CL/CSDS 8902
Methodologies Colloquium
Fall 2006
Colloquium Co-ordinators: Alicia Gibson, Wade Haynes
Scheduled Meeting Times: Oct. 6, Oct. 13, Oct. 20, Nov. 3, Nov. 10, Nov. 17, Dec. 1, 1-2:30pm
Scheduled Meeting Place: Nicholson Hall 135 (Fireplace Room)
Colloquium Faculty Adviser: Prof. Timothy Brennan, DGS
CL/CSDS 8902 is a year-long, student-run colloquium designed to introduce graduate
students in the department to the principal methods of scholarship and research in the
field. It has two main components:
(1) Bi-weekly presentations by CSCL faculty on the questions and methods that
inform their current research, with one or more readings of their published
work.
(2) Regular workshop sessions with library personnel—roughly eight over the
course of the year—designed to acquaint students with current bibliographical
methods and techniques of information retrieval. Workshops and presentations
will include: (a) writing a research methodology statement; (b) identifying and
locating appropriate resources; (c) searching library indices and databases; (d)
identifying important subject librarians and special collections, on and off
campus, appropriate to specific research interests; (e) resource storage and
management; (f) performing archival research; and (g) obtaining research and
travel funding. (Details below).
Intended to complement the foundational work of the year-long Basic Seminar, the
colloquium will serve primarily incoming graduate students, for whom it is a required
course. Other CL and CSDS graduate students are welcome. Students enroll twice,
once in Fall and again in Spring, for a total of 2 credits (1.0 credit per semester).
Grading: S-N only, assigned by faculty adviser (current DGS).
Required materials: (1) a set of readings submitted by faculty and assembled by the
colloquium co-ordinators; and (2) printed and online materials provided by the
collaborating research librarians.
Details of library research component:
Locating Resources


The workshop series will introduce students to University Libraries databases, CLA
filmcat database, MNCAT, relevant subject area and citation indices, advanced
subject searching, and interdisciplinary research. We will also help distinguish
between scholarly resources and other important search engines and resources (e.g.,
non-English newspapers; online periodicals).
Students will attend University Libraries workshops on research practices (e.g., “7
Keys to Graduate Student Success”) and gain expertise in using Web of Science (for
Arts and Humanities scholars); Eric and Education Full Text; LexisNexis; and

online indices such as Project Muse and JSTOR. These constitute basic library access
and research knowledge for all graduate level research.
Students will be introduced to Citation Indices for tracking research threads; tracing
article/author citation history; and tracking keywords across disciplines as tool in
interdisciplinary research.
Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Research


Students will gain familiarity with relevant journals and university presses of
common interest to graduate students in Cultural Studies and Comparative
Literature, as well as other subject areas that would be useful to students in CSCL
doing interdisciplinary research (e.g., prominent journals and presses in American
studies, English, history, art history, and communication studies).
Students will choose one journal of personal subject area interest and explore briefly
its publication status. Students will note: Table of Contents and Book Reviews over
the course of the journal’s publication history; editorial statements; editorial board
members and members’ publishing history; genre of articles published (i.e., length,
citation style, submission guidelines, etc.) for their own possible future publication.
Subject Librarians and University Archives and Special Collections


The workshop series will establish relations between subject librarians/department
liaisons and graduate students for future research assistance. Subject librarian will
contact seminar participants or present special collection holdings at a seminar
meeting.
We will ask students to locate other potentially important subject librarians and
resources on campus including: University Libraries (e.g., Ames Library of South
Asia, Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Government Publications Library,
Map Library, Law Library, Music Library); Special Collections (e.g., Archie Givens
Sr. Collection (African-American studies); The Jean- Nickolaus Tretter Collection in
GLBT Studies; Immigration History Research Center); and Archives (e.g., Social
Welfare History Archives, Kautz Family YMCA Archives).
Resource Management and Storage




The workshop series will help students organize and manage their research at an
early stage in order to train and maintain good research practices throughout their
graduate careers.
We will introduce students and provide workshops on RefWorks, the University
Libraries internet-based bibliography and citation manager. Students will learn to
store and access citations in a variety of formats and styles.
We will offer workshops on Journal Alerts Services, information on digital storage,
converting PDF files, importing, downloading and saving online and emailed
journal TOCs and information.
Dissertation Calendar workshop to ensure compliance with Graduate School
timelines for coursework, exams, and dissertation completion.
Professionalization and Preparing Future Scholars



Workshop on drafting a research methods statements: We will offer examples and
definitions of research statements from a variety of disciplines. Students will draft a
working research methods statement for future use in fellowship and grant
applications or preparing preliminary exams.
We will introduce students to workshops on PowerPoint, Breeze Technology,
WebCT, DreamWeaver/HTML and other technologies for presenting and
disseminating work. Students will choose one technology area they feel will be
especially useful in teaching, professional meetings or conferences, or interviews for
graduate assistantships and the job market search.
Students will identify appropriate journals or academic presses for publication and
learn appropriate narrative format and citation style for discipline-specific and
relevant interdisciplinary journals.
Research Protocol



We will offer students information on locating archives and special collection
holdings.
Students will learn archival research protocols (obtaining permission and
appropriate use of archive; establishing contacts at archives; planning travel to
archive) as well as how to identify appropriate institutions (museums, libraries,
archives, other universities) and obtain the proper resources and permission to
conduct research.
We will alert students to the necessity of following field work and ethnography
methodology as well as human subject interview and transcription compliance and
protocols. The Graduate School offers guidelines and further information should
this students plan to engage in such research.
Grant Resources and Locating Funding

We will offer workshops on how to obtain travel and research funding; on drafting
grant or fellowship applications; and compliance with deadlines.
Course Schedule:
Fall Semester
September 22 – Library Workshop Day
October 6 – Keya Ganguly
October 13 – Gordon Anderson from the U of M library
October 20 – Harvey Sarles
November 3 – John Mowitt
November 10 – Johan Oberg, CSCL subject librarian
November 17 – Richard Leppert
December 1 – Liz Kotz
Spring Semester
Feb 2: Jeanine Ferguson - Grant Writing
Feb 9: Cesare Casarino
Feb 23: Gary Thomas
March 9: Robin Brown
March 23: Tim Brennan
April 6: John Archer
April 13: Kris Kiesling - U of M Special Collections and Archive Rsrch
April 20: Tom Pepper