English 194H - Winter, 2017

Special Study for Honors Students

Class Information

Instructor: Ferguson, Margaret
Time: TR 3:10-4:30
Location: 248 Voorhies

Description

The culmination of this two-quarter honors course will be a 25-30 page thesis due at the end of the Spring quarter 2015. This seminar in the Winter quarter is designed to prepare students to conduct independent research, guide them in completing a rough draft of the thesis, and create a community in which students can share their ideas and research findings with one another. Our class time will be devoted mainly to students' oral presentations of their work-in-progress, group discussions of short texts participants are using in their projects (so that participants will set their own syllabus), and practical workshops on research, organization, time management, and improving writing and citation skills. This course aspires to be a true capstone of the English major experience: useful, interesting, challenging, and convivial.

We will begin with an informational session at Shields Library and a few classes devoted to readings that will enable us to get to know one another as we explore 1) the forensic process of gathering and assessing information from print and digital sources; 2) various ways of defining one's theoretical approach; and 3) entering into conversation with one's contemporaries and precursors. We will read and discuss study examples of abstracts and honors essays from previous years and talk with students who have completed the English critical honors program honorably!

Grading

Attendance, oral presentation, and participation: 20%
Short reports on work-in-progress: 20%
Abstract and annotated bibliography for final project: 20%
Rough draft of final project: 40%

Texts

MLA Handbook Eighth Edition, MLA paperback
Very Short Intro to Literary Theory, Jonathan Culler
The Craft of Research , Wayne Booth et al