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Course Description
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 presentation. 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
Classes
Topics: Your Research and Your Audience
Activities: Discuss the role of research in humanities
Reading: Introduction: Your Research and Your Audience
2
Topics: Developing Research Questions
Activities: Workshop on transforming interests into research questions
Reading: Chapter 1 - From Topics to Questions
3
Topics: Identifying and framing research problems
Activities: Group discussion on 'pure' vs 'applied' research
Reading: Chapter 2 - From Questions to a Problem
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 - Finding and Evaluating Sources
5
Topics: Note-taking and annotating sources
Activities: Practical session on engaging with sources
Reading: Chapter 4 - Engaging Sources
6
Topics: Building a coherent research argument
Activities: Group activity on argument construction
Reading: Chapter 5 - Making Good Arguments
7
Topics: Types and evaluation of claims
Activities: Workshop on formulating research claims
Reading: Chapter 6 - Making Claims
8
[ON-DEMAND CLASS] Assembling Reasons and Evidence
Topics: Using evidence in research
Activities: Analysing examples of evidence use
Reading: Chapter 7 - Assembling Reasons and Evidence
9
Topics: Role of warrants in research
Activities: Exercises on identifying and testing warrants
Reading: Chapter 8 - Warrants
10
Topics: Structuring the research presentation
Activities: Workshop on drafting research presentations
Reading: Chapter 10 - Planning and Drafting
11
Topics: Revising for clarity and coherence
Activities: Group editing session
Reading: Chapter 11 - Revising and Organising
12
[ON-DEMAND CLASS] Research Presentations; Communicating Evidence Visually
Students are guided on their research presentation and how to communicated evidence visually.3
Reading: Chapter 16 - Research Presentations
Reading: Chapter 13 - Communicating Evidence Visually
Introductions and Conclusions; Revising Style
Topics: Introductions and Conclusions
Reading: Chapter 14 - Introductions and Conclusions
Topics: Revising Style
Reading: Chapter 15 - Revising Style
Student Research Presentations; Acknowledgements and Responses
Activities: Student presentations of research presentations
Reading: Chapter 9 - Acknowledgements and Responses
[ON-DEMAND CLASS] Incorporating Sources; The Ethics of Research
Case studies on ethical dilemmas in research.
Reading: Chapter 12: Incorporating Sources
Reading: Chapter 17 - The Ethics of Research
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