Research Workflow in Humanities
Course Description
This course is designed to guide students through the comprehensive research process in the humanities. Over a 15-week period, the course provides an in-depth exploration of methodologies, tools, and theoretical frameworks essential for conducting rigorous research across various humanities disciplines. We use the tried and tested The Craft of Research (Booth et al, 2024) to prepare for each class. The initial phase of the course focuses on the selection and justification of a research topic, preliminary research, and the development of a detailed research proposal. This foundation sets the stage for advanced stages involving diverse data collection methods, critical reading, note-taking, and analysis techniques tailored to the complexities of humanities research.
The course culminates in a series of sessions dedicated to academic writing and publishing in the humanities, emphasising the crafting of persuasive arguments, ethical writing standards, and the preparation of a research manuscript for publication. Through this structured progression, students will gain proficiency in navigating the research workflow, developing skills in interdisciplinary literature review, data analysis, and writing, with the objective of producing a high-quality, publishable research thesis that contributes significantly to the humanities field.
Classes
Class 1
Topics: Your Research and Your Audience
Activities: Discuss the role of research in humanities
Reading: Introduction
Class 2
Topics: Developing Research Questions
Activities: Workshop on transforming interests into research questions
Reading: Chapter 1
Class 3
Topics: Identifying and framing research problems
Activities: Group discussion on 'pure' vs 'applied' research
Reading: Chapter 2
Class 4
[ON-DEMAND CLASS] Finding and Evaluating Sources
Topics: Library and online research skills
Activities: Library session on locating and evaluating sources
Reading: Chapter 3
Class 5
Engaging With Sources
Topics: Note-taking and annotating sources
Activities: Practical session on engaging with sources
Reading: Chapter 4
Class 6
Constructing Arguments
Topics: Building a coherent research argument
Activities: Group activity on argument construction
Reading: Chapter 5
Class 7
Making Claims
Topics: Types and evaluation of claims
Activities: Workshop on formulating research claims
Reading: Chapter 6
Class 8
[ON-DEMAND CLASS] Assembling Reasons and Evidence
Topics: Using evidence in research
Activities: Analysing examples of evidence use
Reading: Chapter 7
Class 9
Understanding Warrants
Topics: Role of warrants in research
Activities: Exercises on identifying and testing warrants
Reading: Chapter 8
Class 10
Planning and Drafting
Topics: Structuring the research proposal
Activities: Workshop on drafting research proposals
Reading: Chapter 10
Class 11
Revising and Organising
Topics: Revising for clarity and coherence
Activities: Group editing session
Reading: Chapter 11
Class 12
[ON-DEMAND CLASS] Writing Your Research Proposal
Students finish writing their research proposal. Class 13
lass 14
Research Proposal Presentations
Activities: Student presentations of research proposals
Reading: Chapter 16
Ethical Considerations
Case studies on ethical dilemmas in research.
Class 15
[ON-DEMAND CLASS] Finalising Your Research Proposal
Topics: Style, presentations, and final revisions
Reading: Chapters 14 and 15