Research Seminar (397-0-20)
Topic
Decolonizing Knowledge Production While Writing Yo
Instructors
Jeong Eun We
847/467-5941
Kresge 1880 Campus Drive, #4-419
Office Hours: varies by quarter
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-329: Mon 3:00PM - 5:50PM
Overview of class
AY25: Many students find writing their own research project to be one of the big milestones of their college experience (aside from Dance Marathon and Dillo Day). This seminar aims to help you meet this milestone by completing a research paper of your own design on Asia, a paper of 12-15 double spaced pages in length. Taking your strongest seminar paper from your undergraduate career to date as a jumping off point, you will expand and develop an original argument with further research and writing - an important and necessary part of research writing that students often do not have a chance to explore in topical seminars. This class provides the space for students to read, think, and talk about their respective research methods and questions, finding references, writing and developing arguments in stages, and working through multiple drafts of writing to produce a polished research paper. Students will also have a chance to practice sharing their research findings with peers, advisors, and the university community.
While mainly a writing-focused seminar driven by individual student projects, the course will also engage questions of how researchers from different communities and fields have sought to decolonize the kinds of knowledge they glean and produce. How might you, with your respective life experiences, positions, and interests, produce knowledge that is meaningful to you, the communities and histories at stake, and the general public?
Enrollment in this course requires instructor approval (direct your inquiry to jwe[at]northwestern[dot]edu, with your reasons for wanting to take this class). While generally intended for juniors and seniors in ALC, this course is open to students of all years and majors, space allowing. Please secure a primary advisor on the field of your research prior to enrolling in this course, as you will need to consult your primary advisor on key aspects of your research project. If you intend to pursue an honors thesis project, you are encouraged to consult your primary advisor about this as early as possible. The course convenes once a week, which means that for six days of the week, your work will be largely self-guided. Your commitment to bringing materials to share and workshop each week with your peers is important to making the most out of this seminar.
Registration Requirements
Instructor Approval by email
Learning Objectives
Develop research questions on chosen topic and explain their importance as academic arguments.
Cultivate a research methodology in conversation with well-chosen references.
Hone the skills to communicate your research topic to peers and non-specialists.
Polish research writing and learn to revise drafts.
Teaching Method
Seminar Discussion; Workshopping.
Evaluation Method
Essays
Participation
Class Materials (Required)
Novelist as a Vocation - Murakami Haruki (Knopf). ISBN: 0451494644.
Craft of Research, 5th Ed. - Wayne Booth et al (U Chicago Press). ISBN: 0226826678 * earlier editions are okay.
Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks, 2nd Ed. - Wendy Laura Belcher. ISBN: 022649991X