Calendar

WEEK 1

Tuesday, August 31

  • Introductions and Overview

Thursday, September 2

Friday, September 3

  • 1:30–2:20 & 2:30–3:20: Introduction to the work and process for Friday class meetings
  • 3:30–5:00: Build a Burger

WEEK 2

Tuesday, September 7

  • Continue discussion of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Thursday, September 9

  • Columbo and Milano, “Reframing: Talking Back to Official Stories” and Kohl “The Story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott Revisited.” (Blackboard)

Friday, September 10

  • 1:30–2:20 & 2:30–3:20: Library Instruction Session
  • 3:30–4:30: Spencer Crew on Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and the National Museum of American History (NMAH) [Required Colloquium]

WEEK 3

Tuesday, September 14

Thursday, September 16

  • Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Barbara. “Objects of Ethnography.” Exhibiting Cultures: The Poetics and Politics of Museum Display. Ed. Ivan Karp & Stephen D. Lavine. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991. 386-443. (Blackboard)

Friday, September 17 / Saturday, September 18

  • Trip to the Communities in a Changing Nation Exhibit at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Mall, Washington DC

WEEK 4

Tuesday, September 21

  • Connecting the National Museum of American History, Frederick Douglass, and Narrative

Tuesday Evening, September 21

  • Performance (Attendance Required unless you have a conflict with a Tuesday night class): Fred Morsell presents Frederick Douglass. For information: http://www.frederickdouglass.org/).

Thursday, September 23

  • “From Topics to Questions” (35-50) and “From Questions to a Problem” (51-65) in Craft. Group work or other activity to prepare to formulate research questions
  • Who owns the story of Frederick Douglass? (Frederick Douglass IV or Fake Freddie?)

Friday, September 24

  • 1:30–2:20 & 2:30–3:20: Library instruction session #2
  • 3:30–4:30: Harry R. Rubenstein, Chair and Curator, Division of Political History, National Museum of American History [Required Colloquium]

WEEK 5

Tuesday, September 28

  • “Engaging Sources” (84-100) in Craft. In class annotation and citation exercises on one or more of the class readings.

Thursday, September 30

  • * Museum Assignment Due *
  • Continue in class annotation and citation exercises on one or more of the class readings.

Friday, October 1

  • 1:30–2:20 & 2:30–3:20: Library instruction session #3
  • 3:30–4:30: Peter Stearns on Research Methods in the field of History

WEEK 6

Tuesday, October 5

  • Stallybrass, Peter. “The Library and Material Texts.” PMLA 119.5 (2004): 1347-1352. (e-journal)
  • Stallybrass, Peter. “Against Thinking.” PMLA 122.5 (2007): 1580-1587. (e-journal)

Thursday, October 7

  • Introduction to Research Problems and group work on formulating research formulas
  • Further discussion of Research Problems with examples from instructors

Friday, October 8

  • 1:30–2:20 & 2:30–3:20: Library Instruction Session #4
  • 3:30–4:30: Natalia Peixoto on Research Methods in Bioengineering

WEEK 7

Tuesday, October 12

  • Monday/Tuesday Switch Day: Tuesday classes do not meet this week

Thursday, October 14

  • Student Research Problem presentations

Friday, October 15

  • Annotation #1 Due
  • 1:30–2:20 & 2:30–3:20: Library Research Session
  • 3:30–4:30:  Padhu Seshaiyer on Research Methods in Mathematics

WEEK 8

Tuesday, October 19

  • Student Research Problem presentations

Thursday, October 21

  • Student Research Problem presentations
  • Annotation #2 Due

Friday, October 22

  • 1:30–2:30: Peer Review of Proposals with GTAS & Librarians
  • 3:30–4:30: Dan Cox on Research Methods in Molecular and Microbiology

WEEK 9

Tuesday, October 26

  • Evaluation of Student Problem Presentations
  • In class assessment

Thursday, October 28

  • Discussion of Sample Student Papers from previous years

Friday October 29

  • Annotation #3 Due
  • 1:30–2:30: Continued Discussion Sample Papers
  • 3:30–4:30: Barbara Cambridge on Research Methods in Policy Making

WEEK 10

Tuesday, November 2

  • No class this week; we will meet with each of you to discuss your drafts
  • Research Plan Due

Thursday, November 4

  • No class this week; we will meet with each of you to discuss your drafts
  • Research Plan Due

Friday, November 5

  • Annotation #4 Due
  • 1:30–2:20 & 2:30–3:20: Individual topic searches with help of librarians and GTAs (Part 2)
  • 3:30–4:30 Kathleen Wage on Research Methods in Electrical and Computer Engineering

WEEK 11

Tuesday, November 9

  • “Planning and Drafting” (189-204) and “Revising Your Organization and Argument” (208-221) in Craft
  • Workshop on organization and argumentation

Thursday, November 11

  • Enlarged Draft Due (10 pages; two copies)
  • Begin (Example) Peer review in class

Friday, November 12

  • 1:30–2:20 & 2:30–3:20: Individual Research Appointments
  • 3:30–4:30: Carma Hinton on Research Methods in Documentary Film Making

WEEK 12

Tuesday, November 16

  • No Class; Meet in Peer Groups

Thursday, November 18

  • No Class; Meet in Peer Groups

Friday, November 19

  • 1:30–2:20 & 2:30–3:20: Individual Research Appointments
  • 3:30–4:30: Harold Morowitz on Research Methods at the Krasnow Institute

WEEK 13

Tuesday, November 23

  • Online Session

Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26

  • Thanksgiving Holidays

WEEK 14

Tuesday, November 30

  • Preparation for Poster Presentations

Thursday, December 2

  • Final Preparation for Poster Presentations

WEEK 15

Tuesday, December 7

  • Finishing Touches

Thursday, December 9

  • In Class Poster Presentations

Friday, December 10

  • Poster Sessions & Refreshments

* Final Version of Research Paper Due Tuesday, December 14 by 3pm on Blackboard *