposal development, textbook discussion, discussion of successful proposals, peer review discussions of own proposals

proposal development, textbook discussion, discussion of successful proposals, peer review discussions of own proposals

LG5  Integration of Knowledge

understand how a topic relates to a historical and/or cultural contexts and is/should be addressed in academic scholarship 

proposal development, textbook discussion, discussion of successful proposals, peer review discussions of own proposals

proposal development, textbook discussion, discussion of successful proposals, peer review discussions of own proposals

Grading
Four requirements for obtaining an S-grade (Satisfactory) in HNRS 398:

  1. Turn in a well-developed, complete proposal (approx. 5 pages containing title, introduction, research question, methodology, expected results/potential conclusions, annotated bibliography, attachments) in hard copy due Wednesday, December 13, 2017.
  2. Active participation in discussions, peer-review sessions, and online uploading of own proposal drafts. All cell phones must be shut off during class. Any - even discrete and momentary - checking of a vibrating cell phone will result in a mark of absence. Max. twowell-excused absences notified of in advance.
  3. Attend min. two thesis presentations during Fall semester and submit a report-paragraph in hard copy.

WSU Disability Statement
Students with Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations are available for students with documented disabilities or chronic medical conditions. If you have a disability and need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please visit the Access Center website to follow published procedures to request accommodations: http://www.accesscenter.wsu.edu. Students may also either call or visit the Access Center in person to schedule an appointment with an Access Advisor. Location: Washington Building 217; Phone: 509-335-3417. All disability related accommodations MUST be approved through the Access Center. Students with approved accommodations are strongly encouraged to visit with instructors early in the semester during office hours to discuss logistics.


A Commitment to Campus Safety
Washington State University is committed to maintaining the safety of the students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the Pullman campus. As part of this commitment, the university has prepared the Campus Safety Plan, containing a comprehensive listing of university policies, procedures, statistics and information relating to campus safety, emergency management and the health and welfare of the campus community. Please see http://safetyplan.wsu.edu


Academic Freedom Statement
Academic freedom is the principle that scholars – including student scholars - have the right - without repression - to teach, conduct research, and/or disseminate ideas, even those that are not widely accepted or convenient, with the primary goal of truth-seeking. This is central to the mission, goals, and values of the academy and is a core principle of academia. As the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) states, "institutions of higher education are conducted for the common good…The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition." This course is based on respecting relevant research and scholarship in disciplines and in related fields involved in honors theses.  Although some of the ideas expressed within this course – and in an honors thesis - may not be convenient or fit within any particular worldview, such ideas are welcome provided they are grounded in rigorous and informed study.

Our goal is to have deep, informed, and lively classroom debate and discussion. Students MUST
provide logical, rational, and evidence-based argumentation. To be entitled to have views
treated as serious candidates for the truth, statements must be grounded in evidence. All “opinions” should be backed up with logical argumentation and evidence with the purpose of seeking truth toward the common good. Arguments based on personal passions, gut instincts, and unverified Facebook memes are better saved for tavern conversations.