HIST 499:02 / WMGS 402:01
Senior Seminar in Women’s and Gender History and in Women’s and Gender Studies
Montclair State University, Spring 2014
Dickson 271: Mondays 5:30-8:00
Dr. Julia Landweber
Office: Dickson Hall 412
Office Hours: Mondays 2:30-5:15 p.m., Wednesdays by appointment
E-mail: landweberj@mail.montclair.edu
Course Description
This co-sitting course is a capstone research seminar for WMGS Majors, and a seminar in
conducting research for History Majors focused in the history of women and gender. The course
has two principal aims. First, students will be introduced to a variety of feminist methods of
research as employed by scholars across the humanities and social-science disciplines, including
both traditional and oral history. Secondly, students will apply these methods to specific
individually-determined feminist research projects. WMGS majors will select a topic germane to
the women’s and gender studies discipline; History majors will select a historical topic open to
feminist analysis (most likely focusing on women’s and/or gender history). Each student will be
responsible for carrying out a term-length independent research project on a subject of their
choosing from start to finish. Students will learn about every needed component of the research
process, including identifying a research topic, conducting a scholarly literature review, gathering
and analyzing data, building an argument, presenting findings, and preparing an essay explicating
the research. This course will provide structure and guidance throughout that process, including
constructive discussion with, and feedback from, your peers.
Required Texts:
The required books for this course (available at the University Bookstore) are:
Reinharz, Shulamit. Feminist Methods in Social Research. Oxford, 1992.
Booth, Colomb and Williams. The Craft of Research, 3rd ed. Chicago, 2008.
Graff and Birkenstein, They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, 2nd ed.
W.W. Norton, 2009.
Additional required readings are available online via BlackBoard (*BB in the schedule below).
Course Requirements and Grade Weights:
20% Participation
15% Research Proposal
15% Literature Review and Bibliography
20% First Draft of Essay
30% Final Draft of Essay
NOTE: Please submit all written work to the professor both in PRINT and by EMAIL.
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Course Schedule
January 27
Introduction to Feminist Research
Read: Reinharz Ch. 1, “Introduction”
Booth and Colomb, Prologue and Ch. 1-2
February 3
Relation of Researcher to Subject, and Crafting a Proposal
Read: Reinharz, Ch. 6, “Feminist Cross-Cultural Research”
Booth and Colomb Ch. 3-4
February 10
From Identifying to Obtaining Sources: “Library” Session
Read: Booth and Colomb Ch. 5-6
February 17
Feminist Content Analysis, and Thinking About Arguments
Read: Reinharz Ch. 8, “Feminist Content Analysis”
Graff and Birkenstein, Preface, Introduction and Ch. 1-3
Do Before Class: They Say, Ex. 1 (pp. 28-29) and Ex. 1 (p. 40)
February 24
Ethics of Research, and Engaging in Written Academic Conversations
Read: Graff and Birkenstein, Ch. 4-7 + Ch. 12
Do Before Class: They Say Ex. 2 (pp. 76-77), Ex. 2 (p. 91), and Ex. 2 (p. 101):
apply exercises to your research proposal to strengthen it pre-submission.
DUE: RESEARCH PROPOSALS
March 3
Workshopping Research Proposals
Read: All students’ research proposals. Do Before Class: Critique your partners.
*BB: “Guidelines for Critiquing a Research Proposal”
Activity: In-class workshop research proposals
March 10
SPRING BREAK—NO CLASSES
March 17
Interviews, Oral History & the Literature Review
Read: Reinharz Ch. 2 & 7, “Interview Research” + “Oral History Research”
Graff and Birkenstein Ch. 14 (only pp. 183-186)
*BB: (follow link & explore site): “Write a Literature Review”
March 24
Feminist Ethnographies
Read: Reinharz Ch. 3, “Feminist Ethnography”
DUE: LITERATURE REVIEW & BIBLIOGRAPHY
March 31
From Scholarship to Activism, and Building an Argument
Read: Reinharz Ch. 10, “Feminist Action Research”
Booth and Colomb Ch. 7-10
April 7
Drafting and Revising the Paper
Read: Booth and Colomb Ch. 12-17
Graff and Birkenstein Ch. 8-10 + Ch. 14
DUE: FIRST DRAFT OF TERM PAPER
April 14-28
Individual writing and consultations with professor.
May 5
DUE: FINAL DRAFT OF TERM PAPER (by 5:30 p.m).
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COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1) Participation (20% of course grade)
Research is an interactive process. Therefore, an important component of this course is to use the
class time to discuss and get feedback on your projects. In addition to instruction, we will use this
class as a workshop to think through our feminist projects together as we will give and receive
feedback. You are expected to come to the sessions and participate in class: attendance is required
at every scheduled session. During the class sessions, we will discuss important aspects of
preparing a research paper such as identifying and selecting research projects, creating
bibliographies, research ethics, etc. In addition to coming to class, it is important that you stay in
regular communication, as needed, with the professor outside of class via email and in person.
A few words about expectations for Course Requirements #2-#5:
All written work that is handed in should:
 Have a clear feminist focus
 Be typed, double-spaced, with page numbers, and appropriate citation apparatus (details
will be covered in class, and see “Guidelines for Formatting Your Essay,” under the tab
“Assignment Help” in BB.)
 Be turned in on time: there will be severe penalties for late papers: each late day
decreases your grade by a full letter grade.
2) Research Proposal (15% of course grade)
Due February 24, 2014. Length: 4-5 pages, double-spaced. Your research proposal will guide
your project and (ideally) provide the master plan for your final paper. It should address the
following:
 What is your research question?
