Your main task for this course is to write a project proposal. The project may be a master's document, a thesis, or a dissertation or it may be a different or less ambitious project. The project may result in a traditional printed scholarly monograph on a subject or it might take another form or multiple forms (e.g., a printed document plus something in another medium). If you are in a degree program that requires you to produce a thesis or document, it would be wise for you to use this opportunity to get started on that project.
You must make a decision about what general topic to pursue very early in the course, since all course work depends on your work with that topic. The course readings and discussion should help to lead you effectively through the process of selection, research, and production. If you decide halfway through the semester that this is not the topic about which you wish to write your document or thesis, don't agonize. The experience you gain researching and writing about any topic will serve you well when you do turn to your thesis or other project.
The proposal itself will be based on the model delineated in our text, Joseph A. Maxwell's Qualitative Research Design, chapter 7, including abstract, introduction, research context (a version of the Research Overview), research questions, research methods, validity, preliminary results, implications or conclusions, and bibliography.
You will complete a first version of the proposal by April 5. You will exchange that with a partner in class and comment on each other's work. (Return the first version to your partner on April 12.) The final version is due the last day of classes, May 3.
The proposal will be graded on its success in fulfilling all portions of the assignment (as delineated in Maxwell, chapter 7), thoroughness of research, argumentation, organization, style, and mechanics (including correct citation form). The proposal counts 40% of your grade.
You will also make an oral presentation about your work to the class on April 19 or 26. Limit your actual presentation to about 10 minutes (6 pages, double-spaced, if you're talking continuously) to allow 5 minutes for discussion. You will have a maximum of 15 minutes total. Feel free to include overheads, video, audio, or posters as part of your presentation. Practice to make sure you stay within the allotted time and to improve the quality of your presentation.
The presentation will be graded on content as well as delivery. Your presentation should clearly introduce your topic and survey your main insights as they relate to other voices in the field as well as illuminating issues of feminist methodology. Work to address your audience with clarity, poise, and confidence (even if you don't necessarily feel that way :). The presentation counts as 10% of your grade.