RTCH 680 - Research Methods

RTCH 680 Discussion Board Forums (3)

Discussion boards are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will participate in the Discussion Board Forums with classmates and the instructor. For each forum, the student must first read assigned portions of the course texts and materials. Then, he or she must thoroughly answer prompts on these sources in a thread of at least 300 words that demonstrates a grasp of the content. The student must also reply to at least 2 other classmates’ threads in at least 200 words. (MLO: D)

RTCH 680 Research Topics

At least 2 potential thesis topics under consideration must be submitted, writing a 1-paragraph statement for each proposed thesis topics. The student must include the reasons why he or she considers each to be a successful topic, along with any sources hr or she has gathered to support each. This will also be presented to the class on the Discussion Board Forum 1 for input. (MLO: A)

RTCH 680 Quiz

This quiz covers information found in the Graduate Thesis Manual. The quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain between 5–25 multiple-choice or true/false questions, and have a time limit of 30 minutes. (MLO: E)

RTCH 680 Thesis Evaluation

This assignment is a 1-page annotation of a completed thesis or dissertation found in the JFL database of a master thesis similar to the student’s selected and approved topic. Evaluation will be based on careful analysis of the literature using prompts provided by the instructor. (MLO: B, D)

RTCH 680 Initial Bibliography

Based upon approval of the thesis topic by the instructor, the student will submit a current Turabian style bibliography of a minimum of 20 academic works relevant to the probable thesis topic. The listed works must include a mix of reference materials, books, and journal articles. Sources must be arranged in alphabetical order. (MLO: B, C)

RTCH 680 Literature Matrix

The Literature Matrix is an Excel sheet matrix based on the explanation in the related presentation of no fewer than 10 of the sources submitted in the Initial Bibliography. (MLO: D)

RTCH 680 Instructor Conference Report

This report is a 1-page summary of the student’s verbal conversation with the instructor via Skype, Facetime, Webex or other visual conversational media, and his or her understanding of the thesis elements, requirements, and processes.

Reflection

This assignment is a 3-paragraph reflection based upon 3 items the student has encountered in either the readings or presentations. (MLO: D)

Sourced Thesis Outline

The Sources Thesis Outline is an initial detailed outline of the thesis proposal, including a bibliography of at least 30 entries. Follow closely the guidelines contained in the course materials, using the Literature Matrix as a guide to provide a tentative outline of the thesis and chapter divisions. (MLO: B, C, D, E)

Thesis Rough Draft

The Thesis Rough Draft is a minimum of 10 pages first draft of your thesis proposal content, following current Turabian style, and including a bibliography of at least 20 sources. Follow the guidelines and template of the Master’s Thesis Handbook. (MLO: E)

Revised Final Thesis Proposal

The Revised Final Thesis Proposal must be at least 15 pages of content, follow current Turabian style, and include a bibliography of at least 30 sources. Follow all guidelines carefully. (MLO: E)