Research Proseminar 450:603, Page 1
Research Proseminar
Spring, 2002
16:450:603:01 (index 69539)
Wednesdays, 1:10-4:10 PM, LSH B-120, Livingston Campus
Elvin Wyly
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography and Center for Urban Policy Research
B-244 Lucy Stone Hall
Office hours: Wednesdays, 8:00-11:00 AM, and by appointment
Phone 445 4861, email [email protected]
Texts
All available at Livingston College Bookstore
Becker, Howard. 1986. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-04108-5 (paper). $8.62.
Becker, Howard. 1998. Tricks of the Trade: How to Think About Your Research While You’re Doing It.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-04124-7 (paper). $12.06.
Bolker, Joan. 1998. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and
Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis. New York: Henry Holt and Company / Owl Books. ISBN 0-80504891-X (paper). $15.95.
Bradley, W. James, and Kurt C. Schaefer. 1998. The Uses and Misuses of Data and Models: The
Mathematization of the Human Sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN 0761909222
(paper). $32.95.
Hay, Ian, ed. 2001. Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography. Oxford: Oxford University Press
/ Meridian, Australian Geographical Perspectives. ISBN 0-19-550787-8 (paper). $17.95.1
Kenzer, Martin S., ed. 2000. On Becoming a Professional Geographer. Caldwell, NJ: Blackburn Press.
ISBN 1-930665-17-2 (paper). $42.95.
Additional readings will be available in class.
Evaluation
The course grade is based on evaluation of three separate aspects of performance: seminar
participation, assignments, and a final proposal. These three facets are weighted equally. Incomplete grades
will not be assigned, except in cases of genuine emergency. Course requirements are course requirements:
assignments must be submitted on time and according to specifications.
Course Objectives
This seminar is designed to introduce first-year graduate students to the production of geographical
knowledge. It’s a puzzling phrase, and I use it deliberately to draw attention to the variety of tasks we will
undertake in the course. Among those of us who embark on advanced study in geography, there is a wide
range of personal and professional goals, areas of interest and specialization, and methodological preference
and expertise. Moreover, each of us is at a different point on our professional trajectory -- and the directon
This text is out of stock at Oxford University Press until January 27, 2002. The volume will probably not be available at the
bookstore until mid-February.
1
Research Proseminar 450:603, Page 2
of our path in the future is never entirely predictable. A few of us will apply our geography education as
members of the professoriate; others will contribute to public service as scientists in international
organizations, or Federal, state, or local government; others will find greater reward (and greater risk) as
freelancers, Enron executives, neo-imperial explorers, dot-com venture capitalists, or geo-spatial target
marketing gurus. Some geographers manage to follow several of these paths, and a few manage them at the
same time. But we all share a set of foundational principles and practices by which we create and share new
geographical knowledge. In this course, we engage the geographical tradition by doing three things:
developing a research agenda and a detailed proposal in our chosen area of specialization; analyzing selected
methodological and theoretical debates that shape contemporary geographical inquiry; and understanding the
social and institutional dynamics of becoming a professional geographer in an evolving societal and academic
context.
Deliverables
Seven assignments are required, each of which will be assembled into a final research proposal. Each
of these assignments is designed to provide experience in developing separate components of proposals,
while also allowing flexibility and autonomy in the selection of a research topic to advance a particular line of
inquiry in the scholarly literature.
Do not succumb to stress or panic. I understand that some of you may not be settled on a research
topic, and that this may be your first time preparing a formal proposal. That’s fine. If you’re not sure what to
do, use this as an opportunity to describe one option for your research path; you can always change it later, or
simply set it aside and write another. The key point is to learn how to design a research agenda that
contributes to the production of geographical knowledge. The only way to learn how to write proposals is to
write proposals.
