WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Hawaii Campus
School of Languages and Literature
SYLLABUS
Wayland Baptist University Mission Statement: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an
academically challenging, learning-focused, and distinctively Christian environment for professional success and
service to God and humankind.
Course Name: RSWR 3345 - H101, Research Writing Methods
Term and Year: Winter (Nov 10 , 2014 – Feb 14 , 2015)
th
th
Full Name of Instructor: Dr. Dan Jacobson
Office Phone and Email: (618) 974-1762, daniel.jacobson@wayland.wbu.edu
Office Hours, Building, and Location: Immediately before and after class
Class Meeting Time and Location: Thursdays – 5:30p-8:30p MCBH, Kaneohe Bay Education Center
Catalog Description: Instruction in formulating research topics, conducting research, and writing papers, that
marshal support from secondary sources. Students read, analyze, and interpret research sources, developing
in-depth, research-based papers on topics in their academic disciplines.
Prerequisite: ENGL 1301 – Composition and Rhetoric
Required Textbook and Resources:
BOOK
Writing from Sources
APA Manual
AUTHOR ED YEAR
Spatt
APA
PUBLISHER
ISBN#
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2011 Bedford/St. Martin’s 0312602901
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2012
8
6
APA
1433805618
Optional Materials: None
Course Outcome Competencies: Upon the conclusion of this course, students actively engaged in learning will
be able to:
1. Utilize printed library reference materials, proprietary databases, and Internet resources to locate
source material;
2. Use borrowed information in a manner that complies with standard academic conventions pertaining
to quotation, paraphrase, and summary;
3. Analyze, evaluate, organize, and manage the assertions of more than one source or author in order to
support your own main point;
4. Develop and focus a research topic; and
5. Write a research question/proposal, a review of the literature, an abstract, an outline, a summary, a
synthesis, and a unified, coherent, complete research paper in proper writing style such as APA,
MLA, or Turabian.
The more the student puts into the course, the higher his or her outcome competencies will be.
Attendance Requirements: Attendance is very important to your success in this class. Exams may be
made up (with a penalty of 10% per day for lateness), but no other aspect of this course may be made
up at a later date. Meeting deadlines is very important. In the event of a missed assignment or
activity, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor. Absences will affect your grade.
Missing more than 25% of the classes will result in a failing grade for the course. Missing an hour or
more of a class is counted as an absence. Participation in online portions counts as an equal part of the
attendance component. Missing Blackboard Discussions is the same as missing face-to-face classes.
Disability Statement: “In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of
Wayland Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or
activity in the university. The Coordinator of Counseling Services serves as the coordinator of students with
a disability and should be contacted concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291- 3765. Documentation
of a disability must accompany any request for accommodations.”
Course Requirements and Grading Criteria:
Grading Criteria:
Positive Participation in Class
APA Quizzes
Homework Assignments
Paper
Paper Presentation
10%
20%
28%
35%
7%
Grading Scale:
100-90
89-80
79-70
69-60
Below 60
W=
WP=
WF=
I=
A
B
C
D
F
Approved Withdrawal
Approved Withdrawal Passing
Withdrawal Failing
Incomplete
Students shall have protection through orderly procedures against prejudices or
capricious academic evaluation. A student who believes that he or she has not been held
to realistic academic standards, just evaluation procedures, or appropriate grading, may
appeal the final grade given in the course by using the student grade appeal process
described in the Academic Catalog. Appeals may not be made for advanced placement
examinations or course bypass examinations. Appeals are limited to the final course
grade, which may be upheld, raised, or lowered at any stage of the appeal process. Any
recommendation to lower a course grade must be submitted through the Executive Vice
President/Provost to the Faculty Assembly Grade Appeals Committee for review and
approval. The Faculty Assembly Grade Appeals Committee may instruct that the course
grade be upheld, raised, or lowered to a more proper evaluation.
Tentative Schedule: (Calendar, topics, assignments)
November 13
Introductions
Syllabus review
Chapters 1, 2 & overview of 9
Homework for next time:
Homework – Article Summary
November 20
Chapter 3
Homework for next time:
Homework – Exercise from Chapter 3
December 4
Chapter 4
Homework for next time:
Homework - Exercise from Chapter 4
APA Quiz #1
December 11
Chapter 5
Homework for next time:
Homework - Exercise from Chapter 5
December 18
Chapter 6
Homework for next time:
Homework - Exercise from Chapter 6
January 8
Chapter 7
Homework for next time:
Homework - Exercise from Chapter 7
January 15
Chapter 8
Homework for next time:
Homework - Exercise from Chapter 8
January 22
Chapter 9
Paper due on Safe Assignment before next week’s class
Homework for next time:
Submit Paper to Safe Assignment
January 29
Discuss Safe Assignment Reports
Chapter 10
Discuss paper presentation criteria
Homework for next time:
Prepare for paper presentation
APA Quiz #2
February 5
Review and reflection
Paper presentations
Professor reserves the right to alter this schedule as needed.
Please be sure to ask if you have questions or concerns during this course. Remember that, while
you are a student, you are also teaching the class that which your education and experiences have
taught you.
Additional information as desired by the faculty member.
Class Participation: Class participation is a very important part of education. This class requires
active class participation. Many classes begin with a basic question that appears clear-cut, and the
class participation is what helps add to the complexity that is critical for solving problems and
understanding processes. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in class.
Other Important Information:
1. Homework is due by the beginning of each class.
2. Late homework will result in a lower grade.
3. Written work is graded on the basis of content first, but also on the quality of grammar
and punctuation.
4. All written assignments should be 12-point type, double-spaced, and using APA
Manuscript Writing Style.
5. Questions concerning grades received should be resolved within one week after the
assignment has been returned.
6. Unless noted as a group assignment, all work should be original work of the individual
student.
7. Academic honesty is expected of all students. Plagiarism, cheating, and other acts that
lack academic honesty may result in a zero on the particular assignment.
8. Students will need to use the Internet to access some assignments.
9. Cell phones and pagers must be placed on vibrate or silent mode.
10. Presentations of papers must be done on the assigned date with the class to receive
credit.
11. Always contact the professor if you need assistance.
Term Paper: Students will complete one research paper for this class. The paper should be a
minimum of ten pages of content, excluding coversheet, abstract and references, and should utilize
at least ten references, five of them scholarly (journal articles, not just websites). Students will
orally present a summary of this paper to the class. Papers must utilize APA format. Topics for
papers must also be pre-approved by the professor. To avoid a 10% deduction, paper draft must
be available by the ninth class meeting to submit online to Safe Assignment. If Safe Assignment
detects more than a 20% match of previously written work, you must discuss with the instructor to
get further instructions.
STATEMENTS:
Course Format: This course will be taught in a blended format, with the majority (over 51%) of
the contact hours occurring in class. There will also be Blackboard assignments and other activities
outside the classroom.
“This class will adhere to zero tolerance for using someone else’s work as your own.”
“Students are responsible for reading, understanding, obeying, and respecting all academic policies,
with added emphasis being placed upon academic progress policies, appearing in the Wayland
Baptist University Academic Catalog applicable to their curriculum and/or program of study.”