Senior Project Check-Sheet
Your final project is due in my box by 5:00 p.m. on Th, 4/20. Late projects will have 1/3 of a letter grade deducted for every day late.
The project must be on an interdisciplinary topic emerging from your concentration, 25-50 pages in length (6250-12,500), establish a thesis or claim regarding an important aspect of your topic, support that claim with appropriate research, and document that research both in the text and in a bibliography. You will be graded on the degree to which you fulfill each of these requirements as well as on the quality of your writing and documentation. The bound copy you give me will stay in the department. A checklist below will assure your having met the requirements for the project.
Checklist
___ spiral binding
___ cover with title page
___ internal title page
___ 25-50 pages (6250-12,500 words) text, i.e. excluding bibliography
___ double-spaced
___ standard margins
___ serif font, e.g. Times
___ white paper, blank on back
___ pages numbered
___ well-written
___ well-organized
___ argues a strong thesis
___ emerges from your IDS concentration
___ uses all relevant quality reference material
___ proper citation of reference material
___ no plagiarism
___ adheres to ASU’s “Code of Academic Integrity”
___ MLA formatted bibliography, error-free
The final copy of your senior project will also be posted online to your blog or in some other way.
Printed:
“Black-comb” spiral binding.
Any color cover (printing on cover is not required).
Single-sided printing recommended for most projects (white paper please).
Print shops such as Precision or Minor’s can generally do this while you wait.
Use a serif font like Times.
Double-space everything (including quotes, endnotes, footnotes, title page, bibliography, etc.)
Left justify only (do not justify right hand margin).
Number pages in upper right hand corner.
Title page:
Title (not in quotes)
Your Name
Senior Seminar
Dr. Derek Stanovsky
Interdisciplinary Studies Department
Appalachian State University
May 2006
You must give me one bound copy, which will be kept by the department.
I recommend you print at least one more copy for yourself.
Electronic:
You must also post a copy online to your blog or in some other manner.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Partial Draft Due TH 3/19
On Th 3/19, you will be turning in a piece of writing from your project, an outline of what you plan to write for the final version, and a revised abstract.
You must turn in 8-12 typed/printed pages which will be part of your final paper. This does not have to be from the beginning or any other particular part of the paper, but should be a reasonably polished piece of writing. There should be a “works cited” page, properly formatted, and in-text citation should be used and formatted correctly as well.
I would also like a brief outline that predicts the final organization of the paper, and a revised version of your abstract.
This assignment should be printed out and handed in during class, and should also be posted to your blog.
You must turn in 8-12 typed/printed pages which will be part of your final paper. This does not have to be from the beginning or any other particular part of the paper, but should be a reasonably polished piece of writing. There should be a “works cited” page, properly formatted, and in-text citation should be used and formatted correctly as well.
I would also like a brief outline that predicts the final organization of the paper, and a revised version of your abstract.
This assignment should be printed out and handed in during class, and should also be posted to your blog.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Online Resources
Due by classtime Thursday, February 23.
Post to your blog a minimum of 20 links to sources relevant to your senior project, but more is better.
You want your collection of links to be as comprehensive and useful a guide to Web resources on your topic as possible.
Spend time searching and browsing online to make sure you have found all the best resources out there. Your links should be organized, and clearly and informatively marked.
You can find a guide to making links and other information about using html in your blog here: http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=752&morepop=1
Post to your blog a minimum of 20 links to sources relevant to your senior project, but more is better.
You want your collection of links to be as comprehensive and useful a guide to Web resources on your topic as possible.
Spend time searching and browsing online to make sure you have found all the best resources out there. Your links should be organized, and clearly and informatively marked.
You can find a guide to making links and other information about using html in your blog here: http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=752&morepop=1
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Research Ethics and Methods
Due Tuesday 2/14. 200-1000 words.
First, describe the methods you plan on using in your project: library research, interviews, surveys, field work, qualitative, quantitative, etc.
Then, consider and discuss all the relevant ethical issues related to the research and presentation of your project.
While not all of you will be using human subjects in your research, the readings we used can be broadly applied and therefore should be directly cited in your statement, e.g. respect for persons as autonomous agents and protection of persons with diminished autonomy might apply in terms of how your research might be used for or against a person or group of persons. I expect all issues raised in the Belmont Report and SFAA Guide to be considered in your statement. However, you should also go beyond these readings in analyzing the ethical implications of your project -– think carefully about all aspects of the project, who might be hurt or helped, environmental effects, etc.
Please remember that there are likely to be positive issues as well as negative –- your project might help a group of people or have some other beneficial effect, and you should address this possibility in your statement.
For those of you completing human subjects research as part of your senior project (surveys, interviews, etc.) you should also read the ASU Institutional Review Board policies for human subjects research and informed consent and submit the appropriate forms to your instructor.
http://www.graduate.appstate.edu/orsp/research/irb/index.php
First, describe the methods you plan on using in your project: library research, interviews, surveys, field work, qualitative, quantitative, etc.
Then, consider and discuss all the relevant ethical issues related to the research and presentation of your project.
While not all of you will be using human subjects in your research, the readings we used can be broadly applied and therefore should be directly cited in your statement, e.g. respect for persons as autonomous agents and protection of persons with diminished autonomy might apply in terms of how your research might be used for or against a person or group of persons. I expect all issues raised in the Belmont Report and SFAA Guide to be considered in your statement. However, you should also go beyond these readings in analyzing the ethical implications of your project -– think carefully about all aspects of the project, who might be hurt or helped, environmental effects, etc.
Please remember that there are likely to be positive issues as well as negative –- your project might help a group of people or have some other beneficial effect, and you should address this possibility in your statement.