A central principle of our work in this seminar involves peer review. On several of your submissions,
you will receive formal, written feedback from your peers; I will serve as an editor and moderator,
adjudicating and synthesizing different comments and suggestions. Copies of every one of your submissions
must be circulated to all participants in the seminar. Timing, not the medium, is the message. I would prefer
that you bring low-tech, simple copies on the day of our seminar meeting, but you may also distribute
submissions by email, snail mail, carrier pigeon, slingshot, or any other medium. What matters is that you
distribute materials on time, and in a way that makes it easy for your reviewers to do their tasks. An imperfect
or incomplete submission is better than no submission at all; if you aim for perfection before sharing your
work with colleagues, you will not get any useful feedback (by that time, either you’ve achieved perfection
[meaningless in most understandings of the culture of science] or you’re too emotionally committed or tired
to accept constructive criticism).
All materials should be prepared in a consistent format, typed double-spaced with a 12-point font and
1-inch margins all around. If you circulate your submissions by email, save your file in alterantive formats
(e.g., *.rtf) to facilitate cross-platform compatibility.
Schedule and Readings
January 23. Introduction. Course purposes, core principles, scope, and expectations.
Gould, Peter. 1991. “Thinking Like a Geographer.” The Canadian Geographer 35(4), 324-332.
Hornbeck, David. 2000. “So...You Wanna Go to Graduate School?” In Kenzer, Martin S., ed., On
Becoming a Professional Geographer, 10-16. Caldwell, NJ: The Blackburn Press (Originally published in
1989 by Merrill Publishing, Inc.).
Research Proseminar 450:603, Page 3
Bolker, Joan. 1998. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and
Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis. New York: Henry Holt and Company / Owl Books. Chapter 1,
“Beginning,” and Chapter 2, “Choosing an Advisor and a Committee.”
Distribute “The Problem Problem.”
January 30. Writing.
Becker, Howard. 1986. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Chapters 1-5.
Bolker, Joan. 1998. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and
Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis. New York: Henry Holt and Company / Owl Books. Chapter 3,
“Getting Started Writing,” and Chapter 4, “From Zero to First Draft.”
“The Problem Problem” due.
Distribute guidelines for Problem Statement.
February 6. Research Design. Framing research questions. Establishing the boundaries. Types of
proposals. The balance between planning and unexpected discovery.
Przeworski, Adam, and Frank Salomon. 1995. On the Art of Writing Proposals. New York, NY: Social
Science Research Council.
Becker, Howard S. 1998. Tricks of the Trade: How to Think About Your Research While You’re Doing It.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Read Chapter 1, and select one or two from Chapters 2, 3, 4,
and 5.
Becker, Howard. 1986. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Chapter 8.
Butler, David R. 2000. “Conducting Research and Writing an Article in Physical Geography.” In
Kenzer, Martin S., ed., On Becoming a Professional Geographer, 88-99. Caldwell, NJ: The Blackburn Press
(Originally published in 1989 by Merrill Publishing, Inc.).
Problem Statement due.
February 13. Peer Review. Principles of scholarly peer review. How proposals are reviewed by funding
agencies. How articles and books are reviewed and judged for publication.
Colwell, Rita R. 1999. NSF Merit Review: Dear Colleague Letter. Washington, D.C.: National Science
Foundation.
de Souza, Anthony R. 1988. “Writing Matters.” Professional Geographer 40(1), 1-3.
Hanson, Susan. 1988. “Soaring.” Professional Geographer 40(1), 4-7.
Brunn, Stanley D. 1988. “The Manuscript Review Process and Advice to Prospective Authors.”
Professional Geographer 40(1), 8-14.
Research Proseminar 450:603, Page 4
Turner, B.L. II. 1988. “Whether to Publish in Geography Journals.” Professional Geographer 40(1), 1518.
Berg, Lawrence D. 2001. “Masculinism, Emplacement, and Positionality in Peer Review.” Professional
Geographer 53(4), 511-521.
Peer review of Problem Statement due.
Distribute guidelines for Preliminary Bibliography.
February 20. Research Ethics. Guest presentation by Brenda Ruotolo, Sponsored Programs Administrator,
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
American Association of University Professors. 2001. “Protecting Human Beings: Institutional
Review Boards and Social Science Research.” Academe, May-June, 55-67.
