Honors 495 (W/I) INTRODUCTION to RESEARCH
What follows is a "template" syllabus with standard
assignments and a general schedule that instructors use to
create a specific schedule.
Goal: The general goal for this course is
to prepare the honors student for the task of successfully
completing the Senior Honors Project (HON 496), a two-semester,
independent course of study which allows the student to investigate
a topic under the supervision of a faculty adviser. HONORS
495 provides the student with the opportunity to discover
a topic for the Senior Honors Project if one is lacking or
refine a topic if the student has one in mind. All 495 students
are expected to submit as a minimal final assignment for the
course a proposal for the work to be conducted in HONORS 496.
Ideally, all students will work toward the end-of-semester
deadline to submit the best twenty pages of written work possible
on the project.
Methods: The course is pragmatic, designed
to give students the experience necessary to complete independent
research. Lectures will be minimal; instructors will provide
guidance and offer suggestions. Guest speakers will share
their experiences and answer questions. Field trips to libraries
and other research resources will be featured. Revision (both
as a re-thinking and a re-writing process) will be integral
to the process. Conferences will also provide feedback.
Text: Obtain a style/documentation manual
for your discipline as soon as possible.
(N.B. Instructors may require a specific manual or other texts
for the course.)
Assignments (subject to revision):
Assignment
(Due Dates)
| #1 Honors 495 Information Form, Project Statement |
1st week |
| #2 Thesis Analysis: Abstract |
2nd week |
| #3 Statement of Project in Abstract format |
2nd week |
| #4 Thesis Analysis: Bibliography |
3rd week |
| #5 Topic Bibliography |
5th week |
| #6 Thesis Analysis: Research Methods |
6th week |
| #7 Research Proposal (1000 words) |
8th week |
| #8 Working Bibliography (w/ annotations) |
9th week |
| #9 First Draft |
12th week |
| #10 First Oral Presentation w/ draft of poster |
variable |
| #11 Final Draft (20 best pages) |
16th week |
| #12 Final Presentation w/ poster and final abstract* |
16th week |
*For students taking HON 495 during the fall semester. Students
taking the course during the spring semester are expected
to make their final oral presentation with poster at the annual
Undergraduate Research Symposium and Exhibit, usually held
the third week of April. |
