Research Methods 4
Spring 2005

Professor Kathleen Ahrens
Graduate Institute of Linguistics

E-mail: kathleenahrens@yahoo.com [Type tudent?in the header]
Office hours: Tuesday 8-9am or 1:20-2:20pm or by appointment

Course Credit: 0 course credit

Prerequisite: M.A. students must have completed Research Methods 1 & 2 & 3 in the NTU Graduate Institute of Linguistics ?no prerequisites for Ph.D. students

Course Overview:
This course is designed to teach students how to write in an academic context and to present their work professionally. During the course the students will learn academic writing skills and write a research paper that will be submitted to a journal. In addition, each student will give two professional powerpoint presentations, craft a CV, learn advanced literature search techniques, and write up an annotated bibliography.

Required Text:
Academic Writing for Graduate Students: A Course for Nonnative Speakers of English, John
Swales and Christine Feak*

Suggested Texts:
1) Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide, James D. Lester 10th Edition*
2) Projects in Linguistics: A Practical Guide to Research Language, Alison Wray
3) Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article, Howard Becker
4) Dissertations and Theses from Start to Finish: Psychology and Related Fields, John Cone and Sharon Foster
5) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition*
(*available from Bookman)

Suggested NTU website (for additional powerpoint training): http://teach.cc.ntu.edu.tw/training/

Course Grading:
Final Writing Portfolio: 25%
Summaries from (at least) three academic talks: 25%
Class participation and class assignments: 25%
Speech and evaluation: 25%

Syllabus -- Spring Semester 2005
Research Methods IV
Professor Kathleen Ahrens

Class 1 2/25
Preview class goals for semester (1 new talk & 1 research paper to submit to a journal)
Discuss AWGS, Chapter 5, Tasks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 13
Preview Chapter 6
Preview personal academic goals for semester
Finding and evaluating possible journals for your topic

Assignments: Chapter 6 #1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, pg. 147-148, 10, 12, 14
Appendix 1 - Articles in Academic Writing
Find Journal to submit to (include purpose, editorial board, instructions and one example of a complete paper)
Research Proposal ?Title, Research Question and Research Hypothesis, Brief Lit. Review, Brief Discussion of Data Collection and Analysis, Possible Findings and Implications

Class 2 3/18
Discuss Chapter 6 #1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, pg. 147-148, 10, 12, 14
CV or Resume
Preview Chapter 7 & 8
Appendix 1 - Articles in Academic Writing
Cover letters for journal submission

Assignments: AWGS Chapter 7, Tasks 1, 2, 9, 10
AWGS Chapter 8 (pp. 173-195), Tasks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (discuss), 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Appendix 2
Cover letters for journal submissions

Class 3 5/6
Discuss AWGS Chapter 7, Tasks 1, 2, 9, 10
Discuss AWGS Chapter 8 (pp. 173-195), Tasks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (discuss), 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Discuss Appendix 2
Cover letters for journal submission

Assignments: AWGS Chapter 8 (pp.195-211), Tasks 12, 13, 15, 16, 1718, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
Appendix 3

Class 4 5/27
Discuss AWGS Chapter 8 (pp.195-211), Tasks 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
Discuss Appendix 3

Assignment: Prepare final portfolios
?Journal submission of research paper
?Cover letter to journal
?CV or Resume
?Summaries from three academic talks
?Evaluate progress made this year and goals for next year
?Class Evaluation
?Also prepare Powerpoint handouts for audience

Class 5 6/10
Powerpoint presentations ?Bring Powerpoint handout for audience
1 Copy of paper

Class 6 6/17
Powerpoint presentations ?Bring Powerpoint handout for audience
1 Copy of paper