DUSP Courses 1998

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Thesis Prep: Environmental Policy Group

11.THG M.C.P. Thesis Seminar--Environmental Policy

Fall 1999

Syllabus

"The lack of clarity about their situation that prevails among musicians, writers, and critics has immense consequences that are far too little considered. For thinking that they are in posession of an apparatus that in reality possesses them, they defend an apparatus over which they no longer have any control and that is no longer, as they still believe, a means for the producers, but has become a means against the producers." Bertol Brecht.

The main purpose of this seminar is to help you make sense of the process of selecting and developing a research topic into a completed thesis proposal. This is not a direct process. You can expect it to involve false starts and other forms of recursion. You should take comfort in the fact that these signal you're on the right track. The seminar has two other purposes. First, it should give you some help anticipating the process of doing research and provide background in some methods you might draw on. Second, it should help you make a connection between research and other professional activities you might be involved in. Not to put to fine a point on it, I will try to convince you that the kind of grappling with the unknown and resolution of ambiguity into a clear and compelling question that characterizes the development of a research proposal also characterizes good planning and professional practice. I hope you will come to see research as a practice and practice as containing research.

To accomplish this first purpose, you need to understand what a Master's Thesis involves. You need to ask a clear question, organize yourself to answer it, and discuss the results and implications of your research. Your thesis proposal should follow these same steps. It should include:

1) a clear statement of the problem you intend to address, its relevance and importance, and the specific question you will answer. You should state this question in a way that clarifies its implications for research--i.e. as a researchable question.

2) a detailed, clear, and practical research plan. Your plan should describe what information will you use to answer the question you have raised, the research will you do to get this information, how you will analyze it, and the schedule you will follow. If you intend to do interviews: Who will you interview? What kinds of questions will you ask them? How will you analyze the interviews? What kinds of statements do you expect you will be able to make on the basis of this analysis? What problems do you anticipate and how will you respond to them? What will you do if this approach does not work out? Other forms of research (document research, participant observation, etc.) raise similar questions. You should also discuss your overall research strategy and how it relates to the question you want to address. If you intend to use more than one than one form of research you need to say how they fit together. If you will rely on one form, you need to say why this is appropriate.

3) an outline of the finished product. This could take the form a table of contents for your thesis. What will the major headings be? What subheadings will be under each major heading?

I think constructive interaction with your peers is one of the keys to making the thesis a positive experience. Talking things over, debating, inventing new approaches and so on can help you identify an interesting and appropriate research question, write a clearer and more convincing thesis proposal, and provide orientation and support when you are in the middle of your research and writing. We will try to develop the seminar into discussion group in which each participant can present his or her work and receive comments, suggestions, questions, and criticism. We will also take a look at some common research methods to help you anticipate what it will be like to try to answer your question. This brief look at research methods will hopefully help you to sharpen your question, develop a research plan, and give you a place to start when you begin your thesis research.

Attached is a schedule of topics. It represents my best guess about what kind of questions you are likely to ask and methods you will use to answer them. The topics and schedule are open to revision and amendment if, in the end, they do not reflect the interests of the group.

Requirements

Attendance, participation, and the completion of three versions of your thesis proposal (two preliminary proposals [1 page and 5 page] and a final proposal) are required. Grading is pass-fail. Passing is contingent on your completing an approved thesis proposal by the Departmental deadline.

11.THG--EPG: Preliminary Schedule Fall 1999

Date Topic

Sept 14 Introduction

Sept. 21 Research questions. Follow the format in Booth, Colomb, and Williams p. 44.

Sept. 28 Mapping How to situate your question and use the literature. One page proposal due

Oct 5 Analyzing practice

Oct 6 Using primary documents

Oct 13 Interviewing

Oct. 20 Refining your researchable question: Presentation and discussion of proposals in progress

Oct. 27 Refining your researchable question: Presentation and discussion of proposals in progress

Nov. 3 Formulating a research strategy.

Five page draft proposal due with preliminary bibliography including

at least five entries that you have read.

Nov. 9 Using theory in the explanation of social behavior.

Nov. 16 Review of research strategies.

Nov. 23 Review of research strategies.

Nov. 30 Putting together your proposal.

Dec. 7 Putting together your proposal.

Dec 12 Final proposal due.

