CAPSTONE IN INTEGRATIVE STUDIES
INT 496-1001
Great Basin College
Spring 2018
3 Credits
Online
Instructor:Stephanie Davis
E-Mail:
Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Office: DCIT 125, Elko Campus
Phone:Office: (775) 753-4858
Cell/Text: (775) 235-8002
Web Page:
Course Catalog Description: The application of communication skills, core course knowledge, critical thinking, analysis, and other program skills to conducting an independent research project. The course involves intensive self-directed research and requires students to write an extensive senior paper. Prerequisite: Must be in senior standing, have declared a Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Studies (BAIS), or a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science (BASS) and have completed INT 301. Instructor permission required.
Expanded Course Description: In this course students are expected to apply the ideas learned in the BAIS and BASS programs to a practical situation. In other words, students will design and conduct a research project. Prior to enrolling in this course, students have developed research skills in upper division methods and Social Science courses. Students should now be prepared to produce a substantial scholarly study based on original research. Why is this a “capstone” course? Because it offers students the chance to demonstrate what they have learned throughout the entire program. It is the culmination of the knowledge and experience gained.
In short, this course is where each student assumes a professional role and displays a high level of intellectual engagement and motivation.
Method of Instruction: This course is largely self-directed. Students are expected to apply the knowledge and research skills gained from their course work to the completion of assigned work.
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Learning Outcomes and Measures
Learning Outcomes / Measurement1. Comprehend and analyze the foundations and organizations of human social systems / BAIS/BASS Integrated Essay
2. Acquire and interpret scholarly information and data to reach informed, reasoned, and balanced conclusions / Research Paper, Power Point Presentation
3. Synthesize information effectively in oral and written form / Research paper; Power Point Presentation
4. Apply concepts and methods to an original professional study in social sciences / Research Paper
Assignments:
Assignment / PointsBAIS/BASS Essay / 60 pts
Research Topic / 20 pts
Annotated Bibliography / 120 pts
Research Paper / 600 pts
Presentation / 200 pts
Assignment Instructions
1.BAIS/BASS Integrated essay
In a two page, single-spaced essay address the following question:
How has your coursework in anthropology, history, political science, and psychology contributed to your understanding of human social systems?
This piece needs to be well-written, articulate, and professional. It must be structured as an essay. Do not write bulleted paragraphs!
2.Research Paper
You will write at least a 25 page professional levelproblem-oriented paper that is based on:
1. Original and/or secondary data and analysis;
AND/OR
2. A literature-based analysis of a problem. This is not a compilation of information but ananalysis of something.
There are three submissions for the Research Paper (see WebCampus for exact dates):
1.Topic (due Week 3)
2.Prospectus and Annotated Bibliography (due Week 8)
3.Final Paper (due Week 13)
Your final paper MUST be submitted through WebCampus.
Topic: You need to submit your idea for a topic by the end of Week 3 of the semester. You need to provide the research problem and what kinds of data/information are involved. If you do not submit the topic on time, you will lose 15 additional points from your bibliography. YOUR TOPIC REQUIRES APPROVAL!!
Topics center on a well-developed RESEARCH PROBLEM and can involve:
•Original data that you (or another professional person) have collected
•Primary and/or secondary data/sources
•A literature based analysis of a research problem
Selecting a topic: The topic you choose derives from your education and practical work experience, but most importantly your interest! It must, however, reside in the social sciences areas, and it has to be a do-able project. Data can be compiled directly by you or can be mined from another source—there are lots of data sets available on the internet. Tertiary resources are not acceptable. It is best to go to original sources for data analysis and secondary sources for literature reviews.
For example, maybe you work at the USFS and they have just completed an archaeological inventory of high elevation sites; perhaps you can study factors that account for their location and content. Or you are interested in post traumatic stress disorder among veterans. Perhaps you can find statistics that have been published that can be worked into a study you design— comparing stress in the Iraq war versus the Gulf War—maybe the different styles of war account for difference, or maybe the numbers are similar. Or perhaps you want to look at the construction of race/ethnicity in children’s books from the 1950s versus the 2000s and you want to do narrative analysis that compares those two eras. You could analyze scholarly books, articles, and reports and provide a cultural background context that situates children’s lit from those eras. The possibilities are endless.