 What theory, existing feminist problem, or historical issue does your question address?
 What argument will you make to better our understanding of this question/problem/issue?
 What significant works of scholarship has been published on your topic? Please identify
some of the leading academic scholars and/or published works in the field.
 What method(s) will you use to make your argument and answer your question?
 Does your project have a micro or a macro focus?
 What kind of data do you intend to employ to answer your question?
 Is it a qualitative project or a quantitative project?
o If your project is qualitative:
 What materials/literature/evidence will you analyze?
 What kind of analysis will you use?
 Do you have access to your research materials/site?
 (If working with contemporary society) Where will you conduct your
fieldwork? How will you conduct your fieldwork?
 (If doing an oral history project and/or conducting interviews) How
many interviews are you conducting? How will you record and transcribe
interviews?
o If your project is quantitative:
 What is the source of your data?
 Is it a credible source?
 What variables will you be using? Are these variables appropriate?
 Does your data-source have all the variables you are interested in?
 How do you intend to obtain access to the dataset?
 What kind of analysis will you use?
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The proposal is a contract: a statement of intentions for your final product, and a detailed
explanation of how you will accomplish your project. It is important to have a solid, detailed,
well-written proposal. The better the proposal, the better the final paper.
You will be graded on:
1) Detailed description of the research question/problem
2) Detailed description of the research methods
3) Theory / Literature awareness / Preliminary bibliography (primary & secondary)
4) Quality of writing / Clarity of presenting ideas
5) Do-ability of the project (data, time, availability restraints, theoretical problems etc.)
3) Literature Review & Bibliography (15%)
On March 24, 2014, you will turn in a review of the scholarship relevant to your project, plus a
complete bibliography of secondary sources.
 (Length: 8-10 pages, double-spaced) Your literature review is an essay which analyzes
the existing scholarship on your topic: describe what research has been done in your area;
assess what still needs to be done; and explain where/how your research project will fit
into (or improve, or expand upon) the existing scholarship. See “Write a Literature
Review” in BB/Online Readings for instructions and guidance.
 You will also provide a bibliography (single-spaced) of works consulted, prepared in
accordance with the CMS bibliography format we will cover in class. If there are works
that you intend to consult but have not yet read or accessed, you should list them as well.
You will be graded on:
1) (Literature review) How thoroughly you have reviewed the existing scholarship.
2) (Bibliography) The quality and relevance of your bibliography, both in content and form.
4) First Draft of Term Research Paper (20% of course grade)
On April 7, 2014, you will turn in the first draft of your term research paper. The first draft of
your research paper has no required length, but as your goal is to reach 20 pages by May 6, I
recommend producing at least 10-12 pages for the first draft (suggested length excludes notes and
bibliography). It must be typed, double spaced, paginated, in 12-point standard serif font such as
Times New Roman. It must be fully proof-read and edited. See BBD for detailed formatting
instructions. A first draft is not a rough draft!
Your first draft will be graded on:
1) Use of the Scholarly Literature
2) Data Collection
3) Data Analysis
4) Quality of thesis and argument
5) Quality of writing / Clarity of presenting ideas / Organization of essay
5) Final Draft of Term Research Paper (30% of course grade)
On May 5, 2014, you will hand in your final draft of the term research paper. The final draft goal
is a 20 page / 5000 word paper (expected length excludes notes and bibliography). It must be
typed, double spaced, paginated, in 12-point standard serif font such as Times New Roman. See
Blackboard for detailed formatting instructions. See next page for suggested format/structure and
grading criteria.
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Suggested formats for your final paper:
If you are using a sociological or
anthropological research model, you might
follow this suggested format:
Introduction
Literature Review
Research Setting and Design
Data Findings
Data Analysis
Conclusion
Bibliography
If you are engaged in historical or literary content
analysis, you are advised to follow a looser format,
such as indicated here:
Introduction
[lit. review is interwoven with the intro
and parts below, as appropriate)
Part I (or section title of your choice)
Part II (etc., as needed)
Conclusion
Bibliography
Your final paper will be graded on:
1) Ability to carry out research project
2) Use of the Scholarly Literature
3) Data Collection
4) Data Analysis
5) Quality/originality of thesis, and logical flow of argument
6) Quality of writing / Clarity of presenting ideas / Organization of essay
Research Ethics/ Academic Honor and Dishonesty:
Academic integrity is an important part of writing research papers. Academic dishonesty and plagiarism
will not be tolerated. Plagiarism (defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as “using and passing off as
one’s own the ideas or writings of another”) is an extremely serious academic offense: reputations of
leading scholars have been destroyed by it, and students can be expelled from school for it. It is important
that you make sure to learn and apply the appropriate methods and procedures for citations. (For brief
instructions, see Booth and Colomb, pp. 200-202, and for detailed instructions see the folder “Help with
Citation Style” in BB, under the tab “Assignment Help.”) This will be discussed in further detail during
class. Any paper with evidence of plagiarism (e.g. taking from another source without appropriate credit)
will automatically receive an F.
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, unattributed copying of material off a website, from a book, from
another student’s work, or by purchasing a paper and passing it off as your own work. How do you avoid
plagiarism? It is very simple:
1) Put quotation marks around ALL direct quotes and cite the source of each quote.
2) Cite the specific reference, including page number, when you are depending directly upon
another’s ideas, even if you don’t use their exact words.
3) Reformulate ideas into your own words: and create your own independent argument.
4) If uncertain about how closely you are depending on another’s idea, cite the work in question!
5) In short, think for yourself, while acknowledging that we all depend on others for our intellectual
advancement.