WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Phoenix Campus
School of Languages and Literature
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,
lifelong learning, and service to God and humankind.
Course Name: RSWR 3345 – Research Writing Methods
Term and Year: Fall 2014
Full Name of Instructor: Dr. W.M. Talboys
Office Phone and Email: (480) 628-5145 (msg. Only)
Office Hours, Building, and Location: By appointment only
Class Meeting Time and Location: 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm – Tuesday, August
Catalog Description: Provides instruction in formulating research topics, conducting research, and writing papers,
which marshal support from secondary sources. Students will learn to read and understand research reports, to
analyze and interpret results, and to develop in-depth, research-based papers centering on topics in their academic
disciplines.
Prerequisite: ENGL 1301 – Composition and Rhetoric
Required Textbook and Resources:
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
(APA) 6th Ed.
American Psychological
Association
978-1-4338-0562-2
978-1-4338-0559-2
978-1-4338-0561-5
Optional Materials: A decent dictionary.
Writing center: please make use of our Writing Center’s online components by going to its website where you
can submit rough drafts and locate information on various style manuals and formats:
http://www.wbu.edu/academics/academic_resources/writing_center/default.htm
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. Absences from a course may impact a student’s grade. Instructors may refuse to confirm attendance for a
student who remains for only a portion of a class meeting.
Course Outcome Competencies: Upon the conclusion of this course, students actively engaged in learning will be
able to:
COURSE LEARNING
OUTCOMES
1. Incorporate methods of
scientific thinking and
investigation into practical
business/management
problems and decision
making.
2.
Design relevant research
questions from business
problems.
RELATED COURSE
CONTENT
The scientific research
process
ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
Short assignments to reinforce the use of the
scientific method and qualitative research in
business/management situations.
Critical thinking exercise on scientific
problem solving.
Types and design of
applied business research
Research questions and
hypotheses
Activity to demonstrate the need to use
scientific approaches in solving/resolving
business problems.
Critique of topics to determine if they are
researchable.
Worksheet to develop a research question
from a business problem.
Short assignment to differentiate types of
research.
3.
Contrast quantitative,
qualitative and mixed
methods research.
Quantitative, qualitative,
and mixed methods
research.
4.
Distinguish between
causation, inference, and
proof.
Evaluation of research articles for causation
and inference.
5.
Specify variables,
hypotheses, and probability.
Variables, probability and
causation
Analysis of quantitative
and qualitative data
Variables, probability and
causation
Research questions and
hypotheses
6.
Integrate ethical guidelines
and standards when
conducting research.
Ethics and research
Plagiarism
Ethics in research short case studies.
Worksheet to specify variables/hypothesis
for research question.
Quiz on variable development and
identification and probability.
Worksheet on development of hypotheses
Additional Competencies





Understand presentations to managers for conveying useful information
Understand basic selection of topics and materials.
Understand the use of secondary data in support of topic.
Understand the application of primary and secondary in research support.
Understand how research-writing techniques can be used in the other writing application.
Assessment