Preliminary Bibliography due.
Distribute guidelines for preliminary research design.
February 27. Money. Guest presentation by Teresa M. Delcorso, Program Development Specialist, FAS
Dean’s Office.
Abler, Ronald F. 2000. “How to Win Extramural Research Funds.” In Kenzer, Martin S., ed., On
Becoming a Professional Geographer, 170-182. Caldwell, NJ: The Blackburn Press (Originally published in
1989 by Merrill Publishing, Inc.).
Watts, Michael. 2001. Dissertation Proposal Workshop. World wide web page, at
< http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/DissPropWorkshop/ > Accessed December 18, 2001. Berkeley,
CA: Institute of International Studies, University of California-Berkeley.
Demeritt, David. 2000. “The New Social Contract for Science: Accountability, Relevance, and
Value in US and UK Science and Research Policy.” Antipode 32(3), 308-329.
Annotated Bibliography due.
March 6. Thinking Like a Geographer. A short, painless introduction to methodological pluralism in
geography. Pervasive (and problematic) methodological dualities.
Gersmehl, Philip J., and Dwight A. Brown. 1992. “Observation.” In Ronald F. Abler, Melvin G.
Marcus, and Judy M. Olson, eds., Geography’s Inner Worlds: Pervasive Themes in Contemporary American
Geography, 77-98. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Goodchild, Michael F. 1992. “Analysis.” In Ronald F. Abler, Melvin G. Marcus, and Judy M. Olson,
eds., Geography’s Inner Worlds: Pervasive Themes in Contemporary American Geography, 138-162. New
Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Willmott, Cort J., and Gary L. Gaile. 1992. “Modeling.” In Ronald F. Abler, Melvin G. Marcus, and
Judy M. Olson, eds., Geography’s Inner Worlds: Pervasive Themes in Contemporary American Geography, 163186. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Research Proseminar 450:603, Page 5
Johnston, Ron J., Derek Gregory, Geraldine Pratt, and Michael Watts, eds. 2000. The Dictionary of
Human Geography. Oxford: Blackwell. Entries for qualitative methods, quantitative methods, and
quantitative revolution.
Peer review of Annotated Bibliography due.
Preliminary Research Design Due.
March 13. Ethnographic Research Methods: “Queer/ed Ethnographies and Multi-Sighted Informants.”
Guest presentation by Jasbir Puar, Department of Women’s and Gender Studies/Department of
Geography.
Gupta, Akhil and James Ferguson. 1997. “Discipline and Practice: ‘The Field’ as Site, Method, and
Location in Anthropology.” In Akhil Gupta and James Ferguson, eds., Anthropological Locations:
Boundaries and Grounds of a Field Science, 1-46. Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Hajj T, Lavie S, and Rouse F. 1993. “Notes On The Fantastic Journey Of The Hajj, His
Anthropologist, And Her American Passport.” American Ethnologist 20(2), 363-384.
Herzfeld, Michael. 1996. “Productive Discomfort: Anthropological Fieldwork and the Dislocation of
Etiquette.” In Marjorie Garber, Paul B. Franklin, and Rebecca L. Walkowitz, eds., Field Work: Sites in
Literary and Cultural Studies, 41-51. New York: Routledge.
Kulick, Don. 1995. “The Sexual Life of Anthropologist: Erotic Subjectivity and Ethnographic
Work.” In Don Kulick and Margaret Willson, eds., Taboo: Sex, Identity and Erotic Subjectivity in
Anthropological Fieldword, 1-28. London and New York: Routledge.
Seizer, Susan. 1995. “Paradoxes of Visiblity in the Field: Rites of Queer Passage in Anthropology.”
Public Culture 8, 73-100.
Weston, Kath. 1997. “The Virtual Anthropologist.” In Akhil Gupta and James Ferguson, eds.,
Anthropological Locations: Boundaries and Grounds of a Field Science, 163-184. Berkeley/Los Angeles:
University of California Press.
