Course Syllabus
HR 5203 - Graduate Research & Writing
Faculty Contact Information
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Description
Graduate Research & Writing prepares you to critically approach writing situations by developing skills to analyze and intervene in human relations issues. As public arguments of all kinds become increasingly divisive and incoherent, analyzing existing reputable research will help you address conflict and foster collaboration through evidence-based claims. You will learn how to contribute to Human Relations conversations by critically evaluating research, assessing themes, and identifying research problems or gaps in the literature. Our goal is to develop writing and research skills to help you ask rigorous and reputable research questions about a Human Relations topic and create professionally formatted, research-backed written claims.
Course Prerequisites
Admittance to the Master of Human Relations program.
Course Materials
Note: Resources in this course are all provided in each module.
- Creswell and Creswell, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th Edition)
- Chapter 2: Review of the Literature
- Single, Demystifying Dissertation Writing
- Chapter 3: Interactive Reading and Note Taking
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Participation | Synchronous Live Session activities and an APA Style Analysis | 15% |
| Research Journal | Individual reflections on relevant research, proposal ideas, and research writing strategies | 20% |
| Writing Workshop Discussions | Weekly discussions sharing parts of ongoing assignments for peer feedback. | 20% |
| Literature Map | Visual diagram of Human Relations topic and source connections | 10% |
| Literature Review | 7-page review of 10 reputable research sources on a defined Human Relations topic | 30% |
| Research Reflection | Individual reflection synthesizing learning about research writing for Human Relations | 5% |
| Total | 100 |
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Components
Participation
Live Session Attendance: Each week, we will meet for Live Sessions online. Every Live Session will include activities to help you apply your learning and make progress on your major assignments in this course. As such, attendance/participation in the Live Session is highly encouraged and will be graded. There are two ways in which you can earn points for the Live Session:
- Participate Live: This option should be your preferred choice. When possible, you should attend and participate in the Live Sessions in real-time. To get credit for your attendance, type in the date and time of the session you attended by clicking on the red "Start Assignment" button at the top of the Live Session page. Your self-reported attendance log will be cross-checked against the attendance tracker in Zoom.
- Make-Up (Watch Recording-Submit Written Summary): In the event that your time zone, work or personal schedule makes it impossible for you to attend, you will need to review the recording of the Live Session and write a paragraph summarizing the Live Session from your perspective. Click on the "Start Assignment" button to type (or copy/paste) your paragraph into the text field. Don't worry if the system indicates your submission is late. You will have until Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Central to submit your paragraph summary.
Note: Be sure to utilize option 1 or 2 for each of the Live Sessions to receive full points. Regardless of when the session occurred, you must post your response based on option 1 or 2.
Research Journals
Throughout the course, you will write 300-word reflections on relevant research, proposal ideas, and research writing strategies. These journals will help you informally reflect on your growth as a writer and researcher by making connections between your previous experience, developing skills, and career goals. Additionally, these journals will serve as a drafting space for you to gather research, evidence, and content to use in your Literature Review and Research Abstract.
Writing Workshop Discussions
Writing is a social process, which means we need to share our ideas with test audiences to determine whether our communication is successfully achieving our goals. Throughout the course, we will share parts of our writing in Writing Workshop discussions to practice giving and receiving feedback, analyzing human relations education research, and determining how to apply feedback to the writing process to improve our communication. For each discussion, you will make an original discussion posting with at least 250 words. Then, you will respond to two classmates. Additional requirements for each original posting are included with discussion board information.
Literature Map
Good research contributes to a relevant and ongoing conversation in a specific discipline. You will gather 25 or more reputable sources on a relevant Human Relations topic. Then, you will analyze the themes, connections, conflicts, and trends in the research to identify a research problem or gap in the literature. Successful students will clearly show a research gap that can be described in depth in the Literature Review.
Literature Review
All our assignments work toward our course goal of writing a literature review, a summary and an analysis of the research gathered on your human relations education topic that responds to a specific research question. You will write a 7-page, double-spaced review of 10 reputable research sources from your Literature Map. Your Literature Review should clearly define your human relations topic and research question, synthesize and critically evaluate your research using evidence-based claims, describe the significance of your findings to the Human Relations field, and conclude how the research affects your research question. This assignment will assess your ability to communicate with Human Relations researchers, including in the expected APA style voice and formatting of the discipline.
Research Reflection
In your Research Reflection, you will synthesize all your learning from the course about the writing process and Human Relations research writing strategies. Your goal is to identify the specific tools you can apply in future Human Relations writing situations. This Research Reflection is a forward-facing document, meaning that the goal is to extend your research writing skills to other courses in this program.
Course Policies
Communication
Please contact me through Canvas messenger or by email. I typically respond to messages within 24 hours Monday-Friday, and within 48 hours on the weekend.
You can address me as Rachel or Dr. Daugherty according to your personal preference. I see myself as the facilitator of your learning because you are responsible for how much you learn by how much you engage with your peers. No question is silly or unimportant, so please speak up and share your perspective. I expect our class to be actively engaged with each other.
Feedback
You can expect feedback and grades on activities and assignments within one week of the deadline. Please allow 24 hours after grades have been posted to discuss assignment feedback.
Late Policy
This course is designed so that each assignment completes one part of a larger assignment. Missing one assignment will significantly impact your ability to succeed at the next assignment.
Assignments not turned in by the due date and time will be reduced by one letter grade for the first 24 hours. If the assignment still isn’t submitted 24 hours later, you will receive a 0. If you know you will need extra time to complete an assignment, communicate with me at least 24 hours in advance to negotiate an alternative deadline. Otherwise, you will not receive any credit for your work.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|