Research Posts (2 installments + review in final exam) (25%)

Submission windows:

First research post due by evening of Wednesday, 11 June—late (not very late) submissions accepted if student informs instructor: whitec@uhcl.edu.

Window for email submission of final exam and second research post: Wednesday, 2 July-Saturday noon, 5 July.

Content: the best introduction to this assignment is to review previous student submissions at model assignments.

Research Posts 2012

Research Posts 2010

Assignment:

Write and email two “adventures or experiments in research.” These exercises must be relevant to our subject matter but may reflect your personal and professional interests. Try connecting to Literature, but not absolutely required--posts may move into history, sociology, anthropology, etc.

• Your final exam will summarize and assess these research experiments as part of your overall learning experience.

• Only absolute stipulation for content: your subject must have something to do with immigrants or immigration. You cannot write about a minority group (African Americans, Native Americans, indigenous Latino/as in American Southwest) without connecting your discussion to the larger subject of immigration. (However, you could write about Afro-Caribbean immigration, Native American migration experiences, or early Spanish-American immigration.) Discuss with instructor.

Length: at least 4 paragraphs, plus or minus bibliographic information. You may write more than 4 paragraphs, but beyond 6 or 7 paragraphs may push the assignment too far.

Bibliographic requirements and information: At least 4 sources.

• At least a couple sources should be from reputable scholarship and not just stray internet postings.

• Your sources may include print, Web, or personal (as in an interview, lecture, conversation, or anecdote). For interviews, consider calling a former instructor who might know about your subject, or someone with personal experience.

• You may use previous seminar posts as sources.

• Bibliographic information may be included in text or more completely in listings at end of posting.

• MLA style is expected, but the point of all documentation is to enable your reader to find the source. Avoid footnotes.

• For personal sources provide as much contextual information as possible; welcome to protect privacy.

• For Web sources, provide links. For print, provide bibliographic information.

Posting to webpage: Email contents to instructor at whitec@uhcl.edu. Instructor posts to webpage and emails notification with brief reaction. This may be all the feedback student will receive until final grade report. (See “grading” below.)

Organization, Content, etc.:

Title your entry to serve as a link. Title should indicate content. Title may take the form of a question.

1^st paragraph: Introduce and frame a question you want to answer or a topic you want to know more about. Explain source or background of your interest; what you already knew on subject, how or where you learned it or were alerted to it, etc. These backgrounds may be personal as well as educational or professional. At some point in this introductory paragraph, a statement of the question you’re trying to answer should appear.

2^nd and 3^rd paragraphs: describe your search for answers to your question or topic of interest. Locate, describe, and evaluate at least two sources in some detail.

Your content may change directions according to what you learned instead of what you expected to learn. You may attempt some brief analysis or opinion, but the main purpose is to describe, summarize, and share information in an interesting and readable way.

4^th paragraph: What is the answer to your question? Your “answer” may take a variety of forms, as long as you demonstrate learning.

• You may find a definite answer to your specific question.
• You may learn you’ve asked the wrong question, then conclude by revising your question.
• Summarize and evaluate what you have learned, and consider your next step if you continued research along this line.

These paragraph descriptions above are only guidelines, not absolute rules.

Your two posts may change subjects or continue a single subject. Remain aware of need to discuss your research posts as part of final exam essay on your overall learning curve.

Choosing a topic or topics: Before either post, welcome to email instructor regarding choice of topic(s) for 1st & 2nd posts. Previewing with instructor does not commit. Topics for research posts evolve as research is carried out.

Grading: Grades for research postings are not returned until Final Grade Report. The grade is based on readability, interest, and quality of research. (By interest, I don’t mean whether I would have chosen the topic, but how well the report generates and sustains interest.)

The first research post will only be replied to with a brief note of receipt and review; your only grade for your research posts will be a composite grade for both. Review further by request or in conference.

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