Prospectus and Annotated bibliography: You need to prepare a prospectus and annotated bibliography. The Prospectus is a one page statement of your research problem. It should include:
- A detailed description of your topic
- Why your topic is relevant/important
- How you plan to address it – that is, what research methods will you be using
The annotated bibliography should contain at least 15 scholarly sources.IF YOU DO NOT HAVE 15 SCHOLARLY SOURCES, YOU EARN A ZERO FOR THE ASSIGNMENT.(Scholarly means journal articles or other primary sources.)
Write at least 200 words about each source—why you are using it, what it offers your project, etc.
Research Paper: Your final paper!
This project, which is similar to an Honor’s Thesis, is perhaps the most significant work you will do in your academic career at GBC. This is where you demonstrate your ability to take on a relevant project and carry it through to the end. This is also the place where you can follow your passion.
Your research project needs to be scaled so that you can complete it this semester. Thus, you are looking at a small scale project.
Components of the research paper:
Use section headers in your paper to guide your reader. If you need subheaders, go for it! Subheaders get you out of those weird transitions between major sections.
1.Cover Page— title of your paper, author (you) and date. Bottom center: name of class and instructor.
2.A 250 word abstract that briefly describes the research issue, the data used, your research location/sites, your conclusions, and a reason or two why your reader may be interested.
3.Table of contents.
4.Introduction—this is a broad overview that introduces your reader to the research problem, its relevance, and where it fits in the academic world. In part, you are selling your project in this section.
5.Literature review/Related research—this section summarizes previous studies, theoretical issues, and so on, and provides a background that contextualizes your project (why it matters and how it matters in academic and pragmatic terms).
This section is detailed and shows clearly how others' work relates to your own. This is an expansive section that also shows your familiarity with significant work. It is high-level and reflects higher level thinking. YOU NEED AT LEAST 15 SCHOLARLY SOURCES HERE.
EACH CITATION IN YOUR TEXT SHOULD INCLUDE THE PAGE NUMBERS INVOLVED.
Quotes from published sources should be kept to a minimum—no more than two. These should only involve about 5 sentences max.
If you are conducting a literature-based study, this section is going to be large and you will synthesize relevant arguments, issues, controversies related to the topic.
6.Methods—DETAILS ARE NEEDED HERE—this section delineates exactly what kind of data/information you have collected, where you obtained the data and how (I caught the gnats, put them out with ether, and measured their wings with a Nanometric electronic caliper and downloaded data into an EXCEL file). This is also where you describe analytical techniques (i.e., narrative, correlational, cross tabulation statistic, analysis of variance, t-test, etc). This section also presents your research issue/hypothesis and how you examined it. Include here permissions obtained to use data if this is relevant (i.e., Special Collections at UNR, Joe Bob Smith allowed access to his ranch on April 12, 2010, I conducted field investigations in the Spring Range in September 2010, etc)
If you are conducting a literature review study, you may not need this section.
7.Data—if you are using raw data, this section summarizes your data (sometimes you may present the raw data as well) and presents that analysis. If you have quantitative data you might have graphic summaries of data here; if you have interviewed people, you present a narrative based on those interviews, for example. This important component shows your reader the basis of your findings.
If you are conducting a literature review study, you may not need this section.
8.Interpretation—this section presents your results. What did you learn? How does your study contribute to the discipline you are working in? Where could you go from here in terms of future research? And so on. You need to write several pages here!! At least 4-5 pages, if not more. Think this through carefully—talk to other students, faculty, and colleagues to get a sense if you are on solid footing.
This section should reflect professional depth and a desire to dig deep. This section demonstrates your understanding of how your research fits into a body of work within a discipline, and it gives your reader an understanding of the significance of your research. This should be a substantialsection of your paper, especially if you are doing a literature based project.
9.Summary/Conclusion—this section should be just a few paragraphs long and should summarize the entirety of your project.
10.Works Cited/References/Bibliography (these pages are not included in the 25 page requirement). As mentioned, you need at least 15 scholarly sources, but since this is a capstone, this is a minimum! In general, APA or MLA style works here, but if your discipline has something specific, use it. If you include sources in your bibliography that are not included in your paper, loss of points will be significant and/or may involve disciplinary action. Please be aware that listing sources that are not used is a form of cheating.
Format requirements:
1.Minimum 25 pages long, not including graphics or references cited; page starting with body of text
2.Discipline appropriate citation style, otherwise APA or MLA parenthetical citations and Works Cited/References page
3.Use of headers and subheaders
4.1.5 line spacing, 12 point Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins
5.Title page
Grading—you will be graded on scholarly depth
•An excellent paper will show a superior understanding of the topic; it will have at least 15 scholarly sources along with others; those sources will be relevant to the topic and will provide a very good context for the study. The literature review will clearly show why the study is important and how it fits into a discipline; the data collected will be clearly identified and analyzed appropriately; the interpretation will clearly demonstrate what was learned and why it is significant; the writing will be clear, organized, and lack grammatical mistakes.
