Religion 347:
Research Seminar in
Religion
Purpose: Ordinarily
taken in the fall of the junior year, the course combines an emphasis on career
development and research preparedness. Topics include professional ethical
standards, electronic literature search strategies, the writing of the formal
research proposal, and the delivery of the research proposal using presentation
software.
This seminar will provide the students experience with
discipline-specific research tools, expose them to the broad range of research
topics within the field, and offer them an opportunity to build a community of
scholars within the discipline. As students gain exposure to research
tools specific to the discipline and to the breadth of the field, they will
begin to identify a possible topic for their own Senior Thesis with the support
and suggestions of a group of peers. The final product will be a proposal and annotated bibliography.
Many of the assignments for this course involve
using the Humanities 347 Pathfinder Web Site. Click on the button at the
top or bottom of this page or go to the Maryville College Library site and look
under Research Guides by Topic.
Goals: Students
in this course should
- Gain an overview of the
breadth of disciplines and fields in the study of Religion
- Become familiar with the
research materials available for investigating topics in the Humanities in
general and in Religion in particular
- Understand ethical issues
related to doing research
- Identify and define a senior
thesis topic
- Write and present a research
proposal using presentation software
- Begin preparation for transition from college
to the work force
Requirements:
- Thorough preparation for class
by completing readings, website exercises and other assignments
- Attendance and participation
in class discussions and activities
- Construction of a Home Page
and a Resume
- Completion of an annotated
bibliography to serve as a preliminary senior thesis bibliography
- Selection of a topic and
formulation of a research proposal for senior thesis
- Power Point presentation of
the senior thesis proposal
Evaluation:
- Daily assignments, quizzes,
discussion, reading = 25%
- Home page assignment = 10%
- Curriculum Vitae/Resume
assignment = 5%
- Documentation test = 10%
- Annotated Bibliography = 15%
- Research Proposal = 25%
- Presentation = 10%
Grading
Scale:
93 -100 A
73-76
C
90
- 92 A-
70-72 C-
87 - 89
B+
67-69 D+
Honesty Policy:
A
basic assumption in this course is that learning can best be fostered
by following the
Maryville College Covenant, which encourages all students “To act
with integrity in all
interactions ... to encourage and support ... fellow students as
they aspire to be honest in
their academic endeavors ....”
Please review the statement on Academic
Integrity in the Student Handbook so that
you understand the range of
behaviors that involve academic dishonesty.
Cheating
on tests, inappropriate use of
the work of other students or sources of information,
and any other form of
dishonesty will not be tolerated. If
you are unsure what is
acceptable, ask for guidance.
The primary goal of this course, and all
courses at Maryville College, is student
learning.
Only by taking the reading seriously, studying on a regular basis (not
just
for tests), and doing your own
work can you achieve that goal. The
instructor is here
to facilitate that process, so
complete your assignments on time and ask for help as
needed.
Office
Hours:
Office hours are
10:00- 11:30 Monday and Wednesday
9:30- 10:15 Tuesday and Thursday
and other times by appointment
My office is Anderson 307; Telephone:
office - ext. 8237; home 984-2131.
Email: cowan@maryvillecollege.edu
If you have
questions or concerns about the course, or other matters, please call or
come by the office.
return to top
| 