For those of you completing human subjects research as part of your senior project (surveys, interviews, etc.) you should also read the ASU Institutional Review Board policies for human subjects research and informed consent and submit the appropriate forms to your instructor.
http://www.graduate.appstate.edu/orsp/research/irb/index.php
Abstract
Due Tuesday, 2/14. 200-500 words.
You will write and post to your blog a formal abstract describing your senior project. You will also give a formal presentation to the class based on that abstract.
This is your formal proposal for your senior project. It is on the basis of this document, along with your oral presentation to the class, that I will decide if your project is one that will satisfy the requirements for this course and for graduation. Please spend the time, effort, thought, and energy appropriate to such an assignment.
Your abstract:
Should be a brief formal statement articulating as clearly and specifically as possible both what your thesis is with regard to your chosen topic, and how you plan to demonstrate your thesis through the project you have planned.
Should be well written, clear, concise, specific, and to the point.
Should include an original and informative title for your project. (Titles can be hard, and the final title for you project may change, but I would like you to come up with at least a provisional working title.)
You will write and post to your blog a formal abstract describing your senior project. You will also give a formal presentation to the class based on that abstract.
This is your formal proposal for your senior project. It is on the basis of this document, along with your oral presentation to the class, that I will decide if your project is one that will satisfy the requirements for this course and for graduation. Please spend the time, effort, thought, and energy appropriate to such an assignment.
Your abstract:
Should be a brief formal statement articulating as clearly and specifically as possible both what your thesis is with regard to your chosen topic, and how you plan to demonstrate your thesis through the project you have planned.
Should be well written, clear, concise, specific, and to the point.
Should include an original and informative title for your project. (Titles can be hard, and the final title for you project may change, but I would like you to come up with at least a provisional working title.)
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Working Bibliography
By class time on Thursday, 2/9, you should have posted to your blog a working bibliography for your senior project. This bibliography must include no fewer than 50 appropriate references and be composed of at least 20 journal, Web, or other scholarly sources other than books.
This is a “working bibliography.” It will change and develop over time as you continue your research. Some sources may drop out as you realize they lack relevance, while other sources or even whole new categories of sources may be added. Your “working bibliography” should reflect a broad and deep search into reference materials relevant to your topic and to the context(s) within which your topic lies. The title of your bibliography should include the topic of your senior project (e.g. “Social Change Through Music: The Case of Appalachia,” or, “Postcolonial Interpretations of Medieval Women Mystics,” or Photojournalism in Practice: Trailer Communities in Transition in Boone”). Your bibliography should then list EVERY source relevant to your topic: theoretically, technically, historically, topically, thematically, and so forth.
This bibliography should show that you have conducted research into a variety of disciplines (and other reservoirs of knowledge) including sources of both data (information) and theory (ways of interpreting the data). It will include books and articles, and may also include videos, films, musical recordings, live events, workshops and seminars, interviews or other experiences with individuals and groups, and other sources. Make sure you include sources critical of and making critiques of different theses/positions, including your own. All sources will be listed alphabetically and in MLA format (so I can read and understand them). This rather large compendium of relevant sources will provide you the challenge and opportunity of defining and justifying the criteria by which you will select materials you will actually consult as you move forward and which will appear in the “Works Cited” section of your final project. NB: Literature research involves examination of published books, journal articles, government documents and reports, and web sites. Since web sites have information of variable quality, you need to do more work to insure the reliability of these sources.
To summarize, your bibliography:
Should be as complete and exhaustive as possible. It should contain ALL books, journals, articles, and other library resources that are relevant to your particular project, no fewer than 50, with at least 20 from non-book sources.
It should contain not only sources available at Belk Library, but elsewhere as well.
It should be in MLA format (Modern Language Association). There are copies of this guide available at the reserve desk in the library. A quick reference guide to MLA format can also be found at: http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/mlagd.html
This is a “working bibliography.” It will change and develop over time as you continue your research. Some sources may drop out as you realize they lack relevance, while other sources or even whole new categories of sources may be added. Your “working bibliography” should reflect a broad and deep search into reference materials relevant to your topic and to the context(s) within which your topic lies. The title of your bibliography should include the topic of your senior project (e.g. “Social Change Through Music: The Case of Appalachia,” or, “Postcolonial Interpretations of Medieval Women Mystics,” or Photojournalism in Practice: Trailer Communities in Transition in Boone”). Your bibliography should then list EVERY source relevant to your topic: theoretically, technically, historically, topically, thematically, and so forth.
This bibliography should show that you have conducted research into a variety of disciplines (and other reservoirs of knowledge) including sources of both data (information) and theory (ways of interpreting the data). It will include books and articles, and may also include videos, films, musical recordings, live events, workshops and seminars, interviews or other experiences with individuals and groups, and other sources. Make sure you include sources critical of and making critiques of different theses/positions, including your own. All sources will be listed alphabetically and in MLA format (so I can read and understand them). This rather large compendium of relevant sources will provide you the challenge and opportunity of defining and justifying the criteria by which you will select materials you will actually consult as you move forward and which will appear in the “Works Cited” section of your final project. NB: Literature research involves examination of published books, journal articles, government documents and reports, and web sites. Since web sites have information of variable quality, you need to do more work to insure the reliability of these sources.
To summarize, your bibliography:
Should be as complete and exhaustive as possible. It should contain ALL books, journals, articles, and other library resources that are relevant to your particular project, no fewer than 50, with at least 20 from non-book sources.
It should contain not only sources available at Belk Library, but elsewhere as well.
It should be in MLA format (Modern Language Association). There are copies of this guide available at the reserve desk in the library. A quick reference guide to MLA format can also be found at: http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/mlagd.html
Comment on the Project Proposals
Read your classmates blogs. You'll find links to them over on the right. Leave appropriate and specific comments, suggestions, questions, and references for at least 4 of your classmates, but you're welcome to comment on more.
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