SYLLABUS
1.
WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
School of Language and Literature
Fairbanks Campus, Alaska
2.
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
.
3. Course Name: RSWR 3345 (FB) – Research Writing Methods
4. Term and Year: Fall Semester: Feb 25, 2013 – May18, 2013
5. Name of Instructor: Dr. Nick O. Ejimabo, Associate Professor of Business and Education
6. Office Phone and Email: (907) 377-4398; (Cell: 512-589-9532) nick.ejimabo@wbu.edu
7. Office Hours, Thursday 1-6pm & by appointments; Building and Location: 2623 Wabash
Avenue, Suite 109, Eielson - AFB.
8. Class Meeting Time and Location: Tuesday, FTW- BLDG 1031 / Room 8; 6pm to 10 pm.
9. Catalog Description: This research writing methods course provides instruction for students
to learn how to formulate research topics, conduct effective research, and write an in-depth,
research-based paper which marshals support from primary and secondary sources. Students will
learn how to evaluate the validity of sources for research projects, to read and understand
authored research reports, to analyze and interpret results, and to prevent plagiarism by
paraphrasing and by giving proper credit for all sources used in both their academic and learning
disciplines.
10. Prerequisite: ENGL 1301 – Composition and Rhetoric
11. Required Textbook and Resources: Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference Seventh Edition (New
York: Bedford/St Martin’s Press, 2011).
BOOK
A Writer’s
Reference
AUTHOR
ED
Diana
Hacker/Nancy 7th
Sommers
YEAR
2011
PUBLISHER ISBN#
Bedford/St.
Martin’s
978031260143
REVIEW
___
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: Sixth Edition
(2010). American Psychological Association: Washington, DC.
12. Optional Materials: Internet and Library
It is recommended that each student use a standard American English dictionary:
For example, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language,
Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary or the college edition of either The Random
House Dictionary of the English Language or Webster’s World Dictionary of the American
Language.
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13. Course Outcome Competencies: Upon the conclusion of this course, students will be able
to:
1. Research effectively in a library and on-line.
2. Evaluate the validity of sources for research projects.
3. Differentiate between the purposes and types of academic essays.
4. Design writing projects appropriate to given goals.
5. Write effective exposition and argumentation.
6. Effectively edit documents with reference to organization, grammar, and style.
7. Prevent plagiarism by giving proper credit for all sources used.
8. Apply APA/MLA rules accurately with reference to: writing a research question/proposal, a
review of the literature, an abstract, an outline, a summary, a synthesis, and a unified, coherent,
complete research paper.
14. Attendance Requirements: As stated in the Wayland Catalog, students enrolled at one of
the University’s external campuses should make every effort to attend all class meetings. All
absences must be explained to the instructor, who will then determine whether the omitted work
may be made up. When a student reaches that number of absences considered by the instructor
to be excessive, the instructor will so advise the student and file an unsatisfactory progress report
with the campus executive director. Any student who misses 25 percent or more of the regularly
scheduled class meetings will receive a grade of F in the course. Additional attendance policies
for each course, as defined by the instructor in the course syllabus, are considered a part of the
University’s attendance policy.
Additional Attendance requirement: Excessive late arrivals or early departures will be taken
into consideration. Material will be discussed in class and included in the exams that are not in
the book. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain any material missed by not attending class
for any reason. The student must not miss any more than 25% of the class. Any more misses may
result in failure of the class. In case of TDY’s the instructor should be notified as soon as
possible.
15. 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.”
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY: 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.
16. Course Requirements: Grading Assignments and Points
a. Select two (2) separate discipline related research topics. Students should make sure primary
and secondary research materials are available to support research on the two topics. Some
examples will be discussed in the class. Your selected topic/s MUST be approved by the course
Instructor. Total value 50 points
Due date: 3/5/2013
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b. Write a discipline specific 10 to 12 item annotated bibliography. Examples from some
research articles will be shown and discussed in the class. (Hint: You cannot wait until the due
date to start this assignment). Total point value 100 Due date: 3/19/13
c. Develop and write a discipline related survey instrument and conduct, as a minimum, a 10person survey. The instructor prior to conducting the survey must approve survey Instrument.
*(See the examples on Blackboard under the assignment sections).Total point value 100
d. Write, as a minimum, a three-page report that interprets the survey results with tables or
graphics. Total point value of: 100.
e. Construct an interview protocol, based on the responses received during the survey. The
instructor must approve the protocol before performing interviews. Total point value of 100
points.
f. Conduct an interview of the 10 people surveyed to discover the voice and the reasoning behind
their responses. These responses should be recorded with the permission of the respondents.
Write a three-page analysis of the interviews.
