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I met with a student who already has worked for 1 1/2 years on this honors thesis in Politics (including a Washington think-tank internship). To give an idea of his seriousness -- one of his "advisors" is John Esposito, the editor of Oxford Islamic Studies Online.
The topic is more far-ranging than the title might indicate and the available research material is voluminous. Here is the research guide we discussed.
I gave a presentation to this class in the absence of Prof. Campbell. Students were not sure if a research paper was going to be expected.
6 students
1/22/09
Research Guide
Course: Acct 211 - Financial Statement Analysis
Presentation date: 1/22/09
Faculty: Wiest
Number of students: 40 (2 sections)
Librarian: Tombarge
Research guide URL: http://library.wlu.edu/guides/business/acct211.asp
Assignment: Students will work in small groups to write an in-depth financial analysis of three companies in the same industry (Exxon Mobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips).
I made presentations to each of 3 sections of Professor Kiracofe's POL 105 class (total of about 40 students), reviewing the course research guide.
Each student must (1) present overviews of current international news topics and (2) write a research paper on some international politics topic, chosen in consultation with the instructor.
I did a class for Fred LaRiviere's Biochemistry class. Demonstrated SciFinder and Scopus, and focused on getting full text. For Scopus, students followed along on laptops that Fred brought for the class. Course guide at http://library.wlu.edu/wiki/index.php/Science/Chemistry342. Seven students total, mostly second and third year.
I created a page for Ellen Mayock's Spanish 211. Students will have to present oral reports on the topics included in the guide.
Research Guide
20 students
I created a research guide for Theresa Braunschneider's English 358. I don't believe I will make an in-class presentation.
23 students
Course: Economics 295A - Health Economics in Developing Countries
Presentation date: 1/16/09
Faculty: Blunch
Number of students: 20
Librarian: Tombarge
Research guide URL: http://library.wlu.edu/guides/business/econ295a.asp
Assignment: The students have a two-part assignment. They will work in groups to write a descriptive paper with an analysis/presentation of a developing country of their choice, focusing on the health system and relevant health issues/challenges facing the country. The second part is a policy proposal, consisting of economic theory and findings from the previous literature related to a specific health issue / health challenge relevant for the chosen country.
Course: ECON 203 Econometrics
Presentation date: 1/16/09
Faculty: Blunch
Number of students: 40 (two sections)
Librarian: Tombarge
Research guide URL: http://info.wlu.edu/literature_review/library.html
Assignment: Students will work in groups to develop a research question, prepare a literature review, collect data and analyze the data through a statistical model that they develop. Students are now working on their research questions and will start their literature review soon.
Melina Bell is overseeing the senior thesis this term. I had met with these students in the Fall term as well. We discussed specific reference tools in more detail. I actually brought in a bunch of books (how old-fashioned) and let the students peruse them. They seemed to like it and it prompted questions.
7 Students
12 January
A student starting her capstone project for Environmental Studies is researching press coverage of the Chesapeake Bay's environmental issues over the years.
She wants to focus on selected interrnational (Economist), national (Time, New York Times), local (Annapolis Capital), and scientific publications (Science, Nature), particularly very recent years.
Believe it or not, there is very little analysis of this particular issue, so most of the relevant (?) sources concern media coverage of environmental issues in general.
The research guide we assembled is a starting point, but there is much more to do.
I made a presentation to Bill Connelly's POL 330 class (23 students), reviewing the course research guide, in anticipation of at least two research assignments: a paper on the policy and politics of a particular piece of legislation; a legislative simulation on a contemporary intelligence issue within the context of the historical relationship between Congress and the President.
Krzysztof Jasiewicz asked me to demonstrate downloading data from ICPSR to section B of this class. The 7 students were all new users of ICPSR and needed to create accounts. The authentication email was filtered into their spam accounts. The students needed to release the email from spam before they could authenticate.
I met with Doug Cumming's JOUR 296 class (both students) and reviewed the course research guide, which should help with three of their assignments.
Course: ECON 399 Capstone Seminar in Economics
Presentation date: 1/13/09
Faculty: Anderson, Diette, and Hooks
Number of students: 34
Librarian: Tombarge
Research guide URL: http://library.wlu.edu/research/guides/business/399/
Assignment: Students will be working on a term paper on a topic of their choice that investigates the issue from an economic perspective. Quantitative analysis is strongly encouraged in this project.
I made a presentation to Toni Locy's JOUR 101 class of 40 students, reviewing the course research guide.
The students have two assignments which will involve use of the research guide: a short paper on a foreign country's media system; a longer paper on some aspect of the "the effects of mass media on American culture and democracy."
Krzysztof Jasiewicz asked that I revise the research guide for this cross-listed course, which has 15 students registered in two sections. One group of students will work with election data and another will work with social/political data in a subject of their choosing.
I met with Harvey Markowitz's ANTH 290C class (16 students) and reviewed the course research guide. Each student will write a "term essay" (research paper), which is the class's major project.
Krzysztof Jaciewicz asked that I update the research guide for this cross-listed course, which has 27 students enrolled.
He will wait until later in the term to decide if an in-class presentation is needed.
At Sacha Goluboff's request, I have prepared a research guide for her ANTH 275 course, which has 13 students.
David Novack asked me to update the SOC 280 research guide for this class, which has 11 students this term.
David Novack asked me to update the SOC 270 research guide for this class, which has 12 students this term.