Undergraduate Research in Ethnic Studies (ES 191A), focuses on building the skills and techniques that will enable you to move from consumers to producers of knowledge.  During this course we will work through each stage of designing a research project:  defining a topic area;  mastering the relevant literature;  honing the topic area into a research subject;  developing generative research questions;  and selecting appropriate methods and materials to best address those questions.

You will learn by actually designing and producing a research proposal that will become a roadmap to guide you through your Honors research project.  During the quarter, you will develop critical and analytical skills that will help you to work through the common problems involved in designing a research project.  You will also engaging in discussion with fellow Honors students, and with guests who will present their research projects and research methodologies. 

The course objectives are:

•  to develop the primary skills to plan and conduct an honor research project;
•  to produce a formal Honors project prospectus;  and
•  to develop a working relationship with a faculty mentor who will oversee and guide your work through ETHN 192(Winter) and ETHN 193 (Spring). 

Successful research projects will earn “Honors in Ethnic Studies” upon graduation.

Attend all Class meetings and complete all assignments by their dues date.  A written (typed) assignment will be due each week at the beginning of class.

The grade for this course will be cumulative and assigned based on the level of your effort in the course, your participation in class meetings, and the final form of your Prospectus, as follows:

50% = class attendance, participation, and written assignments;
50% = final research prospectus

• Drafts and critique groups and schedules
• Week 1 - in class excercise
• Components of a Research Proposal
• Sample Bibliographic Entries
• Common editing symbols and abbreviations
• Web searching tutorial
• IRB samples

Week 1              September 29            Introduction & Planning

• Introductions
• Discussion of research interests and topics
• Beginning to plan a research project
• Guest:  Jesi Lujan Bennett (09 Honors student)
  

Assignment for first class session: Week 1 - in class excercise

Week 2        October 6:            Guidelines for the Research Proposal/Prospectus. The Research Question

• Discussion of Research topics: from broad topics to focused researchable questions
• Asking the best questions of your research subject
• Discussion of topic areas; preparing an annotated bibliography

Assignment:

1) Read Chapter 3 (look at Chapter 2) of Booth et al’s Craft of Research. 
2) Write a brief description of your research topic that explains what you are interested in writing about, what you do not know about it, and why you want your reader to know about it (following Booth’s ch. 3). 
3) Bring 3 copies of the description to class for discussion in break-out groups.

Week 3      October 13        Library Resources meeting

Library resources meeting with librarian Alanna Aiko Moore (10-12:50)
NOTE:  This class will meet at Geisel Library.  Please meet Alanna at the information Desk immediately inside the main Geisel building for a quick tour of the Social Science and Humanities Library. Afterwards, please proceed to the Science and Engineering Library Instruction Room for hands-on work during the rest of the class.

Assignment:

1) e-mail your revised research topic to Alanna Aiko Moore  (aamoore@ ucsd.edu) by Sunday, October 10. 
2) Read Chapter 5 and 6 of Booth et al’s Craft of Research).

Week 4        October 20            Research, Literature Review and the Research Project

• Importance and make up of a literature review
• Reading strategies
• Choosing and working well with your mentor

Assignment:

1) Read Literature review handout
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/literature_review.html
2) Read the article at:
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/american_quarterly/v060/60.3.gutierrez.pdf
as an example of a good literature review. Please note how the authors discuss the changing conversations in the field of transnational migration over time.
3) Annotated bibliography due:  identify 3 research areas most relevant to your research topic;  find 3 sources for each area;  and select 1 out of the 3 sources to write an annotated bibliography for each area.

Week 5      October 27        Human Subjects, Ethics, Methodology, and  Research Reports

• Choosing and mixing methodologies to address a research question
• Protecting Human Subjects
• Research design and methodology I:  Professor Sara Kaplan (11am)

Assignment:

1) write a 3 page literature review and e-mail to all members of the class by 8pm on Monday October 25;
2) read the literature reviews of classmates for discussion and constructive criticism in class;
3) complete CITI training module and select “Basic Human Subjects – Social & Behavioral Focus” course (access from http://irb.ucsd.edu/training.shtml).  Bring your certificate to class.

Week 6      November 3        Research Reports and Discussion

• Class research updates (brief presentations of project shape and major issues)
• Research design and methodology II:  Professor Wayne Yang (noon)

Assignment:

1) Write Introduction and Methodologies (3 pages) that includes the following:

• description of research topic and main research question(s)
• significance of your topic and research questions: what makes this an Ethnic Studies project?
• discussion of methodologies proposed in response to the research questions.  Explain why you have selected your particular method(s) and discuss the feasibility of the project.
• overview of the information you will use as evidence in support of your arguments and how you are collecting, organizing, interpreting, and critically analyzing it.

2) e-mail your Introduction and Methodologies sections to all class members by 8pm on Monday, November 8.

Week 7      November 10    Research Reports and Discussion

• Class research updates (brief presentations of project shape and major issues)
• Writing strategies
• Revising strategies
• Research design and methodology III: Professor Roshanak Kheshti (10am)

Assignment:

1) Group 1 will turn in their first draft of the prospectus.
2) Make an appointment to meet with me this week.

Week 8      November 17: First Drafts I - Presentation and Critique

First draft presentations (Group 1) and discussion

Assignment:

1) Group 2 will turn in their first draft of the prospectus.
2) Group 1 prepare written comments and constructive critique.

Week 9      November 24: First Drafts II - Presentation and Critique

• First draft presentations (Group 2) and discussion

Assignment:

1) Group 3 will turn in their first draft of the prospectus.
2) Group 2 prepare written comments and constructive critique.
3) Group 1 will Revise! Revise! Revise!

Week 10      December 1    Looking ahead at the Honors paper

• First draft presentations (Group 3) and discussion
• Developing the project: managing research and writing effectively.

Assignment:

1) Group 3 prepare written comments and constructive critique.
2) Groups 1 & 2 will Revise! Revise! Revise!
3) Human Subjects submission (if needed).

Final Revised Prospectus Due Wed. Dec 8 (5:00pm Finals Week)