Total point value of 100.
g. Write a ten-page (10 pages) research paper with a title page and a reference page (for a
minimum total of 12 pages). This paper should consist of all the material you have collected up
to this point (annotated bibliography, three-page survey paper, three page interview paper). Most
of the research for the paper should be already collected. The course paper will be prepared in
the American Psychological Association (APA) style, 6th Edition. Total point value of 250.
h. Final presentation of the Research project in the class by all participants. Total point value of
150.
Note: Students are required to demonstrate proficiency in the requirements covered in this
Syllabus and in class. Students who are underperforming or who believe they need additional
help are to inform the instructor or dean immediately.
17. This course outline serves merely as the anticipated roadmap I hope to use during this 11
weeks program. However, due to circumstances and the dynamic nature of this course, there may
be some changes in the schedule. During such situations, you will be advised and changes will be
discussed and noted accordingly. The dates and weeks listed below are the dates by which the
course materials are expected to have been read.
Week
Date
Activities/discussions
Reading assignment
1
2/26/13
Introduction & Course Overview.
Composing and Revising: Planning, drafting,
designing and writing with technology
Hacker’s Book
Read pg. 3 – 64
Ref. APA manual-Ch.1
2
3/5/13
Academic Writing:
 Writing about the text
 Constructing reasonable arguments
 Evaluating arguments
Hacker’s Book
Read pg. 64- 108
3

Writing in the disciplines
SPRING BREAK 3/11/13-3/15/13
3/19/13
3
4
3/26/13
5
4/2/13
Ref. APA manual-Ch. 2
(Select two (2) separate discipline
related research topics)
Sentence style & Usage:
Parallelism, Problems with modifiers and
sentence varieties
Hacker’s Book
Read pg. 111 – 136
Annotated Bibliography
Ref. APA manual Ch. 3
Document content, format & style/design:
Field work: Survey/Interview/Library sources
(Consultations with the Instructor)
Field work
Read: Word Choice from
Hacker’s book. Pg. 139-172
Grammatical Sentences/
Process of delivering your
massage/understanding your audience
Hacker’s Book
Read pg. 175 – 222
APA Exercises
Survey Instrument
Read pg. 225- 255
6
4/9/13
7
4/16/13
Multilingual writers & ESL Challenges
Research design & methodology
(quantitative & qualitative methods)
Survey Paper due
Punctuation and Mechanics
Writing, presentation/feedbacks/ Dynamics,
Evaluation & Assessments of Research
Processes
References on APA
manual/format
Data collection and research Paradigm
Research Methods & Article Review:
Process and applications
Library visit/other exercises
Related articles & journals
8
4/21/13
APA manual on
Reference pages
9
4/28/13
Reviews on special topics
Practice and models
-Read related articles
-Ref. Hacker’s Book
-Ref. APA/MLA Sources
10
5/7/13
Final Process of conducting a Research study
Understanding library and on-line Sources.
Research paper due
11
5/14/13
User Reference Tools/Evaluations/feedbacks
End of class
Final Presentation
18. Grading Schema/Scale:
A = 90-100%,
D = 60-69%
B = 80-89%,
F = 59 and below
C = 70-79%,
I = Incomplete
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19. Other Rubrics will to be discussed in the class for more clarity.
Grading Weight (based on 1000 points possible)
Assignments
Due Dates
Possible Points
Research Topic
50
3/5/13
Annotated Bibliography
100
3/19/13
Survey Instrument
100
4/2/13
Survey Paper
100
4/9/13
Interview Protocol
100
4/16/13
Interview paper
100
4/21/13
Research Paper
250
5/7/13
Final Exam: Presentation
150
5/14/13
Attendance and participation
5/18/13
100
Total Points
1000
Earned Points
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Note: All assignments will have due dates and late penalties. Failure to submit assignments on
time will result in the reduction of your grade by 10 points per 24-hour period following the due
date.
20. ADDITIONAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Readings: Assigned readings are to be
completed prior to the class session for which they are assigned.
CLASSROOM COURTESY: Exhibit courtesy to everyone in your class by being on time and
staying for the entire class time. Turn cell phones off and do not use them during class. Use cell
phone outside of the classroom during breaks. Limit your discussions to course content.
21. POLICY ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: The University proudly adheres to high
standards of intellectual, moral, ethical, and spiritual values. It entrusts each student with the
solemn obligation of preserving these standards. In light of revelation, reason, and custom of the
Christian community from which the University has grown, personal integrity in keeping with
New Testament standards is expected of all students. Academic dishonesty, including cheating
and plagiarism, may be grounds for disciplinary action by the University and, at minimum, will
result in a grade of zero /F on that project.
22. Format of Course deliverables
All course assignment must be submitted in the class. All course deliverables must be
constructed in Times New Roman, 12pt font, double spaced, and submitted in Microsoft Word
format. The use of APA format prescribed in the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association 6th Edition is encouraged.
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