Research Seminar inTexas History
Spring 2010
Professor: Dr. Gregg Cantrell
Office: 205-D Sadler Hall
Phone: 257-7035 (office)
email: g.cantrell@tcu.edu
Office Hours: Mondays 2:00-4:00, and by
appointment. I will be here many other
days and hours and will be happy to meet with you any time. However, it's always a good idea to call
first and make sure I'm in.
Statement of Purpose: The purpose of this is course is to introduce
students to scholarly research and writing in the field of Texas History. The goal of the class will be for each
student to write a seminar paper of publishable quality, based on research in
primary and secondary source materials.
Grading: The
semester grade will be determined as follows:
Topic report 10%
In-class
copy-editing exercise 10%
Proposal
10%
Rough draft 30%
Final draft 30%
Final Presentation 10%
These assignments are explained more thoroughly
below.
The seminar paper will be graded for overall
quality, which includes use of sources, thoroughness of research,
sophistication of analysis, quality of writing, and use of proper format. The professor reserves the right to deduct
points from the final semester grade for missed classes, inadequate class
participation, or missed deadlines.
Attendance at all meetings of the seminar is required, unless prior
permission to miss is secured from the professor.
Books: The following book is required reading:
Randolph
B. Campbell, Gone to Texas.
Tentative Schedule of Class Meetings and
Assignments:
Jan. 11:
Course introduction. Discussion
of how to design, research, and write a seminar paper. Writing Boot Camp, 1st installment.
Jan. 18:
MLK Holiday--no class.
Jan. 25: Discussion of Gone To Texas. Research topic reports due; discuss topics. Writing Book Camp, 2nd installment.
Feb. 1: Writing Boot Camp, 3rd installment. Discuss "The Shelf Life of Truth in Texas" and "Three Truths in Texas."
Feb. 8: Writing Boot Camp, 4th installment: In-class copy-editing exercise. Workshop on sources and methodologies for Texas history.
Feb. 15: No
formal class. Professor available for
student conferences
Feb. 22:
Proposals due. Students report on progress.
Mar. 1: No
formal class. Professor available for
student conferences.
Mar. 8: No
formal class. Professor available for
student conferences
Mar. 15: No
class: Spring Break.
Mar. 22:
“First Page” due. Presentation
and discussion of First Pages.
Mar. 29: No formal class. Professor available for student conferences.
April 5:
First drafts due.
April 12:
No formal class. Professor available for student conferences.
April 19:
No formal class. Professor available for student conferences.
April 25:
Final drafts due. Presentation of
seminar papers.
May 3: Presentation
of seminar papers.
Explanation of Assignments:
Topic Report.
You are required to list ten potential research topics that you gleaned
from your reading of Gone to Texas.
This is simply a written list of possible topics, together with brief
explanations of the topics. You may or
may not end up writing your paper on one of these topics, but the exercise is
intended to make you think about topics.
Copy-editing Exercise. Everyone will be given a brief paper in class
to copy-edit. This exercise will be the
culmination of our “Writing Boot Camp,” which is designed to eradicate bad
writing habits and familiarize students with the strange hieroglyphics used by
copy-editors (and professors).
Proposals. Your written proposal
should include a brief narrative (perhaps one page) summarizing your topic,
along with a discussion of your research methodology and the sources you plan
to use. It should clearly indicate what
question or questions you intend to ask, and suggest what answers you might
expect to get to those questions. The
narrative section should be followed by a formal bibliography of sources that
you plan to use and a proposed outline of the paper.
In-Class Progress Reports. These are simply informal oral reports of no
more than about five minutes, telling the clcass where you are in your
research, what you’ve found, what challenges you’ve faced, etc.
First Pages. This exercise is intended
to jump-start you on the most difficult part of any paper: writing the first page. Your first page may be more than one actual
page (but probably not more than about two), and it should include the
introduction to your paper and a statement of the paper’s thesis and/or
purpose. We will all bring enough xerox
copies of our first pages for everyone in the class to have one, and we will
read and discuss them in class.
First Drafts.
This is your entire paper, complete with notes and bibliography. I will
read and critique these as quickly as possible, with the aim of having them
back to you by the end of the week.
Final Drafts.
The final draft of your paper, incorporating the comments and criticisms
that I made on the rough draft.
Presentation of Seminar Paper. Each student will give a formal presentation
of his or her paper. You will not read
your paper; rather, you will explain your topic, discuss how you researched it,
and summarize the major findings and conclusions. I will let you know how much time you will
have for your presentations before the date of presentation (depending on how
many students end up in the course).
Special Accommodation Request Procedure: If you require accommodations for a
disability, please contact the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities,
Center for Academic Services, Sadler Hall 11, TCU Box 297710, 817-257-7486.
Once you have met with me to deliver and discuss an official accommodations
letter from TCU's Academic Services, I will be able to arrange for your
modifications related to this course. If you have emergency medical information
or need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please
discuss this with me as soon as possible.