Assignments applying course concepts to practical research writing.
For assessment purposes – you will write the following:
 An introductory paper on subject to be selected
 An introductory Chapter of a research paper
 A literature review for a selected topic
 A methodologies section for a selected research population or sample
Assessment and Scoring
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Final project
(Subject to change)
10 points
20 points
20 points
20 points
30 points
Expectations
An A product has perfect spelling and grammar, excellent formatting, perfect punctuation and sets up the reader
with an introduction. It delivers the content in a concise but comprehensive manner and has a good conclusion. An
excellent paper gives references, when necessary, in the proper APA format.
A B product has perfect spelling and acceptable grammar and formatting, that is, it can use some improvement. It
still must have perfect punctuation and must set up the reader with an introduction and deliver the content in a
comprehensive manner and end with a good conclusion. A B paper will give references, when necessary, but the
APA format may need work.
A C effort (or lack thereof) might contain a few spelling errors, grammar mistakes and punctuation errors. Its format
will be questionable in that it will be hard to follow and will be lax in tense use and sentence structure. It will
probably lack references or proper format of reference section. A paper at this level is unacceptable and has either
not been proofed or edited. It will be returned and this highest grade it will ever get is a B.
A D paper shows lack of effort and is obvious in its lack of preparation, proof reading, lack of meaningful content
and college level delivery. This level is absolutely unacceptable and will be returned. The highest grade it will get
will be a C with a rewrite.
An F paper will be put in the shredder.
It would be wise to get someone who can edit your work, especially if English is not your primary language. This is
a college course and you are expected to write at a college level, not at a public high school level. You will write in
APA style and reference any material drawn from outside sources.
Grading Scale
WBU uses the following grading system to evaluate students’ performance:
% Points
Grade
Grade Points
% Points
A
4.00
70 – 72
93 – 100
A3.67
67 – 69
90 – 92
B+
3.33
63 – 66
87 – 89
B
3.00
60 – 62
83 – 86
B2.67
< 60
80 – 82
C+
2.33
77 – 79
C
2.00
73 – 76
Grade
CD+
D
DF
P
I
Grade Points
1.67
1.33
1.00
0.67
0.00
Pass
Incomplete
The more the student puts into the course, the higher his or her outcome competencies will be.
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: (Fill in—include information about term papers, projects, tests,
presentations, participation, reading assignments, etc. and how many points or what percentage of the final grade
each of these components or assignments is worth)
Papers are subject to review by the plagiarism software. Plagiarism will result in an immediate failure with
no opportunity for appeal.
*Tentative Schedule:
Week One
 Introductions, coverage of syllabus and other bureaucratic stuff.
 What research is and what research is not.
 Organizing your research.
Week Two
 The basics of good writing
Week Three
 Topic selection and persuasive writing
Week Four
 The introduction section.
 Purpose and problem statements.
Week Five
 Literature review.
 Plagiarism and proper citing
 Structure and style.
 Libraries are not just for books.
Week Six
 Methodologies.
 Selection of study criteria.
Week Seven
 Review of testing methods.
 Understanding populations.
Week Eight
 Presentation of findings.
 Conclusions and recommendation sections.
Week Nine
 Catch up week
 Final paper discussion and due dates
Week Ten and Eleven

Wrap up
*Course schedules are subject to change, depending on focus and levels of understanding.
Faculty Bio
Dr. Bill Talboys is a training specialist, senior ranger and paramedic with the Parks Service and has taught at Wayland Baptist
University since 1999. He has served as Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies at Grand Canyon University, Dean of
Graduate and Professional Studies at Colorado Christian University and Business Department Chair at Parks College. Dr.
Talboys also holds faculty positions with Western International University, Arizona State University, the Maricopa Community
Colleges and is a curriculum advisor to the National Fire Academy and American Pathways University. He has also served on the
faculties of The University of Colorado - Denver, Colorado State University, Denver University, The University of Southern
California’s Marshal School of Business, Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Management and Business and Aquinas
College. Prior to his education career, Dr. Talboys served as a police officer in New York and Colorado. He also served 23 years
in the United States Marine Corps and remained in the Marine Corps Reserve while working as a police officer and retired as a
Major in 1989. In addition to his Parks and academic duties he presently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Everest
College and owns his own business that deals with the creation and delivery of specialized training in Public Safety and
emergency medicine. He is also a member of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Medical Rescue Unit. Dr. Talboys holds a
Doctorate from Colorado State University, Masters Degrees from the University of Phoenix and Regis University, a pair of
Bachelors Degrees from the University of Wisconsin, an Associates Degree from the State University of New York. He is a
Senior Research Fellow with The E.H. Porter Institute for Behavior Studies and an instructor for the Maricopa County Executive
Management Institute. His publications include Behavioral Model Studies in Higher Education, textbooks on Research
Methodology and Critical Thinking and numerous periodical articles on Public Safety Education, Sociology, Humor, Psychology,
Economics and Leadership Development.