GEOGRAPHIC THEORY & LITERATURE H.A. Stafford
(15-041-716) Winter Quarter, 2005

Objectives and Schedule

The goal of the seminar is to advance your research, toward the completion of your dissertation, thesis, or extended research paper, with special focus on the research literature appropriate to your topic.
1.You will specify your research topic (problem).
2. You will identify and examine the relevant research literature.
3. Research articles will be dissected and critiqued.
4. Especially valuable concepts, models, and methodologies will be extracted, listed, and explained.
5. Finally, a concise version of your "literature review" chapter/section will be presented.

SCHEDULE
January 5:
(a) Organizational meeting; structure of the seminar.
(b) Examination of the section on the preparation of MA theses and PhD dissertations (pp 17-18) in the U.C. Geography Graduate Handbook [to which sections are review of literature and extraction of theory/models/methods (the foci of this seminar) applicable?].
(c) Discussion of the paragraph by Greer (1969); discussion of the articles by Hanson ("Soaring", PG, 1988) and Brunn ("The Manuscript Review Process…", PG, 1988).

January 12: Bring to class, with a copy of each (including the article) for everyone:
(a) A one sentence description of your research focus.
(b) A research article relevant to your interest (try to select an article published after 1990).
(c) A short written review of the research article. The review should have [1] a one paragraph abstract (written by you), [2] lists of the research questions and the explicit or implied models which guided the research, and [3] note on the use of previous research literature used to justify the research, rationalize hypotheses, etc.

January 19: Bring in copies (for everyone):
(a) Of the Table of Contents of a recent issue of three research journals.
(b) A paragraph for each journal expressing your impressions of the scope and types of articles in the journal.
(c) A statement of your research focus.

January 26: Bring in copies of:
(a) Your expanded research bibliography [typed, in appropriate form] with at least eight articles, and with a 3 line annotation for each.
(b) The best research article in the bibliography.

February 2: Bring in copies of an outline and summary of the major concepts, models and methodologies on your topic extracted from the research articles and books so far examined [typed and distributed to all, approximately two pages]. Discussions continued on.

February 9: Bring in copies of your "Literature Review Chapter" OUTLINE.

February 16, 23: Discussion of first drafts.

March 3, 9, 16: Presentation of "literature review chapters" [typed, double spaced, maximum of 10 pages of text, plus 15+ references with annotations] (copies for all).