Syllabus: Dissertation Proposal Development Seminar
Sociology 219, Winter 2016
Time/Place: Tuesdays 2:00-4:50pm, SSPB 2214
Instructor: Evan Schofer
Office hours: Monday 2:00-3:00pm, SSPB 4271
Introduction
The course is designed to assist students who are developing or actively writing a dissertation proposal.
Choosing a dissertation topic is probably the most important and challenging task of the entire PhD program. A good dissertation proposal requires a compelling topic and an appropriate research design that addresses important sociological questions. At the same time, the proposal must be feasible, in order that students can graduate in a reasonable amount of time. Students rarely enter the program with skills to choose a good & tractable project on their own. A high-quality proposal is usually the outcome of an extended dialog between the student and one or more faculty members who provide needed experience and feedback.
For those just starting out, the course will provide basic information on what a proposal looks like and how one goes about developing a promising dissertation topic. For those with a topic, this course will provide a structured set of goals and feedback opportunities to advance the proposal toward completion.
Readings
Readings will be available online via webfiles here. Draft proposals will be in the shared class dropbox.
Assignments and Evaluation
Short Assignments. Short assignments will count toward 50% of your final grade.
Participation. The primary benefit of this course comes from attendance and participation in presentations, Q&A, and small-group discussions. Participation counts toward 25% of your final grade.
Individually Defined Research Goals. The course functions partly like an independent study. I will work individually with each student to choose some realistic goals in terms of developing your proposal. Progress on your independent research goals constitutes 25% of your final grade.
Your final grade will be computed based on the percentage weightings indicated. In the event of a borderline grade, I may use my discretion in adjusting grades based on course participation, improvement, and effort (or lack thereof). Incompletes will not be given, except in unusual circumstances.
Schedule
January 5: Week 1: Introduction: What is a dissertation proposal?
— Overview & purpose of the class; introduce some important future topics; basic information on proposals.
January 12: Week 2: Developing a proposal = developing a “process”
Reading Task: Read example proposal for week 2
Assignment 1 Due: Briefly describe the current state of your dissertation proposal in one page or less. Be sure to indicate the area and topic (to the extent you know it; you can list multiple possibilities), your mentors, the empirical data and methods (actual or likely). Indicate some the main things you have been doing lately to move the project forward.
January 19: Week 3: The proposal: structure and strategy
— Types of proposals; common structure/organization; when to defend (early vs late)
Reading Task: Read example proposal for week 3
Assignment 2 Due: Outline your independent research goals for the quarter (1 page or less). Indicate important next steps (or general strategies) to improve your proposal development “process”.
January 26: Week 4: Creating and managing your committee
— Requirements; common strategies; getting the most out of your committee; dealing with dissensus
Reading Task: John McCollum proposal
February 2: Week 5: Developing your own iterative process
— Strategies and work habits
Reading Task: Rodolfo Lopez proposal
Assignment 3 Due: Substantive memo: Write a brief memo (1 page or less) on key issues you are currently addressing. It could be the sketch of a potential project idea, an outline of a new section of the proposal to be drafted, or a memo about a current roadblock and potential solutions.
February 9: Week 6: Research design issues
Reading Task: Zaib Tufail proposal
February 16: Week 7: Framing your contribution to literature and theory
Reading Task: Tanya Sanabria Proposal
Assignment 4 Due: Mid quarter progress update (1 page or less): Summarize progress on individual research goals. Indicate problems; identify next steps.
February 23: Week 8: Problems and Setbacks
— Writers block; alienation; roadblocks; making major course changes
Reading Task: Monique Kelly proposal
Assignment 5 Due: Substantive memo: Write a brief memo (1 page or less) on key issues you are currently addressing. It could be the sketch of a potential project idea, an outline of a new section of the proposal to be drafted, or a memo about a current roadblock and potential solutions.
March 1: Week 9: The proposal defense
— How to prepare; common questions/issues; how to get the most out of it
Reading Task: More examples (peer feedback)
March 8: Week 10: Going forward…
— Building on the defense feedback; next steps
Reading Task: Anna Penner proposal
Assignment 6 Due: Write a summary of progress on your personal research goals for the quarter. If you fell short, why? Discuss strategies to improve in the future.