•An average paper will meet the basic needs of the assignment, but will not show any effort to go above and beyond. Such a paper will show minimal understanding of the topic.
•A below average paper will have insufficient sources in terms of number and type. It may also be short of the required page numbers. It will demonstrate a lack of understanding of the topic and the skills necessary to conduct independent research and produce a research paper.
WARNING about page numbers—for every page you are short, 50 pts will be deducted from your overall score. I don’t count pages unless ¾ of the page is covered in text.
3. Presentation (20 minutes)
You cannot pass this class if you do notcompete the presentation requirement.
Prepare and present a conference-like summary (power-point or other program) that presents results/interpretation. Your presentation should focus on the findings. Devote 5-10 minutes on background and methods, and 10-15 minutes on results.
I will schedule presentations during finals week, or possibly Week 15. The date and time will be announced when determined.
Hints for a good presentation—you need to tell us what you did, where you did it, how you did it, and what you learned. You need to use bullet points and find images that help tell your story (maps, photos of field work, pictures of places, etc). Students often forget to tell us what they learned, but it is the most important part. You need to provide enough background so your audience can understand your study. This also shows the depth of your understanding!! Remember you are presenting to people who know nothing about your topic and it is your job to educate your audience. Always keep text per slide to a minimum. You want your audience listening to you, not reading your slide. Lastly, DO NOT READ YOU SLIDES-EVER.
Use of photos and other images—resize from the corner to maintain size and scale; select images that are clear, readable, and relevant.
Presentations will be timed. You must complete your presentation within 20 minutes. You will be cut off at the 20 minute mark.
Like other assignments, the presentation is required.
Requirements:
Colors and fonts are appropriate, clear and readable for audience (think 28 pt font)
Bullet points are relied upon, not read verbatim (use no more than 10 words per bullet)
Illustrations and charts are related to topic and are readable, clear and crisp images
Student presents ideas without reading power point and/ or notes Linear, organized presentation.
Grading: based on a 1000 point total (no extra credit possible).
A 94-100% A- 93-90%
B+ 87-89% B 86-84%
B- 83-80% C+ 79-77%
C 76-74% C- 70-73%
D+ 69-67% D 66-64%
D- 63-60% F 59% and below
Course Policies and Statements
Assignment Submission: All assignments must be submitted. Failure to submit any assignment will result in a failing grade for the course. Late assignments will not be accepted.
Attendance: This is a self paced, independent project course. As such, there is no required attendance (except for the presentation day). However, if you do not submit assignments by deadlines listed on the schedule, you may be removed from the course. If you have made travel arrangements or will be out of town on business during the course, for example, it is up to you to be sure you meet deadlines. You need to plan ahead.
Late Work Policy: This course is designed to provide great flexibility for busy students. Students have many weeks in which to complete and submit assigned work. No late work will be accepted.
However, in the case that EXTRAORDINARY (i.e., hospitalization of the student, a death in the family, earthquake, etc), circumstances warrant rescheduling, the student and instructor will negotiate an appropriate solution. Computer problems, travel plans, work schedules, minorillnesses and the like are not extraordinary circumstances!
Student Conduct and Academic Honesty Policy: GBC students should strive to behave ethically which means each student takes personal responsibility for all aspects of her or his education. Cheating and/or plagiarism will not be tolerated and may result in a failing grade for the course. Cheating includes behaviors such as having someone else do your work, copying other’s work, using unapproved technology during exam situations, talking to one another during an exam, falsifying bibliographic sources or data on an assignment, and so on.
Plagiarism, according to Webster’s, is the practice of stealing or passing off the work or ideas of others as one’s own. Examples of plagiarism include copying directly from your textbook, copying material from another student, failure to cite the sources of the ideas presented in research papers and on web sites. Failure to cite properly, failure to paraphrase properly (by restating material in your voice using your words), using ideas that are not yours, using data that are not yours are also forms of plagiarism. Buying or downloading research papers (whole or in parts) written by another is another form of plagiarism.
Student work will be screened through plagiarism software.
Recycling—using a paper or portions of a paper done in one class in another class (this is “selfplagiarism,” or recycling) is also a form of plagiarism. In this course recycling from other classes is not allowed.