Peer review of Preliminary Research Design due.
Distribute guidelines for Literature Review.
[March 20. Spring Break.]
March 27. Quantitative Methods. Recent trends in quantitative geographical analysis. Dualisms of
quantitative/qualitative and physical/human geography.
Fotheringham, A. Stewart. 1997. “Trends in Quantitative Methods I: Stressing the Local.” Progress in
Human Geography 21(1), 88-96.
Fotheringham, A. Stewart. 1998. “Trends in Quantitative Methods II: Stressing the Computational.”
Progress in Human Geography 22(2), 283-292.
Bradley, W. James, and Kurt C. Schaefer. 1998. The Uses and Misuses of Data and Models: The
Mathematization of the Human Sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Chapters 1, 3, and 6.
Research Proseminar 450:603, Page 6
Bauer, Bernard O. 1999. “On Methodology in Physical Geography: Current Status, Implications,
and Future Prospects.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers 89(4), 677-679.
Bauer, Bernard O., Thomas T. Veblen, and Julie A. Winkler. 1999. “On Methodological Sneakers:
Fashion and Function in a Cross-Training Era.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers 89(4),
679-687.
Sherman, Douglas J. 1999. “Methodology in Geomorphology.” Annals of the Association of American
Geographers 89(4), 687-696.
Literature Review due.
Distribute guidelines for Methodology Statement.
April 3. Research Methods in Climatology. Guest presentation by David A. Robinson, Chair,
Department of Geography.
Readings to be announced.
April 10. Mapping your Progress. Taking stock, evaluating accomplishments, barriers, and alternative
paths.
Becker, Howard. 1986. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Chapter 6, “Risk,” and Chapter 7, “Getting it Out the Door.”
Bolker, Joan. 1998. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and
Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis. New York: Henry Holt and Company / Owl Books. Chapter 5,
“Getting to the Midpoint,” and Chapter 6, “Interruptions from Outside and Inside.”
Peer review of Literature Review due.
Methodology Statement due.
April 17. Geography in the Academy. Scholarly principles of academic freedom and tenure. Institutional
change. Career Trajectories.
American Association of University Professors. 1995. 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom
and Tenure, with 1970 Interpretive Comments. AAUP Policy Documents and Reports, 3-10. Washington,
D.C.: American Association of University Professors.
Carroll, Linda L. 2000. “Tenure and Academic Excellence.” Academe, May-June, 23-25.
Finkin, Matthew W. 2000. “The Campaign Against Tenure.” Academe, May-June, 20-21.
Noble, David. 2001. “The Future of the Faculty in the Digital Diploma Mill.” Academe, SeptemberOctober, 27-32.
Smith, Neil. 2000. “Who Rules this Sausage Factory?” Antipode 32(3), 330-339.
Wyckoff, William. 2000. “Entering Academe: The Search for Jobs.” In Kenzer, Martin S., ed., On
Becoming a Professional Geographer, 42-52. Caldwell, NJ: The Blackburn Press (Originally published in
1989 by Merrill Publishing, Inc.).
Research Proseminar 450:603, Page 7
Rundstrom, Robert A. 2000. “Ascent from the Maelstrom.” In Kenzer, Martin S., ed., On Becoming a
Professional Geographer, 54-65. Caldwell, NJ: The Blackburn Press (Originally published in 1989 by
Merrill Publishing, Inc.).
Guelke, Leonard. 2000. “On the Way Toward Tenure and Promotion.” In Kenzer, Martin S., ed.,
On Becoming a Professional Geographer, 184-192. Caldwell, NJ: The Blackburn Press (Originally
published in 1989 by Merrill Publishing, Inc.).
Peer review of Methodology Statement due.
Distribute guidelines for Research Presentation.
April 24. Research Presentations, Group 1.
May 1. Research Presentations, Group 2.
***
Wednesday, May 15: Final Proposal due.