English 5313.Topic: Research Methods

Description:  This course will introduce students to research methods (qualitative and quantitative) currently used in Technical Communication and Rhetoric & Composition. Topics covered in the course include library research, empirical methodology, quantitative research, experimental research, discourse analysis, surveys, focus groups, ethnographies, contextual inquiry, and usability testing. 

 Goals:  Students will demonstrate the ability to:

  • Write a literature review and identify gaps in literature,
  • Evaluate and critique research methods used in published research,
  • Develop relevant research questions,
  • Select theoretical perspectives to guide their research, and
  • Use at least two of the research methods covered in this course.

 Required Textbooks: Mary Sue MacNealy, Strategies for Research in Writing
Chris Hart, Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination,

Recommended Textbook: Laura Gurak and Mary Lay’s Research in Technical Communication.

Journal Articles: Assigned Weekly

Format: Students will meet weekly to discuss and critique the assigned readings. Students will also workshop their research projects with classmates and the instructor.

 

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