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This syllabus may have been updated. To ensure that you're looking at the most recent version, please hit "Reload."
Thesis Prep: Environmental Policy Group
11.THG M.C.P. Thesis Seminar--Environmental Policy Fall 1999 Syllabus "The lack of clarity about their situation that prevails among musicians, writers, and critics has immense consequences that are far too little considered. For thinking that they are in posession of an apparatus that in reality possesses them, they defend an apparatus over which they no longer have any control and that is no longer, as they still believe, a means for the producers, but has become a means against the producers." Bertol Brecht. The main purpose of this seminar is to help you make sense of the process of selecting and developing a research topic into a completed thesis proposal. This is not a direct process. You can expect it to involve false starts and other forms of recursion. You should take comfort in the fact that these signal you're on the right track. The seminar has two other purposes. First, it should give you some help anticipating the process of doing research and provide background in some methods you might draw on. Second, it should help you make a connection between research and other professional activities you might be involved in. Not to put to fine a point on it, I will try to convince you that the kind of grappling with the unknown and resolution of ambiguity into a clear and compelling question that characterizes the development of a research proposal also characterizes good planning and professional practice. I hope you will come to see research as a practice and practice as containing research. To accomplish this first purpose, you need to understand what a Master's Thesis involves. You need to ask a clear question, organize yourself to answer it, and discuss the results and implications of your research. Your thesis proposal should follow these same steps. It should include: 1) a clear statement of the problem you intend to address, its relevance and importance, and the specific question you will answer. You should state this question in a way that clarifies its implications for research--i.e. as a researchable question. 2) a detailed, clear, and practical research plan. Your plan should describe what information will you use to answer the question you have raised, the research will you do to get this information, how you will analyze it, and the schedule you will follow. If you intend to do interviews: Who will you interview? What kinds of questions will you ask them? How will you analyze the interviews? What kinds of statements do you expect you will be able to make on the basis of this analysis? What problems do you anticipate and how will you respond to them? What will you do if this approach does not work out? Other forms of research (document research, participant observation, etc.) raise similar questions. You should also discuss your overall research strategy and how it relates to the question you want to address. If you intend to use more than one than one form of research you need to say how they fit together. If you will rely on one form, you need to say why this is appropriate. 3) an outline of the finished product. This could take the form a table of contents for your thesis. What will the major headings be? What subheadings will be under each major heading? I think constructive interaction with your peers is one of the keys to making the thesis a positive experience. Talking things over, debating, inventing new approaches and so on can help you identify an interesting and appropriate research question, write a clearer and more convincing thesis proposal, and provide orientation and support when you are in the middle of your research and writing. We will try to develop the seminar into discussion group in which each participant can present his or her work and receive comments, suggestions, questions, and criticism. We will also take a look at some common research methods to help you anticipate what it will be like to try to answer your question. This brief look at research methods will hopefully help you to sharpen your question, develop a research plan, and give you a place to start when you begin your thesis research. Attached is a schedule of topics. It represents my best guess about what kind of questions you are likely to ask and methods you will use to answer them. The topics and schedule are open to revision and amendment if, in the end, they do not reflect the interests of the group. Requirements Attendance, participation, and the completion of three versions of your thesis proposal (two preliminary proposals [1 page and 5 page] and a final proposal) are required. Grading is pass-fail. Passing is contingent on your completing an approved thesis proposal by the Departmental deadline. 11.THG--EPG: Preliminary Schedule Fall 1999 Date Topic Sept 14 Introduction Sept. 21 Research questions. Follow the format in Booth, Colomb, and Williams p. 44. Sept. 28 Mapping How to situate your question and use the literature. One page proposal due Oct 5 Analyzing practice Oct 6 Using primary documents Oct 13 Interviewing Oct. 20 Refining your researchable question: Presentation and discussion of proposals in progress Oct. 27 Refining your researchable question: Presentation and discussion of proposals in progress Nov. 3 Formulating a research strategy. Five page draft proposal due with preliminary bibliography including at least five entries that you have read. Nov. 9 Using theory in the explanation of social behavior. Nov. 16 Review of research strategies. Nov. 23 Review of research strategies. Nov. 30 Putting together your proposal. Dec. 7 Putting together your proposal. Dec 12 Final proposal due.