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RWU HP451 Senior Thesis Project

Slated for Preservation, thesis by Allison Collins. Posted on the Web and included a part of a co-presentation and publication with Philip Marshall forThe Roofing Conference and Exposition for Historic Buildings, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 17-19, 1999.

Description

Course Number and Title

HP 451 Thesis in Historic Preservation

Credits

Three.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: By application and with approval of faculty and Dean.

Place/Time

TBA

Type

 Directed, in-depth study under the advisement of faculty.

Instructor

Individual faculty members.

Office Hours

Advising hours will be posted on my faculty office door each week, a week in advance. Please sign up and bring an agenda. If you plan to discuss drafts, proposals, drawings, field notes, photographs, or similar material, please leave a copy in my faculty mailbox with a note asking me to preview your work at least two days before your meeting — to provide enough time to consider carefully your work before getting together.

Catalog Description [May be changed as per 6 April 2006 meeting follow-up.]

"This course serves as the culminating academic experience for outstanding students in the major. Students work closely with a faculty supervisor in a self-defined and self-directed study of an aspect of historic preservation. Students are encouraged to select a focus which demonstrates original and critical thinking, and contributes to available scholarship. Research results are in many cases of publishable quality and/or serve as the basis for scholarly presentations to professional groups. (3 credits) " Roger Williams University Undergraduate Catalog

Course Description [May be changed as per 6 April 2006 meeting follow-up.]

Same as catalog description.

Office Hours

Advising hours will be posted on my faculty office door each week, a week in advance. Please sign up and bring an agenda. If you plan to discuss drafts, proposals, drawings, field notes, photographs, or similar material, please leave a copy in my faculty mailbox with a note asking me to preview your work at least two days before your meeting — to provide enough time to consider carefully your work before getting together.

Course Goals

Primarily, this course requires students to initiate, pursue, and successfully complete a research exercise that demonstrates ability to apply information and skills developed over four years of undergraduate education. It is a focused experience that explores in detail a particular topic in historic preservation. It typically has less of a theoretical orientation and more of a practical orientation. In some cases the work product may result in publishable material. In other cases specific work may be undertaken in conformance with established, professional standards in the field. For example, a student might conduct research to nominate a structure to the National Register of Historic Places. Most commonly, the thesis is a sustained, in-depth research project resulting in a 20-25 page paper. By arrangement with a faculty sponsor other types of projects, such as organizing an exhibition or a tour guide, may be considered a “culminating experience” equivalent to the thesis.

Course Materials

Thesis-specific material is developed by the student, under the advice of the Instructor.

Bibliography and Reading

Developed by the student, under the advice of the Instructor.

Becker, H. S. (1998). Tricks of the trade : how to think about your research while you're doing it. Chicago, Ill., University of Chicago Press.

How Not to Plagiarize

Sites that discuss the wrong doing of plagiarism and tells you how to avoid it. The first link includes guidelines on how to appropriately cite sources in your report. 

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sources/about/what.html
http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/plagiarism.shtml

Style Manual

Follow Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations, (University of Chicago Press), current edition. Note the following modifications of Turabian: the rules for first reference to a work in a footnote apply to each chapter: that is, there must be a full bibliographic citation at the first reference to a work in each chapter, regardless of any prior reference in earlier chapters. (see Turabian 8.12 and 8.22). (Turabian Style Guide, University of Michigan)

Student Participation

Refer to format, above. Students are expected to take the initiative in adhering to the schedule for completing work, attending occasional class meetings, and meeting individually with the Instructor.

Retain absolutely all records of research, correspondence (including thank-you letters to professionals who help you during your research), meetings, site visits, drafts and any other project-related material. Compile in an organized manner, for submittal with the final report.

Students are required to discuss their thesis at the end of the semester in a quasi-public presentation to fellow students, and/or practitioners and the public.

Skills

Conceptual	Creating examined conceptualizations of select objects of study — i.e., theory-building.
Philosophical	Becoming critically self-aware of your normative perspectives (calling into view the "philosophy of social science," including ontology and epistemology)
Methodological	Applying investigative strategies to address scholarly questions.
Analytical	Unpacking a whole into its component parts; examining a complex object, its elements, and interdependences.
Communicative	Building, supporting, and presenting an evidence-based position or argument.
Writing	Producing a clearly written research proposal and well-documented thesis.

 

Evaluation (Grading Policy)  

The final grade is based on the thesis submitted. Consideration will also be given to the presentation, material compiled during your work, and the student completing the course requirements on time and in a professional manner.

Syllabus – Schedule of Class Meetings

Occasional class meetings, as scheduled by the Instructor. Meetings between student and Instructor are to be set up by the student.

Assignments

Varies.

NAAB Matrix

To be included.

Format

1. Regular meetings with the faculty member.
2. Use of primary and secondary sources.
3. Use of recognized, professional methods for citation and documentation.
4. Assessment of student proficiency of skills employed in the field and consideration of the skills in addressing the scope of the thesis work.
5. Thesis Proposal.