CELTIC MAY TERM 2016 RESEARCH PROJECT PREPARATION FOR RESEARCH PROJECT • Everyone will view selected material (assigned texts, articles, videos, etc.) which will provide foundational knowledge of the conflicts and efforts to bring lasting peace and reconciliation in Scotland and Northern Ireland. These materials will also include information on the countries’ culture and general histories. • You will develop a research question and interview plan before leaving the USA. HOW DO I ‘DO’ THIS RESEARCH PROJECT? The research project involves the following steps: a) Developing a viable and substantive research question (RQ) related to peace, justice and reconciliation in Scotland’s and/ or Northern Ireland’s culture and identity. Program leaders will work with each student to help develop the RQ and suggest how to go about researching it. The RQ should fall under one of the 9 program themes identified below. b) Doing some background research on the scholarly literature related to the RQ. c) Learning oral history methodology before leaving the States, and developing competencies in doing interviews. d) Collecting background research and knowledge related to RQ in Iona, Edinburgh, Highlands, Glasgow, and Northern Ireland. e) Conducting in‐depth video interviews with people in Scotland and Northern Ireland. You should collect a minimum of 2 interviews Glasgow, 2 in Iona, 3 interviews in N. Ireland, and 2 interviews in Edinburgh and/or Highlands, with a minimum of 9 interviews overall. f) Editing video clips and integrating your own narrative reflecting scholarly research and background knowledge on RQ, into a 14‐minute video essay. This video essay should integrate knowledge from interviews, journals, museums, experiences, classes, workshops and films. You may wish to review the Senior Seminar prompts and organization to incorporate some of these questions into your final project. All Senior Seminar sections outlined below may be relevant to a non‐SS project, with exception of #6. g) OR creating a Senior Seminar Life View Video (longer than 14 minutes) reflecting upon your own life experience, values, and reflections on your research theme. This video should integrate knowledge from interviews, journals, museums, experiences, classes, workshops and films. The Senior Seminar Life View Video should reflect upon your philosophy of life, with particular attention to the relationship between your faith and one of the peace and reconciliation themes. It may be helpful to break the Senior Life View project into sections: Section 1: Introduce the course theme you wish to explore. What have you learned from the class texts and your own bibliographic research about this theme. The introduction to the theme should quickly focus on the specific question you will explore. What do we know to be true about this question? What does current research tell us? Section 2: Organize your journal reflections, travel experiences and interviews into three main points that answer your question. Edit these materials to present each of the three main points in turn, and then use your support materials to support each claim (e.g., excerpts from journals, interviews, experiences). This section should reflect multiple viewpoints on your question. Section 3: How do you evaluate the multiple perspectives on your question? Which perspective do you hold, or how do you integrate parts of different perspectives to formulate your position? What values, feelings and personal experiences in your own life have shaped and sustained this position? What experiences on the May Term have changed your perspective on this question? How have you grown in the understanding of your values, feelings and experiences? How have you incorporated the experiences of Others in your understanding of this question during the May Term? Section 4: How have the principles of Intergroup Dialogue deepened your understanding of yourself and of others in relation to your question? Section 5: How does your question fit into the big puzzle or mosaic regarding, “Peace & Reconciliation”? What do you now know and understand about Peace & Reconciliation from focusing on this question? What is peace? Justice? Reconciliation? [You can pick one of these big ideas that best fit with your research question.] Section 6: How does this all fit into your broader worldview? For example, your question and findings might connect best with: what makes a meaningful life? What makes a moral and just life? How should we act? Who are we as humans and what are we called to do? This is your philosophy of how the world should operate given your understanding of your research question and your integration of these new understandings into your worldview. Section 7: The conclusion should focus on you and your future. What are you called to do as a result of these new understandings and reflection upon your values, feelings and experiences? How has the May Term changed you? What will you do now, in a year, in 5 years, as a result of these changes? How will you live? What is your role as an ally for justice? Does this role intersect with your faith? WHAT IS EXPECTED FOR THE VIDEO ESSAY/SENIOR SEMINAR PROJECT? You will return to Hope (or elsewhere) to prepare your final project. The interview data collected will be edited (using simple software, such as iMovie or Windows Movie 7) and produced into a 14‐minute documentary (FOR NON‐SS STUDENTS; LONGER FOR SS STUDENTS). The video should promote a particular thesis pertaining to your research question. The thesis should be supported by interview texts, journal excerpts and narrative analysis. The project will be evaluated according to: • the strength and creativity of the thesis • the depth of analysis of the topic • the strength of the textual support for the thesis (interviews, research, experiences) • the quality of voice‐over or text that makes your argument and demonstrates the background knowledge you have integrated from your text reading, your background reading of scholarly sources, and your experiences in Scotland • the completion of a typed reference list • the reasonable quality of technical production (including contextual material such as scenery, people, music related to your points) • the organization of a coherent persuasive argument In addition • Your video essay should reflect substantive research • Your video should include interview excerpts with a variety of people you met across your three weeks in Scotland and Northern Ireland (minimum 9 interviews) • Your video essay should demonstrate the transformative effect the Scotland and Northern Ireland study experience had on your thinking about the course content • Your video essay should incorporate knowledge and understanding from the materials you viewed for the is course (readings, films, classes, museums, sites) WHAT’S DUE BEFORE I CAN LEAVE THE USA? • Research Question, Rationale and Annotated Bibliography. Include your RQ and your one‐
paragraph rationale and explanation of this question. An annotated bibliography provides a complete bibliographic citation with a paragraph summary of the source as it pertains to your RQ. You should have five research sources in your bibliography. • Elevator Speech. Your elevator speech must be typed and approved before departure. • Interview Questions. Write up a one‐page outline of interview questions.